- Third-quarter sales: €520 million
- Very solid performance by Assassin’s Creed® IV Black FlagTM and Just Dance® 2014
- Highly successful launches for both the PLAYSTATION®4 and Xbox OneTM
- Targets for full-year 2013-14 updated
Paris, February 10, 2014 – Today, Ubisoft released its sales figures for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2013.
Sales
Sales for the third quarter of 2013-14 came to €520 million, down 35.2% (or -32.7% at constant exchange rates) compared with the €802 million recorded for third-quarter 2012-13.
For the first nine months of fiscal 2013-14, sales totaled €813 million versus €1,081 million in the corresponding prior-year period, representing a decrease of 24.8% (or -21.8% at constant exchange rates).
The third-quarter sales figure was in line with the target range of between €500 million and €540 million issued when Ubisoft released its first-half 2013-14 results. The quarter saw the following:
- Excellent momentum for Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, with some 10 million sell-in units. This performance bears witness to both the high quality of the game and the franchise’s strong dynamic with gamers.
- Another robust performance by Just Dance, which recorded some 6 million sell-in units, positioning it once again as the leading casual game brand for consoles – a position it has held year after year.
- Lower-than-expected sales for Rocksmith® 2014, with around 1 million sell-in units.
- Digital sales of €53 million, representing a 4% contraction on the third quarter of 2012-13, when these sales were propelled by the release of Far Cry® 3. For the first nine months of 2013-14, however, digital sales increased year on year by 12% to €123 million, fueled by digital distribution, free-to-play games and DLC sales.
- A 21% contraction in back-catalog sales to €53 million, due to the console transition period. For the first nine months of the fiscal year, however, back-catalog sales rose 6% to €172 million, powered by the robust performances of Assassin’s Creed 3, Far Cry 3 and free-toplay titles.
Yves Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer, said “The launches of the PS4 and Xbox One were both hugely successful, with sales of these machines more than doubling those for the previous generation and confirming the growth potential of the console market in the coming years. Over the short term, the high quality of our titles – which is unanimously recognized by gamers – has enabled us to achieve our third-quarter sales target despite the transition period currently affecting the market. Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag performed particularly well, reinforcing the franchise’s long-term potential and therefore its upcoming iteration. This robust showing was achieved thanks to the excellence of our teams, our extensive development capacities, and the efficiency of our Lead and Associate studio structure.”
“Today we are specifying our targets for full-year 2013-14 and are confirming our target for non-IFRS operating income for 2014-15. Fiscal 2014-15 will see an exceptional games line-up, with the release of five major titles including Just Dance, The Crew, and Watch Dogs, which is scheduled for release in the first fiscal quarter. Our line-up is also expected to reap the benefits of the return to growth in the console market and the increasingly significant impact of digital gaming.”
Outlook
Full-year 2013-14
The Company now expects sales to come in at approximately €1,000 million for full-year 201314, compared with the previous target of between €995 million and €1,045 million. The nonIFRS operating loss is expected to amount to approximately €65 million, versus the previously announced range of between €70 million and €40 million.
Sales for the fourth quarter of 2013-14
The fourth quarter will see the following releases:
- South ParkTM: The Stick of TruthTM, for PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360™ and PC
- Rayman® Legends, for PLAYSTATION®4 and Xbox One™
- The Open Betas of The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot™ and Might & Magic® Heroes® Online, for PC
Ubisoft expects fourth-quarter 2013-14 sales to amount to approximately €187 million, up by nearly 7% on the fourth quarter of 2012-13.
Full-year 2014-15
The Company is standing by its non-IFRS operating income target of at least €150 million for 2014-15.
Significant events
Market share: In calendar 2013, Ubisoft was the number 4 independent publisher in the United States with 7.9% market share (compared with number 3 and 10.5% one year earlier) and was number 4 in Europe with 9.1% market share (compared with number 3 and 11.2%).
Ever-higher quality ratings: Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (86); Rayman® Legends (90); Rocksmith 2014 (87); Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® BlacklistTM (83). These scores correspond to the average scores for all platforms combined (excl. Wii™ and Wii U™) on Metacritic.com as of February 03, 2014.
Contact
Investor relations
Jean-Benoît Roquette
SVP Investor Relations
+ 33 1 48 18 52 39
Jean-benoit.roquette@ubisoft.com
Disclaimer
This statement may contain estimated financial data, information on future projects and transactions, and future business results/performance. Such forward-looking data are provided for estimation purposes only. They are subject to market risks and uncertainties and may vary significantly compared with the actual results that will be published. The estimated financial data have been presented to the Board of Directors and have not been audited by the Statutory Auditors. (Additional information is specified in the most recent Ubisoft Registration Document filed on June 25, 2013 with the French Financial Markets Authority (l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers)).
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets, and PCs. For the 2012-13 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,256 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com. © 2013 Ubisoft Entertainment. All rights Reserved. Just Dance, Watch Dogs, Rayman, Rabbids, Tom Clancy, Splinter Cell, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Blacklist, Black Flag, Might & Magic, Heroes, Rocksmith, The Crew, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. countries. © 2014 South Park Digital Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved. South Park and all elements thereof © 2014 Comedy Partners. All Rights Reserved. Comedy Central, South Park and all related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of Comedy Partners. Game software © 2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. Game Engine and other technology © 2014 Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Obsidian and the Obsidian Entertainment logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Obsidian Entertainment, Inc.