Ubisoft Raises Guidance On Assassin's, Delays Three Titles

Publisher Ubisoft has announced that following strong sales of its Assassin's Creed it has raised guidance for this fiscal year to €840 million ($1.22 billion), also announcing a delay of End War, Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway, and Far Cry 2. The new guidance is up from previous estimates of €825 million ($1.20 billion). Ubisoft says it expects some €410 million ($594.5 million) in its third quarter alone, following sales of some 2.5 million units of Assassin's Creed worldwide over the past month. The company says it expects to sell five million units of the game worldwide by the end of the fiscal year, and adds that strong sales of its casual lineup have added to the increased confidence in its performance. Ubisoft has also announced that End War, Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway, and Far Cry 2, previously scheduled for a release in the first quarter of 2008, have now been pushed to fiscal 2008-09 -- undetermined dates past summer of next year. Accordingly, Ubisoft says it expects yearly 2008-09 sales of €975 million ($1.41 billion), based on the launch of those three titles, as well as the next Splinter Cell, and casual games in its Imagine, Petz and My Coach series. Said company CEO Yves Guillemot, "With the exceptional performance of Assassin's Creed, the fastest-selling new video game intellectual property in the U.S. ever, Ubisoft's teams have once again demonstrated their expertise in creating and promoting major brands. These regular-sequel franchises are a source of very high profitability both in the short and long term. Drawing on its strong internal development capacities, Ubisoft is currently in an ideal position to continue to develop numerous new creations – an essential condition for winning market share and ensuring strong growth going forward."