Ubisoft sales up in Q3, year-end forecast raised
Ubisoft estimates sales reached €650 million ($831M), up 8% from the same period last year, during its third fiscal quarter spanning the holiday months. At the same time, Ubi revised its estimate for the full fiscal year, ending in March, to between €1.05 and €1.08 billion ($1.34-$1.38B), elevating its lower estimate from €1.04 billion.
"In continuation of the robust trends recorded for the first half of the fiscal year, Ubisoft reported record-high sales for the Christmas period, exceeding expectations. Against an extremely competitive backdrop," said CEO Yves Guillemot. "Assassin's Creed Revelations posted a solid performance, in line with our forecasts, and Just Dance generated outstanding sales."
Since Ubisoft is a French company, which often separate their sales data from profit/loss details, the company will publish its "definitive sales figure for the third quarter" on February 15. By that point, the Just Dance franchise will have sold another several million copies.
Show full PR text
UBISOFT® ENTERTAINMENT : Ubisoft® reports estimated sales for third-quarter 2011-12
Ubisoft® reports estimated sales
for third-quarter 2011-12
Estimated sales of around €650 million, outstripping targets
Release of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier(TM) postponed to the first quarter of fiscal 2012-13
Revision of targets for full-year 2011-12
Paris, January 10, 2012 - Today, Ubisoft reported its estimated sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2011-12 and revised its full-year targets.
Based on the preliminary data that is currently available, third-quarter sales for fiscal 2011-12 are estimated to clock in at around €650 million, up approximately 8% on the €600 million recorded for the third quarter of fiscal 2010-11. Estimated sales for third-quarter fiscal 2011-12 significantly exceeds the guidance of between €580 million and €620 million issued when Ubisoft reported its results for the first half of fiscal 2011-12.
In addition, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier(TM) will now be released in the first quarter of fiscal 2012-13 instead of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011-12. These extra few months will allow Ubisoft's creative teams more time to refine the experience and deliver a game that fully achieves the level of excellence that defines the Ghost Recon franchise.
Ubisoft's solid third-quarter performance has led it to revise upward its full-year targets, with sales now expected to amount to between €1,050 million and €1,080 million (compared with the previously announced guidance of between €1,040 million and €1,080 million), and current operating income before stock-based compensation forecast to come in at between €45 million and €65 million, versus the previous estimate of between €40 million and €60 million.
Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer, said: "In continuation of the robust trends recorded for the first half of the fiscal year, Ubisoft reported record-high sales for the Christmas period, exceeding expectations. Against an extremely competitive backdrop, we were able to reach an ever-wider audience thanks to the quality of our games and our capacity to create brands for both hardcore and casual players. Assassin's Creed Revelations posted a solid performance, in line with our forecasts, and Just Dance generated outstanding sales. The quarter also saw an ongoing increase in our online sales. Ubisoft is therefore continuing to progress towards improving its financial performance and returning to positive cash flow generation in full-year 2012-13."
Ubisoft will publish its definitive sales figure for the third quarter of fiscal 2011-12 on February 15, 2012 and the Company will hold a conference call on that same date.
