Ubisoft profit up to $271 million in first half of FY 2014
Ubisoft reported gross profit of €202.2 million ($271.5 million) in the first half of fiscal year 2014, up from €192.7 million ($258.8 million) in 2012. Sales in the six months ending September 30 hit €293.3 million ($393.8 million), up from €279.2 million ($374.9 million) over the same period last year. At the end of it all, Ubisoft has €141.7 million ($190.3 million) in debt.
Ubisoft attributes the uptick in sales to growth in DLC and digital content purchases, and a 16 percent increase in sales of its back catalog, calling out Far Cry 3 and Assassin's Creed 3.
"Open world games are becoming ever-more popular with gamers," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in the financial statement. "These creations give gamers the freedom of expression and immersive experiences that are now central to their expectations .... We are continuing to make strides in the implementation of our strategy, by concentrating our resources on regular releases of our open world franchises, investing in digital expertise and increasing the visibility of our brands, notably through movies and TV series."
Ubisoft has Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs and Ghost Recon movies in the pipeline. In October, Ubisoft delayed Watch Dogs and The Crew to 2014.
