Ubisoft action games reach new sell-in milestones; Just Dance 4 ships 8 million; company's Online segment jumps 143 percent.
As part of its latest earnings report today, Ubisoft announced new shipment figures for the latest entries in its tentpole franchises. Assassin's Creed III has now shipped 12 million units; Far Cry 3 sits at 4.5 million, while Just Dance 4 has reached 8 million units shipped.
For the three-month period ended December 31, Ubisoft revenue rose 23 percent to €802 million ($1.07 billion). The French publisher called out its Online business as a major contributor to its bottom line, rising 143 percent to €55.2 million ($74.1 million). This was led by digital distribution sales and revenue derived from downloadable content.
Ubisoft's Casual segment saw diminished revenue during the quarter, but this was largely offset by the strength of the company's core and Online segments highlighted above. In addition, Ubisoft said back catalog sales continued to rise, due in part to "sharp growth" in online and digital back catalog sales, which offset dipping retail back catalog sales.
According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, the publisher's market share has exceeded 11 percent for the first time ever in the United States and Europe.
Looking ahead to 2013 and 2014, Guillemot said it expects further growth in sales and operating income due in part to focusing on core gamers, free-to-play games, and digital distribution.
