Ubisoft reports FY2013 earnings

Annual sales up 18 percent as publisher prepares for next generation

Posted on May 15, 2013 - 5:46pm EST

Ubisoft has released its sales and earnings figures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.

Yves Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft stated: "In 2012-13 fiscal year our financial performance outstripped the targets that we had announced a year ago, notably with higher-than-expected cash generation.”

Fiscal year sales for 2012-13 totaled €1,256 million, up 18.4 percent (or 13.5 percent at constant exchange rates) compared with the €1,061 million recorded for 2011-12.

€928 million in revenue was generated from games for core gamers, up 60 percent year on year. The increase was fueled by sales for Assassin’s Creed 3 (more than 12.5 million sell-in and digital units) and Far Cry 3 (6 million sell-in and digital units), as well as by sustained revenues of the free-to-play game The Settlers Online.

€328 million in revenue was from casual games, representing a year-on-year contraction of 32 percent and accounting for 26 percent of total sales (versus 46 percent in fiscal year 2011-12). In this context, Just Dance 4 saw 8.5 million units sold.

Online/digital sales leaped 86 percent to €148 million (both in core and casual games ), which represented 11.7 percent of the company’s total sales.

Guillemot concluded, "A new console cycle is beginning and it will offer players an unrivalled experience. In order to reap the full benefit of the strong growth expected from the launch of these new consoles, we are integrating into our next blockbusters all of the expertise we have built up over recent years through our online games such as Settlers Online, Trackmania, Howrse and Trials Evolution, as well as our online services platform Uplay which offers us a strategic link with players.”

The company’s initial targets for fiscal-year 2013-14 are sales of between €1,420 million and €1,450 million. Revenue generated from games for core gamers is expected to rise, with notably the launch of five major titles versus three last year. This line-up includes Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist, Watch Dogs, and two titles that have not yet been announced, including one new creation.