Ubisoft® reports third-quarter 2010-11 sales
§ Third-quarter sales: €600 million § Targets for 2010-11 and comments for 2011-12
Paris, February 14, 2011 – Today, Ubisoft® reported its sales for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2010.
Sales
Sales for the third quarter of 2010-11 came to €600 million, up 21.2% (or 14.7% at constant exchange rates) over the €495 million recorded for the same period of 2009-10.
For the first nine months of fiscal 2010-11, sales totaled €861 million, versus €661 million in the corresponding prior-year period, representing an increase of 30.3%, or 22.5% at constant exchange rates.
Third-quarter sales were significantly higher than the previously issued guidance of around €520 million. This performance reflects the following:
− Solid sales for Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood, with over 6.5 million sell-in units.
− An outstanding performance from dance titles, with Just Dance®, Just Dance® 2, Just Dance® Kids, Michael Jackson: The Experience, and Dance on Broadway™ reaching an aggregate of more than 10.5 million sell-in units during the quarter.
− Ubisoft’s successful investment on Kinect, with over 2 million units sold-in, giving the Company 18% market share on this platform in the United States and 21% in Europe.
− Promising launches of CSI: Crime City on Facebook, as well as The Settlers® Online in Germany.
In calendar 2010 Ubisoft continued to win market share both in Europe (9.2% versus 7.8% in 2009) and the United States (7.3% versus 5.4%).
Yves Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer, stated “The video game industry is an industry of opportunities. Creating new genres, innovating to attract new consumers, and seizing the opportunities offered by new hardware lie at the heart of Ubisoft’s development and growth. We have already proven this with the Wii and the DS, and we are further proving it with the recently-launched Kinect, which has met with outstanding success thanks to its revolutionary interface. Ubisoft has also made its mark as a creator of new game genres, with its two flagship brands, Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance. The record performance achieved in third quarter 2010-11, as well as the fact that three of our games were among the best sellers over the crucial Christmas period, is further evidence of the relevance of our strategy. Going forward, we intend to continue to innovate and pursue our refocus on key franchises in the high definition segment, while investing in upcoming opportunities in digital, in the casual segment and in future consoles, notably the 3DS and the NGP”.
Outlook
Sales for the fourth quarter of 2010-11
The fourth quarter will see the following main releases:
− Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood for PC
− 6 titles for 3DS (certain of which only in Europe)
− Beyond Good & Evil® HD for XBLA
Sales for the fourth quarter of 2010-11 are expected to come in at around €159 million, approximately 24% lower than in the fourth quarter of 2009-10.
Targets for full-year 2010-11
Ubisoft expects full-year 2010-11 sales to amount to around €1,020 million, approximately 17% higher than in 2009-10. Current operating income[1] should be around €20 million and cash flow generation is expected to be positive. This is in line with Ubisoft’s previously announced targets for full-year 2010-11, which were achieving sales growth, a return to profitability, and positive cash flow generation.
Comments for 2011-12
Both sales and current operating income1 are expected to rise in 2011-12. The Company will provide further details when it releases its full-year results in mid-May 2011.
Significant events
Market share: In calendar 2010, Ubisoft was the number 3 independent publisher in the United States with 7.3% market share (compared with number 3 and 5.4% one year earlier) and was number 3 in Europe with 9.2% market share (compared with number 3 and 7.8%).
Contact
Investor Relations
Jean-Benoît Roquette
Head of Investor Relations
+ 33 1 48 18 52 39
Jean-benoit.roquette@ubisoft.com
Disclaimer
This statement may contain estimated financial data, information on future projects and transactions and future business results/performance. Such forward-looking data are provided for estimation purposes only. They are subject to market risks and uncertainties and may vary significantly compared with the actual results that will be published. The estimated financial data have been presented to the Board of Directors and have not been audited by the Statutory Auditors. (Additional information is specified in the most recent Ubisoft Registration Document filed on June 30, 2010 with the French Financial Markets Authority (l’Autorité des marchés financiers)).
About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 26 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2009-10 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of € 871 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
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[1] Before stock-based compensation