French publisher Ubisoft has reported a profit of €37.3 million (£29.7 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. Gross sales income came in at €1.06 billion (£845 million), a 1.9 per cent increase on the prior year's $1.04 billion (£828 million). Its current operating income shot from €29.4 million (£23.5 million) to €56 million (£44.8 million). More >
The 3DS version of striking Ubisoft platformer Rayman Origins has been delayed to June to allow its developer to "fine-tune a few details." Michel Ancel's game was supposed to be released for 3DS in Europe last Friday, but according to Eurogamer it will now be released on June 8. While unconfirmed, it seems safe to assume the game will not meet its intended US release date of March 20. More >
UK retailer Game Group has confirmed that it will be stocking Ubisoft's PS Vita launch titles from tomorrow. In a brief statement passed to VG247, the nation's largest specialist retailer confirms the games will be "available in all Game's channels" - the Game and Gamestation chains, their websites, and gameplay.co.uk, the last of which is to be closed at the end of the month - from tomorrow. More >
Ubisoft has confirmed that Michel Ancel platformer Rayman Origins will be released for PC on March 30. Even better news for PC owners: the digital download will only require a single activation, while the retail version will not feature Ubisoft's dreaded DRM at all More >
Bethesda Softworks, Ubisoft and Nintendo vie to become our publisher of the year.
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All hail the limbless carrier of the platformer torch.
3The publisher has revealed its plans for Sony's upcoming portable, with six confirmed games in the pipeline: Assassin's Creed, Rayman Origins, Dungeon Hunter Alliance, Asphalt, Michael Jackson The Experience and, in news that sent a certain corner of the Edge newsdesk hurrying to investigate pre-order prices, Lumines. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said: "With its processing power, dual tactile screens and cameras, PS Vita allows creators like Ubisoft new and unique opportunities to develop innovative games We’ve got a strong and varied line-up that will offer fun and immersion to all audiences of the PS Vita.”
Speaking to Develop, Michel Ancel said the UbiArt Framework used in his visually striking current project, Rayman Origins, will eventually be made available to the development community for free - but that the industry's reticence to share technology is holding it back. "UbiArt has been built to be shared," he said. "If the guys who invented the paintbrush only kept it for themselves then fine art would be ephemeral. I want [UbiArt] to be open source, I want it to go out and be shared and evolve. If you look at the best artists at Disney, they create incredible books and artwork and share their processes...that whole medium has evolved on the basis of sharing ideas. But in games we lock it all in a black box and keep it to ourselves. We need to be more open. I don’t believe that keeping the technology to yourself is interesting."
An unexpected highlight at Ubisoft's E3 press conference, Rayman Origins is vibrant, charming and, at times, downright hilarious.