Ubisoft expects to report sales of €160 million (£133.9m / $201.1m) for its first quarter ended June 30, up 93 per cent compared with the €83 million (£69.5m / $104.3m) generated in the same period in 2009.
Final sales figures for the first quarter will be released when the Paris stock exchange closes on July 22. The company says it won’t be holding a conference call following the publication of the results.
The company previously offered sales guidance of approximately €145 million (£121.4m / $182.3m), but has revised its forecast on the back of Splinter Cell Conviction’s “solid” performance, the game having sold in 1.9 million units, and a “good performance” by back-catalogue and casual titles such as Just Dance, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Avatar.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said "Our sales performance this quarter reflects the success of several titles and attests to the quality of our game catalogue. It’s proof of Ubisoft’s ability to make its mark in an ever demanding video games sector.”
Ubisoft expects second quarter sales to come in at around €83 million (£69.5m / $104.3m), in-line with the second quarter of the 2009-10 financial year. Its second quarter releases include HAWX 2 and Ruse, both of which are Xbox 360, PS3 and PC bound.
“Due to the competitive market at Christmas”, Driver: San Francisco, previously scheduled for release during the third quarter, will now launch during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, the firm said.
“This year’s E3 further confirmed the potential for our end-of-year line-up, demonstrating how varied and distinct our offering is,” Guillemot said. “Proven franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Driver or Ghost Recon will offer unique experiences for seasoned gamers. In particular, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood should allow us to reaffirm our position as one of the industry’s best multiplayer developers. The pre-orders are the strongest ever seen, already 20 per cent above those from the same period last year, even before the awards announced following E3.
“In the casual segment, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, Just Dance 2 or Michael Jackson: The Experience, which has generated particularly promising media coverage, are expected to attract a large number of casual players. Finally, thanks to the investments made, we will offer a rich line-up of both online games and new titles for the upcoming hardware launches this fiscal year."