Ubisoft Raises Sales Estimates, Delays Three Titles After Record-Breaking Assassin's Creed Sales

December 13, 2007 10:50 AM

The persistent hype of all flavors surrounding Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin's Creed (PC, PS3, X360) seems to have paid off, as the title sold more than 2.5 million copies in the four weeks following its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 launch. The figure makes Assassin's Creed the fastest-selling new video game property ever in the U.S., the company claimed in a statement.

Based on these startling numbers, Ubisoft has revised its current fiscal year estimates, predicting sales of 5 million units of Assassin's Creed rather than 3 million through March 30, 2008. In fiscal terms, the company bumped its revenue prediction to 840 million Euros ($1.23 billion), up from 825 million Euros ($1.21 billion).

The company is so confident in its financial position that it has pushed the release of three anticipated titles into the next fiscal year: Ubisoft Montreal's Far Cry 2 (PC), Ubisoft Shanghai's Tom Clancy's EndWar (PC, PS3, NDS, X360), and Gearbox Software's Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (PC, PS3, X360). All three titles will now retail sometime in the coming fiscal year, which begins on April 1, 2008.

This is the third time in recent months that Ubisoft has delayed multiple titles, with Free Radical's Haze (PS3) bumped to an early 2008 release last month and Ubisoft Montreal's Splinter Cell: Conviction (PC, X360) pushed into the next fiscal year. Earlier this year, the company delayed four unspecified titles.

Carlos Bergfeld

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eeeealmo

 reply
December 13, 2007 10:53 AM

at least some companies have the balls to actually delay a game instead of releasing it before it is actually ready.
- NoCopy
  
   reply
  December 13, 2007 11:01 AM
  
  except, you must take into account why they are in a position to delay those games.
  
  Assassins Creed did well enough that they met their predictions and pleased investors, had they not met those goals with Assassins Creed then these titles would (probably) still be shipping before April 1 / 2008.
  
  The decision is purely a financial one and has nothing to do about quality.
  - MrLobo
    
     reply
    December 13, 2007 11:20 AM
    
    Honestly I doubt it. Not with these titles anyway.
  - coraldayton
    
     reply
    December 13, 2007 11:45 AM
    
    This is actually a financial decision rather then a reason to piss off the gamers.
    
    Assassins Creed is going to make them enough money to go in the black instead of the red, so they don't need those other titles to be released to go into the black.
    
    So instead of going all out now, they're going to be a bit more cautious so they can be profitable next fiscal year.
    
    Wise decision on your part Ubisoft, hope this translates to better game development.