NEWS - Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Ubisoft Eyes EA’s Project 10 After Fall in Profits
Ubisoft has blamed the recent economic downturn for falling sales and profits, following the release of the company’s 2009 fiscal results. As reported by Gamasutra, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement, "The global economic crisis had a pronounced impact on the video game industry in 2009 -- Ubisoft’s sales were hit particularly hard, falling 18 percent over the full year."
Despite the falling sales, the company remains positive in its future outlook, noting generally strong reviews for the recently released Red Steel 2 (though 1UP gave it a C+) and that its movie adaptation Avatar actually exceeded sales expectations -- especially on Wii.
Likely to cause consternation in many gamers, however, Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez said in an earnings call (also reported by Gamasutra) that the company are "looking very carefully" at EA?s "Project $10" initiative under which new games are released including a one-use code for DLC or (most controversially) access to online multiplayer (second-hand purchasers are required to purchase a new code for $10).
Martinez continued, "we will probably follow that line at sometime in the future."
Source: http://www.1up.com