Ubisoft's December quarter proved that, at least for some companies, there's still a lot of money to be made in blockbuster packaged games.
The company says that a combined 12 million sell-in and digital sales of
Assassin's Creed 3 during the quarter was a record for the franchise, and represented a nearly 70 percent increase over the previous title in the franchise,
Assassin's Creed Revelations.
Additionally, the company says its shooter
Far Cry 3 exhibited a "much higher-than-expected performance" with 4.5 million between its physical sell-ins and digital versions.
"Our performance fully validates our long-term choices and the large-scale investments we have been undertaking for several years now, with a sharp ramp-up in games for core gamers and notably our strong comeback into the major segment of shooter games," CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement.
Overall the company reported sales of 802 million Euros (about $1 billion) for its third fiscal quarter ending December 31, at the high end of its guidance and up 23% from the same period the previous year. The company is now expecting to report an annual profit of between 90 and 100 million euros ($120.6-$134 million) when its fiscal year ends on March 31, up from its previous forecast of 70 to 100 million euros.