Strong Splinter Cell sales help Ubisoft become second-largest publisher in Europe

by Steven Mostyn - Jul 26 2010, 06:43

Given some of the heavyweight franchises produced by Ubisoft, it might not come as much of a surprise to learn that the French company is now the second largest third-party publisher in Europe.

However, despite the retail popularity of the Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon series, Ubisoft’s current positioning only equates to a market share of 9.5 percent – which in itself is a year-on-year improvement of 1.5 percent.

In terms of specific European territories, Ubisoft has seen its market share rise from 8.3 percent to 11 percent in the UK over the past 12 months, while it has jumped from 7.7 percent to 9.3 percent in France, and 7.8 percent to 9.2 percent in Germany.

According to Ubisoft’s latest fiscal report for Q1 of 2010 (ending June 30), the publisher has amassed sales of more than 200 million USD, which equates to a whopping year-on-year boost of 94 percent. Sales for the end of fiscal Q2 (ending September 30) are expected to be around 107 million USD.

“Our sales performance this quarter reflects the success of several titles and attests to the quality of our game catalog,” trumpeted Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot regarding the publisher’s progress. “It’s proof of Ubisoft’s ability to make its mark in an ever demanding video games sector.”

That success can be attributed to the likes of Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360 and PC), which has racked up 1.9 million unit sales since launching in April of 2010.

Despite its improved European placement, Ubisoft remains only the fourth largest publisher in the United States, holding a modest six percent of the market.

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