Ubisoft reports R861-million loss

Ubisoft has released its sales and earnings figures for the six months ended 30 September 2013, the first half of their 2014 financial year.

The main takeaway was a reported net loss of €62.1 million (±R861-million). This is compared to a net-loss of €32.3 million in the previous corresponding H1 2012-13 period.

Contributing to the loss was a €138.9 million research and development bill, likely due to many upcoming big-hitters such as Watch Dogs, The Crew, and Tom Clancy’s: The Division. €161.3 million was spent on marketing and admin.

For the full-year 2013-14 results, Ubisoft expects sales of between €995 million and €1,045 million and a non-IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standard) operating loss of between €70 million and €40 million.

Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft Chief Executive Officer, said:

“The PS4 and Xbox One will be released in a few days’ time and will be a new driving force for the industry. We are confident in our capacity to rise to the short-term challenges posed by the transition phase, thanks to the very high quality of our games, which, combined with the upcoming arrival of the next-generation consoles and the traditional ramp-up of sales during the Christmas season will trigger positive momentum towards the end of the year.”