Okay, so here we go. Imagine sitting down with your morning coffee and reading a snippet from the land of Ubisoft. No idea why I picked that analogy, but it fits for setting the scene, don’t you think?
So, here’s the deal. Ubisoft, that giant French game publisher, is having a bit of a moment. Not like a major crisis, but a tiny blip. Their net bookings dipped by 2.9% for the three months leading up to June 30. Yeah, that’s not a massive crash, but it must have sparked a few eyebrow raises in some corporate office somewhere. I wonder if French offices have different vibes? More croissants, maybe.
They clocked in around €281.6 million, which is, like, $330.8 million if you’re more on the dollar side of life. So, what happened? Well, a couple of things. Rainbow Six: Siege didn’t exactly set the world on fire this time around, and a partnership they were banking on got delayed to the next quarter. Talk about lousy timing, right? Ever had one of those days?
But there’s a silver lining—or maybe just a chunk of silver. Their old games, the back catalogue—like old treasures you discover in your attic—are raking in the cash. They pulled in €260.4 million, which is €305.9 million or however you want to count it. That’s a 4.4% bump compared to the same time last year. People just love their classic games.
And get this—Ubisoft is shaking things up internally, like rearranging your room hoping for a fresh start. They’re diving into something they’re calling Creative Houses. Doesn’t that sound artsy? The first of these is tied to Tencent—because, of course, it is—but let’s not dive into that rabbit hole.
Yves Guillemot, the CEO, chimed in, saying this whole Creative House thing is a fancy new model they’re working on. It’s supposed to make them more agile or something. Sounds like a yoga class for businesses, if you ask me.
Each of these Creative Houses, from what I gather, will have its own flavor, which is kind of exciting. They’re hoping it’ll improve quality and focus—it’s like making each game its own little universe.
Oh, and they’re also putting a spotlight on some of their flagship games, like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. It’s the first such House, and they’re really pumped about it—new leadership and all. I guess it’s about making everything more agile without losing sight of stability. Kind of a juggling act, but hey, that’s business for you.
