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[Nirolak]

Via Ubisoft's fiscal press release: https://www.ubisoftgroup.com/comsit...nglish final_tcm99-283167_tcm99-196733-32.pdf

Watch_Dogs® 2: Launch not as dynamic as expected, but momentum now positive

Steep: slightly higher-than-expected performance

A strong increase in player engagement levels
- MAU up 33.1% in the nine-month period
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege: 15 million registered players1and record DAU
- Tom Clancy’s The Division®: a 152.3% jump in DAU

Yves Guillemot, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are successfully pursuing
our transformation into a more recurring and more profitable profile. The positive effects of this
transformation are remarkable. They illustrate how far ahead of schedule we are in our digital
development, which is one key element of our three-year targets. Our overall player community
is growing rapidly. We hit record engagement levels during the period, with 33% more MAU
year on year. The number of daily players of Rainbow Six Siege is at its highest ever, an
exceptional performance given that the game was released 14 months ago. Meanwhile, The
Division has continued its successful come-back, with engagement up by more than 150% by
the end of December. This resulted in record back-catalog sales and digital revenue for the third
quarter, and we saw another sharp rise in player recurring investment”

"In light of the positive impacts of our transformation, combined with our overall solid
performance and tight cost control, we are standing by our objective of achieving record
operating income and operating margin for fiscal 2016-17, despite lower-than-expected sales.
Our targets for fiscal 2017-18 will be announced mid-May and will include an increase in our
topline and operating income, while factoring in the very competitive environment that we
expect to see throughout the year. Longer term, with the current successful implementation of
our strategic plan, we are confident we will achieve our targets for fiscal 2018-19. In fact, by
the end of fiscal 2016-17, we expect to meet, or even exceed, the 45% digital revenue and
17% player recurring investment targets we had set for fiscal 2018-19."

 

[DNAbro]

I wonder how low was Steep's expected performance.

 

[mcrommert]

Also digital sales for the last nine months are at 47% of total...so basically 50%

So much higher than the 20-30 percent from before

 

[Gator86]

I wonder how low was Steep's expected performance.

Same. I can't imagine how it did well at all. Glad for Division and R6. Both are pretty great.

 

[Bizzquik]

Watch Dogs 2 removed too many fun mini-games - which were easily some of the best stuff from the first game in the first place.

 

[danmaku]

Nice to see that Steep isn't a failure.

 

[paranoidfortean]

Hopefully this means Steep isn't one and done. Great game.

 

[Nirolak]

Also digital sales for the last nine months are at 47% of total...so basically 50%

So much higher than the 20-30 percent from before

Well, it's digital revenue, so that includes DLC/microtransactions and not just base game sales.

Hopefully this means Steep isn't one and done. Great game.

It's a service title. They'll most likely just keep updating the existing product.

 

[Oregano]

They must have expected literally nothing.

 

[Maintenance]

Legit thought Steep was a 2017 title.

 

[Ray Down]

Steep must of have very low expectations then, lmao.

 

[benzopil]

I wonder how low was Steep's expected performance.

It's still in top-10 in UK charts or something like that. It's selling well.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

Watch Dogs 2 removed too many fun mini-games - which were easily some of the best stuff from the first game in the first place.

They replaced the fun mini-games with a fun game.

 

[mcrommert]

Well, it's digital revenue, so that includes DLC/microtransactions and not just base game sales.



It's a service title. They'll most likely just keep updating the existing product.

Ah okay I missed that

 

[Yushi]

Happy for Siege, while I don't play because Overwatch is my shooter game, I had a lot of fun with the free week-ends.

 

[ironcreed]

The only thing making me look at Steep is the new Alaska DLC. I may check it out down the road.

 

[Obliterator]

Pretty unbelievable that Siege, over a year later, has more daily users than it has at any other point. That is exceptionally rare to see, and kinda lends itself to me thinking we won't see Siege 2 until next gen. I think the plan is to support Siege through the remaining years of this console cycle. Maybe at best we see Siege 2 as a cross gen title at the end of this cycle / early next.

Steep being above expectations is somewhat surprising but at the same time kinda not. It launched low but seems to have been maintaining very strong legs. It chart's week in and week out in the UK for example.

I just beat Watch Dogs 2 a couple weeks ago, and while I overall enjoyed it, I had a huge amount of issues with it. Namely the controls being way overly complex which is something that doesn't usually bother me. If they do a WD3 I hope they rethink a lot in the franchise.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

DAU and MAU?

Otherwise, great for them. Siege is an amazing game.

 

[Jakoo]

Watch Dogs 2 definitely benefited from that free-demo plus sale price they did recently. I picked it up immediately after that.

 

[Mael]

Wait? Steep is out?
How did I miss the OT and everything?

 

[Hero of Legend]

Steep wasn't quite flat, but not a mountain either. Folks might have not been as cold to the game as people thought. Maybe Ubisoft wasn't walking on thin ice when they decided to port the game to Switch. Shame that Steep's price on Switch will be a steep climb over the other versions upon release. Maybe the Switch version will bring Ubisoft an avalanche of money, or will it only bring merely a powder of pocket change?

Spoiler

I regret nothing!

 

[Chase17]

About to pick up steep on the psn sale. Surprised it's above expectations.

Legit thought Steep was a 2017 title.

It is for Switch!

 

[Data West]

Terrible launch date for WD2. That's on them, not the game that made it.

 

[Nirolak]

Pretty unbelievable that Siege, over a year later, has more daily users than it has at any other point. That is exceptionally rare to see, and kinda lends itself to me thinking we won't see Siege 2 until next gen. I think the plan is to support Siege through the remaining years of this console cycle. Maybe at best we see Siege 2 as a cross gen title at the end of this cycle / early next.

Steep being above expectations is somewhat surprising but at the same time kinda not. It launched low but seems to have been maintaining very strong legs.

It's not just a little above as well:

 

[blakep267]

Pretty unbelievable that Siege, over a year later, has more daily users than it has at any other point. That is exceptionally rare to see, and kinda lends itself to me thinking we won't see Siege 2 until next gen. I think the plan is to support Siege through the remaining years of this console cycle. Maybe at best we see Siege 2 as a cross gen title at the end of this cycle / early next.

Steep being above expectations is somewhat surprising but at the same time kinda not. It launched low but seems to have been maintaining very strong legs.

After the last free weekend on Xbox a few days ago. It jumped to being the most played game. Not sure how long it'll last but still crazy. After the first free weekend trial last spring it vaulted into the top 10 and stayed there

MS needs to give gears a free weekend and following sale and hope it does wonders as well

 

[Violence Jack]

WD2 deserved much, much better.

 

[Acquiescence]

Watch Dogs 2 is inferior to the first game, so it feels somewhat fitting that the game hasn't performed to expectations.

 

[Interfectum]

What were their expectations for Steep? More people bought the game than developed it?

 

[Obliterator]

It's not just a little above as well:

That is literally incredible to see. Unreal legs / performance. Ubi have to be absolutely thrilled

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

R6 is so, so good.

 

[Zukkoyaki]

I'm glad that Watch Dogs 2 seems to be showing solid legs. Even though I personally enjoyed the first game, I recognize that a lot of people didn't and that hurt the initial sales of the sequel. Thankfully word-of-mouth is helping it out.

I'm curious as to whether Ubi had really low expectations for Steep or if Steep is actually selling decently.

 

[Obliterator]

Watch Dogs 2 is inferior to the first game, so it feels somewhat fitting that the game hasn't performed to expectations.

That's a controversial opinion but........I actually agree.

I like Marcus / the supporting cast in WD2 waaaaay more than WD1, but the game itself felt a lot worse to me to play. Idk it just felt not as tight of a package and I had a ton of issues with the encounter design and overall controls.

 

[RoKKeR]

Edit: Nvm

R6 has been one of the biggest success stories of the generation, neat to see.

 

[funkystudent]

People are bored of Ubisoft open world games and it is going to take more then "a good one of those" to be a success now.


They got a decade out of the formula. Thats pretty good but everything has its peak and that formula had its one 4 years ago.

 

[Zukkoyaki]

That's a controversial opinion but........I actually agree.

I like Marcus / the supporting cast in WD2 waaaaay more than WD1, but the game itself felt a lot worse to me to play. Idk it just felt not as tight of a package and I had a ton of issues with the encounter design and overall controls.

Huh, I feel the same way.

Basically the things I didn't like about WD1 were significantly better in WD2 but what I DID like in WD1 felt slightly worse in WD2. Both great games though.

 

[Soulblighter31]

Watch Dogs 2 is inferior to the first game, so it feels somewhat fitting that the game hasn't performed to expectations.

God no, its better in every possible way. But it lacks a structure, an actual game that was designed. It just has better mechanics in everything, but they just left it at that, they didnt use those mechanics to form a game. It just feels like a random sandbox level. Its like they got the best ingredients for a meal, but they forgot to make the actual meal with those fine ingredients. So you're just left with tasting the individual ingredients, but you'd like to have the actual meal

 

[Anon67]

Rainbow Six Siege deserves all the money. Great game with amazing post launch support.

 

[daxgame]

yesss Steep <3

 

[Primethius]

Siege is a beast. Will buy a season pass every year so long as Ubi keeps on improving it and releasing quality content.

 

[Obliterator]

Yo these are some crazy stats, and really is backing up Ubi's business plan. Which is long tail, recurring revenue, service based games. Their digital growth is insane

Record digital revenue for the nine-month period
o Accounting for 47.2% of total sales (27.0% last year)
o Up 84.4% year on year to &#8364;383.0 million
o A 140.1% surge in player recurring investment to &#8364;169.9 million, representing
20.9% of total sales (9.2% last year)

 

[Possumowner]

Siege is great and deserves it.Expectations low on Steep perhaps?

 

[Grisby]

Good for them. I've been coming back to R6 a bit and have dipped into the Division a couple of times since the launch period.

Bought Steep and have been looking to find more time with it.

 

[Jb]

It's not just a little above as well:

Damn this is pretty impressive. In a generation where a bunch of new MP FPS struggled to maintain a good userbase this is a really cool surprise.

 

[Bruno MB]

DAU and MAU?

Otherwise, great for them. Siege is an amazing game.

Yeah, everything was easier when the measurement for failure or success was in units sold.

 

[Deleted member 59090]

DAU and MAU?

Otherwise, great for them. Siege is an amazing game.

Daily and Monthly Active Users.

 

[AlexBasch]

Aww, sad to see that about WD2, it was legit an amazing game, even if I had some issues with the inclusion of firearms and whatnot. Is the Season Pass content over, by the way?

Reading about how Siege is doing, I kinda wonder what Rainbow Six Patriots would have been.

 

[Obliterator]

Yeah, everything was easier when the measurement for failure or success was in units sold.

While this is true in terms of easier to follow, total units just don't mean what they used to anymore. Don't get me wrong, everyone wants to sell more copies than less. But you don't actually need a game to move as many units as you used to, to have similar or better revenue than high selling games in the past. DLC / micro-transactions as well as digital storefront copies being so much more profitable are just such a huge part of business now days.

But you know your shit Bruno and are already well aware of this. I'm more just talking out loud

 

[Some Nobody]

They replaced the fun mini-games with a fun game.

Fictional. WD2 is inferior to WD1 as a "game". Certainly has a better story, characters and city though.

And I'm glad Steep is doing well. It looked like a lot of fun.

 

[SomTervo]

They replaced the fun mini-games with a fun game.

Yup.

They must have had very high expectations for Watch Dogs 2.

Fictional. WD2 is inferior to WD1 as a "game". Certainly has a better story, characters and city though.

Wouldn't expect any more from some nobody

Spoiler

Seriously though WD1 is a better shooter and arguably stealth game (imo it's not) but a worse adventure, sandbox game, hacking game, story, RPG.

WD1 also feels like less than the sum of its parts, while 2 feels like the opposite. It's much more together.

 

[Briarios]

Steep is already half price ... That's kind of crazy.

Really enjoying Watch Dogs 2 - hope sales continue.