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[DanielsM]

The press release also includes the updated financial targets for both 19-20 and 20-21. Ubisoft projections for the current fiscal year have been cut from € 2,185 million of net bookings and €480 million of non-IFRS operating income to €1,450 million of net bookings and €20-50 million of non-IFRS operating income. That's due, as said before, to decreased revenue from Ghost Recon Breakpoint but also from The Division 2, though to a lesser extent.

On the upside, Ubisoft financial targets for fiscal year 20-21 have been revised upward to €2,600 million of net bookings and €600 million of non-IFRS operating income, thanks to the scheduled release of five AAA games (including the next Assassin's Creed, in all likelihood).

Ubisoft (EPA:UBI) seems to have hit a bit of a snag with the most recent releases, after a period of growth. Today's press release, shared just ahead of the full quarterly financial report, contains a lengthy statement from CEO and Co-Founder Yves Guillemot, who acknowledges the disappointing launch of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.

Ubisoft Acknowledges Disappointing Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, Delays Rainbow Six: Quarantine, Watch_Dogs Legion and Gods & Monsters

Ubisoft acknowledged the disappointing Ghost Recon Breakpoint. The company has delayed RS: Quarantine, Watch_Dogs Legion and Gods & Monsters.

wccftech.com

The Division 2 Sales Disappoint Ubisoft, Considered a Commercial Failure

The Division 2 sales have been a disappointment, and the game is considered a commercial failure confirms Ubisoft.

mp1st.com

I'm actually in the camp that partially thinks this is good, also to note they are upping some of their 2020-2021 guidance on the upside.... so not all bad news.

Postponing some games, see below.

In this overall context, we have decided to postpone the releases of Gods & Monsters, Rainbow Six Quarantine and Watch_Dogs Legion until 2020-21.

 

[Kacho]

quarterly financial report, contains a lengthy statement from CEO and Co-Founder Yves Guillemot, who acknowledges the disappointing launch of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.

However, we have not capitalized on the potential of our latest two AAA releases. For Ghost Recon Breakpoint, while the game’s quality appeared on track – based on E3, Gamescom, previews and our latest internal playtests –, critical reception and sales during the game’s first weeks were very disappointing. As we have done with past titles, we will continue to support the game and listen to the community in order to deliver the necessary improvements.

At this stage, we have identified three main reasons behind this underperformance:
• First, it is harder to generate interest for a sequel to a Live multiplayer game, when prior
iterations benefited from years of optimization. Consequently, we need to make sure there
is more time between each iteration of Live games.
• Second, our strategy of introducing gameplay innovations in our games has had a very
positive impact on our brands. However, to win over players, these innovations need to be
perfectly implemented in order to offer an optimal experience. This has not yet been
sufficiently the case with Ghost Recon Breakpoint. While the change of formula has been very well received by some players, with an average daily playtime per player of over threehours, it also has been strongly rejected by a significant portion of the community.
• Finally, Ghost Recon Breakpoint did not come in with enough differentiation factors, which
prevented the game’s intrinsic qualities from standing out.

Couldn’t be happier with Breakpoint and Division 2 underperforming.

Their strategy to make all games going forward live-service is just mind-boggling. All it leads to is more homogenization.

 

[PSlayer]

Good!

 

[MB1]

This is what you get for monetizing every aspect of a videogame (GR Breakpoint) Fuck them.

 

[Gamezone]

Didn't the Epic Game Store save their asses?

 

[flipsake]

I have zero interest in any Ubisoft games these days. Watch Dogs Legion would interest me but it'll be just like the others and riddled with microtransactions, knowing this kills any desire to play it.

 

[Deleted member 471617]

Pretty sure that Ubisoft said that The Division 2 was leading worldwide sales for 2019 a few months ago so to say that they were disappointed is weird. They must have EA expectations of 30m or some shit. SMH.

Breakpoint should not have been turned into what Division is. There should be no gear score, stamina, survival elements, etc. and should have been more closer to Wildlands instead of Division.

Have only played two hours of Breakpoint and it was fine for what I played but not happy with all the changes. Will see how I like the game once I play it completely in December.

The Division 2 was an excellent 9.0/10 for me as I loved the game with it currently being my 2nd best game of 2019. Don't give two shits about Quarantine and was expecting Gods & Monsters to be delayed but Watch Dogs Legion being delayed was a surprise.

If these disappointments and delays means that Ubisoft will spread out their games and give them all the development time they need and should have, im all for it. Love Ubisoft!!!

 

[MB1]

I have zero interest in any Ubisoft games these days. Watch Dogs Legion would interest me but it'll be just like the others and riddled with microtransactions, knowing this kills any desire to play it.

Yeah I'm a huge WD fan so I hope this gives them pause and they scale back the planned microtransactions.

 

[EDMIX]

I'm not surprised with Ghost Recon Breakpoint, they should have NEVER had it locked to online where to my understanding Wildlands can be played with just NPCs offline.

I'm more surprised at The Division 2 failing. It seems like they had a lot going with it, free updates and maps and stuff and I think it looks better then the first title. I think they need to reconsider how many of those titles the release. Maybe it makes more sense to really just support one of those types each gen, like keep supporting Wildlands and Division 1 like they did Rainbow Six and just make a new one each gen. I think asking a whole base of players to migrate over every few years might be asking more then they realize. I saw they were number 1 on NPD a few months ago when it came out, didn't know it wasn't telling the whole story I guess.

 

[rollinstoned348]

Maybe Ubisoft will understand using the same mechanics across your whole catalog is not a good idea.

Assassin's Creed, Far Cry & Ghost Recon all feel like the same game. individual flavour is a defining element of a video game.

 

[EDMIX]

Maybe Ubisoft will understand using the same mechanics across your whole catalog is not a good idea.

Assassin's Creed, Far Cry & Ghost Recon all feel like the same game. individual flavour is a defining element of a video game.

I don't know if its really that. Playing those games, I don't think they remotely use the same mechanics. So a gaming being open world doesn't mean they are all the same. That would be like saying Sea Of Thieves is like Forza Horizon or something. Yes, they both might be open world, but that is just part of the story, not the whole thing.

AC isn't a FPS, Ghost Recon isn't a story based FPS or 3rd person platformer or anything like that.


So I could never say something like AC Origins feels like Far Cry 5, which feels like Rainbow Six etc. On the surface it might seem that way, but from what I've played, no truth is to that. It would be like saying The Last Of Us is like Horizon Zero Dawn because they are both 3rd person or something.

I think what is happening to Ghost Recon and The Division has more to do with bad choices they made with those games in generation and not them being open world games made by Ubisoft or anything like that. I don't think I've heard anyone really say they don't like Ghost Recon cause its like Assassins Creed or they don't like Far Cry cause its too much like Rainbow Six or anything weird like that. I think The Division 2's issues might be that they have a large base of gamers already playing 1 that might not wish to migrate over to 2 or it might be too soon.

I think the issues with Ghost Recon from what I've read is them forcing it to only be online when Wildlands gave a choice. So I'm not sure the issue is that they are open world. It questions, why did Wildlands and The Division 1 move so many units? It would be like saying if a Rockstar game flops, its because they make too many open world games or something, maybe the game flopping has more to do with something wrong with the game vs the notion that they have other open world titles. I just feel its not the whole story as it doesn't answer why their other games did better.

 

[rollinstoned348]

I don't know if its really that. Playing those games, I don't think they remotely use the same mechanics. So a gaming being open world doesn't mean they are all the same. That would be like saying Sea Of Thieves is like Forza Horizon or something. Yes, they both might be open world, but that is just part of the story, not the whole thing.

AC isn't a FPS, Ghost Recon isn't a story based FPS or 3rd person platformer or anything like that.


So I could never say something like AC Origins feels like Far Cry 5, which feels like Rainbow Six etc. On the surface it might seem that way, but from what I've played, no truth is to that. It would be like saying The Last Of Us is like Horizon Zero Dawn because they are both 3rd person or something.

I think what is happening to Ghost Recon and The Division has more to do with bad choices they made with those games in generation and not them being open world games made by Ubisoft or anything like that. I don't think I've heard anyone really say they don't like Ghost Recon cause its like Assassins Creed or they don't like Far Cry cause its too much like Rainbow Six or anything weird like that. I think The Division 2's issues might be that they have a large base of gamers already playing 1 that might not wish to migrate over to 2 or it might be too soon.

I think the issues with Ghost Recon from what I've read is them forcing it to only be online when Wildlands gave a choice. So I'm not sure the issue is that they are open world. It questions, why did Wildlands and The Division 1 move so many units? It would be like saying if a Rockstar game flops, its because they make too many open world games or something, maybe the game flopping has more to do with something wrong with the game vs the notion that they have other open world titles. I just feel its not the whole story as it doesn't answer why their other games did better.

Odyssey, Breakpoint & New Dawn all have that loot thing happening.

And seem to revolve around the same gameplay loop.

 

[Helios]

wrong thread

 

[EDMIX]

Odyssey, Breakpoint & New Dawn all have that loot thing happening.

And seem to revolve around the same gameplay loop.

You loot in many games. Thats like saying you finding stuff and Zelda and Fallout must make them the same games or something. Its just too moot of a point.

By that logic, Odyssey is like Destiny 2 or something. Many games revolve around that, that doesn't really mean they are all the same.

 

[ookami]

Well, that's all good to acknowledge failure but it is still necessary to be for good reasons. Saying they didn't deliver on both game and need to elevate the quality of their games does not really acknowledge how broken was Ghost Recon Breakpoint at launch in all regards or how unjustified are microtransactions.

 

[GymWolf]

Maybe ubisoft can learn something from this.
Lol who i'm kidding...

 

[Digity]

Just finished breakpoint and now playing division 2 because it was about 70% off.

Pretty sure that Ubisoft said that The Division 2 was leading worldwide sales for 2019 a few months ago so to say that they were disappointed is weird. They must have EA expectations of 30m or some shit. SMH.

Breakpoint should not have been turned into what Division is. There should be no gear score, stamina, survival elements, etc. and should have been more closer to Wildlands instead of Division.

Have only played two hours of Breakpoint and it was fine for what I played but not happy with all the changes. Will see how I like the game once I play it completely in December.

The Division 2 was an excellent 9.0/10 for me as I loved the game with it currently being my 2nd best game of 2019. Don't give two shits about Quarantine and was expecting Gods & Monsters to be delayed but Watch Dogs Legion being delayed was a surprise.

If these disappointments and delays means that Ubisoft will spread out their games and give them all the development time they need and should have, im all for it. Love Ubisoft!!!

Gear score in breakpoint means jack shit. Beat the game on extreme difficulty with a gear score well below 100, final mission is 150+ recommended gear score.

 

[Roufianos]

Great news. Might prompt them to diversify their offering. What an uninspired publisher.

 

[Deleted member 471617]

Gear score in breakpoint means jack shit. Beat the game on extreme difficulty with a gear score well below 100, final mission is 150+ recommended gear score.

I'm aware that Gear score doesn't matter which is why I said it doesn't belong in Breakpoint as it's completely useless. Why Ubisoft copied The Division for Breakpoint instead of Wildlands is beyond me.