Ubisoft CEO: Europe more important than US now

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Aug 27th 2008 at 11:00AM }

And he's not just saying that to make up for years of financial inequity and utterly perverse release schedules. "First, our money - the pound or the euro - is very strong and because of that the turnover from those countries is heavier than they used to be," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot tells GamesIndustry.biz. "So for Ubisoft turnover Europe is actually more important than the US now, and by more than 5 per cent. It's become a very strong market for us."

Guillemot suspects that's largely to blame on all the exercise Europeans have been getting with new accessories and more accessible games, the likes of which even include politically charged real-time strategy scuffle Tom Clancy's EndWar. "A game like EndWar, for example, which you can control by voice - it's totally changing the industry because it gives you the opportunity to command what's happening, and to have a quick answer to the orders you give."

While Ubi and Yu-rop laugh all the way to the bank, remind yourself that EndWar totally changes the industry on October 14th on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Tags: Endwar, Europe, Tom-Clancy, Ubisoft, Yves-Guillemot

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

juju187 @ Aug 27th 2008 11:05AM

So EU is buying all those imagine games...

Mr.ESC @ Aug 27th 2008 11:28AM

Well

Europe = Several Countries.
U.S = One Country.

CJLopez @ Aug 27th 2008 12:33PM

touche

required @ Aug 27th 2008 2:07PM

As I'm sure you know California alone is one of the top ten economies in the world. Even though plenty of myopic red state folks have the hate on for California making one often question our united part.

Point is we are a bunch of states, roughly the same can be said of europe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union

kelder @ Aug 27th 2008 11:37AM

if we are so important now how about letting us buy their games on steam here aswell?

Vanillacide @ Sep 1st 2008 4:34AM

Totally agree, if Europe is so important to Ubisoft then why can't we have your games on Steam.

There's a couple I am waiting to buy, have the money right here, but I want them on Steam like our American cousins can.

Godmil @ Sep 1st 2008 7:51AM

That's exactly what I was going to say.
There are about 4-5 Ubi games on Steam that I'm wanting to buy (in the UK) if they would just let me.
(not least of which is Beyond Good and Evil.)

Maverick Saturn @ Aug 27th 2008 11:52AM

And what with the credit crunch, I think people are holding thier cash back for more importsant things. Which is why I imagine I managed to get a Wii Fit so easily.

Its not hard to see the ever growing market in Europe. America has established its foundation and so has japan, I think they see Europe as the battle ground between.

Bass Masterson @ Aug 27th 2008 1:31PM

People keep talking about 'credit crunch' this and 'bad economy' that. I've been in big and little cities across the country over the last two months and people are still shopping like normal, driving like normal. The media has created this 'crisis' out of whole cloth.

Ichi the One @ Aug 27th 2008 2:13PM

Shows the depressing state of the US economy. Anyone who denies what's going on in America is really out of touch, and probably too rich and unfamiliar with economics to be commenting on it. Spending is down, unemployment is up, and worst of all the dollar has been crashing for some time. Yes, America is in bad shape, and it's mostly due to the Republican party abandoning their 'free market' practices in the last 20 years and becoming 'pro business', of course businesses aren't 'for America' so it's dragging us down.

That said, Ubisoft has always had more of a Europe focus, the HQ is in France too.

Bass Masterson @ Aug 27th 2008 3:26PM

Hey, thanks - that's the exact kind of fantasy-land hysteria speak I was talking about. You need to travel more and read popular media less.

BigD145 @ Aug 27th 2008 3:02PM

The average savings rate in the US is in the negatives. This hasn't happened since the Great Depression. Things are bad and Ubisoft is making a wise decision. It's too bad they are a bit late as they should have made this decision back in '05.

zaglis @ Aug 29th 2008 10:23AM

This product is only available for purchase in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

O RLY, Ubisoft?

Collymilad @ Aug 31st 2008 1:22PM

Haha, i love the way that Kotaku says

"f Europe is indeed Ubisoft's biggest market, fine, I don't know their numbers. But this to me sounds like sour grapes for getting beaten up by U.S. critics and gamers, especially over its Wii title"

How about no? I know it's hard being American and having to accept you're not the biggest market, but it's happened. Deal with it. Jesus.