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.
Reader Comments (15)
Posted: Aug 27th 2008 11:28AM (Unverified) said
Well
Europe = Several Countries.
U.S = One Country.
Reply
Europe = Several Countries.
U.S = One Country.
Posted: Aug 27th 2008 2:07PM (Unverified) said
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
Reply
Point is we are a bunch of states, roughly the same can be said of europe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union
Posted: Aug 27th 2008 11:37AM (Unverified) said
if we are so important now how about letting us buy their games on steam here aswell?
Reply
Posted: Sep 1st 2008 4:34AM Vanillacide said
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.
Reply
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.
Posted: Aug 27th 2008 11:52AM Spunky Monkey 190906 said
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.
Reply
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.
Posted: Aug 27th 2008 1:31PM (Unverified) said
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.
Reply
Posted: Aug 27th 2008 2:13PM (Unverified) said
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.
Reply
That said, Ubisoft has always had more of a Europe focus, the HQ is in France too.
Posted: Aug 27th 2008 3:26PM (Unverified) said
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.
Reply
Posted: Aug 31st 2008 1:22PM (Unverified) said
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.
Reply
"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.
Posted: Sep 2nd 2008 8:45AM (Unverified) said
No doubt about it, the Europeans still have money while the US people struggle. Thanks Dictator Bush!
Rolph
http://www.useurl.us/17n
Reply
Rolph
http://www.useurl.us/17n
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