Ubisoft shares slide as games delayed
FRENCH videogames publisher Ubisoft saw its shares slump more than 25 per cent to an eight-month low yesterday after deciding to delay the release of two titles until next year, missing the holiday season in a hotly competitive market.
“In a world of mega-blockbusters, we have now come to the conclusion that the team needed additional time,” Yves Guillemot, chief executive of the company behind the Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry series, told investors on a conference call.
Ubisoft blamed the delays on pressure to meet consumer expectations in the $66bn hit-driven video-games industry and said the decision would cause it to swing to an operating loss for the year.
The two delayed games – Watch Dogs and The Crew – were due to launch alongside new consoles from Sony and Microsoft.