Ubisoft 2000 Annual Report Download - page 36

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 36 of the 2000 Ubisoft annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 94

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94

UBI SOFT / REFERENCE DOCUMENT
35
4.2. ACTIVITY IN 2000-2001
>>>
4.2.1. Events which influenced Ubi Soft
activities during the financial year
February 2000
>Acquisition of Grolier Interactive Ltd (Great Britain).
The integration of this production studio in Oxford has given Ubi Soft
four titles: one for PlayStation®, one for Dreamcast and two for PC.
The studio’s leading title, Dragon Riders-Chronicles of Pern™, is
based on the world of Anne McCaffrey’s novels.
March 2000
>Acquisition of GameBusters (Austria).
This acquisition provides Ubi Soft with a direct operation in Austria,
a market which previously had been covered by the German subsi-
diary. Given its reputation, GameBusters will continue to distribute
games and accessories under its own name. In 1999, GameBusters
had sales of 4 million euros.
April 2000
>Acquisition of Sinister Games (United States).
Sinister Games was behind the success of Dukes of Hazzard™ - Racing
for Home for PlayStation®, which was published by SouthPeak
Interactive™ and distributed in Europe by Ubi Soft, as well as
Shadow Company, a 3-D real-time tactical action game, published
worldwide by Ubi Soft.
Founded in 1997, Sinister Games now comprises more than 20 soft-
ware developers specializing in action and strategy games, and is
continuing to produce games for Ubi Soft and other publishers.
>Agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment/Sony Online
Entertainment/Verant Interactive for the distribution of Everquest®:
The Ruins of Kunark™
Everquest, the international benchmark for online game playing, has
250,000 subscribers, and Ubi Soft will handle distribution in Europe,
Russia and Israel.
>Agreement with In Utero™ for the publication of Evil Twin-
Cyprien’s Chronicles.
Evil Twin - Cyprien’s Chronicles is a new 3-D real-time action/adven-
ture game. Development is being handled by In Utero™ in collabo-
ration with Ubi Soft, which will publish it around the world.
May 2000
>Acquisition of the German interactive software
distribution business of Guillemot Corporation.
This takeover will give Ubi Soft Germany a direct relationship with
customers such as Media Markt, Karstadt, Quelle, Toy’s “R” Us, etc.
>Disney’s Dinosaur GameBoy®Color, no. 3 in GameBoy sales in the
United States.
>32 exclusive products presented at the E3 exhibition in Los Angeles.
>Rayman®2 is voted game of the year 2000 for Dreamcast by IGN.
June 2000
>6.5 million copies of the Rayman line sold around the world.
>Signing of a publishing and distribution agreement with Entertainment
Software Publishing Inc (ESP) for Grandia™2 Dreamcast, covering Europe
and North America.
July 2000
>Acquisition of a 60% holding in 3D Planet SpA (Italy).
The Group has been collaborating with the distributor 3D Planet for
three years. With a very strong presence on the Italian market, 3D
Planet had sales of 13 million euros in 1999. 3D Planet handles
Italian distribution for several international video game publishers
and accessory manufacturers, including Ubi Soft, THQ, Titus
Interactive, Guillemot Corporation, Madcatz and Saitek. Its main
clients are MediaWorld, Auchan, Carrefour and COOP.
>Signing of an international agreement with NewKidCo
International for the publication of children’s video games.
This multiyear agreement covers the publication of Playstation®
and Game Boy®Color video games by NewKidCo, which has licenses
to use characters from Disney Interactive, Sesame Workshop, Sony
Picture Consumer Products, Warner Bros, etc.
August 2000
>Signing of an agreement with Kemco for the publication of Batman
of the Future™: Return of the Joker.
This game will be published for PlayStation®, Game Boy®Color and
Nintendo 64.
September 2000
>Acquisition of Red Storm Entertainment (USA).
In 1999 Red Storm Entertainment, which was founded in 1996 by
well-known author Tom Clancy, had net sales of USD 52 million, 70%
of which were in North America. The studios have about 100
employees.
Its games include the hits Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six™ and Tom
Clancy’s Rogue Spear, which have sold a total of more than 5 million
copies around the world.
The Rainbow Six™ series was voted:
>best action game for 1999 and 2000 by PC Gamer magazine,
>best multiplayer game at the ECTS exhibition in 1999.