Ubisoft 2001 Annual Report Download - page 11

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With the development of online gaming
possibilities for consoles and the growing
availability of PC-based multiplayer online
gaming, the world of interactive entertainment
is constantly expanding.
Massively multiplayer online (MMO) games are
playable on a permanent basis-24/7. They start
on installation and exist independently of the
presence of the player. On average, more than
100,000 people play every day, at all hours of
the day, throughout the world. As broadband
access becomes increasingly available,
the MMO sector should see exponential growth.
MMO game sales for the first time exceeded one
million(8) units in 2001 in the US.
(7) Datamonitor, 2002.
(8)(9) IDG - March 2002.
The value of the worldwide MMO market was
estimated at US$200 million in the same year(9).
Between now and 2005, nearly 40% of all
families will have access to broadband
connections in the US. 70% of current gamers
already have a broadbrand connection.
New online features for video games, meanwhile,
should attract a whole new generation of
players. Things are already off to a good start!
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The takeoff of the Xbox™ and GameCube™ was
driven by a specific customer segment, that
of hardcore gamers. Representing the first buyers
of new consoles, this segment is made up of
hardcore, very demanding video game enthusiasts
aged 18 or older. They benefit from a significant
budget devoted specifically to entertainment,
and purchase on average between 6 and 12 games
per year. The hardcore gamer assures the sale
of the first million machines and the market
success of games.
Price reductions a few months after launch
facilitated the introduction of new game consoles
across markets, making it possible to broaden
penetration from the initial segment of “experts”
to a larger public. Following the past successes of
PlayStation®and Nintendo 64, video games remain
of great interest for the mass market segment.
Indeed, interactive entertainment is a phenomenon
that is reaching out to all market segments.
The penetration of video games in the family
entertainment segment has increased, including
among adult users. There has been a growing
interest within the segment of women users,
for example, as shown by the success of Myst®,
Chessmaster®…
In the United States, the benchmark market for
Europe, video games are the leading option for
home entertainment(7) (for 35% of households), well
ahead of television, films (19%) and reading (13%).
Among US households that own a console, 36% say
that they purchase on average one game a month.
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Ubi Soft develops games in the most promising
market niches and for the major gaming platforms.
By developing games for several platforms while
rigorously managing the related additional costs,
sales are boosted and all customer segments
can be targeted.
A selection of hit titles for 2001/2002
PC : Myst®III : Exile, Tom Clancy’s Ghost ReconTM,
Chessmaster®, Battle RealmsTM, Scrabble®
(excluding USA), IL-2 SturmovikTM, Silent Hunter IITM ,
Pool of RadianceTM;
PS2 : Rayman®MTM, BatmanTM : Vengeance, Disney’s
TarzanTM Freeride, Grandia TM II,
Pro Rally 2002, Worms Blast, Ministry of Sound
and others;
GameCubeTM et XboxTM :BatmanTM : Vengeance,
Disney’s TarzanTM Freeride, Star WarsTM: Rogue
LeaderTM: Rogue SquadronTM II and Disney Donald
Duck - Couak Attack (exclusively for Game Cube);
GameBoy®Advance : Rayman®Advance,
Tom Clancy’s Rogue SpearTM, Planet of ApesTM,
Salt Lake 2002TM, Tom & Jerry : The Magic Ring,
Ice AgeTM, ETTM The Extra Terrestrial, Breath of Fire
and others.