Ubisoft 2008 Annual Report Download - page 12

UBISOFT ANNUAL REPORT 2009
2008-2009:
The ever-expanding world
of entertainment
• Ubisoft strengthens its production capacity, creating and
acquiring ve new studios in Brazil, Western Canada, India,
Sweden and Ukraine, and increases the number of top-selling
brands in the group’s portfolio to 18.
• Ubisoft’s catalogue is refreshed with new intellectual
property. H.A.W.X.TM adds a new dimension to the Tom Clancy
license parachuting gamers into the cockpit of a ghter jet,
Combat of GiantsTM gives young boys the opportunity to face
off against their favorite creatures, while Shaun White offers
extreme sports’ fans unprecedented sensations.
• Several of Ubisoft’s iconic brands embark upon new
adventures. In November Far Cry® 2 is well received
by fans and sells one million units in just three weeks.
Prince of Persia® gets a makeover and attracts attention
for the newfound accessibility of its gameplay. The female
protagonists in the Imagine® range acquire new professional
skills, bringing smiles to the faces of young girls around the
world, and Rayman® goes head-to-head with those raving
rabbids once again in a TV Party full of laughs.
• After distributing titles like Final Fantasy® and Dragon
Quest®
with success, Ubisoft signs an agreement in April
for Square Enix to distribute its titles in Japan. This deal
gives Ubisoft the opportunity to benet from the Japanese
firm’s experience and to access a database of close to
500,000 consumers.
• Finally, Ubisoft reafrms its positioning at the heart of
media convergence. The group moves one step closer to the
lm industry with the acquisition of Hybride Technologies,
creator of digital imagery and special effects for lms such
as 300 and Sin City . This collaboration facilitates the sharing
of tools, thus optimizing the creation process and ultimately
providing gamers with visual experiences that rival cinematic
ones. Big names in entertainment continue to entrust Ubisoft
with the adaptation of their lms to video games: Cloudy with
a Chance of Meatballs
from Sony Picture Animations, James
Cameron ( Titanic, True Lies, Abyss, Aliens, Terminator,
and Terminator 2: Judgment Day ) and 20th Century Fox’s
upcoming lm Avatar and Luc Besson for the games based
on the sequels to Arthur and the Minimoys .
OVER 20 YEARS OF GROWTH