Ubisoft 2016 Annual Report Download - page 12

Group presentation
2Group profi le andstrategy
2.1 Group profile andstrategy
Ubisoft’s® main business activities are centered around the
production, publishing and distribution of video games for consoles,
PC, smartphones and tablets in both physical and digital formats.
Ubisoft stands out from its direct competitors due to its unique ability
to develop new brands organically. Ubisoft has been responsible
for three of the four most successful new brand launches in the
industry’s history (Tom Clancy’s The Division™ in 1st place, with
Watch Dogs® and Assassin’s Creed® in 3rd and 4th place respectively).
Unlike many of its competitors, Ubisoft owns its brands, along
with the technologies and know-how needed to develop them,
thus offering long-term visibility on the Company’s growth. Today,
video game brands have an increasingly signifi cant impact within
the entertainment industry as a whole. Owning its own brands is,
therefore, an essential advantage when it comes to maximizing their
potential and reaching an even wider audience.
In 2016, Ubisoft stepped up its expansion into multi-player gaming
with the success of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege and Tom
Clancy’s The Division™, and now offers experiences that engage
players long-term, throughout the year.
2.2 History
1986: Creation of Ubisoft
by the fi ve Guillemot brothers.
1989-1995: International expansion
Ubisoft opens its fi rst sales and marketing subsidiaries in the United
States, Germany and the United Kingdom and its fi rst internal
development studios in France and Romania.
Launch in 1995 of Rayman®, Ubisoft’s fi rst major franchise.
1996-2001: Organic growth and strategic
acquisitions
Flotation on the Paris stock exchange in 1996.
Opening of new studios including Shanghai in 1996 and Montreal
in 1997. Acquisition in 2000 of Red Storm Entertainment (Tom
Clancy games) and acquisition in 2001 of Blue Byte Software (The
Settlers®). This strategy powered Ubisoft into the world’s top 10
independent publishers in 2001.
2002-2006: A development strategy
forowned franchises
Launch of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Prince of Persia® and
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®, acquisition of Driver® and Far Cry®
franchises.
2007-2015: A true creator and digital
business developer
Ubisoft maintains its reputation as a key player. With Assassin’s
Creed, Watch Dogs and Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ubisoft claims
three of the four most successful new brand launches in the history
of video gaming, including Tom Clancy’s The Division in the number
one spot
(1)
. Over this period, Ubisoft also developed the Just Dance
®
music video game series, ranked number 1 worldwide.
Studios opened in Chengdu (China) in 2007, Singapore in 2008 and
Toronto in 2009. Launch in 2011 of the Motion Pictures business.
Acquisition of:
♦ the Tom Clancy name for video games and ancillary products,
and of the Massive Entertainment studio (Sweden) in 2008;
♦
Owlient studio, specializing in Free-to-Play games, and RedLynx,
specializing in downloadable games in 2011;
♦
THQ Montréal and two Free-to-Play game specialists: Digital
Chocolate (Barcelona) and Futur Games of London in 2013;
♦ Ivory Tower studio (France) and the assets of Longtail Halifax
(Canada) in 2015.
(1) Source: NPD, GFK chart Track, internal estimates
- Registration Document 2016
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