logo
Ubisoft Forecasts Flat Sales, Extends Work on Top Game Titles

Ubisoft Forecasts Flat Sales, Extends Work on Top Game Titles

Mint15-05-2025
(Bloomberg) -- Ubisoft Entertainment SA, the video-game maker behind the popular Assassin's Creed title, forecast flat sales for the new fiscal year and said some of its biggest productions will get more development time.
Bookings, a measure of sales, fell 20% to €1.85 billion ($2.07 billion) in just-ended fiscal 2025, the company said Wednesday, missing Wall Street estimates of €1.89 billion. Bookings in the fourth quarter declined 3.4%.
The forecast and additional development work are the latest setbacks for the French company, whose shares have tumbled from a high of €88.16 more than four years ago to their current €11.68. The company announced its latest results after markets closed in Paris.
Management led by Chief Executive Officer Yves Guillemot is taking steps to right the company. In March, it announced Tencent Holdings Ltd. would invest €1.16 billion in a new subsidiary that will be home to key titles like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.
The deal amounted to a vote of confidence from Tencent, which already holds a 10% stake in Ubisoft, in the wake of a difficult few years since a pandemic-era boom in play ran out of gas. The new unit's €4 billion valuation is higher than the group's current enterprise value.
'This year has been a challenging one for Ubisoft, with mixed dynamics across our portfolio, amid intense industry competition,' Guillemot said in a statement. 'We are currently working on reshaping the group's operating model and plan to announce a new organization by the end of the year.'
In a call with reporters earlier in the day, Chief Financial Officer Frederick Duguet indicated that operationally Ubisoft would remain 'one unique company,' with employees free to work on brands owned by both the subsidiary and its parent.
The decision to extend production work means fresh revenue from Ubisoft's biggest franchises will be pushed back into the next two fiscal years.
Ubisoft also said its €200 million cost-cutting goal for the year has been completed ahead of schedule and that it will pursue an additional €100m in savings over the next two years.
The company finished the year with 17,782 employees, down by 1,230 from a year earlier.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Red Trump sculpture pops up from a Manhattan manhole. White House responds
Red Trump sculpture pops up from a Manhattan manhole. White House responds

Indian Express

time2 hours ago

  • Indian Express

Red Trump sculpture pops up from a Manhattan manhole. White House responds

On the morning of July 23, New Yorkers were taken by surprise when a bright red sculpture of US President Donald Trump appeared at a busy Manhattan intersection, seemingly climbing out of a manhole. The life-size artwork, titled Donald, was secretly installed by French street artist James Colomina at the corner of East 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue. Colomina, known for his provocative red sculptures placed unannounced in public spaces, told USA Today the location was intentional: 'I installed the sculpture in New York because this is where he built his image, his empire, his legend,' he said, as per USA Today. 'A city he tried to conquer with golden towers and brutal slogans. I wanted this image, a red body rising from the sewers, to disturb that landscape.' The sculpture, made of red resin, depicted Trump from the waist up in a suit and tie, his expression stern, lips pursed, and eyes cast upward toward the skyscrapers. Tucked beneath the manhole cover, part of the sculpture, was a small red rat, peering out. The installation faced the Chrysler Building, a placement Colomina said was deliberate: 'The sculpture is installed right across from the Chrysler Building, a symbol of power, elevation, and architectural pride. I liked the idea of creating a stark contrast between this vertical monument and the grotesque figure emerging from the sewers.' Colomina, who posted an image of the sculpture to his Instagram story with the caption 'Make America Grime Again,' said he spent about three weeks creating the piece in his studio in France. He shipped it to New York in parts and reassembled it on-site around 7 am local time. But the artwork didn't stay up for long. Later that day, a maintenance worker with SL Green Realty Corp, which owns the building where the statue appeared, removed it. The Trump administration dismissed the installation. White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson told USA Today: 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This 'artist' will have to go back to the drawing board. Or perhaps art school.' Colomina is widely recognised for his clandestine, eye-catching public art. His red-painted sculptures, often depicting political or social commentary, have appeared in global cities like Tokyo, Barcelona, and Paris. According to his biography on the Galeries Bartoux website, Colomina's signature style, dubbed 'Colomina Red,' is intended to evoke 'anger, passion, and urgency' around contemporary issues. He prefers unsanctioned placements, using the element of surprise to provoke reflection in ordinary urban settings. (With inputs from USA Today)

Let's try that again, shall we?: Simran Mangharam on the double-standards in online dating
Let's try that again, shall we?: Simran Mangharam on the double-standards in online dating

Hindustan Times

time3 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Let's try that again, shall we?: Simran Mangharam on the double-standards in online dating

The Netflix film Aap Jaisa Koi, starring R Madhavan and directed by Vivek Soni, does more than tackle bias against the unwed. It also explores, rather interestingly, the challenges faced by women in the dating world today. The story follows Shrirenu Tripathi, a middle-aged Sanskrit professor, who falls in love with Madhu Bose, a teacher of French. Their seemingly traditional, serendipitous romance takes an unexpected turn when he learns that their 'arranged-love' match was actually initiated by Bose after she found him on an app for lonely people. This unsettles Tripathi because he has already embraced the many ways in which her outlook is different from his. The idea that she used this app is, to him, a step too far. The irony, of course, is that he was on the app too. Looking to connect with a woman. Perhaps, as with so many men in the real world, he was hoping to find that one true pearl who would blush in horror at the idea of such a platform, plead with her brother not to make her go on this 'date', and eventually confess that she knew nothing about it all; some well-meaning friend must have signed her up. Good lord, when we are going to grow up about this? In the film, this confounding contradiction of a man on an app upset that the women he loves was on it too is explored with subtlety and nuance. In the real world, things can go far less smoothly. I have had numerous woman clients complain that, even though many men are looking for long-term partners on these platforms, their first assumption is that any woman on a dating app is promiscuous. As a result, a man will often pop up in the chat window of a woman he barely knows, to ask if she is interested in having sex. This can happen to a single woman user over and over in the same week. Those who don't start out with such questions often have other intrusive ones to pose on a first date. 'Why are you on a dating app?' 'How come you're still single?' 'How many 'dates' do you go on?' These inquiries feel aggressive and insulting, women say. When this happens often enough, it can become difficult not to internalise a sense of being at-fault. Some start to justify themselves with answers like 'A friend signed me up on the app' or 'I'm actually a very traditional person'. I generally offer a piece of advice at this point, and it is simply this: Stop it. You have no chance of building the future you want with a man who treats women in this way. What you do have a chance of doing is shifting the narrative, at least a little. I know it is unfair and no one should ask this of you, but you are the vanguards of a new phase in this struggle. Push back and it might be possible to force a certain kind of man to finally acknowledge the absurdity of what he is doing. Do not hesitate. Do not explain. Simply demand answers to the questions you have been asked. Perhaps on his next date, he will hesitate. Perhaps he will eventually ask himself why he treats potential partners in this way. At the very least, you will have activated a new filter for yourself: men who quickly shift to a more balanced, respectful conversation are the ones genuinely worth considering. In the film, Bose challenges the absurdity and inherent double-standard that makes Tripathi so surly about how they found each other. In his case, he is willing to reflect, adapt and evolve. And what human hasn't had some evolving to do? Often, it happens in the face of an unmoving challenge. As with Tripathi, something goes terribly awry and you take a step back and think: 'Well, clearly I did that wrong. Let me see if I can do better.' And you do. It really can be that simple. (Simran Mangharam is a dating and relationship coach and can be reached on simran@

Odette Chef Rethinks Korean Cuisine With a New Concept in Hong Kong
Odette Chef Rethinks Korean Cuisine With a New Concept in Hong Kong

Mint

time8 hours ago

  • Mint

Odette Chef Rethinks Korean Cuisine With a New Concept in Hong Kong

Tucked away on the fifth floor of a building on Lyndhurst Terrace, newly opened Sol offers a refreshing take on Korean cuisine, one that's deeply rooted in tradition but elegantly dressed in French technique. That's due in large part to the creative energy of head chef Gwanju Kim, formerly of Singapore's three-Michelin-starred Odette and Seoul's one-starred L'Amant Secret. Although chef Kim's journey began in French kitchens, his heart was always drawn to the richness of Korean produce. 'We used a lot of Japanese ingredients and techniques at Odette,' he says. 'And I used to envy that because Korea has so many incredible ingredients too.' After returning to Seoul, he began rethinking Korean cuisine, eventually landing in Hong Kong to bring his vision to life. His goal is to spotlight the ingredients Koreans often take for granted — like maesaengi and siraegi — and introduce them to a global audience. At the start of our meal, chef Kim presented a basket of the vegetables that would feature in our dishes, explaining their sourcing and traditional Korean culinary roles. Each course included a thorough overview from our server and a lovely table card offering an insightful backstory to the core ingredient at play. For this review, we, a Korean native and a recent Hong Kong transplant, visited Sol about a week after it opened. We ordered the five-course lunch set , and a recommended add-on to start. Our total bill for two came to HK$1,263 , including sparkling water and service. The vibe: Sol's interior is warm and inviting, with earthy brown tiles, soft circular lighting and the solstice motif adorning the walls. Two-person booths provide the perfect setting for a conversation while a few larger tables can accommodate groups. A separate space near the open kitchen hosts monthly cooking classes and group bookings, adding a community feel to the refined dining experience. Can you conduct a meeting here? Absolutely. But a meal this good might be better shared with your loved ones. Who's next to you: When we visited for a late weekday lunch, it was still quiet. But the few tables around us seemed to have couples and friends. Stella: My favorites were the creamy steamed egg topped with mushrooms and pine nuts, and a dish recommended by our server: a Jeju abalone paired with two types of Korean seaweed with a classic beurre blanc sauce. A nostalgic moment came with the mubap, a seasoned radish rice dish, served alongside grilled pork jowl, a humble one-pot dinner that instantly sent me back to my childhood in Seoul. It's a clever nod to the chef's belief that the most common ingredients often hold the deepest meaning. I'd like to return for dinner, especially with dessert chef Kylie Yang, formerly of Mingles and Hansik Goo, bringing her own modern Korean flair to the final course, which includes two grain-inspired desserts: one made with white rice and the other with barley. Ray: At Sol, none of the usual Korean fare I'm accustomed to — your bibimbap, Korean barbecue or ginseng chicken soup — are on the menu. So this experience helped widen my palate and appreciation for other Korean staples. Standouts in my mind were the delicately layered saewoo-jang , the aforementioned main course of mubap with pork jowl and the just-sweet-enough dessert featuring tastes of barley, chocolate and tonka beans. I'd absolutely return for dinner, or better yet, a cooking class. Need to know: Sol is on the fifth floor of 8 Lyndhurst Terrace. There are no signs outside, so check the floor directory inside the building entrance. The restaurant serves lunch from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Only set menus are available for both lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended, which can be made via Google Maps or directly on the restaurant's website. —Stella Ko and Raymond Schillinger This review was originally published in Hong Kong Edition, a weekly newsletter. To subscribe for free, click here. Read our other restaurant reviews: Joongang Haejang, famous for its Korean hangover soup, as well as Lala, Jee and Tsui Wah, which are in Sol's neighborhood. Let us know if you have any restaurants you'd like us to review. Drop us a line at hkedition@ This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store