Assassin's Creed kills with 2.5 million sold; Ubi ups fiscal forecast

by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 13th 2007 at 1:00PM }

Ubisoft announced that in the month since launch its love-it or hate-it epic Assassin's Creed has sold 2.5 million copies globally. The company said the title has "greatly outstripped" its sales expectation and the game is the fastest-selling new video game IP in US history. The company now expects to sell a minimum of five million copies of Assassin's Creed before the end of their fiscal year in March '08.

Ubisoft is also boosting its income expectation by 12%, it raised fiscal year projections by an extra €15 million to €840 million ($1.2 billion). The company also says that Tom Clancy's End War, Brothers in Arms and Far Cry 2 are scheduled for its next fiscal year beginning in April. Ubisoft plans to lay out its games portfolio for next year on Jan. 23, '08.

Tags: altair, assassins-creed, assassinscreed, breakingnews, sales, ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

BananaBoat @ Dec 13th 2007 1:04PM

Wow...alot of people bought jade's game. When you consider that mass effect just hit 1 million, this news is pretty surprising.

xFenixKnightx @ Dec 13th 2007 1:12PM

Mass Effect.......only on Xbox360.
AssCreed = Multiplat dumbass

Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:12PM

Jade's game? lol, i c whut u did there

Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:13PM

@Fenix

So you think the PS3 version sold the remaining 1.5 million units? lol

ShortFuse @ Dec 13th 2007 1:16PM

http://bayimg.com/fAIikAABC
(Don't worry, it's not the illegal picture)

xFenixKnightx @ Dec 13th 2007 1:21PM

Slaziman

Honesly I think the 360 version alone prob sold most of the 2 mill, rest was PS3. Anybody got any sales charts?

Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:35PM

Yeah... so that means Assasin's Creed sold almost double the amount of Mass Effect on the 360.

FidliousWong @ Dec 13th 2007 2:08PM

Checked VGchartz over lunch on this, actually. According to them, Xbox 360 sold 1.51 million copies including Japan (but it sold poorly there anyway), PS3's version sits at .95 million. Noticable absent from these charts are Europe numbers (released there? Or merely lumped in under Australia's flag?) and Asia numbers.

But for a western RPG to do as well as Mass Effect has, it's no slouch.

RPGJock @ Dec 13th 2007 7:33PM

I guess if you rounded up from VGChartz current guest-a-mations, it like this:

US
X360 = 900k
PS3 = 410

Europe
X360 = 560k
PS3 = 540k

Japan
X360 = 50k

add it all up and you got almost 2.5 mil. They must think it will sell even more after the holidays and double on the PS3 when it comes out in Japan. I wonder if it will, since they like Metal Gear and its weird sub plots.

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 13th 2007 1:04PM

Is not that good.

Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:11PM

You played it?

And it's a love it or hate it game... depends on your tastes, more so than in other games.

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 13th 2007 1:15PM

Yes... my cousin bought the game like two weeks ago (PS3 version, he is a diehard Sony fanboy).

We played the game for a few hours and we get bored very quickly... and you its true that the game is very repetitive and a little to easy.

Yes, the animations is great and also the graphics, but after a few hours, its boring.

Trev (Completely Normal Human Defense Force) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:31PM

I actually agree with Fernando (its scary, I know). The graphics and animations were very impressive and I liked the action-based controls and freedom to climb on anything. They put the emphasis on the choice you make, rather than executing pixel jumps, but still required timing for assassinations and counters.

It just happens to be one of the most linear games I've played - probably the single most linear - this generation and it does nothing to hide it. The difference between the third assassination and the eighth is... one is the third and one is the eighth. Maybe the city, but they might both be in Acre. With this one selling well, I hope they've earned the money to put some real imagination into AC2. I like the story but was pretty disappointed with the inability to even make my own plans for assassinations.

Mr Khan @ Dec 13th 2007 3:57PM

Eh, this game just suffered from the same syndrome that Fable suffered from. A great game on its own (according to player testimony of all kinds), but it didn't reinvent the wheel as it claimed, the idea that this game would be a GTAIII-esque leap in interactivity and your ability to go wherever you wished

rv @ Dec 13th 2007 4:47PM

If you want a game with climbing freedom play crackdown. Its one of the best 360 games availible!

ShortFuse @ Dec 13th 2007 1:13PM

People can have their mixed opinions but I loved it. I hope the sequels branch out more. So much potential.

I don't get how people can say it's repetitous and yet say GTA3 was so great. I did play GTA3 for hours upon hours and never really doing anything. Why can't AssCreed be treated the same way?

riggs @ Dec 13th 2007 1:19PM

theres not really much to do to be honest, unless you like riding horses? to me i liked it, but it was buggy as hell and the ending sucked (i know it was to transition into the sequel but still). i also didnt feel that the main story was that interesting (even though i didnt know wtf was going on half the time). damn....it is a hate it or love it game lol.

Korova @ Dec 13th 2007 1:28PM

sounds like its hate it AND love it

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Dec 13th 2007 2:51PM

Because GTA gives you so much freedom. You can literaly waste hours without actually even touching the main storyline.

Delgado @ Dec 13th 2007 1:14PM

Is anyone else ECSTATIC that new, original games have been selling well? First ME and now AC, it's awesome.
Psychonauts might have thrived at a time like this.

xFenixKnightx @ Dec 13th 2007 1:23PM

U 4got Bioshock =)

MGSLOL @ Dec 13th 2007 1:28PM

U 4got English

xFenixKnightx @ Dec 13th 2007 1:41PM

MGSLOL

Voted up for that? Really?

GRANTED @ Dec 13th 2007 2:30PM

Wow! Hugely hyped, high-budget blockbuster games ARE selling well.. Gaming salvation is at hand. Next stop: world peace.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Dec 13th 2007 3:42PM

GRANTED is right. These games only are selling well because they were overly hyped. And now most likely they'll becoming franchises, so now you gamers have something to complain about a few years from now.

Delgado @ Dec 13th 2007 3:57PM

Both of you are, shortly put, wrong.
"Overly hyped" in a small community of people, maybe. You think the majority of the 1+ million people that bought ME are as big of forum trolls as you? The majority of game consumers are NOT as engrossed with their hobby as you are, and probably had no exposure to "hype" other than the odd trailer and "oh, that looks cool."
Yes, Assassins Creed doesn't entirely fall into that category with the amount of advertising it did, but a Sci-Fi RPG selling this well in an anti-RPG country? That isn't something to be enormously positive about? Are you kidding me? And now a "sandbox" type game taking place in ancient time, limited to 360 and PS3 sales, is also selling well.
Go jerk off your negative e-peen elsewhere.

Noshino @ Dec 13th 2007 5:10PM

"but a Sci-Fi RPG selling this well in an anti-RPG country?"

Anti RPG country? have you ever lived in the US? otherwise you would know that they live for RPGs and FPSs....and guess what? ME is both...

Also, people are in love of the SciFi genre, so if you really think about it, the game itself was targeted to sell from the beginning, RPG + FPS + SciFi = hotcake...

Have to disagree on that regards with you GRANTED and Vegeta, take a look at Mario Strikers, Mario Party, Lair, and Heavenly Sword, all utterly over hypped, still, poor sales

russtophiles @ Dec 13th 2007 1:23PM

The shortening of the title to 'AssCreed' is both humorous and unfortunate. I have yet to decide whether this game should be a buy or not having not played it yet. I would say a demo would help.... but of course it would, considering that the consensus agrees the game is a thrill upon first impression. After pissing away thousands of dollars in college on boatloads of games, taking risks on titles and never ever renting, I've grown tired of accumulating so many titles, so I've really had to raise the bar for what I decide I want to buy. I love the freedom the game presents, but I tend to despise (really bad) repetition. I guess when the price drops it might be an easier descision... hopefully the next game can remove any of the doubt that surrounded this one.

ShortFuse @ Dec 13th 2007 1:25PM

A very definite rental, but a questionable buy.

JodyAnthony (Good Eats Defense Force) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:27PM

it's my #3 game of the year (with Phantom Hourglass being #1 and Mario Galaxy being #2)

LuckyEMS @ Dec 13th 2007 1:35PM

i think you need to get some better taste

ShortFuse @ Dec 13th 2007 1:41PM

Having played all of them.
Mario Galaxy - 120 stars
Phantom Hourglass - last boss missing one heart piece and 5 force gems
Assassin's Creed - All memories (not all flags or templars)
Mass Effect - Near all sidequests complete

I don't feel any of them gave me a challenge. I blew through SMG, Phantom Hourglass, and Mass Effect. I liked Assassin's Creed because it let me do something different and unique albeit repetitious.

deaftly @ Dec 13th 2007 1:27PM

Im still on the fence about buying this or ace combat 6, got money for 1 more game this week (All done xmas shopping!)

Trev (Completely Normal Human Defense Force) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:37PM

I have only briefly played Ace Combat 6 (c'mon ps3 port, you know I loves the Ace Combat) and I have not been let down by an Ace Combat game yet. It looks like it has all the stuff that makes Ace Combat fun (sweet jets and pretty graphics). It wouldn't be a bad choice.

Assassins Creed is very linear, but has something Ace Combat does not: an interesting story.

If you can spare the cash, rent both and decide. Both games are pretty homogeneous (Assassins Creed definitely more so) but they're very different so an objective recommendation is pretty hard to give.

Korova @ Dec 13th 2007 1:39PM

Ace Combat 6 demo was fantastic! I really liked, no wonder Japan actually bought boxes for it. I am deciding between:

Orange box
Ace Combat
AssCreed
Halo3

ShortFuse @ Dec 13th 2007 1:44PM

I played the first level of it and gave up on it. I beat Ace Combat 5 on the PS2 on Hard or Ace (whatever the difficulty was) and loved it, but I didn't feel like doing the same thing all over again just with a different background story.

Man, and people called Assassin's Creed repetitious. I've played video games long enough to really need new IPs to get me interested.

Blazur @ Dec 13th 2007 1:54PM

Korova, get Orange Box. Very worth the money.

Cyro @ Dec 13th 2007 2:03PM

@Korova:

If you want to get a game with a lot of replay value and a excellent multiplayer online feature, Halo 3 is the way to go. If you want something totally new and with a very interesting story, go Assassin's Creed. If you want more for your buck and a lot of gamming for hours, go Orange Box. And dont ever think of buying Ace Combat, Hell No! ITs worst than an old arcade game. The only thing going for it is the graphics and thats about it.

Korova @ Dec 13th 2007 2:05PM

thank you, thank you

LuckyEMS @ Dec 13th 2007 5:02PM

awesome i got voted down

do you people seriously think that Mario Galaxy/Phantom Hourglass and Assassins Creed are the best games this year with:

Bioshock
Rock Band
Guitar Hero 3
Orange Box
Mass Effect
Rachet and Clank
Uncharted

and so many other awesome releases i didnt say they were bad games i just said you could do a hell of alot better

Ludwig Kietzmann @ Dec 13th 2007 1:41PM

Finally, the world does the right thing.

Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 13th 2007 1:45PM

and fires you from Joystiq?

I kid, I kid.

FidliousWong @ Dec 13th 2007 2:19PM

Should I mention I'll be using some Ludwig quotes on my upcoming UT3 map, Rumble Pit? Oh damn... too late now.

Also, anyone familiar with Kismet or Unreal Script? I'm trying to get something running for this map. I may just give up on it and launch it as is. Right now I essentially have a small arena without health or ammo or weapons. Players spawn in "drop zones" where, as soon as they grab a weapon, floor drops out from underneath them and they descend into the arena. Functioning Kismet enables god mode until they make contact with the floor. This aspect works well. The frantic quick death action and the fact that ammo must be retrieved from your victims makes for one hell of a match. But I want when a player reaches a 10 frag killing spree, they get damage boost. 20 kills, beserk. 30 kills, spawn a redeemer in their inventory. This is the aspect I can't get working.

Donald @ Dec 13th 2007 3:19PM

Slaziman:

What the hell, man? This isn't Justin "That's My Steed" McElroy we're dealing with here, it's part of the lifeblood of the site itself. Don't kid about that.

Ludwig Kietzmann @ Dec 13th 2007 3:31PM

Well, his comment is being voted up, so either people thought it was a great joke... or they really do want me fired. I can't say I like either group then. ;)

Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 13th 2007 4:23PM

Aww, you are actually my favorite writer, don't be sad =[

Raikage (ROFLBERRY PWNCAKES Defence Force) @ Dec 14th 2007 4:22AM

I find Assassian's Creed very entertaining. It's amazing running rooftop to rooftop, climbing up everything, oh and stabbing random people.

Plus Alty is an awesome character. Probably IMO the "coolest" character next to Snake and Ryu.

BTW Ninja Gaiden was my favorite game last gen... Ninjas...............drool...........

Raikage (ROFLBERRY PWNCAKES Defence Force) @ Dec 14th 2007 4:22AM

Jack @ Dec 13th 2007 5:33PM

XIII sequel please.

rikimaru @ Dec 13th 2007 2:04PM

I love this game, but My Xbox stopped reading disks and I have to send it in to be repaired. I didn't get the Red Ring Of Death, and I've had my console over a year so it's not covered. Damn!

So I don't get free repair because the "hardware failure lights" didn't show up, but the lens stopped working? Isn't that a "hardware failure" too!?

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