Ubisoft says Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has already exceeded sales expectations for this year, despite only being released two weeks ago.
In a report summarizing finances for the first quarter of the fiscal year, Ubisoft (1,449 articles)” href=” said that the Black Flag remake has sold 3.5 million copies since its release, more than it expected to sell for the entire year.
In a statement, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot (126 articles)” href=” Guillemot said the game received “the highest praise for an Assassin’s Creed (series) (651 articles)” href=” Creed game since the original Black Flag,” adding, “We are very pleased with the praise it has received from players.”
“Two weeks have passed and the title has already exceeded our expectations for the year,” Guillemot said. “I would like to warmly thank the teams whose talent and dedication made it a reality.
“This launch illustrates the enduring appeal of the Assassin’s Creed brand, as well as the early benefits of our ongoing transformation and commitment to delivering a very high-quality experience.”
During a post-earnings call with investors, Ubisoft CFO Frederic Duguay (38 articles)” href=” Duguay was asked what the margin profile is for Black Flag Resynced and when it is expected to start turning a profit.
Duguay responded that while the remake’s development costs are lower than the all-original game, its lower price of $59.99/£49.99 (which is $10/£10 less than Assassin’s Creed Shadows (90 articles)” href=”Creed Shadows) means it has a different profit profile. Despite this, he said he expects the game’s development costs to be fully recouped in the current fiscal quarter.
“Excellent financial performance”
“The earnings profile of a game like Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced should be attractive, firstly because it plans to be successful with a strong start,” Duguay explained.
“Usually with ambitious remakes you have to reuse existing assets or the overall experience, but this also comes with additional gameplay and features, so it requires some investment.
“But of course the overall budget isn’t as high as the original experience. You also benefit from awareness of the game, so you can get by with less marketing, but you won’t have the same price tag as a ‘full’ game.
“So it’s actually a different economic profile, but we expect it to deliver superior financial performance. We should expect the direct contribution to be positive as early as the current quarter on an aggregate basis.”
VGC’s review of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced joked that it was “the best Assassin’s Creed game since Black Flag”, noting that “13 years later, Edward Kenway’s adventure is still just as exciting.”
“Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a great remake of a game that probably shouldn’t have been remade,” we said. “Of all the games in the AC franchise, Black Flag holds up better than many, but that doesn’t change the fact that I had a great time going back. The cast, setting and atmosphere are still some of the best the series has ever seen, and the new content feels right at home.”