Ubisoft, Wii in alliance with 'Red Steel 2'

Ubisoft placed an early bet on Wii, creating a 'Red Steel' action videogame exclusively for the consoles, letting players use motion-sensing controllers to wield on-screen guns and Japanese swords.

The stunning success of Wiis in the marketplace has since enticed myriad studios to tailor games for the consoles.

"Red Steel was a unique opportunity for Ubisoft to work in tandem with Nintendo to create a title exclusively for the launch of the Wii console," said Ubisoft US senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key.

The videogame's sequel "is another milestone for the company as it is the first Ubisoft title with full Wii MotionPlus integration," Key added.

Nintendo last year announced it is bringing to market Wii MotionPlus cubes that clip onto game system controllers to enhance precision of motion-sensing capabilities.

MotionPlus devices are to be available in June.

Ubisoft said 'Red Steel 2' is being developed in Paris and will be available in time for the year-end holiday season.

'Red Steel 2' is described as an action-fighting videogame set in a "desert-bound, high-tech metropolis".

Ubisoft on Wednesday reported that its sales for the quarter ending 31 March 2009 were 206 million Euros (US$292.52 million) in what amounted to a drop of about 5% from the same period last year.

Ubisoft said that its sales in the final quarter met expectations, primarily due to continued strong showing for its videogames for Nintendo Wii and DS playing devices and popularity of a 'Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X' title.

Ubisoft's fiscal year ended in March, and the company reported that annual sales rose 14% to €1.05 billion (US$1.5 billion).

"We affirmed our expertise in titles for Nintendo consoles, with our casual games business posting a growth over 40%," Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot said in a release.

"In a highly competitive environment, Ubisoft reported full-year sales growth of 18% at constant exchange rates in 2008-09 as well as the second best profitability among comparable companies in its industry."

Ubisoft said it expects sales for the current quarter to be about 44% less than in the same period last year, when it reaped the benefit of fresh blockbuster titles 'Assassin's Creed' and 'Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2'.

Guillemot said that Ubisoft continues to "invest heavily in future potential" and has hired some 1,300 employees for its studios.

He predicted a powerhouse holiday season line-up that will include 'Red Steel 2', 'Assassin's Creed 2', and an 'Avatar' title based on an eagerly-anticipated 3D movie due out by famed film-maker James Cameron.

Source: AFP

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