Ubi Q1 figures - Conviction sells 1.9 million, Driver delayed into 2011

Ubisoft's just released first quarter figures, confirming sales of 1.9 million for Splinter Cell: Conviction since its April launch and a push into 2011 for Driver: San Francisco.

Driver had originally been slated for a November 2010 release.

Sales for the quarter ending June 30 were €160 million, up 93 percent compared to the €83 million recorded in the same period last year.

Guidance had been set at €145 million, the upside being pegged on Conviction's excellent performance and "sustained sales" of Just Dance, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Avatar.

The publisher reiterated its expectation to return to growth this fiscal year.

Ubi's Q2 highlights are H.A.W.X. 2 and R.U.S.E., with sales estimated at a flat €83 million compared to last year.

Driving out of the "competitive market"

Ubisoft gave little explanation as to the shift in Driver's date, other than it would have been facing a "competitive market at Christmas".

Driver now joins Ghost Recon: Future Soldier in 2011, leaving Ubi's core offering for holiday 2010 looking sparse, with only Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood plugging the gap.

No solid new release date was given for the title, other than the "fourth quarter of the fiscal year": that's January-March 2011.

The next in the Ghost Recon series was shoved back into the first calendar quarter of 2011 in May, with the "competitive environment” again being blamed for the move.