Looks like even though Ubisoft had a bit of a bad time with game releases, they have done ok with the profit margins. They have reported a gross of €202.2 million ($271.5 million) in the first half of the fiscal year 2014, up from €192.7 million ($258.8 million) in 2012. In the six months that ended September 30th, sales were €293.3 million ($393.8 million), up from €279.2 million ($374.9 million) over the same period last year. After all this, they still have debt of €141.7 million ($190.3 million).

The increased profits been attributed to the growth of DLC and digital content purchases, and a 16% increase in sales of their back catalogue, like Far Cry 3. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in the financial statement: "Open world games are becoming ever-more popular with gamers. These creations give gamers the freedom of expression and immersive experiences that are now central to their expectations.... We are continuing to make strides in the implementation of our strategy, by concentrating our resources on regular releases of our open world franchises, investing in digital expertise and increasing the visibility of our brands, notably through movies and TV series."

In other news, Ubisoft have released their new companion app for Assassin Creed IV Black Flag. Available from the App store and Google play store, this turns your tablet into a second screen. This then gives you access to useful information, so you do not have to pause the main game. The free app includes the following:

• Interactive World Map - Shows a bigger version of the map.

• Kenway's Fleet - Interact with the game 24/7 from anywhere.

• Progress Tracker - All game progress is stored here.

• Treasure Maps - View treasure maps found in-game on your device.

• Initiates Wall - Display messages and notifications.

• Animus Database - View all unlocked memories from the game.

This app seems to be more of a novelty than anything. It does not appear to be as useful as the companion app for The Division. I am unsure about how useful this is so leave us your thoughts about it below.