Ubisoft has published first half 2013-14 earnings, noting a 5% year-over-year increase to €293 million, and a Q2 sales increase of 46.6% to €217 million compared to €148 million year-over -year. Rayman Legends will also be released on next-gen systems in February, Ubisoft has announced.

The increase in sales was attributed to a 29% increase in digital sales (€71 million) as well as sales of of Assassin’s Creed 3 and Far Cry 3.

“The PS4 and Xbox One will be released in a few days’ time and will be a new driving force for the industry. We are confident in our capacity to rise to the short-term challenges posed by the transition phase, thanks to the very high quality of our games, which, combined with the upcoming arrival of the next-generation consoles and the traditional ramp-up of sales during the Christmas season will trigger positive momentum towards the end of the year,” noted CEO Yves Guillemot in a prepared 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. This deep-seated market trend – which Ubisoft has fully embraced – is going to move up another gear when the next-generation consoles arrive. At the same time, the ongoing growth in our digital business demonstrates the progress we have made in an area which is set to expand even further in the coming years. Consequently, 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.

“This year, Ubisoft has constantly stood out for the very high quality of its creations. This will be a determining factor for ensuring our future success and enhancing our financial performance. In 2014-15, we intend to step up the level even further by launching a number of particularly ambitious titles under both new brands and established franchises, starting as of the first quarter of the fiscal year, with the release of Watch Dogs.”

The third quarter of 2013-14 will see the following main releases:

Ubisoft expects third-quarter 2013-14 sales to amount to between €500 and €540 million, down by 38% to 33% on the third quarter of 2012-13, a period that notably saw the release of Far Cry 3.

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The firm is standing by its recently-revised targets for full-year 2013-14, namely sales of between €995 million and €1.045 billion.

During Q2, 41% of sales came from Europe, with 49% in North America and 10% of sales from the rest of the globe.

For the period, 30% of sales were for Xbox 360, 24% on PS3, 20% came from Wii, 7% from Wii U, 13% from PC, and 2% from Vita.