The company took in $890.2 million in the 12 month period ending on March 31, 2009. Up from $852.8 million the year before. But operating income was down from $158.0 million from $183.0 million.

The company boasted that its casual line netted nine million units sold for Imagine games, two million units for the My Coach line and five million sold for the Petz games.

New Ubi games Shaun White and HAWX managed 2.8 million and one million units, respectively.

The company also signaled that some sequels sold better than their preceding titles in their series. For Far Cry 2, that unit sales increase from its predecessor was 64% and up for Prince of Persia by 10%. Brothers in Arms was said to be up 35%. (We've asked Ubisoft p.r. if those percentages are in terms of units or sales.)

“It’s all about defining your riding style and crafting the line that suits you,” said Peter Anthony Chiodo (“Tony”), Destineer’s Director of Product Development. “Stoked leaves well-worn resorts behind and gives players absolute freedom to ride wherever they want and trick off of anything they can find in some of the most famous backcountry locations the world has to offer. Gameplay is focused on style and finesse, not button mashing; Destineer and Bongfish have created a game that looks and plays like a snowboarding movie.”

Adds Patrick “Brusti” Armbruster, co-founder of Absinthe Films: “Developing a snowboard video game has always been a dream of mine. There are endless synergies between a snowboard film production and a game developer that were just waiting to be activated. Bongfish and Destineer have realized this potential, and have shown a real passion for snowboarding, and together we’ve worked to bring snowboarding luminaries from across the planet together for this project.”

Stoked includes five famous mountains featuring over 45 square miles of open terrain in each location, hidden drop points for helicopter starts, dynamic weather, multiplayer support and tons of real world pro riders. Among the list: Travis Rice, Nicolas Mueller, Wolle Nyvelt, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Tadashi Fuse, Gigi Ruef, and Bjorn Leines.

Stoked is scheduled for release in November. More details on the jump as well as a chunky gallery.

Ride your way to fame as a professional snowboarder! Destineer Announces ‘Stoked’ for Xbox 360

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – August 20, 2008 – Hit the mountains on your quest to become the next snowboarding phenomenon in Stoked, the open-world, back country snowboarding experience from Destineer and developer Bongfish GmbH. Coming exclusively to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in November, Stoked features five huge open-world mountains, changing weather patterns, and the sponsorship and cooperation of some of the most respected and influential names in the sport.

Developed in conjunction with world-renowned snowboarding movie creator Absinthe Films, Stoked captures the pioneering spirit of professional back country riders. Exhilarating snowboarding experiences are born from dynamic backcountry conditions. The riders who brave and master these conditions are the stuff of legend in Absinthe videos and the pages of snowboarding magazines. The look and style of these riders are emulated across the world. In Stoked, it’s your turn to become a legendary rider and wow the world on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network by becoming an absolute snowboarding phenomenon.

“It’s all about defining your riding style and crafting the line that suits you,” said Peter Anthony Chiodo (“Tony”), Destineer’s Director of Product Development. “Stoked leaves well-worn resorts behind and gives players absolute freedom to ride wherever they want and trick off of anything they can find in some of the most famous backcountry locations the world has to offer. Gameplay is focused on style and finesse, not button mashing; Destineer and Bongfish have created a game that looks and plays like a snowboarding movie.”

Adds Patrick “Brusti” Armbruster, co-founder of Absinthe Films: “Developing a snowboard video game has always been a dream of mine. There are endless synergies between a snowboard film production and a game developer that were just waiting to be activated. Bongfish and Destineer have realized this potential, and have shown a real passion for snowboarding, and together we’ve worked to bring snowboarding luminaries from across the planet together for this project.”

In Stoked, craft a snowboarding career with your own customizable style and ride five famous mountains featuring over 45 square miles of open terrain in each location. Discover new drop points by helicopter. Dynamic and ever-evolving weather conditions await riders as they choose where they ride and what they ride in by tracking conditions that suit their tastes.

Riders get instant drop in access to multiplayer action where they team up with friends to create a wide variety of riding experiences, both cooperative and competitive. Players can also go up against other riders on Xbox LIVE in a series of sponsored events to boost their fame!

Stoked features some of the most influential professional riders in the world: Travis Rice, Nicolas Mueller, Wolle Nyvelt, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Tadashi Fuse, Gigi Ruef, and Bjorn Leines. An impressive line up of 30 authentic sponsors also appear in Stoked including but not limited to: Burton, Dragon, Arcus, Von Zipper, Eleven, 686, Billabong, DaKine, Electric, LibTech, Nitro, Northwave, Oakley, Quiksilver, Ride, Hart, Rome, Salomon, TechNine, Vans, Volcom, and more!

Own trick spots, show up rivals, and build your reputation. Take pictures of friends and capture video of your best moves to win the kind of attention that lands you on the cover of a snowboarding magazine. Conquer massive mountains and carve your path as a snowboarding phenomenon in the deepest, truest backcountry snowboarding video game yet: Stoked.

Stoked is scheduled for release in November of 2008. For more information, please visit www.destineerstudios.com.

Gamers get a chance to download a blank snowboard, fancy it up with their own designs and then enter it into the contest. Every other week until October, two of the designs will be selected to be included in the video game. Fans will than vote to decide which two boards they like best, both of which will be turned into real Burton snowboards.

According to the fine print, the winners selected on Aug. 15 will be added into the game "before it hits shelves" and receive a Wii and a Wii Fit balance board.

Art of the Ride

As I mentioned earlier, Ubisoft is getting into the Snowboarding game... game. Shaun White will, among other things, feature a Wii version that lets you use your Balance Board to board around open mountains.

The Wii version will also have its own story line which has you traveling the world with a crew to try and earn some fame as a snowboarder.

Hit the jump for the full release and some screens.

SAN FRANCISCO – May 28, 2008 – Today Ubisoft announces the development of Shaun White Snowboarding, a title destined to break all former action sports video game notions and redefine the action sports genre. The game will appear on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Windows-based PC, and the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo, and is scheduled for release in Holiday 2008.

Powered by the award-winning Assassin's Creed(TM) engine for Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 system, Shaun White Snowboarding truly captures the action sports lifestyle. Shaun White Snowboarding is being developed from the ground up for the Wii system, taking full advantage of the Wii Balance Board(TM) accessory and featuring its own unique storyline and adventure with Shaun White.

"Shaun White Snowboarding will turn all of the traditional ideas and experiences of past action sports titles upside down,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. "The combination of Ubisoft's innovation approach and the influence of Shaun's lifestyle and perspective make this gaming experience like no other.”

Developed in close collaboration with Shaun White, Olympic Gold Medalist and eight-time X Games Gold Medalist, Shaun White Snowboarding allows players to enter a world of total freedom, where they can create their own experience and choose how, where, and with whom they want to ride.

Key Features of Shaun White Snowboarding for Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system, and Windows-based PC:

• Open World Mountains: Choose how you ride in open-world mountains across the world. Conquer extreme peak conditions, create your own paths in the back country, or compete with fellow riders in the terrain parks.

• Your Friends Are Always Around: Play in a world where your friends are always around. Do your own runs on mountains populated by real gamers, or join your friends for a quick session from any mountain.

• More than Just Snowboarding: Have fun with your friends on and off the board! Throw snowballs, hike to access secret spots, film your friends doing ripping tricks. You can also upload your videos online to share with the world.

• Ride Your Way: Express yourself through tricks, riding styles, and highly customizable avatars – both in single-player and in the online world. Use the intuitive dual analog control to pull off a huge variety of tricks that express your style.

• Next-Gen Technology: Built on the Assassin's Creed engine, this game creates a massive world with gorgeous visuals and realistic NPC interactions. This is also the first time a snowboarding game is completely driven by physics instead of animation.

• Authentic Snowboarding: Ubisoft has worked closely with Shaun White to infuse the gaming experience with authenticity, personality and humor. Shaun is a friend and mentor in the game, and will help you with your skills. And, if you are deemed worthy, you may even be able to play as Shaun in the game …

Key features of Shaun White Snowboarding for the Wii system:

• Exclusive storyline: Everybody loves a road trip! You and your crew travel the world to participate in a variety of the largest and craziest events to become a world-renowned athlete. Life on the road to success wouldn't be the same without the support of your friends, who will always be there to help you out and keep your head on your shoulders. Stand together with your friends - both in the game and in the living room - and you will be able to conquer the madness that fame brings.

• Go on a globetrotting adventure with Shaun White as your partner – Ubisoft worked in close contact with Shaun White in order to infuse the experience with the most authentic elements of his riding style, personality and sense of humor. Shaun will act as a good-natured friend and mentor to the player, hooking him up with the right friends to conquer challenges together, introduce him to new locales, or simply be around to share in a laugh.

• Wii Balance Board Integration – Get yourself into the game like never before by using the Wii Board to control your rider. Control your carves, jumps and grinds with the intuitiveness and fun of having a snowboard in your own living room.

• Everyone plays, no one waits – Engage in a seamlessly integrated multiplayer experience for two to four players, where every player is active in the game at all times.

• Get together your crew – In the world of snowboarding, it pays to have friends on your side. Your crew of friends will always be there to help you by offering you unique abilities to improve both your riding and keeping you grounded with friendly pranks; filming all the antics along the way.

• Fame and Respect - Getting your name out there by doing well as a pro snowboarder is bound to get you some recognition. As your fame grows, so too does your ability to take on bigger and bigger challenges, from new mountains to more prestigious events and competitions. Fame, however, isn't everything. You'll need to gain your friends' respect by riding with style in order to gain their support; they will help you find hidden areas, share their favorite music tracks and keep you laughing.

Among the top-tier games shown at Ubidays earlier this month, snowboarding title Shaun White was the one I was least interested in. While snowboarding is a sport complex and interesting enough to be a vehicle for a good video game, the franchises that have cropped up never seem to stick around for very long. And it doesn't seem to be because they're not good. Plenty of great snowboarding franchises have come and gone.

Ubisoft's Shaun White seems to have plenty going for it, but nothing that made me think "Wow, this is incredibly different." The game, heading to the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360, uses the Assassin's Creed engine and features an open mountain for gamers to explore.

The version I saw featured three characters, none of them women, but I was told there would be a lot more coming with the finished game, including female snowboarders.

Gearing up your character is mostly cosmetic, letting you pick through different jackets, pants, boots, gloves, hats, goggles, and even backpacks, though the type of board you select does change the way you ride.

The game's loading screen features a half-pipe you can actually zip around in with your character, which is a pretty neat touch. Once loaded each mountain is divided up into three layers: The peak, a dangerous mix of cliffs and drops which can result, if handled incorrectly, in your death; The middle mountain, a tree packed, ungroomed area; and the park with all of its groomed trails and courses.

Snowboarder Shaun White did all of the dialog in the game and even wrote the game's script. While you can't play as him, you do get to board with him, the devs said. The game will include mountains in Japan, Park City, Utah, Alaska and Europe.

I'm sure it will find a niche, maybe quite a large niche, but it was too early to tell if it will be the break out hit I'm sure Ubisoft would like it to be.

U.S. athlete Shaun White grabbed gold at the Olympics this year (people do watch them, right?) and then landed himself a deal working with Ubi Soft on some snowboarding games. White told Eurogamer that he was "stoked" to be working with Ubi Soft. Remember when the main thing Olympic athletes were looking forward to was their mug shot on a box of Wheaties?

Ubi Signs Top Snowboarder [Eurogamer]