Ubisoft on Wednesday reported a rise in fiscal first-half sales and operating income, while net income slipped.

The publisher posted sales of €344.5 million for the half ended September 30, up from €261.4 million for the comparable period a year ago.

Ubisoft attributed the 32 percent rise to strong sales of casual games and the company"s distribution business.

Operating income was €24.7 million, up from the €12.5 million posted a year prior.

Net income was down to €24 million from €30.6 million.

Ubisoft chief exec Yves Guillemot said in a statement, "Our strong first-half growth fueled a sharp rise in profitability. Based on our initial sales figures for the third fiscal quarter and thanks to the diversity of our game line-up, we are confident that we will be able to achieve the targets that we recently raised for full-year 2008-09, despite a highlycompetitive environment marked  by the launch of numerous high-quality games.

"In addition, consoles are continuing to record robust sales levels, which represents a very positive sign for the videogames industry for 2009.”

The first-half earnings report closely follows the company"s second quarter report, when the firm saw a 37 percent increase in sales to €175 million.

Ubisoft reaffirmed its financial sales guidance of €500 million for fiscal Q3 and €1.05 billion for the full fiscal year. Current operating income before stock based compensation is projected to be 13 percent of sales.

The firm stated, "Sales have begun solidly for Ubisoft’s Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party and casual games are outperforming expectations while Tom Clancy"s End War got off to a slower start."