Ubisoft has revealed its ‘surprise’ at how Nintendo collaboration Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope has underperformed commercially in its opening months.In a financial update published on Wednesday, the French publisher said it was “facing major challenges” in face of tightening consumer spend, and claimed that sales over the key holiday season had been “markedly and surprisingly slower than expected”.In an investor call held following the publication of its financial update—which also saw Ubisoft cancel three unannounced games and delay Skull and Bones yet again—the company said it believed recent releases were negatively impacted by a consumer shift “towards mega-brands and long-lasting titles”.Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – Cinematic trailerSparks of Hope released in October 2022, weeks before some of the year’s biggest blockbusters in God of War Ragnarök, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.We feel that the game is going to do good numbers over time, but the beginning was not at all what we expected.”"