Vivendi trying to take over Ubisoft.

[Mister Cheese]

Video game publisher Ubisoft Entertainment SA, maker of the Assassin’s Creed series, is seeking the backing of Canadian investors to help fend off a creeping takeover in France from media giant Vivendi SA.

Ubisoft officials, led by founder and chief executive Yves Guillemot, confirmed they’re meeting this week with a dozen potential investors in Montreal and Toronto in an attempt to build support for the company’s founders and current management. Canada is already key for Ubisoft as a major game-development site, with Montreal home to its largest global studio. Now its financial community is being asked to play a role as well.

Mr. Guillemot and his four brothers started Ubisoft in France’s Brittany region and own a minority stake, expanding it more than 30 years to become one of the world’s top five video game publishers. They’re trying to push away Vivendi and its billionaire chairman, Vincent Bolloré, who has amassed a 15-per-cent stake in Ubisoft in recent months and made an unsolicited takeover offer worth some 500-million euros ($750-million) for another Guillemot brothers-run gaming company, Gameloft SE.

The hostile bid on Gameloft is the first step in Vivendi’s larger ploy to force talks with the Guillemot family and take over Ubisoft, analysts at European investment bank Bryan, Garnier & Co. have said.

At stake are more than 3,000 Ubisoft jobs in Montreal, Quebec, Toronto and Halifax, and hundreds of millions in capital invested since the company opened its first studio in Canada in 1997. Quebec has the most to lose, with Ubisoft representing a pillar of its multimedia industry.

Although it’s unlikely Vivendi would shut down Ubisoft’s Canadian studios outright, the assets would be better protected if Ubisoft remained independent, Mr. Guillemot told The Globe and Mail on Thursday. Ubisoft enjoys a decision-making and operational agility that it wouldn’t have under Vivendi, and can forge better partnerships with global media players such as Warner Bros. instead of being forced to work with Vivendi’s properties, the CEO said.

Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle28920702/

So I noticed this today and to be honest it makes me a bit nervous. Ubisoft seems to be trying to turn itself around with regards to its franchises. Far Cry Primal wasn't the terrible game I thought it might be. And they're actually doing the hugely unprecedented move of skipping Assassin's Creed this year. The new Rayman games are awesome as well.

To sum it up, Ubisoft is running to its Canadian investors to try to block Vivendi from having any real control over them, so Ubisoft can stay independent. And it's obvious that Vivendi wants to get back into the gaming industry after losing Activision/Blizzard.

[Miyagie]

Ubisoft had always great game developer but in the last years they choose quantity over quality and you Uplay didnt help them rly.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Who's Vivendi? I know they own a few studios but I can't recall anything notable from them. Who knows? Maybe it'd be best for crappysoft Ubisoft to get a change of management.

[Edge-]

Who's Vivendi? I know they own a few studios but I can't recall anything notable from them. Who knows? Maybe it'd be best for crappysoft Ubisoft to get a change of management.

Giant media company that owns lots of stuff. They used to own a majority stake in Activision-Blizzard before they sold off a huge chunk of shares and then Activision-Blizzard bought back a ton more.

[Valeron]

Well Ubisoft has been trying to change their development structure to provide better quality. I don't think being bought out by a mas media conglomerate will help them in that regard.

in regards to above, Vivendi is involved with digital entertainment with businesses such as Canal + and Universal Music. They used to be a majority share owner of Activision Blizzard.

If you want quality games again from Ubisoft, I don't think you would back this takeover

[Edge-]

If you want quality games again from Ubisoft, I don't think you would back this takeover

Because clearly things changed at Activision-Blizzard while they were owned by Vivendi, and have changed again since ATVI bought themselves back from them.

Or nothing really changed because Vivendi wasn't dictating how ATVI ran their games.

[Rukh]

Because clearly things changed at Activision-Blizzard while they were owned by Vivendi, and have changed again since ATVI bought themselves back from them.

Or nothing really changed because Vivendi wasn't dictating how ATVI ran their games.

Activision wasn't a great company. And when Vivendi sold it, they remained a not great company. You are trying to say with sarcasm that when a company is bought they somehow also don't change, because Activision didn't change when it was sold. I don't see how you're extrapolating the two.

[Edge-]

Activision wasn't a great company. And when Vivendi sold it, they remained a not great company. You are trying to say with sarcasm that when a company is bought they somehow also don't change, because Activision didn't change when it was sold. I don't see how you're extrapolating the two.

My point was that Vivendi didn't make any changes to the way Activision and Blizzard developed their games while they were the majority stakeholder, which begs the question of why they'd make changes with Ubisoft. Ubisoft, like Activision-Blizzard, is already a profitable company. Vivendi looking to buy in now is likely them looking at the future prospects with Ubisoft venturing beyond just gaming and into film and other entertainment avenues. They see potential for growth and want to buy in early.

[Valeron]

A hostile takeover doesn't really give confidence in that Edge. There would be a lot of changes there to ensure Ubisoft makes money, that could involve closing down studios. My point is that Ubisoft is in the process of trying to make their development better (if you believe what they are saying) and a takeover could halt that process. We shall see.

[Deleted]

Today's Ubisoft is not better than shit like Electronic Arts and Konami. I don't give a shit what happens to them, maybe it would even be better for the customers if they got a new management.

[Paula Deen]

I hope they do get bought by Vivendi.

Karma for making shitty games for years and years then claiming Entitlement and Piracy when people don't buy them.

[Rukh]

My point was that Vivendi didn't make any changes to the way Activision and Blizzard developed their games while they were the majority stakeholder, which begs the question of why they'd make changes with Ubisoft. Ubisoft, like Activision-Blizzard, is already a profitable company. Vivendi looking to buy in now is likely them looking at the future prospects with Ubisoft venturing beyond just gaming and into film and other entertainment avenues. They see potential for growth and want to buy in early.

Again, Activision wasn't a great company before the merger. I can't agree that a not great company being bought out and still being not great is going to imply that no changes are ever made. I just don't see the assertion bearing weight.


And honestly though, maybe they'll make them get rid of uplay.

[Polarthief]

So I noticed this today and to be honest it makes me a bit nervous. Ubisoft seems to be trying to turn itself around with regards to its franchises.

Lol what? UbiSoft has been shitting the bed for the last few years, especially when it comes to AC. They're pretty much on my block list (up there with EA). Would not be surprised if they were bought out and shat out more garbage.

Again, Activision wasn't a great company before the merger. I can't agree that a not great company being bought out and still being not great is going to imply that no changes are ever made. I just don't see the assertion bearing weight.

And honestly though, maybe they'll make them get rid of uplay.

You will see almost no change. Pretty much the same quantity over quality.

[Mister Cheese]

Lol what? UbiSoft has been shitting the bed for the last few years, especially when it comes to AC. They're pretty much on my block list (up there with EA). Would not be surprised if they were bought out and shat out more garbage.



You will see almost no change. Pretty much the same quantity over quality.

Syndicate wasn't broken on launch, and while not being a good game shouldn't go on anyone's shit list. Regardless of what you think having a hostile takeover is bad for a company. A restructuring in management will only cause more problems for Ubisoft.

[Gorsameth]

their own fault for not maintaining 51% of the shares themselves.