Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has talked about how the company intends to continue operating independently but also doesn’t mind someone buying it.
Some of the “big fish” that are still independent are Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, both of which have recently talked about their futures and even the idea of being acquired.
The video game industry has indeed changed a lot in the past few years. Microsoft has been extremely busy in accumulating and acquiring studios, most notably the recent Bethesda and Activision Blizzard deals. Even Sony has followed suit and has attracted studios like Insomniac, BluePoint Games, and its most recent deal Bungie and its hit game franchise Destiny.
With so many studios starting to attract and fall under the umbrella of larger companies, gamers will start to wonder about which of the remaining companies are independent and whether their future will also belong to the company. big guys or not. The online community has even speculated about deals based on some developers’ links to companies, such as Sony and Konami, the studio that holds the rights to traditional PlayStation IPs like Metal Gear and Silent Hill. Some of the “big fish” that are still independent are Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, both of which have recently talked about their futures and even the idea of being acquired.
Regarding Ubisoft, chief executive officer Yves Guillemot and chief financial officer Frédérick Duguet recently held a conference call with investors, reporting on sales, asking questions, and giving time frames. released for games currently in development such as Skull & Bones, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. In it Guillemot was asked specifically about the recent increase in acquisitions in the industry and what Ubisoft’s stance on the matter would be.
Interestingly, Ubisoft is now ready to be bought by someone, something the company vehemently opposed and resisted just a few years ago.
Surprisingly, Guillemot seems quite open about it, although he did confirm that Ubisoft still plans to become an independent company largely due to its financial size as well as its large portfolio of IPs. . However, any offer to acquire Ubisoft will be reviewed by the board of directors rather than being rejected outright. When asked why the company has yet to see any acquisition offers, Duguet and Guillemot declined to comment, only reiterating that the company’s size and highly valued assets will be used to “create” very meaningful value in the future.”
Interestingly, Ubisoft is now ready to be bought by someone, something the company vehemently opposed and resisted just a few years ago. A years-long saga between Ubisoft and Vivendi took place in 2016, sparking animosity between the two companies regarding acquisitions. Initially Vivendi wanted a bigger presence in the gaming industry, so they started buying more and more Ubisoft stock. Fearing an enemy takeover, Ubisoft began buying back shares to prevent Vivendi from becoming a majority owner and began bidding for a takeover. Vivendi eventually backed out, selling off its stake and leaving Ubisoft to operate independently.
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