Vivendi Moves Closer to Hostile Takeover Bid of Ubisoft

cageymaru

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Vivendi has moved closer to a hostile takeover of video game developer and publisher Ubisoft. Vivendi has a 25% ownership stake in the French corporation, but still hasn't secured a board seat. According to French law, when Vivendi owns 30% of Ubisoft's shares, they will be required to make an offer to Ubisoft. The Guillemot family that currently owns Ubisoft has vowed to fight until the bitter end to maintain control of their corporation.

This hostile takeover seems to stem from appeasing Vivendi shareholders who's share prices have decreased by 3% since this hostile takeover strategy was implemented. Vivendi has it's sights set on advertising group Havas also and has spent $16 billion on shareholders and acquisitions such as Telecom Italia and Mediaset. The end goal is for Vivendi to become a European media powerhouse. The courts in Italy have rejected this mandate by ordering Vivendi to sell their stake in Mediaset or Telecom Italia within the year as they are in breach of rules that prevent a concentration of corporate power.

In the case of Ubisoft, which is 25 percent owned by Vivendi, resistance from its founding Guillemot family could potentially lead to a costly, unsolicited full takeover bid.
"Vivendi is moving to the second phase, everything will take place this year," one of the sources said, referring to Havas and Ubisoft. "The logical thing would be to buy Ubisoft," the second source said, adding that Bollore would not buy the video games maker at any price and could consider other targets in China.
 
Aren't these both really crappy video game makers?

The Rayman games have been really good recently. Honestly I think Ubisoft is just going through its "EA" period. Every game maker goes through a phase of maximizing profits, but then it always backfires and then they get a bit better. I assume the same thing will happen with Ubi.
 
Aren't these both really crappy video game makers?

Even the devil has fears. As much as I dislike Ubisoft, they do push out some decent product. I've loved most of the Far Cry games and Rainbow Six Siege has been fantastic. And Assassin's Creed is usually on the hit or miss formula but half the games were fun. Brotherhood, Black Flag, Syndicate were awesome games, hell so was Unity aside from performance issues.
 
Even the devil has fears. As much as I dislike Ubisoft, they do push out some decent product. I've loved most of the Far Cry games and Rainbow Six Siege has been fantastic. And Assassin's Creed is usually on the hit or miss formula but half the games were fun. Brotherhood, Black Flag, Syndicate were awesome games, hell so was Unity aside from performance issues.
How about Far Cry Primal?
I really like far cry 3 and 4. Primal? I couldn't even power through it.
 
How about Far Cry Primal?
I really like far cry 3 and 4. Primal? I couldn't even power through it.

To be honest it's the only one I haven't tried yet. And after playing Horizon Zero Dawn I think I'll probably be let down regardless lol. I loved Far Cry 3 and watching Better Call Saul I can't see that guy as anything but Vaas, that's how great of a role he played in that game.
 
I think having Vivendi being a sword over Ubisoft has forced it to undertake decisions that affect the games its released. Needing money to fight off Vivendi most likely affected the release dates of games, and for the worse in my opinion. Hope the Guillemot family prevail.
 
Vivendi taking over Ubisoft would be the final death knell for Ubisoft as far as I'm concerned. Pardon my French, but fuck Vivendi.
 
Ubisoft should sell off all of their valuable IP to some other company like Übisoft (which is totally not a new company wholly owned by the Guillemot family), to generate massive profit in this next quarter for the benefit of their shareholders. Then, they can sell the entire company of Ubisoft to Vivendi. Meanwhile, the new Übisoft can go on about making games.
 
I'm in the minority I guess, I couldn't get into Far Cry 4, to much like Far Cry 3, but I loved Primal, its like a polished version of the myriad of survival games on steam.
 
Aren't these both really crappy video game makers?

Ubisoft games are originals at least!

1/3 of the Assassin's Creed games were decent....

2/3 of AC games have been decent, ubisoft DRM and software distribution and update system have been less than decent, however their games.. in my opinion is better than most just cause it's not the exact same as the other game.
 
Ubisoft games are originals at least!



2/3 of AC games have been decent, ubisoft DRM and software distribution and update system have been less than decent, however their games.. in my opinion is better than most just cause it's not the exact same as the other game.

Hey, I've played all of them, they're entertaining enough....but only a few have been beyond average.
 
Enjoyed all the rainbow 6 games going back to the 1st I bought. This was back in the day where you buy a physical CD to keep and no DRM BS.
I have not bought/played any of their more recent titles.
 
I was in a pretty good Rainbow 6: Raven Shield clan back in my youth...that game was baller. Forgot that was an Ubisoft game lol.
 
I really enjoyed Farcry Primal, but the thing that got my attention was mention of Guillemot. Anyone else own a 3D Prophet 4500?
 
How about Far Cry Primal?
I really like far cry 3 and 4. Primal? I couldn't even power through it.

Worth noting that Primal was the "tock" style game.

In game development, popular IP's tend to follow a tick-tock release pattern. Back in the day, tick would be the main game, tock would be an expansion pack done by another developer.

Now, tick is main game-A, tock is main game-B. Game A is usually done by the original dev, game-B is usually done by a secondary developer. The game-B's are usually glorified standalone expansion packs that they charge full price for. They don't really push the engine tech forward like the primary title, they just recycle and add to it (ala, a mod team).
 
I'm split. I don't know if this would have a positive outcome or not. In the grand scheme of things I don't think there will be any real winners in the long run.
 
Could this be karma for years of PC-hostile treatment, money grubbing through DLC and now microtransactions? Possibly, but I'm with the others here in thinking that Vivendi would likely not be any better stalwart of Ubi's IP.
 
I don't get it, Vivendi owned Activision, they had freaking Blizzard with it's huge money makers. They got out of that years ago so why would they want to buy ubisoft?
 
Vivendi is a bunch of idle managers looking for a new business to be in charge of. They never went anywhere in their first try despite owning Blizzard (!) and Sierra and they won't do any better the next time.

I'd feel really bad for Massive if Vivendi succeeds, they made it out of that mess against all odds (literally the only Sierra studio still alive) and it would be a shame if they had to suffer it again.
 
I was in a pretty good Rainbow 6: Raven Shield clan back in my youth...that game was baller. Forgot that was an Ubisoft game lol.

I wonder how much Ubisoft was involved in that game. It was a good game. Too bad everything after that wasn't really R6 games anymore, until Seige. Just some other tactical shooter with the Rainbow Six name slapped on it.

I was hoping the Ghost Recon games would be a little closer to it's roots, but doesn't look like it has gone that way. Sounds like every other Ubisoft game.

Ubisoft Game 1: Ghost Recon skin. Then next year, release the game again, but with a Far Cry skin, an Assassin's Creed skin, a Watch Dogs skin, The Division skin, or whatever other open world crap they have.
 
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