French media company Vivendi which is best known in the gaming industry as Activision Blizzard’s former parent company until it sold 85 per cent of its stake in 2013 for Activision Blizzard to become independent, has acquired a equity stake in Ubisoft and Gameloft for a combined $181 million.
Vivendi, which is now under the full leadership of Vincent Bolloré, has nabbed 6.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent in Ubisoft and Gameloft, respectively. Vivendi bought 7.36 million Ubisoft shares for 140.3 million Euros and 5.24 million Gameloft shares for 19.7 million Euros.
In its short official release, Vivendi described the two French companies as having an “internationally-recognized know-how in video games” and said the company was looking to use “its available cash.”
Ubisoft was co-founded in 1986 by Yves Guillemot and his four brothers and is headquartered near Paris with operations established in 28 countries. The company is best known as the creator of hit video game franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell and Just Dance.
Gameloft, Ubisoft’s sister company, is a leading creator of games for mobiles and apps. Some of the games from the company include Asphalt series, Real Football and Modern Combat. Gameloft has hit a bit of a rough patch recently; it has shuttered seven studios and posted a loss for the first half of the year.
Vivendi’s comeback into the video game biz has surprised industry insiders since the company had sold its stakes in Activision Blizzard for more than $8 million in 2013, claiming it was aiming to focus on its TV and music operations.
Ubisoft’s film production unit Ubisoft Motion Pictures is also producing Justin Kurzel’s Assassin’s Creed with Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender. The company has also turned Raving Rabbids into a popular animated TV series for Nickelodeon and France Televisions.
Vivendi is expected to make further acquisitions in the coming months.