Vivendi is continuing its
rise in the domain of video games. After the purchase of
Gameloft, despite the opposition of the funder family, the company buying more parts of
Ubisoft’s Capital.
The growing of Vivendi’s stocks
The part of the Ubisoft’s capital owned by Vivendi is
still growing up, and
reached 25.15% at the beginning of the month, which means that it’s at 5% to be able to launch a
tender offer, like it did for Gameloft. Even if the company affirmed that it
won’t drop a public offer or won’t take the
control of the world’s third video game company, it will keep buying parts according to the conditions of the market. Vivendi also owns
22.92% of the
rights of vote.
Ubisoft tries to protect itself
After the loss of Gameloft, the
Guillemot brothers are doing their best to
protect themselves and their baby Ubisoft. For them, the rise of Vivendi is «
a new indication, if it was needed, that Vivendi and Vincent Bolloré are going on in their value-wrecking approach, aiming to a creeping control taking of companies like Ubisoft ». They also add the following sentence :
As we already said it, it won’t avoid us to keep being focused on our objective of proposing the best experiences to our players and fans, and on our long-term strategy of value creation for all of our shareholders.
A rise that scares Ubisoft’s developpers
This «
financial war » put the developpers in an
uncertain situation, and the artists of the company fear that Ubisoft can
change from one day to next. And this can be
dangerous for the
creatvity of the company.
Michel Ancel, the creator of Rayman and conceptor for Ubisoft declared that if the Guillemot brothers, who are the owners of Ubisoft, hold on, the creative future of Ubisoft will be assured.
