Ubisoft Targets New Licenses, Not Acquisitions

A new interview with Ubisoft chairman Yves Guillemot, in the wake of Electronic Arts’ bid for Take-Two Interactive, suggests the French publisher and developer will not attempt to emulate the move with their own takeover, with a focus instead on acquisitions of new licenses. The company has seen a slow increase in the use of TV and movie licenses in recent years, with titles such as Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, CSI: Special Criminal Investigations, Surf’s Up, Lost and the forthcoming Heroes. The company’s wide range of Tom Clancy branded titles have also become a cornerstone for the publisher. According to an article in French business newspaper Les Echos, Guillemot indicated that the move by Electronic Arts could “speed up expansion plans” at Ubisoft, with the purchase of new licenses being one of the key tactics. The nature of any of these licenses, though, was not hinted at. “The desire of EA to buy Take Two pushes us to go faster, to accelerate internal growth but also to look at acquisition opportunities,” said Guillemot – in an English translation from Thomson Financial. Ubisoft shares fell 1.85 percent yesterday, as investors theorized that Electronic Arts’ bid for Take-Two made further investment in Ubisoft (in which the company holds 25 percent of voting rights) unlikely in the short term.