Ubisoft fans and executives had reason to breathe a sigh of relief yesterday, when Vivendi confirmed that it would no longer be pushing to engage in a hostile takeover of the French publisher, something that it has been trying for a few years now.
Ubisoft is one of the better bigger publishers- it is constantly experimenting with new IP, it tries making multiple games across multiple genres, it makes smaller stuff like Rayman and Valiant Heart that other developers wouldn’t touch, it boldly jumps into supporting new platforms and technologies, and it is responsive to player feedback. Sure, it has its own flaws and problems- but it’s far better than most other AAA publishers.
So, seeing that it will get to retain its independence, for the time being, is heartening. That said, Ubisoft has issued to us a statement regarding Vivendi’s intention to back down on acquiring Ubisoft, an they have said they intend to remain vigilant.
“Ubisoft takes note of Vivendi’s statement. We will remain vigilant about their long-term intentions and will continue to pursue our strategy of growth and value creation in the interest of all our shareholders,” they said.
I am, in case you haven’t caught on, extremely happy about this turn of events. I hope Ubisoft continues to innovate and bring us great new games, and I hope they maintain their independence.