Skip to main content

Vivendi acquires Gameloft; Ubisoft now at risk of a hostile takeover

vivendi acquires gameloft targets ubisoft moderncombat header
French mass media company Vivendi now claims mobile gaming studio Gameloft as a wholly owned subsidiary following a hostile takeover, and publisher Ubisoft may be the conglomerate’s next target, according to multiple sources.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Vivendi now owns a controlling share in Gameloft despite protests from its co-founders, and the studio’s current CEO, Michel Guillemot, is expected to resign later this month.

Related Videos

After an unsuccessful attempt to block Vivendi’s buyout via legal means, Gameloft’s Michel and Yves Guillemot were forced to sell their controlling shares in the company “with regret” this week, establishing Vivendi as Gameloft’s new owner.

“The family maintains that Vivendi’s hostile approach goes against the best interest of Gameloft, both for its activity and for its teams,” the Guillemot family said in a statement following the purchase.

Gameloft produced a string of hit gaming apps for mobile devices over the last several years, including the Call of Duty-inspired first-person shooter series Modern Combat. Other Gameloft-published mobile franchises include the arcade-styled Asphalt racing series and Dungeon Hunter, a loot-driven RPG optimized for touchscreens.

“You will join shortly an international content and media group where creativity is the heart of its organization and its activities,” Vivendi representatives said in a letter sent to Gameloft employees earlier this month. “We are very pleased to welcome you and to pool your talents with ours, so that together, we will be a stronger presence on the worldwide entertainment market.”

The letter continued: “In a buoyant digital environment that favors convergence between creative industries, the joining of Vivendi and Gameloft offers opportunities for cooperation in many areas: the co-creation of content, the development of new franchises, the building of wider communities and audiences and the pooling of our distribution networks, among other examples.”

Vivendi is reportedly eyeing former Gameloft parent company Ubisoft as its next hostile takeover target. Vivendi already owns a 17.7 percent stake in Ubisoft, though the company stated in a recent stock market filing that it has no plans for a buyout within the next six months.

Editors' Recommendations

How to find your own phone number on iOS or Android
Rebtel Calling

Gone are the days when phone numbers were as commonly memorized as street addresses. While you once had your own phone number, your best friend's, your crush's, and the one for the local pizza shop all at the top of mind, the advent of smartphones has rendered this memory exercise moot. Like most people, you probably don’t call your own phone number very often -- and if you do, it's likely listed in your Favorites -- so you may not know it off the top of your head.

With that reality comes the familiar grip of panic when a new acquaintance asks for your mobile phone number and you have no clue. Or maybe you're so used to sharing your second phone number that you forgot the first! 

Read more
Pikmin Bloom is more a Nintendo fitness app than a video game
Pikmin gang carrying items and waving

Pikmin Bloom recently released for mobile devices across the world. Nintendo fans weren’t sure what to expect when Pokémon Go developer Niantic announced a new augmented reality game based on Pikmin, the popular franchise starring half-plant, half-animal creatures. While the game takes some inspiration from Pokémon Go, it's a completely different experience that's more akin to a fitness app than an actual game.

Pikmin Bloom Game Overview Trailer

Read more
What is Airplane Mode? What it does and when to use it
What is airplane mode phone in airport

What is Airplane Mode? Allow us to explain. Smartphones, cell phones, and most other mobile devices are equipped with a setting called Airplane Mode (sometimes known as Flight mode). It’s designed to turn off all the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular, and data connections on your mobile device, which might otherwise interfere with the various sensors and equipment on commercial airplanes. If you’ve ever placed your smartphone next to a speaker and heard a loud buzzing or another strange interference sound, then you’ll understand why Airplane Mode exists.

We have a guide on how to turn on Airplane Mode for both Android phones and iPhones, but it’s generally easy to implement -- just look for an Airplane icon and tap it. You should always see an airplane icon in your notification bar at the top of your screen when you have Airplane Mode switched on. Typically, you'll be prompted to turn it on after boarding a flight, directly before your plane takes off.

Read more