Ubisoft Continues Talks With Potential Buyers

Ubisoft, the French game developer and publisher whose fate has been an item of discussion for several months, announced that it is continuing to meet with possible purchasers to discuss a merger or buyout. The latest wrinkle is that CEO Yves Guillemot, who had previously been vocal about his desire to keep Ubisoft out of the hands of Electronic Arts, admitted that he may go along with the idea provided that the price was high enough. "If someone comes with a very good offer, that will be very interesting... I'm going to consider it," said Guillemot, according to a Reuters report, though he tempered his comments by reiterating his stance that EA's earlier purchase of close to 20% of Ubisoft's stock had been a hostile move. "That tactical 20 percent does not help. It's a very bad start. It would be wrong to go with the first guy who wants to buy the company." A more likely possibility could be a Chinese firm, indicated Guillemot, several of whom have been in talks with Ubisoft. Despite the continuing talks, Guillemot said that he'd prefer the company remain independent: "We're not going to sell the company for less than we think it's worth. Our turnover is very good. We see our market share improving, so there's no rush to sell."