Ubisoft Picks Up World In Conflict Dev Massive Entertainment

Ubisoft said today it is acquiring World in Conflict developer Massive Entertainment, after the Malmö, Sweden-based studio and its 120 developers were divested in the Activision Blizzard merger. The studio primarily focuses on the real-time strategy genre, going back to its Ground Control series, and it's likely Ubisoft was motivated to make the pickup after the critical success of last year's World in Conflict. The company gave no detail on what the Massive crew will be working on next. No value was disclosed for the assets and personnel, but just recently during Ubisoft's strong second quarter results call, CEO Yves Guillemot talked acquisitions, and actually made near-term mergers for Ubisoft appear unlikely because of the unfavorable economy. He specified that the company would not acquire any studios it couldn't buy with cash on hand or shares. "We are delighted to welcome the talented team of creators at Massive into the Ubisoft family," says Christine Burgess-Quemard, Ubisoft's executive director of worldwide production studios. Massive Entertainment president and founder Martin Walfisz expressed optimism at the deal. "Massive’s development team places great importance on its freedom to innovate and create games of the highest quality," he began in a statement. "We are fortunate to have found in Ubisoft a publisher who shares the same values and understands our mindset. I have no doubt that our future together will offer significant mutual benefit and synergy."