Ubisoft Reveals $1.2bn Warchest, Expansion Plans

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed that the French publisher and developer has a amassed a warchest of funds worth €780 ($1.2bn), in order to acquire new studios and companies to further grow Ubisoft’s business and move into other markets. Speaking to French newspaper Les Echos (as translated by UK trade paper MCV), Guillemot indicated that the company was looking to grow its business through new acquisitions, despite claiming in an interview with the same newspaper earlier in the year that the company was seeking only new licenses to exploit. Guillemot emphasized a need to quickly expand in order to remain competitive, referencing the recent merger of Activision and Vivendi Games and Electronic Arts’ ongoing attempts to acquire Take-Two Interactive. No specific video game publishers or developers were named, although Guillemot did confirm that the company was still looking to sign up more licensed properties for future titles, while also still working with external developers. The company’s recent expansions have included new studios in the Ukraine, Casablanca and the acquisition of Gameloft’s mobile phone studio in India. The company also recently acquired the Tom Clancy name and brand for use with video games and other media at an estimated cost of $94 million. As previously revealed the company will also speed up expansion of its CGI movie production facilities, with the intention of creating movie and TV shows relating to its most prominent game franchises.