Vivendi Universal Games Losses Deepen

Vivendi Universal representatives based in the company's Paris headquarters have released details of the company’s half year results for the period ended June 30th. During this time income over the entire company, which includes music, telecom, and television holdings (although not the Universal movie studio and theme parks, now owned by General Electric) rose to €1,818 million ($2,215m), compared to €1,677 million ($2,043) at the same time last year. Net income increased to €467 million ($569m) from a net loss of €14 million ($17m) previously. The company’s games division reported an operating loss of €156 million ($190m), compared to a loss of €52 million ($63m) in the first half of 2003. This made Vivendi Universal Games the group’s only loss-making division for the second year running, a disappointing result, despite one or two catalog bright spots such as Starbreeze's The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. With the possibility of the game division being sold now appearing to have receded, not least because of considerable job cuts earlier in the year, executives will now be hoping that the apparently imminent release of Half-Life 2, as well as Blizzard's World Of Warcraft, will mark an upturn in the company’s fortunes. Other forthcoming VU Games titles include Demis Hassabis' intriguing PC strategy title Evil Genius, as well as continuations of the Al Lowe-less Leisure Suit Larry and Naughty Dog-less Crash Bandicoot franchises, plus Tribes: Vengeance and the eyebrow-raising Fight Club game.