"We are speaking with third parties that are interested either to merge (or to invest in the company)," said Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft's chairman and chief executive. "If someone comes with a very good offer, that will be very interesting ... I'm going to consider it." Guillemot also mentioned that several Chinese companies are talking to Ubisoft about a deal, though he wouldn't name names.
One of the companies interested in Ubisoft is, you guessed it, Electronic Arts. EA bought a 20% stake in Ubisoft last December, making them the leading shareholder (next to the Guillemot brothers), and you can bet they'd be happy to grab the 2nd largest game publisher in Europe. But, even though EA is the leading shareholder, the Guillemot brothers control more of the voting rights (22.8% to 18.4%). Also, relations between the two companies are not the best, and Ubisoft views the 20% purchase as a hostile tactic.
"That tactical 20 percent does not help. It's a very bad start," Guillemot said. "It would be wrong to go with the first guy who wants to buy the company."
Still, Ubisoft is willing to make a deal with Electronic Arts if the price is right. The price would have to be high, though, according to Guillemot. "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." Remember, Ubisoft's a major company, responsible for two very major franchises, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia, among others.
We will be sure to tell you the outcome of these talks as they surface.
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