After the company’s announcement that they’ve bought the rights to the Tom Clancy name on books, movies and games investors see a 5.91 EURO rise in shares. This is the biggest rise for Ubisoft in two months bringing the total value at around 54.98 EUROS.
They had previously declined 29% this year before yesterday’s revival for the publisher, who’s also tingly all over now for a film.
Ubi claim they’ll save around 5 million EUROS each year now that they have the complete rights to the Tom Clancy name. For gamers it’s now interesting to hear they may well be tapping into the franchise for more than just gaming.
Yves Guillemot, chief executive at Ubisoft, claims that the publisher has the capacity to start development on its own films and they’re keen to explore their newly acquired IP toy. He was quick to rule out a movie for Rainbow Six and that any cinema release from Ubisoft is a long way off.
“We’re extending the video game rights forever and getting complete freedom to complete all other projects. We don’t have the rights for a Rainbow Six movie, however. Those aren’t part of this deal,” says Guillemot in Variety’s Cut Scene blog.
“We do have it for any new properties we create… We’ll make products within the limit of our know-how and ability to perform. We will also work with partners to make licensed products… That will vary depending on the power of any project. The goal each time is to make sure that the experience comes in many formats.”
EA are already gearing up to unleash a few films and now Ubisoft are tooting their own horn for the silver-screen. Are we seeing the next evolutionary phase for the games industry, to merge with film? Disastrously, could this lead to a future wave of Uwe Bolls with games-to-film so awful cinema goers and gamers are left to huddle together in fear? The track record would suggest so, at least for Mr Boll.
“Step by step we have to learn how to give more emotions to our consumers. This will help us get closer and closer to creating movies or internet products that will entertain… A year ago we started to create Ubisoft Digital Arts in Montreal so we can have a group capable of creating animations and movies in the future.”
Guillemot was also asked if Ubi would work with Hollywood big-wig studios. “We are open to that because we don’t have that kind of know how… In the future we plan to work on them at the same time as games.”
We live in interesting times…