Recently, Vivendi purchased 6.6% of Ubisoft’s stock for €140.3M, which has raised concerns the French publisher has designs on gaining control of the company. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot insists that Ubisoft will retain independence in the face of the purchase.
In an interview with Games Industry BIZ, Guillemot stated, “Our intention is and has always been to remain independent, a value which, for 30 years, has allowed us to innovate, take risks, create beloved franchises for players around the world, and which has helped the company grow into the leader it is today.
“We’re going to fight to preserve our independence. We should not let this situation – nor any future actions by Vivendi or others – distract us from our goals. Our best defence is to stay focused on what we have always done best – deliver the most original and memorable gaming experiences.”
Vivendi in the past forcibly purchased stock in Activision-Blizzard and won controlling interest til the latter managed to retake control two years ago.
