Highlights
Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot, endorses the Microsoft-Activision agreement, perceiving it as a favorable indication for the industry and underscoring the influence of intellectual properties (IPs) across diverse platforms.Guillemot's emphasis on IPs can be linked to Ubisoft's own strategy of expanding its Assassin's Creed franchise, with intentions to release 11 games across various platforms and a shift towards mobile development.
During the French developer’s investor briefing, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot expressed his approval of the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal. This approval aligns with the sentiments shared by Take-Two Interactive's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, who believes that the deal will attract more users and will not negatively impact other companies' intellectual properties (IPs). Microsoft had initially announced its plan to acquire Activision in January 2022 and is now close to finalizing the deal despite facing various obstacles along the way.
Microsoft faced unprecedented pressure from global regulatory authorities, such as the FTC, EU, and the CMA, in their attempts to acquire Activision. Each organization conducted their own investigations, with the EU being the first to approve the deal but with certain conditions. However, the CMA blocked the deal, and the FTC chose a similar path by suing Microsoft. Despite these challenges, the deal was eventually approved in the US, with the CMA currently working to find a resolution with Microsoft. With everything falling into place for Microsoft, Ubisoft's CEO sees the deal as a positive indication for the industry. According to GameSpot, Guillemot stated that the acquisition is "good news" and highlights the importance of intellectual properties (IPs) and the industry's direction. He also emphasized the value of IPs across different platforms, including PC, console, and mobile. Additionally, he acknowledged Microsoft's focus on mobile and expressed Ubisoft's alignment with this strategy.
Guillemot's emphasis on IPs may stem from Ubisoft's increased investment in its Assassin's Creed franchise. Rumor has it that Ubisoft is developing approximately 11 Assassin's Creed games for various platforms, including mobile and VR. This aligns with the previous report of Ubisoft expanding its Assassin's Creed development team, as they now have a significant number of projects in the works. As part of their mobile strategy, Ubisoft is already working on Assassin's Creed Codename Jade, and they recently announced a mobile RPG based on the popular Invincible comic and Amazon show. This shift in focus seems to have occurred after Ubisoft canceled seven games last year due to underwhelming financial results.
Guillemot is not the only one who has endorsed Microsoft's Activision deal; Take-Two Interactive's CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed the same sentiment last year. Zelnick believed that the acquisition would bring in additional users to the market, leading to a positive overall outcome. He also emphasized that it would not impact the market for Take-Two's intellectual properties, as consumer preferences ultimately determine their success.
