An expensive venture
- by Ben Kerry
Earlier this week, we learned that Microsoft has reportedly been in discussions with Ubisoft regarding the acquisition of a couple of the French firm’s gaming intellectual properties – and a new report suggests that obtaining these franchises would cost quite a bit for the Xbox owner, should they decide to proceed with the purchase.
According to a recent report from outlet Bloomberg, it is mentioned that Ubisoft is looking to attract investment into “a new entity” that would encompass some of its major IP, including Assassin’s Creed. It appears that the exact manner in which these franchises will be divided and distributed remains unclear, but the “yet-to-be-established IP unit” could potentially be valued “greater than the size of the primary company”, as reported.
Breaking this information down, essentially it indicates that if Ubisoft’s founders decide to sell off all of its prominent game series – that collection of franchises could actually be worth more than acquiring Ubisoft outright. Apparently, a decision regarding which path to take hasn’t been finalized, but the report suggests that Ubisoft is eager for “bids to be made by the end of this month”.
“The company is contemplating selling a minority share of the venture and has reached out to potential bidders, including existing shareholder Tencent Holdings Ltd. and investment funds both internationally and within France, where Ubisoft is headquartered, according to sources. Ubisoft has requested preliminary offers to be submitted soon, the sources added, opting to remain anonymous while discussing private matters.”
We have not received any direct responses from either Ubisoft or Microsoft regarding whether the Xbox owner is genuinely interested in purchasing any of these assets, so it might not be worth waiting for an update just yet. Multiple reports suggest that Tencent may be the frontrunner in this scenario – and we will continue to monitor how this situation develops in the coming months.
Which Ubisoft IP would you be interested in acquiring? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox, and has a passion for action, racing, and straightforward shooting games on any Xbox platform he can get his hands on. When he’s not gripping an Xbox controller, he treasures his time.