Microsoft to Buy VU?

[Bond]

Vivendi Universal is ready to sell its games division for up to $1.6 billion USD, in an effort to refocus and cut its debt. A source close to Microsoft told FT the cash rich company from Redmond was one of a number of publishers approached by Vivendi. Microsoft's strategy has centred on buying small development studios such as Bungie or Rare rather than organizations with major publishing and distribution capabilities such as Vivendi. As a general rule, Microsoft does not comment on rumors.

Source TeamXbox (http://www.teamxbox.com)

[Perfect Stu]

1) I don't know anything about Vivendi Universal other than *squints at Bond's message* the fact that they're an organization with major publishing and distribution capabilities

2) How would buying this company benefit the Xbox, and Xbox gamers?

3) Yao is one ugly mother...needs to be taken out of your sig :p

[Null]

Originally posted by Perfect Stu
3) Yao is one ugly mother...needs to be taken out of your sig :p


:lol: haha

.
.
...
.....

he's a mother?! :hmm:

[Joeiss]

Yes. He gave birth to two children.

[Dyne]

Ugh... ogh.. not another rumour. :unsure:

I can't really imagine Crash or Spyro on the Xbox anyways..

[bobcat]

Originally posted by Joeiss
Yes. He gave birth to two children.

True true, Joeiss and Stu are the offsprings.

The parents are still wondering wot went wrong :unsure:

[Perfect Stu]

Originally posted by bobcat
True true, Joeiss and Stu are the offsprings.

The parents are still wondering wot went wrong :unsure:

:nod:

[Tombor]

Vivendi is also Blizzard, Black Label, Sierra (Half Life?), and I think Fox Interactive. So it could be a BIG deal.

[BlueFire]

Blizzard :eek:

This could be huge.

[Null]

Originally posted by Tombor
Vivendi is also Blizzard, Black Label, Sierra (Half Life?), and I think Fox Interactive. So it could be a BIG deal.


if it effects thoes companies. and if MS handles it wrong. it could be a HUGE blow against thoes companies.

thoes are computer game makers. if MS screws it up and does to them like Halo. tis will be a sad sad day in gameing. thoes companies would fall apart without thier PC market.

however if MS buys them and lets them do what they want on PC. just allowing them to make xbox games too. that would be a good deal for em.

[Dyne]

Yeah, seeing Blizzard come into play like this, one would think that Starcraft: Ghost could go Xbox exlcusive. That's exactly Microsoft thinking. <3

And.. well.. Microsoft mostly makes computer games. So.. it would be right up their alley. :D

[Bond]

Here is a list of some of the game companies that Vivendi Universal owns, mostly what Tombor said:

Knowledge Adventure:
Their site is down right now... I think it's a French company anyway.

Blizzard Entertainment:
Warcraft
Starcraft
Diablo

Sierra Entertainment:
Tribes Series
Alien vs. Predator
Half-Life
Empire Earth
HomeWorld
Malice
The Hobbit

Universal Interactive:
Crash Bandicoot
Spyro
The Thing
Lord of the Rings

The developers make way more games than that, but it would be a pain in the ass to find them all. I think that gives you a pretty good idea.

[gekko]

Knowing Microsoft, a buyout of these companies would ruin every single one... except maybe Universal Interactive, who really had nothing to lose.

[GameKinG]

Vivendi is a pretty big name in the PC world. I hope they are are bought by a 3rd party.

[fingersman]

M$ can't buy VU if they want.....once it doesn't affect SC2 coming out on PC and online gaming in SC.BW. If it does I'll cry. :baby:

[Dyne]

I hear through the grapevine that they're going to be announcing it tomorrow.

microton

:D

[Bond]

Originally posted by Dyne
I hear through the grapevine that they're going to be announcing it tomorrow.

microton

:D
Do you mean to say Friday or Saturday?

Because Saturday is rather unlikely...

[Dyne]

Heh.. It was supposed to be today. I think we should burn down whoever's in the grapvine. :D

[Bond]

Here's the latest update on Microsoft and VU:


Investment bank Investec said on Friday that it believed Microsoft Corp. was in talks with French media conglomerate Vivendi Universal about buying Vivendi's video game business for as much as $2 billion. A spokeswoman for Vivendi Universal's game unit declined to comment. A Microsoft spokeswoman could not be immediately reached for comment.

Jeff Van Rhee, Investec's director of enterprise software research, told Reuters he had received indications a deal was in the works. "There was some pretty actionable data that said something had just happened and things were heating up pretty quickly," he said.

Speculation has been rampant for months on the fate of Vivendi Universal Games, which publishes well-known PC titles like "WarCraft" and "Diablo" and games based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" books.

The division, which is strongest in PC games but also has significant console game operations, has been reported at various times in the last year to be either up for sale or in preparations for an initial public offering.

Sources told Reuters in mid-December that Vivendi had had at least preliminary conversations about the potential for a deal with Microsoft, Sony Corp. and Electronic Arts Inc..

Van Rhee, in his note, reiterated past speculation that Vivendi has been seeking a price of anywhere from $1 billion to $2 billion for the games unit. Most financial analysts have characterized the lower end of that range as more likely.

Microsoft, which bought British games developer Rare for $375 million cash in September, has said it would be most interested in acquiring game developers that could add to its internal product efforts rather than a full-fledged publisher.

One of the main criticisms of the company's Xbox video game console has been the lack of internally produced hit titles, though the company did find success with the military action game "Halo" in 2001 and 2002.

A number of video game companies have warned that their results for the December quarter would be weaker than previously expected as retailers became more conservative in their ordering, only taking large quantities of titles with proven hit potential.

Press Release