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[Craig of War]

Ubisoft reportedly drawing buyout interest from several private equity firms

No offers have been made, and it's unclear if one will.

doublexp.com

"Ubisoft is reportedly attracting attention from various private equity firms that could have an interest in acquiring the company, according to a report by Bloomberg. Two firms in particular — Blackstone Inc. and KKR & Co. — have studied the video game publisher, according to the report, but Ubisoft has not entered “serious negotiations” with any potential buyers, claimed the report.

Both of the identified firms are reportedly in the early stages of analyzing Ubisoft. According to Bloomberg’s sources, “there’s no certainty any of the suitors will proceed with offers.” Additionally, it’s unknown whether Ubisoft’s shareholders would want to pursue a deal, the report claimed. In a statement to Bloomberg, the French game publisher did state that its solid portfolio would allow the company to capitalize on new opportunities within the video game industry, should they emerge.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Didn’t they go to some pretty severe lengths to avoid being bought out a little while ago?

 

[ManaByte]

Phil and Satya:

 

[NeoGiffer]

 

[TransTrender]

 

[bitbydeath]

Phil and Satya:

You suggesting the Activision deal?

 

[adamsapple]

Two firms in particular — Blackstone Inc. and KKR & Co.

I have never heard of these two firms before today.

 

[DragoonKain]

Paging Elon Musk.

He'll make Assassin's Creed a real life experience by creating an actual animus for humans to plug into.

 

[Dream-Knife]

I have never heard of these two firms before today.

They own 90% of companies, including Sony, Microsoft, and Apple.

 

[chromhound]

Let Nintendo buy them lol.

Just not Tencent please

 

[Craig of War]

Phil and Satya:

Why not Yoshida and Jim Ryan?

 

[Dick Jones]

Private equity firms. I'm sure they have the interests of Ubisoft and the consumer at heart

 

[remember_spinal]

If sony buys ubisoft im selling my ps5 tomrrow

 

[Craig of War]

I have never heard of these two firms before today.

Yeah imagine if it were the KKK & Co lol

 

[Craig of War]

If sony buys ubisoft im selling my ps5 tomrrow

 

[Kdad]

If sony buys ubisoft im selling my ps5 tomrrow

Dibs!

 

[Calling 911 Melts Beams]

you have to buy each share in the company by visiting every gas station in canada

 

[Yoboman]

Didn’t they go to some pretty severe lengths to avoid being bought out a little while ago?

Difference between a hostile takeover and a more mutual acquisition

 

[TheGodfather07]

If sony buys ubisoft im selling my ps5 tomrrow

Why? Sony can actually make good games with their ip.

 

[ahtlas7]

Vivendi, you reading this?

 

[RiccochetJ]

I have never heard of these two firms before today.

They are effectively the #1 and #2 largest private equity firms in the world. They each have hundreds of billions of dollars.
Here's a quote about the CEO of Blackstone from their website:

Stephen A. Schwarzman is Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms with $915 billion Assets Under Management (as of March 31, 2022).

 

[remember_spinal]

Why? Sony can actually make good games with their ip.

Because there are 20k employees at ubisoft, sony wouldnt really be doing shit to improve a company of that size.

If they bought them its just for revenue and ubisoft isn’t a company that see’s a lot of actual profits years to year which is why they are stressing all these new GAAS and NFT initiatives. They are shitty bloated company.

If sony buys them i know the future they are moving towards is not one i care for, especially when sony already makes ubisoft style games, only better.

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

Ubisoft have lost their way big time with the cookie cutter games galore. Not really worthy any major investment in imo.

 

[adamsapple]

They are effectively the #1 and #2 largest private equity firms in the world. They each have hundreds of billions of dollars.
Here's a quote about the CEO of Blackstone from their website:

Damn, I should pay more attention to these guys.

Because there are 20k employees at ubisoft, sony wouldnt really be doing shit to improve a company of that size.

If they bought them its just for revenue and ubisoft isn’t a company that see’s a lot of actual profits years to year which is why they are stressing all these new GAAS and NFT initiatives. They are shitty bloated company.

If sony buys them i know the future they are moving towards is not one i care for, especially when sony already makes ubisoft style games, only better.

I kinda don't get the concern. Horizon FW is already an Ubisoft game in a different wrapper.

 

[Fbh]

Private equity firms. I'm sure they have the interests of Ubisoft and the consumer at heart

Oh no they are going to buy Ubisoft and they'll have them focusing increasingly more on GaaS as they continue making soulless formulaic sequels that feel like they were designed by a market research algorithm.

 

[Warablo]

Would love some Ubisoft games on Game Pass

 

[Kokoloko85]

Ubisoft is a publisher I dont really care about.

Some of the ips like Rayman, Prince of Persia etc I like but whoever buys them I hope its not expensive and. Doesnt go platform exclusive

 

[RevGaming]

Would love some Ubisoft games on Game Pass

Ubisoft games only being worth it for free. Damn.

 

[StateofMajora]

Hey, as long as it makes my stock go up, go for it.

If these guys get it though Ubisoft will die long term

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Why? Sony can actually make good games with their ip.

This^

Nobody can fix them better.

 

[sircaw]

Damn, I should pay more attention to these guys.




I kinda don't get the concern. Horizon FW is already an Ubisoft game in a different wrapper.

GTFO here, ffs ADAM. NO, just NO

Apologise now

 

[ReBurn]

Why? Sony can actually make good games with their ip.

Ubisoft could make good games, too. The just don't.

 

[Ozriel]

Why not Yoshida and Jim Ryan?

Because then he’d be paying $70 for Ubisoft games.

 

[remember_spinal]

Damn, I should pay more attention to these guys.




I kinda don't get the concern. Horizon FW is already an Ubisoft game in a different wrapper.

Even if you truly do believe that horizon is just an ubisoft game, then why would i want them to go and buy more ubisoft games?

Anyone that games on playstation should want them to buy companies in that have genres they don’t already provide and dominate in. It’s like wanting Sony to buy crystal Dynamics to make tomb raider exclusive when we already have a better version of it

 

[adamsapple]

GTFO here, ffs ADAM. NO, just NO

Apologise now

 

[nominedomine]

Jumping ship.

 

[March Climber]

Let Nintendo buy them lol.

Just not Tencent please

Tencent right now:

 

[Frank Horrigan]

Kill Ubisoft, chop up the corpse and sell the IP's to interested parties. Microsoft could do with Assassins Creed to counter Sony 3rd person open world/cinematics and Sony could do with Rayman to counter Microsoft's 2d side scroller games like Ori.

It would be preferable for the gaming community to have those IP's sold to parties that want to use them/revive them.

 

[nominedomine]

Let Nintendo buy them lol.

Just not Tencent please

No Japanese publisher should be buying Ubisoft, it's a terrible fit, specially for Nintendo.

I'm hoping for it be Tencent or a western publisher like MS or EA.

 

[Kdad]

Konami just reorganized and rebranded so they can buy Ubi, mothball the IP and crank out Pachinkocreed machines.

 

[mitch1971]

Didn’t they go to some pretty severe lengths to avoid being bought out a little while ago?

Maybe that was before the raping?

 

[EDMIX]

You suggesting the Activision deal?

Agreed.

I think with Ubisoft, if they can buy them cheaper, shhhhhhiiiiiit that is a publisher that can be rebranded, worked around, reshaped etc as the IPs they house are massive and imho can do wonders if under the right publisher.

This^

Nobody can fix them better.

Thats also how I see this. I think its a solid fit if it ever happens.

 

[GHound]

Ubisoft is the nearly the last company I'd ever want to see snapped up by any company already big in gaming. So this might save me from being forced to witness (at least what I feel to be) a big ol' waste of cash.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I have never heard of these two firms before today.

Huge companies. Bad memories of Blackstone (BX)! I bought shares long time ago at $25 and dumped during the global crisis at around $10. Fast forward to 2022, it's $130 and pays a $4 dividend!

Blackstone Inc. (BX) Stock Price, News, Quote & History - Yahoo Finance

Find the latest Blackstone Inc. (BX) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing.

finance.yahoo.com

KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR) Stock Price, News, Quote & History - Yahoo Finance

Find the latest KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing.

finance.yahoo.com

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Just let MS acquire them. MS has acquired all the trash in the industry anyway. It can't be worse.

 

[tusharngf]

its time uncle phil

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Because there are 20k employees at ubisoft, sony wouldnt really be doing shit to improve a company of that size.

If they bought them its just for revenue and ubisoft isn’t a company that see’s a lot of actual profits years to year which is why they are stressing all these new GAAS and NFT initiatives. They are shitty bloated company.

If sony buys them i know the future they are moving towards is not one i care for, especially when sony already makes ubisoft style games, only better.

I feel Sony is UNFORTUNATELY already moving in that GAAS/live service direction especially with wanting to create 10 new live service games in a relatively short amount of time in the future. Seems like Ubisoft favors the live service direction as well, so I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if Sony is at least thinking about acquiring them.

 

[Craig of War]

Just let MS acquire them. MS has acquired all the trash in the industry anyway. It can't be worse.

Bro if Sony buy them you would be slurping them up the very next second don't act like you won't
this is why fanboying for a company is bad

 

[Topher]

Two firms in particular — Blackstone Inc. and KKR & Co. —

Anyone else do a double take thinking they read KKK?

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I feel Sony is UNFORTUNATELY already moving in that GAAS/live service direction especially with wanting to create 10 new live service games in a relatively short amount of time in the future. Seems like Ubisoft favors the live service direction as well, so I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if Sony is at least thinking about acquiring them.

Sony's internal game studios are working on tons of MP focused games and they recently bought Bungie.

UBI would be a good fit for Sony for numerous reasons:

1. Tons of GAAS/mtx heavy games
2. Lots of shooters. Something Sony shelved. They want to get back into it (hence Bungie Destiny)
3. Western style games (which Sony focuses on now)
4. Games sell well. Not all of their franchises, but they got lots of heavy hitters
5. UBI games have lots of style and presentation. Something Sony games have lots of
6. Not huge buy out costs. Someone did a chart of company market caps months ago and UBI was less than $10B. I think it was $8B. Add in buyout premium and you get to about $10B. Totally doable by Sony as their latest earnings has them making $12B profit alone in one year