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Businesses Entertainment Games

EA in Takeover Talks with Ubisoft 31

Posted by Zonk from the but-that-would-make-me-cry dept.
Voodoo Extreme has the word that EA and Ubisoft are in talks regarding a possible takover price for the French company. From the article: " The talks are still preliminary and running parallel with other approaches that family-run Ubisoft is making to broker solutions that might shake off a bid from EA but they could be the beginning of an eventual agreement between the two, the paper said, citing people familiar with the situation." Gamespot states that EA denies the topic of takeover is on the block during the talks. No word on what such a development would have on Ubisoft's relationship with the Canadian government.
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EA in Takeover Talks with Ubisoft More

EA in Takeover Talks with Ubisoft

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  • Simple... (Score:1, Insightful)

    by PhilippeT ( 697931 )
    No word on what such a development would have on Ubisoft's relationship with the Canadian government.

    Simple if EA takes them over as long as they keep the jobs here then the Government wont have a problem.

  • Background info... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by keiferb ( 267153 ) on Thursday February 17, 2005 @09:55AM (#11699151) Homepage
    ...is here:

    http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/1 0/ 1747259&tid=187&tid=10
  • There are other companies that are doing this... SCO tried to take the UNIX market by legal force, Microsoft is patenting everything in sight, and now EA is buying all the competition. Some have not done so well, but in a few years, I believe that a few large "umbrella corperations" will control 90% of the market. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, but I don't know if Proctor and Gamble brand cheese or Microsoft cars are good.

    I think this buy-up process will re-ignite the flame of "build up a small softwa
    • However, if EA's history with such purchases is any indication, most often EA buys the company, and then one year later announces they are reorganizing. By reorganizing, they mean closing the purchased company's doors, and laying off all the employees by 'moving' their jobs to HQ, or making them redundant. Of course, the excuse will be that they are 'underperforming' or somesuch nonsense.
    • There are other companies that are doing this... SCO tried to take the UNIX market by legal force, Microsoft is patenting everything in sight, and now EA is buying all the competition.

      When that happens (not *if*, but *when*, because it will happen), then the game industry will be rotten to the core.

      This is really sad. I used to work at Ubisoft Montréal, and I was given an offer for a decent programming job there. That was in january 2004. I refused it and decided to leave the game industry for a

      • Do you think Microsoft employees feel "exploited"? I mean, if you take that as an analogy, of course, which I'm assuming you probably do.
        • Do you think Microsoft employees feel "exploited"? I mean, if you take that as an analogy, of course, which I'm assuming you probably do.

          Wow... talk about over-simplification... I said "be exploited by EA". With the EA Spouse story and some leaked internal memos, I think it's common thought that EA exploits its employees (unpaid overtime, insane hours, etc.). I never even mentionned Microsoft. Nothing leads to believe Microsoft exploits its employees like EA does. Please explain to me how you got to think

          • "Please explain to me how you got to think I thought Microsoft exploited its employees."

            That appears to be the standard argument/analogy made when people decide to yell about how evil EA is, with little reason to single them out other than they are the biggest. Just scan Slashdot comments on any EA story. The EA Spouse stuff gives people a bit more reason to talk badly of EA, but most people don't seem to understand that the problem described by EA Spouse is an industry-wide problem, not confined to EA
      • "then the game industry will be rotten to the core."

        In what way?

        And do you mean like the entertainment industry?
        Or like the OS industry?
        Or like the general office software industry?
        Or perhaps radio?
        Or maybe banking?
    • 'I believe that a few large "umbrella corperations" will control 90% of the market. I'm not saying that is a bad thing...' Surely that is an oligarchy and unless a market is a natrual oligarchy then it an example of market failure.
  • Everyone I know that works or worked for EA says nothing but bad things about the experience. If I was at Ubi I don't think I would want to go to work for a company that, at best, is a sweatshop for tired franchises.

  • Ubisoft isn't Canadian (Score:3, Informative)

    by Cyclone66 ( 217347 ) on Thursday February 17, 2005 @10:08AM (#11699301) Homepage Journal
    Yes they develop here but they're a French company.
  • Just stop it. Really, just stop. Go focus on updating your latest insipid sports title.
    • Just stop it. Really, just stop. Go focus on updating your latest insipid sports title.

      Maybe this is the extra boost that is required for people that actually love to make video games to leave the big corps and start making really good games.

      Microsoft tries to buy every competition, but they can't buy Linux. EA is buying every competition, will it take FOSS games to stop them?

    • Just stop what? If you're going to complain, at least make it clear what you're complaining about. :)
  • Let's turn this thing on its head. EA looks like a ravenous beast right now, buying the competition or making deals to force competition out of certain genres, like American football. And let's not forget the now infamous working conditions! But maybe it's not at all evil afterall, for as big as EA has grown, there are bigger entities out there still. The current EA binge may be a defensive strategy intended to quickly grow the company to avoid being bought by one of the media behemouths like Viacom or Time
  • Require in the buyout contract that all employees work no more than 8 consecutive hours in any 24-hour period, no more than 5 consecutive days per week, and mandatory 4 weeks vacation (take it or fired).
    • ?....what if Ubisoft employees already work much longer hours? The "EA Spouse" phenomenon is industry-wide, not a localized to EA problem.
    • Yeah, cuz that's exactly how it works in every other industry that also has deadlines. Riiiight.

      • Nah (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Safety Cap ( 253500 )
        That's how it works in other industries where projects are managed properly.

        In industries/companies where "Project Management" is a punchine to some joke, it is usually the norm to work insane hours, make lots of mistakes, and waste time & money. Oh, and have "deadlines" that are fantasy at best.

    • 8h a day? 5 days a week? 4 weeks vacations? Hello~~~~?
      Ubisoft is a french company.
      This is 35h a week and 5 weeks vacations MINIMUM.

      And opposite to the US, work conditions and regulations are actually enforced.
      There is a dark side to capitalism and deregulation... call it slave labor.
  • I am Probst of EA. Your company as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service... us. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.
  • Remember Bullfrog? Remember Origin? These companies made some great games. Then they got baught out by EA and it was downhill from there. I'd include Maxis, but they didn't even make a good game before they got baught out by EA.

    • Re:Not Again! (Score:3, Informative)

      by Frenchy_2001 ( 659163 )
      Bullfrog and Origin made great games. Then again, they were mostly centered around great, known, personnaes (Richard Garriot, Peter Molineux...). So, when they realized what their studio became, they just left and joined or created other companies (NCsoft, Lionhead...).

      A creative industry is bound to keep smaller, more "indy" studios. They will go through editors for distribution, but the games and creative direction should stay with the studios...
  • If EA isn't about signing exclusive deals and taking over hot studioes and game properties, EA is doing its shareholders a disservice. Unfortunately, EA is taking a short term approach to the video game market: basically, they are going to squeeze it for everything it's worth, and then abandon the dessicated husk when the industry tanks because crap games are being made by otherwise good development teams who are overworked and underpaid.

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