Why couldn't Microsoft acquire Ubisoft too??

I know Call of Duty's the bigger cash cow, but c'mon! Ubisoft needs better management than Activision.

Both have dirtbag upper tier employees, but, in my humble opinion, there is no real strategy to save Call of Duty other than "relieve" the ones at Activision. Assassins and hackers are way cooler than cosplayed Chad soldiers with big guns grinding endlessly.

My point being Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs have more potential to be rebooted under new creators. CoD is just the same shooters. In the former two, you get to slit throats and hack tech centers.

Ubisoft was planning to make a AC equivalent of GTA Online, where you get to be your own assassin in the time period of your choice. Tbh, I don't see the House That Ancel F**ked Up lasting more than two more years.

And so what if Xbox is the brand best known for shooters? They haven't expanded their repertoire since, literally 6th Gen, when they came out with the first Xbox. There was a character action game for every taste back then. Times have changed.

So why did Spencer, in your opinion, do this? Was it solely cuz he only gives a s**t about franchises that make the most money? Or because Creed and Watch Dogs aren't seen as "real Xbox" titles?

Change of leadership is certainly something both Activision and Ubisoft need but I think Microsoft is already biting more they can chew with Activision Blizzard. They have a lot of baggage to deal with moving forward. Regardless, maybe it'll fix the ****-show that is Activision Blizzard.

Furthermore Ubisoft is a European company, French if I'm not mistaken. So I believe involves more hoops to buy a foreign company. Depending on the laws of stated country, it can be impossible too. I honestly do not know enough about how it would work and if France would allow it.

Activision just as Bethesda is an American company, so another American company buying an American company is less a hassle.

So for anyone who thinks Microsoft can simply buy-out the entire AAA/ AA gaming market? you have no clue. The entire American AAA/AA video game market? probably. EA is probably next on Microsoft's list if they continue to rake in a monopoly.

I'm expecting World of Warcraft to be on Xbox consoles within a few years.

I think a company needs to be for sale first. Activison was for sale so MS bought them.

This. OP, you're assuming Ubisoft wants to be bought.

Also, you're use of "too" implies MS should have bought both -- FTC may be okay w/ MS buying up one or the other, but probably not both in such a short period of time. That acquisition would face a lot more scrutiny than the current deal. MS would rather take a sure "win" than gamble on terms they are uncertain of.

@RSM-HQ: Sorry but you are mistaken,Ubisoft is Canadian. Montreal Quebec to be accurate.

@brimmul777: Well in fairness was not sure if the information was accurate.

And if you are correct? then Wikipedia continues to be a sloppy source of knowledge, this is what is says_

Ubisoft Entertainment SA formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA is a French video game company headquartered in Montreuil with development studios across the world.

Have found the site to have faulty information before so honestly shouldn't be too surprised. I should really stop using it.

Yeah,Wikipedia has a lot of wrong info.I'm nearly a 100% sure Ubisoft is from Montreal Canada. I do think that one of Ubisoft's main studio's is in France,one of their best and most talented developers.

Yea all the developed games are made in Canada, Farcry, Assassins' Creed, Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy games, etc. I've played them all and always see Ubisoft Montreal or Toronto in the opening or ending credits.

@Ice-Cube: @brimmul777: Well seeing as it seems established to be a Canadian company. I wonder if any Canadian law would be against Microsoft, an American company, buying them out? Changes things a little but I wonder if Canada is more strict or less strict than France.

Bringing in too many abusive execs is prob not a good idea.

Ubi is lousy with them, like parasites.

@RSM-HQ: Don’t know much about the laws in my country as far as businesses go,but I’m guessing Ubisoft would be worth a pretty penny. I don’t think it’ll be much of a problem with an American company buying Ubisoft,a lot of the businesses/corporations are U.S. owned and operated in Canada. Ubisoft might take a turn for the better if owned by Microsoft?

Its actually a French company. Ubisoft Montreal is just a branch studio

Ubisoft Entertainment (Company) - Giant Bomb

Ubisoft Entertainment is a French computer and videogame developer and publisher with headquarters in Montreuil-sous-Bois, France.

Ubisoft was created by the five Guillemot brothers in 1986. (...) over the next several years Ubisoft expanded expanded their distribution to United States, Germany and United Kingdom as well as forming development studios inParis(France),Montpellier(France) andBucharest(Romania).

Ubisoft has expanded heavily through the years. Between 1996 and 2000 the company established development studios inShanghai(China),Annecy(France),Montreal(Canada),

@brimmul777: Much my thoughts with Activision. Is Microsoft buying them a bad thing? And this is from someone who is overall against acquisitions.

Hey, I buy PlayStation and Nintendo as far as consoles are concerned (have not gotten an Xbox since the 360) but Microsoft is really the best chance these companies have to be weeded-out of all the garbage they currently have.

If Ubisoft is bought by Microsoft, it's a good thing. Bethesda didn't need new management but Ubisoft and Activision are in dire need.

Ubisoft is French; they report their earnings in Euros, not Canadian Dollars.

Yes, Call of Duty is huge but others like Warcraft, Overwatch, Candy Crush, Diablo, StarCraft etc. exist in the portfolio and are very valuable. I'd say they are significantly more valuable than Ubisoft when you look at their ability to deliver across multiple platforms.

There might be some European laws that stop MS from acquiring them. I don't know, just throwing that out there.

Indeed.

Ubisoft has some sexy franchises--Tom Clancy, Far Cry, Assassin's Creed--but not as many as ABK. Not sure what Ubisoft's mobile revenue is like, but the King acquisition in the Activision-Blizzard-King deal alone is going to net MS billions each year. Add to that the revenue from WoW subscriptions, plus the upcoming releases of Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

Well Kotick is out in a year apparently (thank God, **** that guy), so MS seems to be OK in that area. No doubt he is getting a nice golden parachute worth tens of millions, if not more.

While far from perfect, from what I gather MS does better than most in the "abuse the employees" category of things.