Ubisoft CEO on Vivendi's share acquisition - "We're going to fight to preserve our independence"

Ubisoft is not very welcoming of Vivendi's recent purchase of its company stock.

Entertainment publisher Vivendi has very recently bought 6.6 percent of Ubisoft's stock to the tune of €140.3 million. According to an internal email obtained by GamesIndustry, many of Ubisoft's staff weren't very happy with this move.

In the email, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot described the move as "unsolicited and unwelcome," adding that Vivendi has been "aggressively pursuing companies within the entertainment sector."

"Our intention is and has always been to remain independent, a value which, for 30 years, has allowed us to innovate, take risks, create beloved franchises for players around the world, and which has helped the company grow into the leader it is today," said Yves Guillemot in the email.

"We're going to fight to preserve our independence. We should not let this situation - nor any future actions by Vivendi or others - distract us from our goals. Our best defence is to stay focused on what we have always done best - deliver the most original and memorable gaming experiences."

6.6 percent is far from being a controlling stake, but Guillemot is aware that should Vivendi make any more purchases, Ubisoft will be at a risk of being "managed by people who don't understand our expertise and what it takes to succeed in this industry."

Vivendi has always been interested in the entertainment sector, especially games. The French conglomerate once owned a controlling stake of 61 percent of Activision Blizzard's shares, a relationship the latter was adamant to end, until they succeeded in doing so two years ago.