Ubisoft is reportedly in negotiations with THQ to acquire its studios and IP.
THQ filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this week and announced a $60 million asset purchase agreement with “stalking horse bidder” Clearlake Capital Group, but now it looks like another player could be in the running: publishing giant Ubisoft, which MCV says is already involved in “lengthy discussions” about an acquisition.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has previously expressed interest in THQ’s properties. “They have good things,” he told GamesIndustry in November. “We are always interested in good brands. For sure, it’s something we can consider, but I can’t tell you more.”
The issue, according to the report, is price, as Ubisoft is apparently holding out for a fire sale and may wait until THQ is forced to break up and sell off individual assets. The stalking horse bid would seem to preclude that possibility, however, unless Ubisoft is expecting to acquire the assets from Clearview Capital, which I would think would mean substantially higher prices per property since, unlike THQ, it could afford to sit on them until it got the price it wanted.
THQ has five studios to its name, plus franchises including Saints Row, Company of Heroes, Darksiders, Homefront, Metro and Red Faction, plus WWE and Warhammer licenses. A successful acquisition would make Ubisoft, already a big player, a much more powerful force in the videogame industry.
Source: MCV
