• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Exclusive

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

TechVideo Games

Vivendi’s Fight For Gameloft Goes Hostile

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 19, 2016, 5:00 PM ET
Courtesy: Gameloft

Vivendi’s quest to return to the video game sector, which was pretty ugly to begin with, is getting even more unsightly.

The French media conglomerate has launched a hostile takeover bid for mobile game company Gameloft (GLOFF), making a blanket offer of €6 ($6.67) per all outstanding shares. The move comes after Vivendi (VIVEF) once again increased its ownership stake in the company, this time to 30%.

According to French law, once a buyer owns more than 30% of a company’s shares, they must make an attempt to purchase a controlling stake for a reasonable price. Investors can reject that, of course, but the €6 offer is a 50.4% premium over the stock’s value on Oct. 14, 2015 – when Vivendi first bought shares.

Gameloft, which says it learned of the offer when its trading of its shares were halted, classified the bid as hostile and issued a brief statement.

“A meeting of the Board of Directors has been convened for next week,” it wrote. “The company will publish a statement after the meeting of the Board. Until then no further comments will be made regarding this unsolicited bid.”

Beyond the fate of Gameloft itself, the bid raises questions about what Vivendi’s intentions are regarding Ubisoft. Last October, the company surprised both companies by purchasing ownership stakes of more than 6% in each company. Two weeks later, it increased its position in Ubisoft to 10.39% and in Gameloft to 10.2%.

At present, Vivendi owns a nearly 15% stake in Ubisoft – significantly more than CEO Yves Guillemot and his family, whose ownership stake is roughly 9%, according to the Financial Times.

Both Gameloft and Ubisoft were founded by the Guillemot brothers. And both companies at the time said they, frankly, would rather be left alone. Ubisoft publicly declared that Vivendi’s involvement was unsolicited and, as described it in an internal email, “unwelcome“.

Since Vivendi has bought into the company, Ubisoft has attempted to better position itself to fend off a takeover attempt. During an investors meeting this week, Ubisoft said it planned to triple its operating income over the next three years – an unusual projection for a company that tends to only publicly forecast for the coming 12 months.

Share prices were up 22% this week but are still below their three-month highs.

Vivendi sold its 85% stake in Activision-Blizzard in July 2013 for over $8 billion, saying at the time it wanted to focus on the TV and movie side of its business.

But the video game world has changed substantially since Vivendi bowed out. Several publishers, including Ubisoft, have partnered to create theme parks or theme park attractions based on their IP. Mobile gaming companies, such as Gameloft, are booming. And there’s increased interest from Hollywood in creating film and television shows spinning off of games. (Ubisoft itself will release an Assassin’s Creed feature film this December.)

As a multimedia company, that seems to be of interest to Vivendi – especially since it eluded them with their last game company holding.

“This proposed acquisition would create value for both companies,” the company said in a statement announcing the Gameloft offer. “Vivendi and Gameloft share many commonalities, including French roots, an international dimension and a similar understanding of cultural diversity to meet the expectations of consumers in each country.”

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Carl Fritjofsson smiles in a blue t-shirt
Startups & VentureTerm Sheet
The AI boom is pulling Europe’s hottest startups to the U.S.—whether they planned to move or not
By Lily Mae LazarusMay 18, 2026
26 minutes ago
SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell in Barcelona, Spain on March 2, 2026. (Photo: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
What to expect from a SpaceX IPO
By Andrew NuscaMay 18, 2026
2 hours ago
How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
AIAutomation
How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
3 hours ago
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
AIAI agents
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
3 hours ago
After AI stole his clients, one Big Tech ghostwriter is using AI to get them back
AIAutomation
After AI stole his clients, one Big Tech ghostwriter is using AI to get them back
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
3 hours ago
The smartphone’s days are numbered. Meet the device that could come next
AIsmartphones and mobile devices
The smartphone’s days are numbered. Meet the device that could come next
By Alyson ShontellMay 18, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
18 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
6 days ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
1 day ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.