Vivendi Games

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Vivendi Games

Vivendi Games was an American

Vivendi Universal (later renamed Vivendi). On July 10, 2008, Vivendi Games merged with Activision to create Activision Blizzard
.

History

CUC/Cendant

On February 21, 1996,

Sierra On-Line, two American video game companies, in a US$1.8 billion stock swap.[1] The deal closed on July 24, 1996.[2] CUC International previously only operated membership shopping clubs, wherefore analysts were surprised by the company's move into the software industry.[1]

Subsequently, following the acquisitions, CUC International established CUC Software around the

executive vice-president for CUC International, took over CUC Software in Bob Davidson's place.[3] In April 1997, CUC International acquired Berkeley Systems for an undisclosed sum.[6]

On May 28, 1997, CUC International announced plans to merge with

Hospitality Franchise Systems to create a single, "one-stop" entity.[7][8] The merger was finalized in December that year and created Cendant.[9] As a result of the merger, CUC Software was renamed Cendant Software.[10]

Havas/Vivendi

On November 20, 1998, French media company Havas (acquired by Vivendi earlier that year) announced that it would acquire Cendant Software for $800 million in cash, with up to an additional $200 million contingent on its performance.[11][12] Subsequently, the division was renamed Havas Interactive.[13]

On May 16, 2001, Havas Interactive was renamed Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing, while Havas itself became Vivendi Universal Publishing.[14] The new name was likely due to the merger between Universal and Vivendi; the company also received ownership of properties from Universal Interactive Studios. Under the new name, the company was split into two parts: Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing North America and Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing International, both of which took responsibility for their respective publishing regions.[14] On November 13, 2001, both parts were streamlined under the name Vivendi Universal Games.[15]

When Vivendi Universal sold all of its media operations to General Electric in October 2003, Vivendi Universal held on to Vivendi Universal Games, which was re-organized as a direct division of the conglomerate.[16] On March 3, 2006, with the sale completed, Vivendi Universal announced they would be dropping the "Universal" part of their name.[17] The same day, the company opened a mobile games division known as Vivendi Universal Games Mobile.[18]

Merger with Activision

In December 2007, American publisher

vice-chairman and chief corporate officer of the new company.[21] Many of Vivendi Games' properties were later dropped by Activision, citing that they would not make for a good fit for the company's long-term strategy.[22]

Subsidiaries

Publishers

Name Founded or acquired Ref.
Black Label Games August 2002 [23][24]
Fox Interactive March 2003[a] [25]
NDA Productions March 2002 [26][27]
Sierra Entertainment July 1996 [28]
Universal Interactive June 2000[b] [29][30]
Vivendi Games Mobile March 2006 [31]

Former

Centerscore September 2006 [32][33]

Developers

Name Founded or acquired Ref.
Blizzard Entertainment March 1994 [34]
Berkeley Systems April 1997 [35]
Davidson & Associates July 1996 [36]
High Moon Studios January 2006 [37]
Massive Entertainment October 2002 [38][39]
Radical Entertainment March 2005 [40][41]
Swordfish Studios June 2005 [42]
Wanako Games
 February 2007 [43][44][45]

Former

Knowledge Adventure
 February 1997 [46][47]
Coktel Vision 1996

Games

Main article: List of Vivendi Games titles

Notes

  1. ^ Acquired from News Corporation in March 2003, became label.
  2. ^ Absorbed through the Vivendi–Universal merger in June 2000, became label.

References

  1. ^ a b Lewis, Peter H. (February 21, 1996). "CUC Will Buy 2 Software Companies for $1.8 Billion". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  2. ^ "CUC INTERNATIONAL INC. COMPLETES ACQUISITIONS OF DAVIDSON & ASSOCIATES, INC. AND SIERRA ON-LINE, INC". PR Newswire. July 24, 1996.
  3. ^ a b c d Kaplan, Karen (February 10, 1997). "Davidson Founders Make Quiet Exit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  4. ^ Helm, Leslie (February 21, 1996). "Marketer CUC to Buy Davidson & Associates". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Kaplan, Karen (November 6, 1996). "CUC Will Buy Knowledge Adventure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  6. ^ Quistgaard, Kaitlin (April 2, 1997). "CUC Buys Content Maker Berkeley Systems". Wired. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  7. ^ Bagli, Charles V. (May 28, 1997). "$11 Billion Merger Plan Would Join HFS and CUC". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  8. ^ "CUC-HFS Merger Deal to Create Strong One-Stop-Shopping Entity". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 28, 1997. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  9. ^ Jebens, Harley (April 28, 2000). "CUC Gets Renamed". gamespot.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  10. UBM TechWeb
    . March 1998. p. 13.
  11. ^ Hansell, Saul (November 20, 1998). "Cendant Said to Near Sale of Software Division". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  12. ^ "Cendant Sells Software Unit". Wired. November 20, 1998. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  13. ^ Rose, Frank (December 1, 2000). "Vivendi's High Wireless Act". Wired. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Havas Interactive Changes Name To Vivendi". gamasutra.com. May 16, 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  15. ^ Graser, Marc (November 15, 2001). "Viv U streamlines games". variety.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  16. ^ Fahey, Rob (October 8, 2003). "General Electric buys Vivendi media empire". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  17. ^ Gibson, Ellie (March 3, 2006). "Vivendi Universal to shorten company name". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  18. ^ Maragos, Nich (March 3, 2006). "Gamasutra - The Art & Business of Making Games". gamasutra.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  19. ^ Rosmarin, Rachel (December 2, 2007). "Vivendi To Merge With Activision". forbes.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  20. ^ a b Alexander, Leigh (July 8, 2008). "Activision Blizzard Merger Official". kotaku.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Alexander, Leigh (July 10, 2008). "Activision Blizzard Merger Finalized". kotaku.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  22. ^ Pattison, Narayan (July 29, 2008). "Activision Drops Several Vivendi Games". IGN.
  23. ^ Varanini, Giancarlo (August 13, 2002). "Vivendi creates new studio". gamespot.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  24. ^ IGN Staff (August 13, 2002). "VU Creates Black Label Games". ign.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  25. ^ Pham, Alex (March 11, 2003). "Fox Sells Video Game Division to Vivendi". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  26. ^ "Un nuovo team per Vivendi Universal". multiplayer.it (in Italian). March 27, 2002.
  27. ^ IGN Staff (November 13, 2002). "Europe Gets Hard Early". ign.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  28. ^ Lewis, Peter H. (February 21, 1996). "CUC Will Buy 2 Software Companies for $1.8 Billion". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  29. ^ Stokes, Ian (June 26, 2018). "Buy Low, Sell High: Vivendi's History in Video Games". Kotaku UK. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  30. ^ Teather, David (June 19, 2000). "Vivendi seals merger". The Guardian. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  31. ^ Maragos, Nich (March 3, 2006). "Gamasutra - The Art & Business of Making Games". gamasutra.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  32. ^ "Vivendi acquires Centerscore". gamesindustry.biz. September 13, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  33. ^ Dobson, Jason (September 12, 2006). "Vivendi Acquires Centerscore, Expands Mobile Portfolio". gamasutra.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  34. ^ Takahashi, Dean (March 1, 1994). "Technology". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  35. ^ "2K Madrid". 2K Madrid. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  36. ^ Lewis, Peter H. (February 21, 1996). "CUC Will Buy 2 Software Companies for $1.8 Billion". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  37. ^ Gibson, Ellie (January 6, 2006). "Vivendi Universal acquires High Moon Studios". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  38. ^ "Vivendi Universal Publishing announces the acquisition of Massive Entertainment". bluesnews.com. October 3, 2002. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  39. ^ Parker, Sam (October 3, 2002). "Vivendi Universal acquires Massive Entertainment". gamespot.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  40. ^ Fahey, Rob (March 23, 2005). "VU Games acquires Simpsons: Hit & Run developer Radical Entertainment". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  41. ^ Jenkins, David (March 23, 2005). "Vivendi Universal Acquires Simpsons: Hit & Run Developer". gamasutra.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  42. ^ Fahey, Rob (June 15, 2005). "Vivendi nets Swordfish in new acquisition deal". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  43. ^ Arendt, Susan (February 20, 2007). "Vivendi Acquires Assault Heroes Developer". Wired. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  44. ^ Boyer, Brandon (February 20, 2007). "Vivendi Acquires Wanako Games". gamasutra.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  45. ^ Kietzmann, Ludwig (February 20, 2007). "Vivendi acquires Wanako Games". engadget.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  46. ^ Kaplan, Karen (February 10, 1997). "Davidson Founders Make Quiet Exit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  47. ^ Fahey, Rob (October 6, 2004). "Vivendi Universal sells educational games division". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
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