In the future, in 2026, Ubisoft was already a company constantly hovering near the bankruptcy line.
Many people said Ubisoft's death was just a matter of one or two years.
Because Sweet Baby, the extremist feminist organization in the gaming circle, had been incubated by Ubisoft.
A company that makes games refuses to properly make games and insists on embracing extreme white-left ideology?
Fuck!
A company like that deserves to die!
But while Ubisoft's decline was related to Sweet Baby, Sweet Baby wasn't the key reason Ubisoft had fallen to the execution line.
Before embracing "openness," Ubisoft was already going downhill—
For example, Tom Clancy's The Division was made very well, but the sequel was simply a pile of shit.
Another example: although Ghost Recon: Wildlands immediately received a pile of criticism after release, what players complained about was only the homogenized game content and the terrible servers. But by the time the sequel Ghost Recon: Breakpoint arrived—
When other game companies made sequels, they either preserved the strengths of the previous work while fixing its flaws, or weakened its flaws while improving its strengths. But with the Ghost Recon series, Ubisoft magnified and upgraded every flaw except the one strength of graphics! The funniest thing was that they abandoned their own game's strengths by integrating the weaknesses of their other games into it!
This was truly an effect even a smart person deliberately trying to sabotage things couldn't create!
This was truly the sudden spark of inspiration of an idiot!
This was truly brain damage!
Another example was the Assassin's Creed series, which they also ruined themselves. Once Ubisoft started making games to the standard of canned goods, frantically doing the whole "I copy myself" thing, assembly-line production could only make creativity lose its soul!
Of course, all of the above was something that would happen more than ten years later.
The current Ubisoft was still an excellent company full of vitality.
Since that was the case, buying Ubisoft was what Isabella wanted to do at this moment~
This was partly because video games were one of only two industries in the world right now that could truly be called cash cows, the other being pop music. As long as Ubisoft developed normally, it could make shareholders a lot of money.
Even if Isabella had no intention of managing it, buying Ubisoft now and selling it later would still be a good investment.
It was also because Isabella needed a game company right now.
The logic here should be easy to understand. At present, Microsoft wanted to use the video game route to form an alliance with Marvel?
That way, they could naturally extend their hand into the core of Isabella's business territory?
Then they could justifiably find trouble with Isabella?
Wow~
Then when Marvel's second-largest shareholder—the capital that understood content appreciation best in the entire world, Miss Isabella Haywood—had a game company in her hands, and a very famous one at that—
who would still approve Marvel's cooperation with Microsoft?
Or rather, as long as Marvel's other shareholders had even a little brain and were slightly smart, they'd know that embracing Isabella was more in line with their own interests than embracing Isaac Perlmutter, who'd joined hands with Steve Ballmer.
Yes!
The core demand behind Isabella acquiring Ubisoft was actually to force Isaac Perlmutter onto a dead end!
Isaac Perlmutter and Steve Ballmer wanted to use the banner of righteousness to attack her?
Heh—
Then she'd return the favor with the same method!
She wanted to see what other follow-up moves those guys had!
Because everyone was clear about the conflict between Isabella and Marvel, and Microsoft, after getting her younger sister's idea, Catherine decisively took out her phone and called their mother.
Mm.
Their dear mother had gone off on vacation again~
This was actually Vivian's true nature.
Back then, the reason she'd actively embraced Isabella and Catherine's father was because being an actress was too hard. The life of a rich wife had always been Vivian's true pursuit. So when her two daughters finally no longer needed her to manage them, and Isabella was also willing to support her mother, living freely and elegantly might become the only theme of the second half of her life.
And this—
To be honest,
as long as Vivian didn't do something rotten like "pursuing true love," Isabella didn't care where she wanted to go have fun.
Even if she wanted to travel around the world,
Isabella could pay to buy her a plane. Ah, no—directly buy her an airline!
She could draw her own routes wherever she wanted to go!
The call connected, and they chatted briefly.
Two hours later, Valentine O'Connor, who'd received Vivian's summons, appeared before Isabella.
Although this man still hadn't been incorporated by Isabella—the bald man felt that being an independent lawyer was quite comfortable and was unwilling to bring his law firm into Isabella's company—both sides still maintained a good working relationship. In reality, there was only one standard for using people in this world: appointing people close to you. If you weren't loyal, how would I dare let you handle things for me?
After listening to Isabella's needs and learning that his "boss" wanted to acquire Ubisoft, Valentine O'Connor immediately said that once he got back, he'd start collecting relevant materials and draft an acquisition plan.
"Isa, if nothing unexpected happens, I can hand you a paper proposal in at most a week."
Isabella had no objection to this.
However, just as Isabella nodded with a smile, handed the Ubisoft acquisition matter to Valentine O'Connor, and prepared to peacefully welcome the arrival of The God of Cookery's premiere, the next day, just after she finished filming, she heard unexpected news from her older sister.
"What did you say? Valentine came again?"
Isabella slightly furrowed her brows and looked strangely at her older sister in the makeup mirror.
"Mm."
Catherine nodded and said, "He has something to see you about."
"What is it?" Isabella instinctively asked.
"You—"
Catherine glanced at the makeup artist and stylist removing her younger sister's makeup and wig, then said, "You'll know in a bit. It's not a major matter. If it were, even if it would affect your filming, I'd tell you."
Isabella nodded slightly.
After she changed clothes, returned to her residence, entered the reception room, and saw Valentine O'Connor—who'd arrived at some unknown time and had been waiting for who knew how long—the bald man's purpose for coming clearly appeared before her.
"What did you say? Ubisoft might not be acquirable?"
Isabella had just leaned back against the sofa when her eyebrows rose at the news that followed.
"Yes, Isa. Ubisoft might not be acquirable."
Valentine O'Connor spread his hands with great regret. "It's not a money problem. It's that they themselves have a problem."
As he spoke, he handed a document to Isabella.
"Isa, the specific summary is all here. Take a look."
"Some things aren't easy to describe verbally—"
Ubisoft was founded in France in the 1980s.
The reason Ubisoft was born was actually very simple: the founders, the Guillemot brothers, had all played Atari games and felt that video games were the future, so they began making video games.
Then they ate the dividend of the era. Although Ubisoft was founded after the great Atari crash, it was also founded before Nintendo's formal rise.
Having been born in step with the trend of history, they directly became the first company in Europe to cooperate with Nintendo.
In 1986 alone, they earned 40 million francs acting as an agent selling Nintendo games.
That same year, they also began developing their own games and expanded into the German market.
By 1993, they were already the largest game company in France and the third largest in Europe.
As for who the top two were?
Ranked first was Nintendo, which had already ruled the video game industry, formally gone independent, and turned from dragon slayer into evil dragon.
Ranked second was the American game company EA.
On the surface, this structure was very unfavorable for Ubisoft.
Because Nintendo had the god of video games, Shigeru Miyamoto, while EA was backed by the American market. Neither company was something Ubisoft could compete with, so perhaps being the eternal third place in Europe was Ubisoft's best destination.
And being the eternal third place in Europe?
For Ubisoft, that meant there was no future!
Because a company that couldn't even dominate one regional market couldn't possibly go global.
But Ubisoft had some luck on its side.
Because in the year they became third in Europe, Sony and Nintendo fell out.
Back then, Sony had originally wanted to develop a game console together with Nintendo, but both sides were thousand-year-old foxes, and both tried to screw the other over during the cooperation. This directly caused all negotiations to fail.
After Sony decided to go it alone and independently develop the PlayStation, winning over every game company other than Nintendo became inevitable.
Then—
Ubisoft's Rayman became a launch title for the PlayStation in the European and American markets.
Anyone who experienced the console era should know what "launch title" cooperation meant.
When a game company was about to launch a new console to the public, the games that appeared at launch were all games the company strongly promoted, because users bought consoles in order to play good games. They didn't buy consoles first and then look for good games afterward.
So, after Sony took a liking to Rayman, Rayman ate up all the promotional resources Sony gave it!
It directly became the best-selling PS game in Britain before 2000! The second best-selling PS game in France before 2000!
Before 2000, Rayman's total worldwide sales had already exceeded 3 million copies!
Don't think that was small—Rayman was basically a reskinned Mario.
Rayman's explosive popularity made Ubisoft somehow go global!
But something even more speechless happened in 1996.
Because Ubisoft at that time could already be considered to have grasped the European market, they began seeking overseas expansion.
In 1996, Ubisoft officially listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and raised $80 million in funds.
Then Ubisoft took this money and opened branches in Shanghai, Montreal, and Milan.
Then—
They once again ate the dividends of the era.
The internet had officially exploded starting in 1995.
After Ubisoft arrived in North America, they discovered that America had something called Blizzard Battle.net, and it was seriously amazing?
So maybe they could also create an internet-based multiplayer platform?
Thus, Ubisoft began working on online services.
Although running a free platform didn't make money, online expansion turned Ubisoft from a game company into an internet company!
Uh—
This actually had something to do with Europe also wanting a bite of the internet pie.
When America across the ocean was making money hand over fist in the internet sector, Europe had no movement at all?
How could that be acceptable?
So the Paris Stock Exchange in France "arbitrarily" changed Ubisoft's corporate nature.
It turned Ubisoft into Europe's first and largest internet company!
Then Ubisoft's stock price inexplicably—or rather, perfectly reasonably—increased fivefold!
Mm, in reality, it was just a vanity project.
But that wasn't important, right?
The vanity project let capital make money, let politicians gain achievements, and let Ubisoft gain real benefits—
everyone had a beautiful future.
As for who lost money?
Naturally, it was those people who'd insisted on going all-in on precious metals right before the Federal Reserve leadership change!
People who can't understand that the objective world has no economics really aren't suited to investing!
Then, after Ubisoft's market value inflated like a balloon, Ubisoft itself was stunned.
But having money and not spending it would make you an idiot.
So Ubisoft acquired Red Storm Entertainment by issuing additional shares.
The boss of this company was named Tom Clancy.
That's right.
The reason Ubisoft had the adaptation rights to all of Tom Clancy's works was because they'd acquired Tom Clancy's company.
At the same time, Ubisoft also acquired The Learning Company.
This company was the rights holder for Prince of Persia.
Yes.
The Prince of Persia IP was also bought by Ubisoft.
After Ubisoft stepped into the winds of the era again and again, they directly became the largest game company in Europe and one of the top six in the world! And this also drew the attention of all their industry peers!
All of their peers felt Ubisoft might be God's favored child!
Then—
Anyone who understands European and American religion knows that in the eyes of Europeans and Americans, God is basically a broken basket!
In the eyes of Europeans and Americans, the greatest meaning of God's existence is that he lets them commit arson, murder, robbery, and plunder without any concern!
I killed someone, so I'm guilty, but as long as I confess to God, I'm no longer guilty!
Because God forgives everyone who believes in Him!
So, starting in 2003, EA began secretly acquiring Ubisoft shares.
EA wanted to put God's blessing into its own pocket!
By December 2004, EA's Ubisoft shares had already reached 19.9%!
Yeah~
Yeah~~
Yeah~~~
The reason Isabella couldn't acquire Ubisoft was that EA also wanted to acquire Ubisoft!
And they'd already bought almost one-fifth of Ubisoft's shares!
EA had started three years earlier than Isabella on the matter of privatizing Ubisoft—
"Fine."
"Then we'll give up on acquiring Ubisoft."
After finishing the materials, Isabella immediately started laughing.
When people are speechless, they really do laugh!
Honestly, she truly hadn't expected that Ubisoft's second-largest shareholder at present would actually be EA!
And at the same time, another question appeared in her mind.
"So why hasn't this transaction been completed yet?"
Throwing the materials onto the coffee table, Isabella looked at Valentine O'Connor with curiosity. "Doesn't EA want to acquire Ubisoft? So after they obtained nearly 20% of Ubisoft's shares, why didn't they launch an acquisition?"
"Is it because they don't have enough money?"
"Of course not."
Valentine O'Connor shook his head and said, "Ubisoft is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, and its current total market value is only about 2.5 billion euros."
"Converted into dollars, that's at most 3.4 billion."
"3.4 billion isn't big money for EA."
"The main reason they haven't formally acquired Ubisoft is that Ubisoft doesn't want to sell."
"After EA disclosed its holdings according to French and EU securities regulations, Ubisoft treated EA as a hostile acquirer and went straight to the French government and the European Union to complain. This made EA give up the idea of swallowing them immediately."
"Oh—" Isabella sorted the matter out.
Every country protects its domestic companies.
Because if they didn't, then there wouldn't be over a hundred countries on Earth. There would only be one company.
If a group of capitalists isn't periodically hung from streetlights, capital will definitely carry out disorderly devouring.
Of course, this kind of protection also depends on the situation. If a country is relatively weak, but the companies within its borders are extremely valuable—valuable enough to attract the attention of the world's largest pirate—then when the pirate drives over with two carrier battle groups to rob them, even if the weak country's attitude is firm, they still can't withstand the pirate's attack.
Those who understand, understand.
Because video games weren't oil, they wouldn't breed the U.S. military—cough, cough, cough—
So when Ubisoft went to the French government and said it was unwilling to be swallowed by EA, EA wouldn't be able to acquire Ubisoft.
And since Ubisoft wanted to remain independent—
"Okay, Valentine, I believe you didn't come empty-handed today, right?"
Isabella smiled at the bald man and said, "Are there any other companies in the gaming circle suitable for me to acquire?"
"Of course, Isa. There are still many companies in the gaming circle suitable for you to acquire."
Valentine O'Connor understood Isabella's meaning and said with a smile, "Companies like Blizzard and Activision are all suitable for you to acquire, but you can't buy any of those companies. So I suggest you buy Take-Two—"
The current Blizzard was a subsidiary of Vivendi.
Since Vivendi temporarily had no intention of selling Blizzard, Isabella couldn't acquire it.
Although Activision at present was an independent game company, since they also had no intention of selling to outsiders, Isabella couldn't acquire them either.
As for why Valentine O'Connor knew all this?
Very simple—
Because as early as the beginning of this year, Vivendi had been discussing a merger between Activision and Blizzard with Activision.
And at present, the two companies had already reached a concrete merger plan.
Next, as long as the two companies submitted their merger proposal to the commerce departments of the world's major economies for review and received approval, Activision Blizzard, the world's largest game company, would officially be born.
When both of these companies were frantically working on a merger, how could they possibly accept an external acquisition?
Right?
As for Take-Two, the company Valentine O'Connor mentioned, it was the backup plan he'd found for Isabella yesterday after collecting information on Ubisoft and discovering that Ubisoft might not be acquirable.
"Isa, Take-Two is currently looking for a buyer."
"Because in 2006, their headquarters suffered a fire, causing heavy losses."
"The damage to fixed assets cost them more than 200 million in 2006."
"And after their headquarters was destroyed, they still needed to build a new one."
"So, since Take-Two's major shareholders are all institutions, those investment companies holding shares no longer want to continue holding Take-Two, and this company is currently worth around 2 billion."
Valentine O'Connor handed the information he'd collected to Isabella.
Isabella smiled and nodded.
Take-Two was a company she liked!
In her previous life, Take-Two was also a very well-known company, mainly making sports games.
Things like NBA 2K, MLB 2K, NFL 2K, and WWE 2K were all made by them.
But the most powerful games under Take-Two weren't these—they were GTA and Red Dead Redemption.
It was no exaggeration to say that many records in modern gaming history were created by Take-Two. And such a company could now be bought for only 2 billion dollars?
This—
was really cheap!
"Fine, then buy it."
After glancing over the materials, Isabella smiled and said, "Use cash to acquire it directly. The price I can accept is 3 billion."
"Same as before—if it exceeds 3 billion, you get no commission."
"If it doesn't exceed 3 billion, then for every 100 million you save me, I'll give you 30 million."
"You can contact them first. As for the timing of the formal offer—"
"After The God of Cookery is released? Okay?"
"Okay!"
Isabella's words made Valentine O'Connor smile from ear to ear, nodding again and again.
Since Take-Two itself was already looking for a new boss, in Isabella's view, the acquisition targeting them shouldn't encounter any more accidents. Or rather, at least before The God of Cookery was officially released, she could enjoy relative peace.
And the reality—
was indeed like that.
After Valentine O'Connor left, Isabella gained a day of leisure.
When the time reached July 20, 2007, the global premiere of The God of Cookery officially began in London.