Earlier this month, we reported that a "mystery company" was in buyout talks with British video game publisher SCi Entertainment (of Tomb Raider fame). Today, the "mystery company" was revealed to be non-other than French video game publisher Ubisoft, according to Times Online.
While Ubisoft took the initiative and handed a preliminary offer to SCi, follow-up bids were sent from Warner Bros. and an unnamed Chinese company.
While Warner Bros. may seem to be the likely candidate, since they already own 10% of SCi and have a huge games deal with them, other companies are making sure they’re not forgotten.
Case in point, the world’s largest video game publisher, Electronic Arts, is also interested in purchasing SCi. But experts are saying the potential deal may be complicated due to EA’s ongoing interest in Ubisoft — EA owns 24.9% voting interest in Ubisoft.
Just this past week, John Riccitello, CEO of EA, made a visit to Great Britain and praised the skills of British developers.
Hands down, whoever manages to buy SCi will cause a huge shake to the gaming market. I’m sure SCi will continue to run by itself, but the fear of huge corporations running the gaming industry certainly sends shivers down my spine.
