Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed his latest thoughts on Xbox's takeover of Activision Blizzard, commenting in an investor briefing earlier this week that he feels the merger is "good news" for a couple of reasons in particular.
Specifically, Guillemot believes that the deal shows how valuable and influential IPs can be, which should result in more "fantastic" opportunities for other companies in the future. He's also keen to hear that Microsoft is putting a focus on mobile gaming as part of the transaction, as it's "in line" with Ubisoft's attempts to be "stronger" in this area.
Here's a quote from the briefing courtesy of GameSpot:
"I think it's good news that the transaction can go through because it really shows the power of IPs, and where the industry is going. So there will be lots of opportunities in the future for all the companies.
It also shows the value of IPs that can be on console and PC, but also mobile and become more worldwide brands. That's a fantastic opportunity. Microsoft is saying that the mobile part of the Activision deal is important. So all the investment we are making to be stronger on mobile is also in line with that."
Even though Xbox boss Phil Spencer acknowledged earlier this week that the deal was moving "even closer to the finish line", we're not there just yet. Currently, Microsoft is trying to strike a deal with the UK Competition and Markets Authority as part of a new proposal, as the CMA previously blocked the takeover back in April.
The new deadline for the merger is October 18th, so theoretically we could be waiting a few more months until we get a final resolution. That's just the deadline though, and we're hoping it can be wrapped up at least a little bit sooner.