BUYING EIDOS FOR DEFENCE OPTIONS
Copyright 2005 www.reuters.com

[ January 20th 2005 ]

Europe's third-largest video games publisher Ubisoft is not ruling out buying British rival Eidos which is up for sale, as part of its defence options against a potential takeover by Electronics Arts. "We are still interested in this company (Eidos). Short-term we are (more focused on) analysing how to organise in the face of recent events rather than on buying Eidos," Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yves Guillemot told a conference call on Thursday. "That said, this is a defence option we have not yet ruled out," he added.

Ubisoft, at the centre of speculation that it might be taken over by Electronic Arts after the world's largest video games company took a near 20 percent stake in the French company, said it was in talks with institutional and other investors about maintaining its independence.