How did French companies end up buying everything?

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman · Post by **Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman** » 2004-12-28 09:06am

See, this is always my biggest question. Take a look at Infogrames. Their only games I've ever heard were merely Alone in the Dark, Alone in the Dark 2, and the obscure Voodoo Kid, and IIRC **none** of them was as closer as big hits like Doom, Falcon 3.0, or Wing Commander.

Yet, Infogrames ended up buying everything right from Hasbro to Atari (Total Air War, anyone?), which puzzles me so much. I mean, without well-sold games to generate necessary cash, where did they got their buying powers? Selling drugs?

Same goes with Guillemont. The only thing I ever heard about them related to some shitty VGA card (S3 based, IIRC), but now they owns Hercules and (worse) Thrustmaster.

Even that goddamned EA had made some hits in the past so I can imagine where those buying powers came from, but Infogrames? Guillemont?? WTF?

I haven't been quite following gaming company's stories since Spectrum Holobyte's acquisition of Microprose, so could someone enlighten me?

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2004-12-28 09:25am

For all that Infogrames sucks mighty wang, look up 'Independence War' and bask in the mighty glory. And then mourn for the defunct Particle Systems.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman · Post by **Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman** » 2004-12-28 09:35am

White Haven wrote:For all that Infogrames sucks mighty wang, look up 'Independence War' and bask in the mighty glory. And then mourn for the defunct Particle Systems.

No, this thread is not for Infogrames-bashing (no matter how much I hate 'em). I mean, how did it accumulate so much buying power? Was it solely based on IW sales? IW is a good games but was its sales particularly spectacular, compared to other titles in stores? When Spectrum acquired Microprose, IIRC it was due to their solid and continual sales on Falcon 3.0 and its add-on, but Infogrames? Guillemont puzzles me further. Aside of some pretty obscure graphic card, I've never heard of them before they acquired TM.

Could anyone point me to some articles on the net regarding to this matter?

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-12-28 09:39am

Also Remember Ubisoft? what did they start out from? Now they have their own massive in-house development teams rivaling EA.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman · Post by **Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman** » 2004-12-28 09:43am

Ace Pace wrote:Also Remember Ubisoft? what did they start out from? Now they have their own massive in-house development teams rivaling EA.

But Ubisoft managed to score solid titles like Pod (I'm not talking about gameplay... merely sales) and others, while Infogrames... I don't know, did they score any hit elsewhere? (edutainment, utilities, game engine, etc)

SHODAN · Post by **SHODAN** » 2004-12-28 10:04am

Wonders of the stock market, silly boy. Infogrames gets their bying power from magical moneyspring called the investors. French investors do believe in games industry.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman · Post by **Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman** » 2004-12-28 10:20am

SHODAN wrote:Wonders of the stock market, silly boy. Infogrames gets their bying power from magical moneyspring called the investors. French investors do believe in games industry.

Are you saying that Infogrames basically get all the cash solely from convincing the investors they would make nice profits by taking over game companies? I mean, even without a solid track record on their own previous games? (Alone in the Dark, anyone?) Same goes with Guillemont?

Funny, I initially thought those companies had built their strength elsewhere before buying up game publishers....

SHODAN · Post by **SHODAN** » 2004-12-28 10:31am

As I said, French investors believe in their games industry.

Jade Falcon · Post by **Jade Falcon** » 2004-12-28 11:21am

My first 3D card, a lowly Voodoo 3DFX was a Guillemont, maybe they were more common in the UK and Europe.

Though I notice one company you've left out that list is Havas/Vivendi who took over Sierra-on-Line.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman · Post by **Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman** » 2004-12-28 11:35am

Jade Falcon wrote:My first 3D card, a lowly Voodoo 3DFX was a Guillemont, maybe they were more common in the UK and Europe.

Though I notice one company you've left out that list is Havas/Vivendi who took over Sierra-on-Line.

See? Who ever heard of Vivendi before?

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-12-28 12:22pm

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:
Jade Falcon wrote:My first 3D card, a lowly Voodoo 3DFX was a Guillemont, maybe they were more common in the UK and Europe.

Though I notice one company you've left out that list is Havas/Vivendi who took over Sierra-on-Line.
See? Who ever heard of Vivendi before?

Easily, their a massive entertainment company.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2004-12-28 01:17pm

Infogrames biggest seller, as I understand it, has always been the Unreal series.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2004-12-28 01:20pm

Hotfoot wrote:Infogrames biggest seller, as I understand it, has always been the Unreal series.

At least in its current incarnation, UT2004, EA is the publisher.

I'm fairly certain Infogrames makes the Civilization series, though.

Jade Falcon · Post by **Jade Falcon** » 2004-12-28 01:22pm

They do, it used to be the now sadly defunct Microprose.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-12-28 01:23pm

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:
Hotfoot wrote:Infogrames biggest seller, as I understand it, has always been the Unreal series.
At least in its current incarnation, UT2004, EA is the publisher.

I'm fairly certain Infogrames makes the Civilization series, though.

Wrong, Atari (Infrogrames new brand name) is publishing Ut2K4.