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VU Games posts results, changes name

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Apr 20, 2006 4:02 pm PT

Vivendi division posts another sales spike attributed to World of Warcraft, drops the "Universal" from its name.

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What a difference a game makes. Vivendi Universal announced its first quarter earnings today, and its gaming division once again posted double-digit revenue increases attributed to the success of World of Warcraft.

Nearly than a year and a half after World of Warcraft's original release, the game has propelled Vivendi Universal Games' revenue up 18.6 percent from the first quarter of 2005. The company reported 134 million euros (almost $165 million) in revenue for the quarter. Other games cited as making significant contributions to Vivendi's bottom line include Ice Age 2, as well as back catalog titles such as 50 Cent: Bulletproof and Crash Tag Team Racing.

The gaming operation outperformed the rest of the multimedia entertainment company, pulling in the biggest revenue increase of any of its divisions. Overall, Vivendi Universal revenues were up a more modest 5.7 percent to nearly 4.77 billion euros ($5.87 billion). The company's Universal Music Group reported an 8.4 percent bump thanks to growing digital-music sales, while the Canal+Group film division enjoyed 7.7 percent growth in revenues attributable in part to its French pay-TV services.

The company also held its annual general meeting today, in which its shareholders approved a name change, dropping the "Universal" from its title and adopting a new logo. According to a company statement, "Vivendi's new logo and visual identity reflect the company's strength and ambition. A strength founded on its ability to be creative, innovative, and dynamic and the ambition to offer customers the best products and services."

While the names for the rest of the company's divisions remain unchanged, it appears VU Games is also dropping the "Universal" tag. The Vivendi Web site now lists its gaming operation as Vivendi Games.

42 Comments

  • SnowFarmer

    Posted Apr 22, 2006 6:00 pm PT

    Other than WoW do they have anything worth getting excited about (not that I find WoW all that exciting anyway, but it does bring in the cash).

    New name, new logo, only marketing types think it makes a real difference.

  • DrKill09

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 12:07 pm PT

    They can call themselves "Triple Chocolate Icecream", that doesn't mean they won't still suck.

  • starstreak7

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 11:08 am PT

    i wonder who's idea the name change was?

  • dark_surge

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 10:39 am PT

    Thank God 2 Fast 2 Furious was never relasesd. *shudders*

  • Hellraiser3899

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 9:38 am PT

    yeah...

  • gibb1

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 7:51 am PT

    the best game they released was WOW and the worst i think was 50 Cent Bulletproof...

  • paradyme777

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 7:39 am PT

    That is a pretty basic logo, being a graphic designer and all. I wonder how much they paid for it.

  • jonnyjd

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 7:36 am PT

    nice one...

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 6:08 am PT

    So now we actually have to call them Vivendi instead of VU? This is an outrage or something!

  • DarkJedi8_basic

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 4:48 am PT

    The name may change, but the crap stays the same!

  • JBrookbank

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 4:31 am PT

    That's pretty cool.

  • solidgamer

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 4:06 am PT

    kool

  • cyprus646

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 3:32 am PT

    Nice. except for the 50 cent bulletproof and ice age 2 the game made $$$??? when did that happen ???

  • NereusLaceee

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 3:12 am PT

    Uhh It's a wonder! ANy years before i didn't hear this corporation But now they changes their logo's ...so hard

  • AbuSharkas8

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 1:04 am PT

    V Games lol

  • Malten

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 12:02 am PT

    What are we supposed to call the company now that it's no longer VU Games? V for Vendetta Games? :p

  • nuttysack

    Posted Apr 20, 2006 11:08 pm PT

    I want some money$$$ =)

  • Kwiksilva

    Posted Apr 20, 2006 11:08 pm PT

    cool bro real cool

  • Wulfei

    Posted Apr 20, 2006 11:07 pm PT

    It's gonna be weird calling them V, instead of VU

  • BigDanG

    Posted Apr 20, 2006 9:44 pm PT

    Erebus, the whole Vivendi Universal ownership is a little convoluted, just check the Wikipedia. Vivendi Universal was created in 2000 after merger of Vivendi, Canal+, and Seagram (yes, the booze people), which owned Universal Studios. Vivendi Universal owns 99% of Vivendi Games. Today Vivendi Universal's ownership of Universal Studios is not so dominant. Universal Studios iss a subsidiary of NBC Universal, which was created in the 2004 merger of GE subsidiary NBC and Viviendi Universal's Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Vivendi Universal only owns 20% of NBC Universal, compared to the 99% of Vivendi Games so it makes some sense that Universal Studios is licensing out its movies to other publishers, while Vivendi Games creates games based on other studios like Fox's Ice Age 2. When VU Games had shown loyalty to Universal Studios, it was prior to the merger, resulting in the Hulk game, and the cancelled 2 Fast 2 Furious.

    However, VU Games still has some intercoprorate loyalty as they published 50 Cent: Bulletproof. 50 Cent is on the G-Unit Label, which is part of Interscope Records, which is part of the Universal Music Group, which is 92% owned by Vivendi Universal. See, it all makes perfect sense!

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