Ubisoft has announced that it will be developing a series of sports titles, making its debut as a publisher of sports videogames. Its entrance will be propelled by several worldwide licensing agreements and acquisitions. Ubisoft has signed an exclusive license with Vijay Singh, the No.1 ranked golf player in the world, to produce a Vijay Singh-titled golf game. The company has also acquired the team sports assets from Microsoft Game Studios.
This is clearly a strategic move meant to expand the breadth of Ubisoft's catalogue, extending the company's reach into the full spectrum of game categories and preparing for a face-off with its main rival, EA.
Considered one of the most consistent and focused golfers on the Tour, Vijay Singh will headline a title inspired by his powerful and aggressive style. While he has been consistently ranked among the Top 10 players internationally, in 2004, Singh became the first golfer to dethrone Tiger Woods' No.1 stronghold on the game since 1998, with 9 victories including his win at the PGA Championship in August 2004.
Ubisoft also announced that it has acquired the technology, tools and source code shipped in Microsoft Game Studios team sports games, including NHL Rivals (hockey), NFL Fever (American football), NBA Inside Drive (basketball) and MLB Inside Pitch (baseball). Ubisoft plans to develop games for all platforms and will initially concentrate on consoles, including Xbox and next-generation.
