Ubisoft Acquires SunFlowers

No, Ubisoft isn't going soft with flowers. The company acquired the German SunFlowers, the developers of the Anno-series.

Today, Ubisoft announced that it has concluded an agreement to acquire SunFlowers, owner of the Anno brand, one of the most successful strategy games with 5 million units sold worldwide and one of the best-selling games in the German market (and heading for the Nintendo DS as we speak).

Through the transaction, Ubisoft will acquire a 30% stake in Related Designs, which developed Anno 1701, the latest entry in the Anno series and is currently working on a future Anno title. The agreement between the two companies is subject to normal closing conditions. The acquisition is expected to close in Ubisoft's fiscal year 2007-08 first quarter.

"With the acquisition of Anno, Ubisoft reinforces its position in the real-time strategy market. Anno, along with Ubisoft's The Settlers (ed: also heading for the Nintendo DS), is one of the most well known franchises in Germany, reaching a wide audience that includes not only traditional gamers, but also women and families. We are proud to add another top-quality brand to our rich portfolio and we are looking forward to bringing the brand to an even wider audience." stated Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft.

Mr Adi Boiko, cofounder of SunFlowers stated "I'm glad to confide Anno to Ubisoft, a company known for the innovation and creativity of its development teams. The brand will benefit from Ubisoft's global strength, allowing new audiences to discover the pleasure of empire building through new Anno games."

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