Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says in order to remain competitive in the industry today (pointing to the EA/Take Two and Activision/Vivendi deals), his company must make its own moves. In an interview with French publication (it's a French company after all) Les Echos, he revealed they have 780m Euros ($1.2bn) planned for such ventures.

Ubisoft has been especially succesful in recent years, entering into Asian and Eastern European markets, and nurturing its Montreal studio.

Guillemot said part of what would come with the changes is new genres in the company's games. Can we expect an Ubisoft RPG franchise? An even better question, can we expect a good Ubisoft RPG franchise?

Acquisitions aside, the company is also going to get its hands into more property licensing, external developer deals, and CG films (franchise-based mini series' at first, full-length stuff next generation).

While I question whether or not Ubisoft 'needs' to expand and grow and all that (1.2bn in spare cash and you're not exactly struggling), and I fear for independence in the gaming industry, it is exciting in its own way. Might as well look on the bright side I suppose: what will they cook up next?