Report: Vivendi seeking Activision Blizzard bidders

Vivendi is “testing the appetite of possible bidders” for Activision Blizzard, according to Reuters sources. The company owns a 60 percent stake in the video game publisher, and a sale could reportedly raise up to $10 billion for Vivendi.

“It’s nothing official yet, but they’ve asked a bank to go and talk to possible buyers for Activision,” said a source close to the Vivendi board.

On Microsoft, it added: “They probably don’t want to distract themselves too much, but they are the ones who, if they want to stay in games, would think about owning some of these big franchises, not just providing the consoles.”

According to the report, banks are talking to big players, including Microsoft, Time Warner, Tencent, KKR, Providence, and Bankstone. Both Microsoft and Time Warner denied comment.

Activision Blizzard is most notable for its Call of Duty first-person shooter series from the Actvision side, and World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo from the Blizzard side.

Vivendi declined to comment on the matter, but said that “every option is on the table.”