Just a week after acquiring stakes in game companies Ubisoft and Gameloft, Vivendi has upped its holding in both – although its motivation is still not clear.

It paid €244 million to increase its holding in Ubisoft from 6.6 per cent to 10.39 per cent, while paying €34.41 million to take its Gameloft stake from 6.2 per cent to 10.2 per cent.

When contacted, Vivendi did not explain the reason for this move. In a statement, it said these investments “are part of a strategic vision of operational convergence between Vivendi’s content and platforms on one hand and the Ubisoft and Gameloft productions in video games on the other”.

It hinted that it may increase its stake in the future, saying “the group reserves the right to increase its stake in these two companies depending on market conditions and the possibility, in due time, to be represented on their board.”

The statement added that “Vivendi is acting alone, is not in concert with a third party and has not concluded a temporary sale agreement regarding the Ubisoft and Gameloft shares or voting rights”.

Vivendi’s strategy appears unclear, as last year it sold off its stake in video-game maker Activision.

It seems to be following a similar strategy in the telecoms sector. After selling off assets in telecoms companies, it has slowly been increasing its stake in Telecom Italia, describing the move as part of an “opportunistic and pragmatic” approach.