Ubisoft announces 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.

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. True to the significance of his first name (Vijay means “victory” in Hindi), the title published by Ubisoft will enable players to truly compete and challenge themselves the way Singh has done.

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.

“There is still room for innovation in the sports genre and Ubisoft has some great ideas that we’re looking forward to implementing,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer of Ubisoft. “We hope to not only offer sports fans games that have a unique flair and character, but also something that will take advantage of the fabulous capacities of current and next generation consoles.”

“Ubisoft is doing an incredible job in bringing my style of golf to the world of gaming,” said Vijay Singh. “I am excited to be teaming up with one of the most innovative and experienced gaming companies in the industry and look forward to a long and successful partnership.”