Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) was the interactive entertainment division of the French media conglomerate Vivendi. The company published titles under various labels, including Sierra Entertainment and Blizzard Entertainment, before merging with Activision in 2008 to form Activision Blizzard.
During the early 2000s, the publisher established a diverse portfolio spanning multiple genres and high-profile intellectual properties. The company secured major licensing agreements to produce character-driven action titles, including
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Chaos Bleeds and the sci-fi shooter
Battlestar Galactica. It also expanded into mature-themed entertainment with the comedy adventure
Leisure Suit Larry Magna Cum Laude and the first-person shooter
Cold Winter.
In the role-playing genre, the publisher distributed the acclaimed fantasy action-RPGs
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance and its sequel,
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2, which brought the popular Dungeons & Dragons franchise to home consoles. Its action lineup was further bolstered by first-person shooters such as
Die Hard: Vendetta and the futuristic action game
Energy Thieves. Through these releases, the publisher maintained a significant retail presence across major gaming platforms, including the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube, catering to both mainstream audiences and niche genre fans during a transitional era of console gaming.