Vivendi Universal

Logo descriptions and captures by EnormousRat

Background: The history of Vivendi Games started in 2000, when the French media giant Vivendi SA bought Universal Interactive and renamed it "Vivendi Universal Games" (VUG). Thus the company started publishing video games, though most of them were presented under the name of VUG's subsidiary, Sierra Entertainment, which was taken over a few years earlier through a long chain of acquisitions. In 2006, the word "Universal" in the name was abandoned and games were starting to be published under the Sierra Entertainment name. in 2008 VG merged with Activision and formed "Activision Blizzard". All games are now published under the name of Activision.

1st Logo (2001-2006)

Logo: On a white background, we see the words "VIVENDI" and "UNIVERSAL" stacked together, with a purple bar below them. The logo is overlapped by shadows running horizontally and painting the words in red and blue. Before the animation is finished, the word "games" is wiped into the plum bar by a shadow.

Early Variant: Before 2002,There is a version where "INTERACTIVE PUBLISHING" replaces the purple bar. It however mainly appeared on PC titles.

Variants: Another rare variant has just "Vivendi Universal" on black background. There is also a still version.

FX/SFX: Computer effects.

Music/Sounds: Many repeating Tangerine Dream-like scurry sounds. None for the silent version.

Music/Sound Variants: On the Non-American demo version of Spyro: A Hero's Tail packaged in the PS2 Magazine Demo Discs, a different synth music is played plus there are more chimes added to the jingle.

Availability: Common. Most games with this logo have it with Sierra's following, such as on Ground Control II,Robots and Empire Earth II. It was seen without the Sierra logo on several console games, including Fight Club, My Scene: CD-ROM, The Simpsons: Hit & Run for Xbox, PS2, GCN and PC, Spyro: A Hero's Tail for PS2 and GCN (the Xbox version uses the Sierra logo instead of this logo), and Crash Twinsanity for PS2 and Xbox, as well as the Spyro Superpack (a re-release of two previous Spyro games) for the GBA. The "publishing" version is extremely rare.The still version can be seen on some Barbie games, My Scene Goes Hollywood CD-ROM and American Idol: The Search For a Super Star.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (2001-2006) Vivendi Games (2005)Vivendi Games (2004)

Logo: Two words, "VIVENDI" and "UNIVERSAL" fly into the screen (overlapping each other) and take their places, while the plum line appears below and the letters "games" zoom to it. The result looks like exactly as the first logo.

Variants: Some Game Boy Advance releases have this logo in the box rectangle with two edges rounded. There is a still version on the demo of Freedom Force vs. the 3rd Reich. The retail revision replaces it with the Sierra logo. Tribes: Vengeance also has the still logo.

FX/SFX: A windy jingle and whoosh as the "games" fly in.

Music/Sounds: The background air-synth followed by a whooshing-like sounds of letters flying.

Availability: Not as common as the previous logo. Can be found on several games like Hulk. Also seen on Battlestar Galactica, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds, Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007, and 50 Cent: Bulletproof.

Editor's Note: None.