French publisher Vivendi Games Mobile has officially plunged into the mobile industry deadpool.

Okay, so it's been rumoured for months, but the news came in a letter sent out to European partners, reported by Mobile Entertainment.

"I regret to inform you that, following the completion of the merger between Vivendi Games and Activision, the new management at Activision Blizzard has decided to discontinue our direct presence in the mobile games market," says the letter.

On one level, the news isn't a surprise, since Activision has always operated a licensing model when it comes to mobile games, working with partners like Glu and Hands-On Mobile.

Following its big-bucks merger with Vivendi, the new company clearly took one look at the fragmented mobile market and decided that its licensing policy would stay - ironically just as Vivendi Games Mobile was having its biggest payday with iPhone title Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D.

However, it remains to be seen whether mobile publishers - Glu in particular - will continue to stump up big money for the mobile rights to Activision's console franchises in 2009.