THQ president Jason Rubin says the publisher's gamers are still running smoothly after its recent bankruptcy filing, but the company's assets are on the market regardless. Some publishers are actively eying THQ's various properties, and a new report suggests that the French publisher of Assassin's Creed may be seriously interested.

Citing unnamed sources, MCV reports that Ubisoft is in lengthy discussions with THQ. But, the sources also imply that Ubisoft is holding out for an especially good price on the publisher. That would put Ubisoft in charge of all five of THQ's studios, and give it the rights to brands like Saints Row, Darksiders, and Red Faction.

THQ's method of bankruptcy keeps the company running as it negotiates, making it attractive as an acquisition target. Ubisoft is already a powerhouse publisher with ambitious plans to grow even larger, so plucking some already well-known brands with full-fledged studios to run them would seem to make sense.