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EA Walk Away From Take-Two Buyout
Posted by Luke Plunkett at 6:30 PM on September 5, 2008
There's rumours! Rumours on the street. Wall Street, to be precise, as investment site Seeking Alpha say they've heard EA may be "walking away from merger talks" with long-time takeover target Take-Two. T2's conference call earlier today said nothing of this, of course, nor have EA (as the pair are now cosy in their cone of silence), so this is all conjecture, but it's hardly outrageous conjecture. The EA-T2 courtship rituals have been prologued, fumbling and, ultimately, boring, with a deal looking less and less likely the longer the whole sorry mess drags itself along.
It's D-Day For Take-Two Interactive [Seeking Alpha, via GamePolitics] [Image]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Altersparck
Posted 7:02 PM 5/9/08
There goes the System Shock IP/Ken Levine & team reunion I had been feverishly hoping for. :(
Altersparck
Skyburnbright
Posted 7:00 PM 5/9/08
Hooray! Good day for gaming so far :)
Skyburnbright
Dimipapa
Posted 6:56 PM 5/9/08
Say it ain't sooOOOooOOOOO, your love is a heart breakerrr
Dimipapa
Mister_Jack
Posted 6:51 PM 5/9/08
Take-Two's terms of hotdogs and burgers and beer in the cafeteria every Friday was the straw that broke the goddamn camel's back, from what I hear.
Mister_Jack
jallen
Posted 6:49 PM 5/9/08
My guess is that EA are just going to slowly acquire the stock on the open market, especially if people are starting to frantically sell.
Wasn't it down $3 today on the rumors that EA might be walking away?
A "deal" may be looking less likely, but a purchase? Maybe not.
jallen
hagridore
Posted 6:48 PM 5/9/08
Very good news if true.
hagridore
Luke Plunkett
Posted 6:45 PM 5/9/08
@jrcbandit: Remember, this is a RUMOUR. This is far from confirmed. So stay vigilant :)
Luke Plunkett
DethKl0k666
Posted 6:45 PM 5/9/08
finally!
DethKl0k666
jrcbandit
Posted 6:40 PM 5/9/08
That means I can keep buying Take 2 games via digital download on Steam, yeah. EA store is such a joke.
jrcbandit
Shockeh
Posted 6:35 PM 5/9/08
Awwww no! There I was, looking forward to another round of EA's game 'Rape & Pillage Your Intellectual Property' and we're going to miss out?
Now I'm really depressed.
Shockeh
Nervallah
Posted 7:23 PM 5/9/08
so glad this didn't occur >_> definately not a fan of ea myself.
Nervallah
Shachihoko
Posted 7:16 PM 5/9/08
Yeah! Just keep walking away EA! You hear me, just walk away and never look back.
Shachihoko
Does Not Equal (ダズノット)
Posted 8:19 PM 5/9/08
@Luke Plunkett: I know I'm not gonna consider this matter closed until one side or the other confirms it.
@Altersparck: There's a good chance that Starbreeze is (and has already been) working on a System Shock sequel, anyway.
Does Not Equal (ダズノット)
Xtreme_Hindu_Cow
Posted 9:01 PM 5/9/08
this would be wonderful news if it were true but i have a feeling that EA is just playing around in order for take-two offer their shares.
Xtreme_Hindu_Cow
ShineyBlueShoes
Posted 9:15 PM 5/9/08
It's V Day! Dress in a sailor uniform and go start kissing random girls!
ShineyBlueShoes
SansSanity
Posted 9:46 PM 5/9/08
There are two sides to this coin speaking as a game consumer
Points against acquisition
1. Don't know if TT will be able to maintain their quality if EA expects them to release tons of games
2. TT's bold games might become toned down to a point that they are not fun anymore
Pros for acquisition
1. Games will be released for more formats, making console dependence lower
2. We know for sure TT won't just go bankrupt altogether
SansSanity
glamnesia
Posted 9:30 PM 5/9/08
I've got a recurring concern the Housers would leave Rockstar/T2 a la Rare's Stamper brothers if a buy out ever occurred. Having just traded a dreadfully buggy EA game for the excellent Bully Scholarship edition I hope the developer and publisher can maintain the status quo as long as possible.
glamnesia
badasscat
Posted 9:49 PM 5/9/08
blah blah blah
Nobody ever "walks away" from a deal in business. If a deal can get done, it'll get done, and it doesn't matter how long it takes.
Look at it this way: if Take-2 sometime next year went to EA and said "we'll sell out for $1", you think EA wouldn't take that deal because they had "walked away" a year earlier? Don't be stupid, of course they would. All it takes is the right price. And that's all it ever *would have* taken. Nothing changes because a company has supposedly "walked away".
badasscat
TRT-X
Posted 10:36 PM 5/9/08
So EA, having finally gotten the message, turns off the boombox and walks away from Take-Two's window.
I swear, this whole "will they won't they" thing reminds me of Ross/Rachel or JD/Elliot.
TRT-X
MR. FAP♥FAP!
Posted 11:05 PM 5/9/08
At this point, this is probably bad news, as it means that either Activision or Ubisoft will make a play for T2 soon, should EA walk away.
...and in my opinion, EA is EASILY the lesser of those evils at this point.
MR. FAP♥FAP!
Nillard
Posted 11:25 PM 5/9/08
Hopefully Take2 can hold of being bought out of a while longer.
Like, April 2009 while longer.
Nillard
twinturbo2
Posted 11:07 PM 5/9/08
The Midnight Club franchise is safe! :-)
twinturbo2
-EDGE-
Posted 12:00 AM 6/9/08
**Insert tired "I wish I could quit you" joke here.**
-EDGE-
mrrobsa
Posted 1:23 AM 6/9/08
C'mon Take2, send 'em packing!
mrrobsa
Acute Gamer
Posted 2:13 AM 6/9/08
"courtship rituals have been prologued, fumbling and, ultimately, boring, with a deal looking less and less likely"
Sounds like a relationship I'm in.....................and about to end! LMAO
Acute Gamer
DARTH_TIGRIS
Posted 3:18 AM 6/9/08
2K Sports LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DARTH_TIGRIS
MSUHitman
Posted 3:38 AM 6/9/08
@DARTH_TIGRIS: Amen to that, although their baseball still sucks.
MSUHitman
Altersparck
Posted 3:46 AM 6/9/08
@Does Not Equal (ダズノット): Oh really? I hadn't heard that they were working on it. (Link please!) But still, Ken and the former Looking Glass group working on it would've been great.
Altersparck
K-Squad! (Badass Edition)
Posted 4:54 AM 6/9/08
God still loves us!!!
K-Squad! (Badass Edition)
Does Not Equal (ダズノット)
Posted 1:28 AM 9/9/08
@Altersparck: I read it as a rumor a while back, but can't recall where. I also briefly corresponded with the head of HR at Starbreeze and asked him about the team; he said they were bbig enough to split into two, and the non-Riddick team was working on an old EA IP that was "a dream come true."
It's a pretty thin rumor, but entirely plausible.
Does Not Equal (ダズノット)