EA Makes Hostile Bid for Take Two

[Chibi]

Quote: Originally Posted by grunt

wow, the next couple of days should be fun.

I kind of agree with you. I'm perversely, morbidly curious to see the fallout of this.

[ComfortablyLomb]

Quote: Originally Posted by allBthere

ew, it's so slimy of EA. "Come to us shareholders, you will like it here, we will make you very comfortable. We are at war with Eurasia, we have always been at war with Eurasia, drink your victory gin and take Soma"

It's not slimy, it's business. If you don't like it then I'd suggest staying out of the corporate world. If I were a shareholder in 2k I'd probably be all for this. I'm a consumer though and this isn't good news for me. EA is seemingly very good at making money just not so great at actually making games.

[dazzo0007]

As you can tell by my post count, I don't normally write much, but this pending acquisition of T2 has me furious and understandably so, we feel each other's pain.

I'm not sure how likely this scenario would be, but it would sure be sweet. If somehow, for some reason, T2 wants to save sports gaming, they could sell off the 2K Sports portion of their business. What would really make this even sweeter is if they brought it back home to Sega. This would bring about the resurrection of Sega Sports. I'm not even sure if Sega would be interested...

Yes, I realize this is most definitely a pipe dream, but you can't argue (well, you could) it would sure be great for sports gamers. Because as we know, EA will almost certainly put 2K Sports on the shelf.

Never has one company (EA), had such a negative impact on my life. Ever since the release of NFL 2K on the Dreamcast (and even before that with Sega Sports Joe Montana Football), I've played football religiously with my father. However, once EA purchased the NFL license, they thought they took football away from us. They were wrong. We continued to play ESPN NFL 2K5 for the better part of 3 years and were very content.

That was until we were blessed with All-Pro 2K8. Once I married and moved out, we were very limited in our means to play football again. When I visited my parents throughout the year, I brought my 360 along with APF and we proudly played a handful of games during each stay. However, this did take away from spending time with other family and friends. Same perdicament when my parents visited here. We didn't want overdo it and completely neglect my mother and wife. So, the next logical thing to do was get my dad a 360 and a copy of APF for Christmas. My mom was more than willing to comply. She would not only help her son and husband reconnect on their shared love for football, but when we visited she'd get to spend more time with us. So, since Christmas, my father and I have absolutely loved being able to play APF on XBL against each other. We still do at least 4 or 5 times a week. I don't even think I mentioned that my dad is 61 yrs. old...

Now with the impending obliteration of 2K Sports, EA is once again threatening my 2K football livelihood. EA could be taking away a major component of my relationship with my father. And I don't take too kindly to it...

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by dazzo0007

Now with the impending obliteration of 2K Sports, EA is once again threatening my 2K football livelihood. EA could be taking away a major component of my relationship with my father. And I don't take too kindly to it...

Nice story. But I can't relate, sorry. Sounds like you and your father can continue to enjoy APF for years to come if need be.

This really has nothing to do with taking things personally. It has to do with EA doing their usual buyout thing. And it has plenty to do with 2K's incompetence. 2K needs to get their act together, fire Kush/2KLA and hire some people with talent to develop their baseball and hockey series.

And they need to put some people in charge who can see the bigger picture and who have some actual marketing smarts. Put out a PES-type football game and give it a real chance to succeed - that is, if it's not too late already.

And more than anything, put out a quality product free of bugs and glitches (for a change) and gamers will buy it. THEN 2K might finally have a chance to start turning the corner financially with their some of their sports series.

[allBthere]

Quote: Originally Posted by ComfortablyLomb

It's not slimy, it's business. If you don't like it then I'd suggest staying out of the corporate world. If I were a shareholder in 2k I'd probably be all for this. I'm a consumer though and this isn't good news for me. EA is seemingly very good at making money just not so great at actually making games.

I hate your argument. "it's business". I take companies public FYI, and this proposed take-over is called 'hostile' for a reason.

People always take the most negative aspects of business and claim 'well that's business and that's how you get ahead'. no not always, business can be a nice and collaborative too...don't talk to me about business.

If I was a shareholder I would have sold at it's peak after the announcement and made a nice 50% or more profit.

[allBthere]

Quote: Originally Posted by ComfortablyLomb

It's not slimy, it's business. If you don't like it then I'd suggest staying out of the corporate world. If I were a shareholder in 2k I'd probably be all for this. I'm a consumer though and this isn't good news for me. EA is seemingly very good at making money just not so great at actually making games.

I forgot to add that it IS slimy even though my post was joking refrencing 1984 etc.

It's a really slimy move engaging the shareholders directly after TT management said they WOULD negotiate after GTA4 and their financial filings were completed.
EA has shown that it has no integrity as a company. They have shown that they don't provide a working environment to attract the BEST, and the best don't want to work there. So instead they aquire companies providing some shareholder gains, and sometimes nice packages for the former management...but the actual talent and life-force behind those companies don't really benefit.

Look at Ubisoft...i've been in their montreal office - it's wonderful working place and condusive to REAL success. EA couldn't dream of that in it's current state.

Also, after a hostil take-over you are not exactly the most popular kid on the block, it's bad for your reputation and puts others on notice to have a defensive plan against EA.
I think people like you should stay out of the corporate world...i'm fine with it and know that there is a right way and a wrong way of doing things.

The best businesses in History optimize...not maximize.

[dazzo0007]

Quote: Originally Posted by baa7

Nice story. But I can't relate, sorry. Sounds like you and your father can continue to enjoy APF for years to come if need be. This really has nothing to do with taking things personally. It has to do with EA doing their usual buyout thing. And it has plenty to do with 2K's incompetence. 2K needs to get their act together, fire Kush/2KLA and hire some people with talent to develop their baseball and hockey series. And they need to put some people in charge who can see the bigger picture and who have some actual marketing smarts. Put out a PES-type football game and give it a real chance to succeed - that is, if it's not too late already. And more than anything, put out a quality product free of bugs and glitches (for a change) and gamers will buy it. THEN 2K might finally have a chance to start turning the corner financially with their some of their sports series.

Thanks for the reply, baa7. I appreciate your response. If EA does take over, we'll only be able to enjoy APF when we visit with my parents. That would really be much limited, but I'll take anything I can get.

Anyway, I appreciate your passion, baa7, but I pleasantly disagree. I think the situation has become personal. As you can see, the 2K series holds a special place in my heart and EA is possibly taking that away. So in my eyes, it is very personal. As I said before, no other company has ever had such a negative impact on my life as EA. Its not that I harness hatred towards them intentionally. They've brought this entirely upon themselves with how they conduct business. The actions they've taken over the last couple years might help increase profits xx.x% in the short run, but I argue that its not doing much for long term stability.

I also share your sentiments about 2K putting out a quality bug-free game. But lets face it. Most games are not bug/glitch free. Even the best games have some flaws in them. Some flaws are more overlooked than others...

[ComfortablyLomb]

Quote: Originally Posted by allBthere

I hate your argument. "it's business". I take companies public FYI, and this proposed take-over is called 'hostile' for a reason. People always take the most negative aspects of business and claim 'well that's business and that's how you get ahead'. no not always, business can be a nice and collaborative too...don't talk to me about business. If I was a shareholder I would have sold at it's peak after the announcement and made a nice 50% or more profit.

Hating my argument doesn't make it any less true. I don't love the reality of my argument either but it is what it is in our system. Now I realize this is called a hostile takeover for a reason but if a company wants to be publicly traded in the first place then this is always a very real possibility if they have value and don't have the poison pills to keep buyers away. I'm sure businesses can be nice and collaborative and whatnot but they don't have to if they don't want to and consequences of their actions included that is quite simply the reality of the business world. There are not so nice people out there and there are not so nice businesses as well, of which I would say EA is certainly one of the bad guys, but pretending it should or could be otherwise when they all play by the same rules seems rather strongly idealistic.