Take Two Selling???

[TIm]

I'm not sure if this is the right place but heres the article on gamespot.

Take-Two for sale?
Grand Theft Auto publisher announces it is considering putting itself up for sale in light of shareholder revolt.
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Mar 19, 2007 6:55 am PT

Last week, the gaming industry was shocked by a Take-Two shareholders' group, which owns 46 percent of the company's stock, announcing that it wished to replace current CEO Paul Eibler with former BMG president Strauss Zelnick. It also stated its intentions to replace the current board of directors with candidates of its own choosing, and reduce the number of members of the board from nine to six.

The rebellion came, reports Bloomberg, after five quarters of losses. The company has also faced a spate of bad news and scandals over the last two years, including the Hot Coffee mod furore, a stock options scandal, and criminal charges being levelled at the former CEO and founder.

Take-Two has responded to the event by announcing that it will be postponing its annual meeting, originally scheduled for March 23, until March 29. This is in order for the company to, "review the proposed actions of the shareholder group and also to evaluate alternative courses of actions that could potentially be presented to the shareholders, including a possible sale of the Company."

Shares in Take-Two jumped up 6.8 percent to $22.26 at the start of trading on the Nasdaq today. The shares have risen a total of 18 percent since the original announcement from the shareholders' group.

[TheBadazz]

Re: Take Two Selling???

If this comes about. MS really have the chance to stick it to Sony. And take GTA as a Xbox-only game.

[TDKing]

Re: Take Two Selling???

Microsoft not in the running............


One company that says it's not in the running is Microsoft. Because today's independent publishers are platform agnostic - that is to say, they build games for all major systems - taking over one would result in a massive revenue loss for Microsoft, as all development would be redirected toward the Xbox 360.

"We could never launch an acquisition bid at a third party publisher," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft (Charts) Game Studios.

[luv_mist]

Re: Take Two Selling???

Darn It. I hate the freaking stock market and all that other bull. Just money hungry suits trying to capitalize which discourages a little innovation. Hopefully they wait and see how this year turns out. Isn't the trailer suppose to be released on the 29th?? Weird.......

[TDKing]

Re: Take Two Selling???

We must hope for Ubisoft or else it will be EA SPORTS its in the game

2K Games has some notable properties in its portfolio, including games made by industry legend Sid Meier ("Civilization," "Alpha Centauri"). 2K Sports, though, would be vulnerable to sale. Ubisoft, for instance, has made it known it would like to start a sports brand to compete with Electronic Arts (Charts), makers of the popular "Madden" series. EA, meanwhile, would likely make a bid as well.

[Pratt75]

Re: Take Two Selling???

Just don't sell to EA, PLEASE!!

[forensicd]

Re: Take Two Selling???

if 2k sports goes to EA, you might as well call it game over for sports gamers. Can you imagine the only option is nba Live! Man, that is a grizzly thought.

[Scoop 24]

Re: Take Two Selling???

if 2k sports goes to EA, you might as well call it game over for sports gamers. Can you imagine the only option is nba Live! Man, that is a grizzly thought.

i dont see how. when you would get the best of both worlds.

ill take madden franchise and features with 2k gameplay. cause 2k has some of the most generic boring franchise modes ever put in a game.. i still cant even get a long term franchise in nba.

[Mintsa]

Re: Take Two Selling???

i dont see how. when you would get the best of both worlds.

ill take madden franchise and features with 2k gameplay. cause 2k has some of the most generic boring franchise modes ever put in a game.. i still cant even get a long term franchise in nba.

But thats assuming that they will take the best of both worlds if they buy take two.

You could also assume that they would buy take two and just continue with the live series and chuck everything that 2k has made in the trash??

[TDKing]

Re: Take Two Selling???

I own Take Two stock and would rather take a stock hit then sell to EA. Ubisoft....PLEASE....

[forensicd]

Re: Take Two Selling???

I would assume EA would just buy the 2k franchise and sit on it so no one else can use it. There is no way they are going to buy their game, rebuild an entire engine to implement both the games, it just doesnt happen that way. They have spent millions on Live and its engine, they arent going to shell out hundreds of millions for 2k, then in turn spend millions more to integrate it. Rather, they will buy it, sit on it, and leave us with only 1 option for playing hoops: NBA Live.

[Scoop 24]

Re: Take Two Selling???

But thats assuming that they will take the best of both worlds if they buy take two.

You could also assume that they would buy take two and just continue with the live series and chuck everything that 2k has made in the trash??

ll i hear you on that.. that would be awful.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Take Two Selling???

But thats assuming that they will take the best of both worlds if they buy take two.

You could also assume that they would buy take two and just continue with the live series and chuck everything that 2k has made in the trash??

EA would not "take the best of" approach. It would be very surpising if they did. If EA gets it , I agree it will be game over for any real advancement in sports gaming.

[backbreaker]

Take Two's pending sale

Do you think this will have an adverse affect on the developement i.e. seeking a publisher to release APF2k8. 46% of TakeTwo's shares is up for grabs, and Shane Kim of MS, said that they are not bidding " you can buy IP's but you can't buy talent" what gives for the future of Visual Concept and Kush?


One company that says it's not in the running is Microsoft (Charts). Because today's independent publishers are platform agnostic - that is to say, they build games for all major systems - taking over one would result in a massive revenue loss for Microsoft, as all development would be redirected toward the Xbox 360.

"We could never launch an acquisition bid at a third party publisher," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/09/commentary/column_gaming/?postversion=2007030911

[TheBadazz]

Re: Take Two Selling???

I think that somebody like Greg Thomas would try to start another company with the financial backing of a company like Ubisoft. Most of those programmers and devs probably would follow him out the door.