Take Two Selling???

**dan77733** · 03-20-2007, 02:14 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Jeez, I really wish that Nintendo would have purchased Sega years ago when they had the chance to do so as we probably wouldnt be having this conversation right now.

If TT gets sold, im 99% sure that EA will buy it out. They not only will eliminate the upcoming APF 2K8 game but eliminate their competition for NBA and NHL. Plus, I think that with buying out TT, wouldnt they also get that exclusive third party deal with MLB as well since it's under TT?

Oh well. Thank God that I still have 2K5 and Finn's editor plus dont give two craps about next gen gaming whatsoever.

*goes back to playing SNES*

**murry** · 03-20-2007, 02:20 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Originally posted by spectralfan

That's true. It's also true of all other gaming companies. "Caring" about the gamer is nothing more than a means to improve the bottom line.

Now, I think you were hinting that since only the bottom line matters it means EA would definitely kill off the 2K line if they bought it. However, isn't it pretty bad for the bottom line to spend a few hundred millions and not do anything with what you've bought? It's not like EA doesn't control the sports market firmly already so eliminating 2K won't really increase EA's market share.

They purchased the ESPN license and has not done anything with it. I think they have a personal grudge against 2K sports, and if they can get controling interest of the company, they would do it. The first thing they would do is fire the people that they have issues with (if they do not quit first), and place their own people in top management positions; which means total 2K revamping. Think about it, why would they allow any football game to be better than their sweet Madden series?

They would destroy the foundation of the game, implement a few of 2k features into Madden, and drop the 2K football series like a greasy football in the rain.

Will it increase EA's market share? Yes, it would. I agree with you regarding what should happen, but I have no faith in Corporate America. It is all about greed, and personal agendas.

**thejackal25** · 03-20-2007, 02:50 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

If EA somehow purchased the development team Visual Concepts, wouldn't it be likely that they either fired those employees or the employees left the company given the long history of animosity between the two groups? Couldn't the Visual Concepts team just join some other publisher after the sale? I'm not sure how all of their contracts work, but if the actual employees of VC have any sort of control, it wouldn't be the end of the world to see EA buy VC. I'd actually find it kind of laughable if EA spent an outrageous amount of money to buy 2k sports and then have everyone from 2k just leave and form a new development team and sign on with another publisher who's looking to expand into sports titles. Whether its Activision, MS, THQ, Sony, or whoever, it really doesn't matter who the VC team is developing for, cuz as long as that team is together they will produce a better product than Tiburon. Imagine if Konami had VC to help create a full sports lineup to compete with EA...Pro Evolution Football

Of course I'd much rather have VC stick with TT, but the point is that VC will probably survive no matter what happens. This team has been dealt so many blows throughout its history but it continues to keep coming back. No matter who buys them, even if its EA, I think VC still has a long life ahead of it.

**quietcool72** · 03-20-2007, 02:53 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Originally posted by LBzrule

I heard a completely different story about the lack of ESPN in their football games and it had to do with a conflict of interest between ESPN and the NFL Network as to the reason why ESPN presentation is not beefed up in their football games in particular Madden. NCAA I don't know.

LBzrule,
The EA Sports person I spoke to wasn't so much focused on ESPN in Madden, but rather the overall use of the ESPN license in EA Sports games. So there was no mention of NFL Network issues in the context which we communicated. (Did you get much explanation of what those issues were between NFL N and ESPN from your contact?)

But I said that I was disappointed with the use of ESPN in the latest Live game- (I mentioned about streaming PTI, which does nothing to excite most gamers) and he indicated that ESPN was looking for that kind of thing to be in there.

But..the person could have been jerking my chain too, or "getting me off his back".

**quietcool72** · 03-20-2007, 03:02 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Originally posted by thejackal25

If EA somehow purchased the development team Visual Concepts, wouldn't it be likely that they either fired those employees or the employees left the company given the long history of animosity between the two groups? Couldn't the Visual Concepts team just join some other publisher after the sale? I'm not sure how all of their contracts work, but if the actual employees of VC have any sort of control, it wouldn't be the end of the world to see EA buy VC. I'd actually find it kind of laughable if EA spent an outrageous amount of money to buy 2k sports and then have everyone from 2k just leave and form a new development team and sign on with another publisher who's looking to expand into sports titles. Whether its Activision, MS, THQ, Sony, or whoever, it really doesn't matter who the VC team is developing for, cuz as long as that team is together they will produce a better product than Tiburon. Imagine if Konami had VC to help create a full sports lineup to compete with EA...Pro Evolution Football

Of course I'd much rather have VC stick with TT, but the point is that VC will probably survive no matter what happens. This team has been dealt so many blows throughout its history but it continues to keep coming back. No matter who buys them, even if its EA, I think VC still has a long life ahead of it.

T2 really has done nothing but bumble their way into the problems they are currently having. Accounting "inaccuracies", having to deal with a multi-million dollar bout of poor judgment on the part of Rockstar with the Hot Coffee easter-egg, having to answer for some of the questionable homosexual player-controlled content in "Bully" (more Rockstar-created bad press), marketing and distributing a table-tennis game that didn't sell... you name it. Its been a downward spiral for them as a company.

I hope 2K Sports is not a casualty because of Rockstar/T2 idiocy.

**totalownership** · 03-20-2007, 03:05 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Now all this being said EA could do a total 180 and actually bring APF2K8 out. They have been claiming this year that they don't want the image of being a bully. At least that's the word I've read in a few posts. They may actually let the game come to market.

Think about it, what would it matter to them. They're getting paid regardless. You buy APF2K8 - EA gets paid, you buy Madden - EA gets paid. It's a win-win for them if they did buy 2Ksports and releases the game. We'll see what happens. If EA does buy 2K we'll find out exactly how "warm and fuzzy" they want to be.

I would tip my hat to them if they kept both studios running and let the 2 houses compete with each other. It's highly unlikely but it's possible. Personally I feel once they buy it 2K is dead.

**spankdatazz22** · 03-20-2007, 03:08 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Originally posted by LBzrule

I heard a completely different story about the lack of ESPN in their football games and it had to do with a conflict of interest between ESPN and the NFL Network as to the reason why ESPN presentation is not beefed up in their football games in particular Madden. NCAA I don't know.

That at least makes a little sense. But whether it's this or what QC is saying, either way it's major shortsightedness on their part. Presentation in VC's sports games didn't regress from losing the ESPN license, they actually excelled even more. Why no chain gangs or referrees even though this should've been planned for with a new next gen Madden engine? No gang tackling? The focus on jumbotrons? Etc., etc., etc. It's as if the game has no direction whatsoever.

Tiburon

**murry** · 03-20-2007, 03:18 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Originally posted by quietcool72

T2 really has done nothing but bumble their way into the problems they are currently having. Accounting "inaccuracies", having to deal with a multi-million dollar bout of poor judgment on the part of Rockstar with the Hot Coffee easter-egg, having to answer for some of the questionable homosexual player-controlled content in "Bully" (more Rockstar-created bad press), marketing and distributing a table-tennis game that didn't sell... you name it. Its been a downward spiral for them as a company.

I hope 2K Sports is not a casualty because of Rockstar/T2 idiocy.

Good point.

**mercalnd** · 03-20-2007, 03:23 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Originally posted by totalownership

I would tip my hat to them if they kept both studios running and let the 2 houses compete with each other. It's highly unlikely but it's possible. Personally I feel once they buy it 2K is dead.

I think they may very well release 2K8 as it is near done and they'd essentially have paid for it by buying TT. I don't see them spending dev money on 2 titles year after year though. Yes they get paid whether you buy one or the other however under that scenario they're spending money to put out the 2 games.

I still don't see them spending 200 million and doing nothing with the acquisition though. It's just money thrown out the window. For all the great work 2K's been doing with next gen they're still not selling well and they're not profitable. EA still has an overwhleming market share that can't grow significantly (even the abysmal NBA Live 07 outsold the stellar NBA 2K7) whether 2K is around or not.

**quietcool72** · 03-20-2007, 03:35 PM

Re: Take Two's pending sale

Originally posted by spankdatazz22

That at least makes a little sense. But whether it's this or what QC is saying, either way it's major shortsightedness on their part. Presentation in VC's sports games didn't regress from losing the ESPN license, they actually excelled even more. Why no chain gangs or referrees even though this should've been planned for with a new next gen Madden engine? No gang tackling? The focus on jumbotrons? Etc., etc., etc. It's as if the game has no direction whatsoever.

Tiburon

Knowing some of LBrule's previous connections and contacts when he and I did some unrelated stuff for another site many years ago, I don't doubt that his EA insider is quite credible, probably way more in-the-know than my contact.