RUMOR: Activision Eyeing Takeover Bid of Take Two

[RaychelSnr]

It appears we have a new bombshell of a rumor to follow very closely in the sports gaming universe, as Take Two -- owners of the 2K Sports Brand -- appears to possibly be a takeover target of Activision, owner of the Call of Duty franchise.

Quote:

"An eventful week for Activision rolls on: rumours are circulating at the highest level that the company is eyeing a shock acquisition of rival Take-Two. If true, and if successful, the bid would bring blockbuster brands and hit studios under one roof – Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, BioShock and World at Warcraft, all living together. On Wednesday, Activision proved it isn't afraid to abandon any under performing franchise as it focuses on the best of the best. Adding teams like Irrational and Rockstar Games to its stable would only underline that."

This rumor is all about the merger of the Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto brands, but it would have huge implications for our genre as well if it were followed through with real action.

The fate of 2K Sports in this merger would be a huge question mark, since Activision has the resources to develop sports games and chooses not to for the most part. Would they continue a relatively popular brand and/or expand it given their already skeptical view of sports games? That's a good question, but the already thin 2K Sports lineup could become a lot thinner in the event of a takeover by Activision.

There is no indication we are going to see this followed through into more than a rumor, but all big stories usually start out as a rumor. We'll keep a close eye on this one to see what happens. What do you guys think of the rumor?

[statum71]

NBA 2K must live on..

[The GIGGAS]

I really really don't trust Activision. Blizzard? Sure. Not Activision. I trust EA more than Activision.

[kenkraly2004]

Why can't EA merge with 2Ksports? Not Activision please that whould be the end of 2Ksports as we know it.

[ElCoyote]

To me it seems like EA is Activision's biggest competitor, and with a little more financial backing, 2K Sports might be making an NFL game soon. I'm sure Activision would love to crash Madden's party every August.

[BlueNGold]

Wow, I really hope this doesn't happen.

I'm not sure what it would mean for 2K Sports, but I sure as hell don't want Grand Theft Auto being bastardized the way games like CoD and Guitar Hero have been by Activision.

[statum71]

Quote: Originally Posted by kenkraly2004

Why can't EA merge with 2Ksports? Not Activision please that whould be the end of 2Ksports as we know it.

I wouldn't hope for that if I were you. That would end NBA 2K and we'd all be stuck with NBA Elite.

[TracerBullet]

Activision is were creativity goes to die. Please do not let this happen ever.