Isn't there anything or anyone that can stop all these fucking bullshit takeovers? Soon the gaming industry will be EA and Microsoft, and that's it. And we'll NEVER get a decent fucking game anymore.

Fucking EA.

Creston

I'd think if any of THQ license where of interest it might be the Warhammer 40K one. Dawn of War could be built into a monster franchise with the way EA does add on and expansion packs, they are the computer gaming equal of how games workshop always has one more unit you can buy to add to your army and then after awhile bringing out whole new models of the units you already had.

That to me is the modern day EA (long from the old days of "Electronic Artists")

I am thinking 2K sports, were a driving force behind this

I don't because EA's sports titles are already bigger sellers than Take 2's. Yes, this was a factor but the main factors were GTA and Bioshock in that order. Both of those franchises have huge future sales potential. That's why EA wants this deal done before GTA 4's release. If it were mainly about sports it could wait.

WWE(get a clean sweep on sports)

THQ has had legal problems with wrestling licensing so I am not sure that is a current asset.

Stalker

mediocre sales

Juiced(kill competition for NFS)

Juiced 2's horrible sales already killed that franchise. THQ already announced there won't be a Juiced 3.

Destroy all humans

lackluster sales. One platform for this sequel has already been cut (I think it was the PS2 version).

There's not a real blockbuster franchise among THQ's lineup, nothing on the scale of GTA, The Sims, Madden, or even Bioshock. In the past THQ has dominated the children's game space, but the loss of Disney and Pixar games ends that.

This comment was edited on Feb 25, 20:27.

surely a quick visit to wikipedia or the THQ website would show you they own some of the best game franchises in gaming today.

Yes, so many best selling franchises that you failed to name a single one.

This comment was edited on Feb 25, 20:09.

It makes sense that EA would want GTA

I am thinking 2K sports, were a driving force behind this, it gives EA a monopoly on sports games. No doubt GTA is a huge bonus too.

and what big franchises does THQ own or have exclusive rights to that EA would want?

WWE(get a clean sweep on sports), Stalker, CoH, Warhammer, Juiced(kill competition for NFS)and also get MX, Moto and NHRA in the deal... Conan, Supreme Commander, Destroy all humans...


"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin

what does THQ have that EA would want?

surely a quick visit to wikipedia or the THQ website would show you they own some of the best game franchises in gaming today.

EDIT heh we should set up a pool, whos next on EA hit list, I'm thinking THQ.

Judging from the upward moves today in THQ stock, that is the conventional wisdom, but I don't buy it (figuratively speaking) because what does THQ have that EA would want? THQ has lost its Disney development deals, and what big franchises does THQ own or have exclusive rights to that EA would want? It makes sense that EA would want GTA, and EA probably would have bought Take 2 long before now if it weren't for Take 2's financial scandals and shareholder suits.

My WOW is because I do not follow the stock market, now the first time I am watching I see a hostile takeover happen before my eye's, so... wow.

I didn't mean to bite your head off, but seeing as how the public just went through this exact same thing a week or two ago with Yahoo, I was surprised that you were surprised by it now.

This comment was edited on Feb 25, 19:27.

Heh this move by EA got me a thinking conspiracy, check this out.

Bill Gates CES keynote speech 2001 Xbox release year, his vision is an Xbox in every house. Well it isnt happening, PS2 is killing him, Bill hates competition. He cant do anything with M$, the goverment is on him like flys on shit, so he cant use M$ to monopolize the game industry. So he looks around, EA hmmm, Bill hooks up with EA and uses them to consolidate the game industry. EA isnt moving fast enough, theres a big shuffle of CEOs going from EA to M$ and back a few months ago and now EA is pulling off a hostile takeover, guess they got some pointers after the failed attempt at ubi. Just wait once EA has most of the market you'll see Xbox exclusive all over the place.
Nobody interfears with Bills visions

EDIT heh we should set up a pool, whos next on EA hit list, I'm thinking THQ.





"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin
This comment was edited on Feb 25, 19:01.

Wow?! What the hell did you think was going to happen

You misunderstand me, if you read yesterday thread on this you'll see that I agreed with you and also 'saw the writing on the wall' My WOW is because I do not follow the stock market, now the first time I am watching I see a hostile takeover happen before my eye's, so... wow.

Assuming they bought just over half of the shares, they are now majority holders to take the company in house and eliminate any more sports competition from 2K.

Also they have had this planned for a long time, so they probably have been quietly scooping up stock for awile now.


"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin

Would the R* team be happy at EA?
We think so. We have great respect for the R* leadership team and some of our executives have worked with R* leaders while in previous positions with other companies. We believe EA’s decentralized label organization will be attractive to Take-Two’s creative talent.

This is probably what they're thinking:

This is bullshit. Instead of dealing with one Overlord dictating demands we'll now have two.

This scene from Office Space probably best sums it up:

Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.
Bob Porter: Don't... don't care?
Peter Gibbons: It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime; so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.
Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?
Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.
Bob Slydell: Eight?
Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.



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http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/
Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/

Why does EA want to acquire Take-Two?
We have enormous respect for the creative teams at Take-Two.

No you don't otherwise you would leave the company alone!

-----
http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/
Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/

http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/quickchart/quickchart.asp?symb=TTWO

That is about as hostile as it gets....

/edit: And reading over the articles - patcher is an idiot....

Simplify it:
Roughly 38 million shares were traded today.
$38M * 26.50 = $1B

Assuming they bought just over half of the shares, they are now majority holders to take the company in house and eliminate any more sports competition from 2K.

So if that is what they did - they just got a deal.

must finish BioShock.....step away from the 360 and play BioShock on PC....
This comment was edited on Feb 25, 17:37.

Wow, Take Twos stock is up to the $26 buy out price

Wow?! What the hell did you think was going to happen the minute trading opened this morning? When EA annouced its target price, Take 2's stock was instantly worth that amount.

This comment was edited on Feb 25, 16:52.

Why is EA trying so hard to recreate the videogaming crash of the 80s?

because EA was basically born from the ashes of that crash and survived while many of its competitors did not.

This comment was edited on Feb 25, 16:45.

Wow, Take Twos stock is up to the $26 buy out price, plus a huge volume of stock has moved, looks like a hostile takeover, look for the headline tommorow, EA is now a majority stock holder of Take Two.


"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin

Man, I remember EA back in the day of games such as desert strike etc on the mega drive. Just look at the shithouse they have built now. Almost every serious pc gamer is against you because of the constant shit you churn out (let sims die ffs) and are in part some of the problem of pc sales declining. Taking T2/RS will just make people even more pissed off.

If only they could see past all the $ signs and start producing quality games again instead of going straight for profit through endless expansions and rehashes of the same tired old stuff.

You have NO idea of the controversy. The wiser would wait out the storm to come then make a decision. Don't jump into unknown waters blinded by money signs. And don't be too greedy, Mr. Gates is eyeing YOU and the bid for Take-Two then he will make his move. The game is afoot.

Take Two stock is up 48% at the moment... Should have bought this stock up a few weeks ago when I was thinking about it. Grrrrrr.

Or you could have bought it months ago when they announced GTA4 - come on, pull head out of your ass.

must finish BioShock.....step away from the 360 and play BioShock on PC....

Take Two stock is up 48% at the moment... Should have bought this stock up a few weeks ago when I was thinking about it. Grrrrrr.