Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
June 16, 2008
GamePolitics readers may recall that Electronic Arts' latest tender offer for outstanding Take-Two shares expires today.
Will EA extend its deadline? Raise its offer price? Drop out?
An extension seems likely, given that the Federal Trade Commission has not completed an evaluation of whether an EA takeover of T2 would have antitrust implications. As we've reported, Take-Two is dragging its heels on that process, and an annoyed FTC is dragging T2 into court over the matter next week. And, of course, EA has placed the acquisition on hold, pending the FTC's findings.
Over at Level Up, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal has insightful analysis from former FTC attorney Justin Blankenship on the government agency's current dust-up with Take-Two.
Meanwhile, Forbes speculates that EA wants to close the deal ASAP in order to lock down Rockstar's Sam and Dan Houser before their contract with T2 expires next February:
Once that contract expires in 2009, the Housers will hit the open market. Despite the high price their services will command (mostly in the form of extensive royalties), game publishers may well enter into a heated bidding war for the Houser brothers in the hopes of seizing the next Grand Theft Auto phenomenon.
If Electronic Arts wants the minds behind Grand Theft Auto, it's going to have to move quickly. To gain the upper hand, Electronic Arts may be forced to pull the trigger and raise its $25.74 per share bid to around $30 per share--a move most analysts believe essential if Electronic Arts is serious about the Take-Two acquisition. Control of Take-Two would grant EA the rights to the Grand Theft Auto series, which the Redwood City-based publisher could then use to sweeten negotiations with the Housers. Otherwise, there's nothing stopping the brothers from setting up a rival series at a new studio.
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Posted 07/04/09 at 12:44pm
Yuuri: Happy Blow Crap Up Day!
Yuuri: Happy Blow Crap Up Day!
Posted 07/04/09 at 11:09am
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: I designed this shirt for Jack debate today: http://i44.tinypic.com/2552t89.jpg
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: I designed this shirt for Jack debate today: http://i44.tinypic.com/2552t89.jpg
Posted 07/04/09 at 11:06am
BearDogg-X: There's a one minute and a half preview of the video game episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! up at http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/home.do
BearDogg-X: There's a one minute and a half preview of the video game episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! up at http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/home.do
Posted 07/04/09 at 10:08am
Arcanagos: Happy 4th all
Arcanagos: Happy 4th all
Posted 07/04/09 at 09:32am
Firebird: Greetings GP community, and HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!
Firebird: Greetings GP community, and HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!
Posted 07/04/09 at 03:48am
Michael Chandra: I missed out on Jack? =(
Michael Chandra: I missed out on Jack? =(
Posted 07/04/09 at 01:52am
Escanor94: hmm, looks like when someone gets banned all their comments are automaticly deleted
Escanor94: hmm, looks like when someone gets banned all their comments are automaticly deleted
Posted 07/03/09 at 11:46pm
Arcanagos: aww, did i miss the JT party? :(
Arcanagos: aww, did i miss the JT party? :(
Posted 07/03/09 at 11:00pm
Leet Gamer Jargon: Where's the recent JT bullcrap? Which comments section has he vomited on? EDIT: Nevermind; it's in the "Radio" thread.
Leet Gamer Jargon: Where's the recent JT bullcrap? Which comments section has he vomited on? EDIT: Nevermind; it's in the "Radio" thread.
Posted 07/03/09 at 09:17pm
BearDogg-X: I wonder what the Metropolitian Moron of Miami said in response to my comment saying that he got a dose of his medicine on the SGC09 Debate thread?
BearDogg-X: I wonder what the Metropolitian Moron of Miami said in response to my comment saying that he got a dose of his medicine on the SGC09 Debate thread?
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:51pm
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: He gets offended with a bunch of flowers.
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: He gets offended with a bunch of flowers.
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:49pm
GoodRobotUs: LOL He takes offence at the fact he might have *chosen* to be crazy?
GoodRobotUs: LOL He takes offence at the fact he might have *chosen* to be crazy?
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:47pm
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: He warned me to get a lawyer after I called him "crazy by his own choice"... that´s libel for him
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: He warned me to get a lawyer after I called him "crazy by his own choice"... that´s libel for him
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:45pm
HilaryDuffGta: "libel" what did he threaten now?
HilaryDuffGta: "libel" what did he threaten now?
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:44pm
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Was fun to be threatened for "libel" again.
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Was fun to be threatened for "libel" again.
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:26pm
HilaryDuffGta: hey so what did i miss??? the usual spam of "crap"
HilaryDuffGta: hey so what did i miss??? the usual spam of "crap"
Posted 07/03/09 at 06:15pm
FlakAttack: Jack ruined his chance to have civil debates with us here. Glad you banned him (again).
FlakAttack: Jack ruined his chance to have civil debates with us here. Glad you banned him (again).
Posted 07/03/09 at 04:04pm
Krono: Unexpected is probably the best word to describe it. Particularly as no decent reason is given.
Krono: Unexpected is probably the best word to describe it. Particularly as no decent reason is given.
Posted 07/03/09 at 03:59pm
GoodRobotUs: Just heard about that myself... kinda unexpected
GoodRobotUs: Just heard about that myself... kinda unexpected
Posted 07/03/09 at 03:58pm
Krono: Huh, apparently Sarah Palin is resigning.
Krono: Huh, apparently Sarah Palin is resigning.
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Comments
Any company who gets Rockstar after the contract ends better set aside some money for fax machine replacement.
-kurisu7885
Yeah, that's very true. Unless of course the Fax Machine Scourge gets disbarred in September. Oh wait...
I am certain that more is being made of Rockstar's position/role in this takeover than is warranted. This take over is definitely about the TTWO/EA Sports competition (or lack thereof). From what a little bird (an employee of one of the myriad Rockstar studios) tells me, the Rockstar folks are mostly sanguine about this possible takeover, thinking that it won't effect them much - being that Rockstar owns the majority of it's IP, and has met with it's success being left to it's own devices. So EA will likely do much the same with them, or risk sending the Rockstar talent running for a new start-up.
The Housers will be a big issue for either company, after their contract is up, so how is that relevant for a take-over? One could say having major talent at the end of a contract is a liability for EA as much as one could say that they are a bonus for them during the aquisition.
Let's keep our focus on the real issue here, and that is that EA wants absolutely NO competition on sports games, and the takeover would effectively kill what little competition TTWO can offer, what with the NFL deal.
EA will extend the deadline - at least until the FTC findings. This tactic will render TTWO's stalling moot (except philosophically). I doubt they will raise the share price, their current offer is considered fairly good, and they had to get fairly sizeable loans to deal with the intitial offer.
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
Why is t he FTC being stupid as hell? they really need to stop EA not TT.
Read the Level Up link GP provided. It explains the FTC's position.
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
Who owns GTA? Take-Two or Rockstar? Does T2 also own Rockstar or is it the Housers and whomever else is higher up in the company? Is this contract with T2 just to be their publisher and that's it or is it just a contract to retain the services Dan and Sam Houser? If everything (especially GTA) stays with T2 when their contract is up are they really going to be worth that much?
on one hand, if EA does accuire TT, then the System Shock franchise may be revived. And while Take-Two currently owns the X-Com franchise, they certainly aren't doing anything with it.
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
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