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 01/06/09 at 01:03am
SimonBob: US Army testing Calgary "Booze Cruise" game -- http://snipurl.com/9ivi7 [CBC]
SimonBob: US Army testing Calgary "Booze Cruise" game -- http://snipurl.com/9ivi7 [CBC]
Posted 01/06/09 at 12:24am
barra_sadei: There's a difference between "rightfully seizing land and "stealing land." The first deals with buying it, and the second with gaining it through war.
barra_sadei: There's a difference between "rightfully seizing land and "stealing land." The first deals with buying it, and the second with gaining it through war.
Posted 01/05/09 at 10:09pm
Neeneko: Heh. Trying to simplify the israely/palistinaint conflict into shout boxes.....
Neeneko: Heh. Trying to simplify the israely/palistinaint conflict into shout boxes.....
Posted 01/05/09 at 10:02pm
Derovius: How is Hamas a rebel faction? Its their government. The Israeli's laided claim to land thats not theirs, and shooting ensued. If Mexico marched its army across the border into the US, said "Nice land, I'll take it", how fast would the US start shooting?
Derovius: How is Hamas a rebel faction? Its their government. The Israeli's laided claim to land thats not theirs, and shooting ensued. If Mexico marched its army across the border into the US, said "Nice land, I'll take it", how fast would the US start shooting?
Posted 01/05/09 at 09:51pm
Austin_Lewis: Israel has been 'taking it' for 20 years, at least a rocket or mortar everyday.
Austin_Lewis: Israel has been 'taking it' for 20 years, at least a rocket or mortar everyday.
Posted 01/05/09 at 09:18pm
JustChris: Army of a sovereign nation versus smallish rebel groups, and people are complaining that the former is utterly destroying the latter? Don't bring it if you can't take it.
JustChris: Army of a sovereign nation versus smallish rebel groups, and people are complaining that the former is utterly destroying the latter? Don't bring it if you can't take it.
Posted 01/05/09 at 08:28pm
JDKJ: @SDD: Fair enough.
JDKJ: @SDD: Fair enough.
Posted 01/05/09 at 07:17pm
Austin_Lewis: @Zippy: 1) Way too many gundam shows. 2) I don't care about the rest, just Hamas in palestine.
Austin_Lewis: @Zippy: 1) Way too many gundam shows. 2) I don't care about the rest, just Hamas in palestine.
Posted 01/05/09 at 07:15pm
ZippyDSMlee: Austin_Lewis:You should enjoy Gundam00 themid east antions are getting wiped out one by one.
ZippyDSMlee: Austin_Lewis:You should enjoy Gundam00 themid east antions are getting wiped out one by one.
Posted 01/05/09 at 07:06pm
Shadow D. Darkman: @JDKJ: Sorry, but I'm not in this.
Shadow D. Darkman: @JDKJ: Sorry, but I'm not in this.
Posted 01/05/09 at 06:40pm
JDKJ: This is one of those weird cases where I'm actually hoping that Shadow will appear, face in palm.
JDKJ: This is one of those weird cases where I'm actually hoping that Shadow will appear, face in palm.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:58pm
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I hate hamas. Mainly because, you know, they're dicks. Of course, if you want to hang out with terrorists, go for it
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I hate hamas. Mainly because, you know, they're dicks. Of course, if you want to hang out with terrorists, go for it
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:57pm
Derovius: Well, according to your response you only hate Muslims. So instead being an utter douchebag, you're only a complete douchebag.
Derovius: Well, according to your response you only hate Muslims. So instead being an utter douchebag, you're only a complete douchebag.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:53pm
Austin_Lewis: Of course, I enjoy your suggestion that I hate Jews AND Muslims.
Austin_Lewis: Of course, I enjoy your suggestion that I hate Jews AND Muslims.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:52pm
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I'm just glad to see the Palestinians getting a bit of pay back for 20 years of rockets into Israel everyday.
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I'm just glad to see the Palestinians getting a bit of pay back for 20 years of rockets into Israel everyday.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:35pm
Derovius: You should be happy Lewis, the two groups of people you hate are killing each other.
Derovius: You should be happy Lewis, the two groups of people you hate are killing each other.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:16pm
Austin_Lewis: Slow news day today, eh? Oh well, at least Palestine is getting pounded by Israel. Here's hoping for some real news tomorrow.
Austin_Lewis: Slow news day today, eh? Oh well, at least Palestine is getting pounded by Israel. Here's hoping for some real news tomorrow.
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:19pm
black manta: ...get on that one BTW. One of the characters is a naked blue man whose willy is very visible!
black manta: ...get on that one BTW. One of the characters is a naked blue man whose willy is very visible!
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:18pm
black manta: I said in one of my comments that Jack's lates filing has even less merit than Fox's dispute over The Watchmen. Jack should
black manta: I said in one of my comments that Jack's lates filing has even less merit than Fox's dispute over The Watchmen. Jack should
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:17pm
JDKJ: But at least it ain't like copyrighted material. It's 1000 times easier to rip off a copyright than it is a patent.
JDKJ: But at least it ain't like copyrighted material. It's 1000 times easier to rip off a copyright than it is a patent.
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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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