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.
Comments
Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
I'm all for freedom of ttnet vitamin speech and allowing rent a car game makers to put whatever they want in games, but there's one thing about this app that has me scratching my head. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from araç kiralama the previous article araba kiralama on this I gathered that players can use Google maps in-game to find the other (real-life?) dealers in their area. If this is the case, has travesti anyone considered what's stopping someone from using this app to actually move drugs between hands for reals?
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Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
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」
岩「…I can see why Hasselbeck's worried about fake guns killing fake people. afterall, she's a fake journalist on a fake news channel」
Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
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?
Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
Why is t he FTC being stupid as hell? they really need to stop EA not TT.
Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
Read the Level Up link GP provided. It explains the FTC's position.
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
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~~
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
Any company who gets Rockstar after the contract ends better set aside some money for fax machine replacement.
-kurisu7885
Re: Today is Deadline Day for EA's Latest Take-Two Offer
Yeah, that's very true. Unless of course the Fax Machine Scourge gets disbarred in September. Oh wait...