FTC Okays EA-T2 Merger
FTC Okays EA-T2 Merger
August 20, 2008
The Federal Trade Commission has posted letters on its website which indicate that it will not oppose a proposed merger between Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive.
The letters, written in government bureaucrat-speak, are dated August 18th and read as follows:
The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition has conducted a non-public investigation to determine whether the acquisition by Electronic Arts Inc. of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. may violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no additional action by the Commission is warranted at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed. This action is not to be construed as a determination that a violation may not have occurred, just as the pendency of an investigation should not be construed as a determination that a violation has occurred. The Commission reserves the right to take further action as the public interest may require.
With the FTC hurdle apparently out of the way, EA and Take-Two are free to attempt to reach agreement on a takeover.
Via: Reuters
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Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:40am
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:38am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:33am
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:30am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:29am
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
A bit of a pity, but not entirely unexpected.
-Gray17
FTC? FTC? FTCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC!
Bugger.
Bastards
and somewhere in florida, an old person is dancing with joy around his desk
JT?
Dammit. I really thought Take-Two wasn't going to just lay down.......
They haven't. This is just the FTC saying it's found no cause to outright block any merger. EA still has to find a price and terms that Take Two will find acceptable.
-Gray17
That's acceptable news! I sincerely hope Take-Two says no, or at least throws a figure at EA that's too much even for them.
"So this is how liberty dies: with thunderous applause." - Padme Amidala
What????? A good quote from the prequels? I'm actually shocked. Seriously, I'm not joking.
Oh damn.
They didn't notice that this isn't in the consumer's best interests?
No, they didn't care.
Well, this is complete and utter bullshit. I really hope T2 doesn't give in and sell out...
OH FUCK! well it was fun while it lasted... enjoy Emasculated Arts' version of GTA5
I know, and I was looking forward to Bioshock 2. Now I bet it'll have lots of plasmids that I have to pay for or something.
I keep repeating myself with this one but please come up with an example about how they would emasculate it? The ONLY WAY I see EA toning down GTA would be the social commentary. Certainly not the violence. EA has made just as many violent games as anyone else. They might cut down on some of the chatter on the radio and the like but not much else.
This is not to say I approve of any merger or even like EA. I am just constantly surprised at blanket statements with no example to back it up.
The deal isn't done yet, Take Two and Ea still haven't agreed upon terms.
Not surprising since the FTC is run by completely corrupt morons.
Great job FTC, great job screwing over an industry, and being a waste of our M0743R F2$king tax dollars. Why in the hell does this branch of the government even exist when it does absolutely nothing for the people? I said it before this mess, and I am saying it now. The FTC is corrupt, does nothing, and shouldn't exist.
freat Gucking job protecting the people from a monopoly hss aoles. How about we let Sprint and AT&T merge next? Then after that EA and Activision, Sony Nintendo Microsoft and Apple, GeForce and ATI, and crap, while we are at it, lets just get rid of the boarder between US, Mexico, and Canada just to make the fother mucking Federal Reserve System Bank happy as well. Switch the the Amero, then create more war and debt for the people to pay off because the government is so stupid they will go for anything they know they can profit off of.
/rant
/Zeitgeist Video Blurb
/T2 and the titles they created that were actually worth a damn
activate();
function activate(){
Fake EA domanance by buying out other companies so they can keep showing profit.
}
Damn, Damn, Damn, DAMN!
Eeenteresting. I guess I'm eating crow on this one. Mmm, crow. I was really hoping this would turn into something more fun than a no-action letter, too. Now it's down to the business types, who will no doubt soon announce something along the lines of the following: "T2 and EA have negotiated an agreement that will enable management synergies to continue to increase shareholder value by ushering in new paradigms of consumer interactive entertainment."
Noooo not Crow! He was my favorite sidekick in "The Longest Journey"!!! NOOOOO!!!
I still don't think Take Two will be bought out by EA. If this was going to happen then it would have happened a long time ago.
This was already expected and fortold. The FTC for all thier pomp and glory can only say yea or nay to the deal. They cannot cause it to happen or even legally incourage it. As it stands littleto nothing has changed. T2 can still tell EA to take a flying leap.
Sadly though it is looking as if they will give in, as their stock values have dropped of late and the stock holders want their income.
I'm not one for short one-word expletive posts, but..
Fuck!
---- There is a limit for both politicians against video games, and video games against politicians. http://www.goteamretard.com
Fuck. I'd rather not have EA monopolize all of gaming, which they seem to be out to do... but this might not actually hurt anything other than the sports genre, which I care about just as much as I care about say, watching paint dry.
So what exactly is the FTC good for again?
Well you bastards don't get a fruit basket now (and I was really going to send them one if they blocked the merger).
I wonder can we really trust these guys with net neutrality? I'm afraid of letting the FCC get it's hands on the internet.
In re: your fruit basket.
Funny story time. The last Hart-Scott-Rodino filing I made needed to be in on x day (due to the 30 day wait period) even though we were absolutely sure that it would get accepted, as there were no realistic antitrust issues. The client refused to do electronic filing. So of course the day before I do the frantic running around with a paralegal to make FedEx and ended up making it to Kinko's just as the truck is being loaded. I blocked the truck in with my car, walked in with the duplicate boxes for the FTC and the DOJ, and explained that they needed to go out. The FedEx guy was very understanding, especially when he realized that he wasn't leaving until I was and I wasn't leaving until those boxes were on his truck. The next day a paralegal calls the FTC to make sure that the boxes were delivered, as our filing date is determined by delivery. She's told by a random FTC/DOJ (can't remember which agency it was) flack, "oh, no, it won't be delivered for a couple of days. Anthrax, you know." Paralegal: "What. The. Hell?" Radom FTC/DOJ flack: "Yes, we have to scan all our mail for anthrax. The scanner is pretty slow. It breaks down a lot too. We'll have your package in a few days."
It all worked out and we got early termination as anticipated, but I can't begin to tell you the yelling and screaming that ensued from partners' offices when that news broke. I think those packages spent at least three extra days in anthrax scanner hell, as, y'know, every anthrax bomber's first target is the antitrust division of the DOJ and the HSR compliance office of the FTC.
tl;dr: your fruit basket would have spoiled long before it ended up on anyone's desk. Just as well you didn't send it.
PS: the part of the FTC that's dealing with net neutrality has absolutely nothing to do with the part of the FTC that reviews Hart-Scott-Rodino filings.
PPS: the FTC is excellent for keeping legions of young attorneys employed. Otherwise we'd all, I dunno, read GamePolitics all day or something.
I love sports. As far as I'm concerned, nothing in this country makes more noise yearly than sports. And sports video games are a great complement to that. And the fuckin FTC just gave the ok to a company that has said more than once that they want a unified game console so as to do away with the console wars. This is a company that absolutely HATES competition. If they could figure out a legal way to make themselves the only developer/publisher in the industry, they'd do it. Competition brings out the best in anyone who's willing to step up and accept it, and EA isn't that type of company. They'd rather buy out their competition, slap their label on whatever that developer makes, collect the check and blame them for the bugs when EA is the one who'll rush the product out the door months before it's ready. I used to love EA, and I've always said (and still do) that when they're hungry for a number one spot they can show some of the best quality in the buisness and SKATE is my proof of that. So why the lack in the football area when that's where damn near all of your fan rest?? They're fuckin lazy and afraid of T2 because they're more creative then they are, and I'm telling you guys watch out for Backbreaker, if that game turns out to be really good I promise you that EA will start fuckin with them too.
Looks like I'll be picking up Saints Row games instead of a censored GTA. :( Also I hope Manhunt 3 does not have a Thrill Kill pulled on it. :'(
in the words of Dracula and Vader....
This cannot be! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo.........!
The FTC: A Rubber Stamp for Big Business Since 1914
Corporate take overs are why businesses shouldn't go public. DUH.
Legally, virtually nothing has changed. EA and T2 still have to agree on terms for the merger.
Here's to hoping T2 won't give in.
EA is the nameless, faceless maw that's eating everything that's good in gaming...anyone remember Westwood Studios?
I do..
As do I. They were a good company.
I've heard they're looking at Valve next. Prepare yourself for Half-life 56, super-re-release edition.
Look on the bright side of that possible merger, your Sims could have a pet headcrab & rearrange their furniture with a gravity gun
That'd make some sense because of Steam. It's a good way for EA to get revenue from PC distribution, as that's where the company's going to be the most challenged by small developers. Current-gen consoles are too expensive for the little guys. That said, Valve's private. T2's public. Totally different ballgame on the takeover. Who owns Valve, anyways? G. Newell, obviously, but who backed them as a startup?
Don't worry guys, it's just another case of developer gets big, EA storms in and demands they sell out, developer sells out, EA is happy. Gamers cry in pain, EA destroys gaming industry, the developers who sold out only then realise their terrible terrible mistake. Then hopefully after all that the developers shall crush EA with an iron hand.
We may have to endure a few years of shit gaming but if EA is crushed under it's own weight then I won't be sorry for it. DOWN WITH EA'S SHITTY GAMES AND CRAP MANAGEMENT.
-- Joshua Smellie
To be fair, some upcoming titles look decent. Mirror's Edge, NFS:UC
---- There is a limit for both politicians against video games, and video games against politicians. http://www.goteamretard.com
Either way, if EA buys Valve, I'm going to cry.