EA won't make move on Take Two until after FTC probe

19 Comments by Ross Miller Jul 8th 2008 9:00PM
Filed under: Culture, Business

Electronic Arts said today that it will not acquire publisher Take-Two until after the Federal Trade Commission finishes reviewing the acquisition for potential antitrust concerns (via Reuters). The FTC has until August 21 to complete its probe and we're betting they won't finish early.

After an innumerable amount of extensions, EA now says, because of the investigation, its offer to Take Two shareholders has been extended to July 18, the last day of E3 Media and Business Summit. We suspect there'll be some thrilling behind the scenes action going on next week.

Tags: acquisition, ea, electronic-arts, merger, take-two

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

ThePerfectCompanion: Jul 8th 2008; 9:21PM

I hope this does not happen...

Sora267: Jul 8th 2008; 9:26PM

Hmm, nice tactic...People will sell if Take-Two doesn't have anything good at E3. (Wait, are they even going? I don't remember :S)

ThePerfectCompanion: Jul 8th 2008; 9:27PM

I hope this does not happen...

Jason: Jul 8th 2008; 9:29PM

Is that the Time Wizard from Yugioh?

Guzzie: Jul 8th 2008; 9:35PM

TT from Diddy Kong

Tiptup300: Jul 9th 2008; 1:32AM

WTF Jason!?

Diddy Kong Racing! You know, one of those masterpieces that Rareware shot out constantly!

LordKelvin: Jul 8th 2008; 9:43PM

You'd think after the first half-dozen times (or at least it seems like it's been that many times), EA would learn its lesson and give up...

BigD145: Jul 8th 2008; 10:26PM

EA only gives up when it comes to game design.

JRM: Jul 8th 2008; 10:35PM

EA doesn't give up. They don't even try!

Michael: Jul 8th 2008; 10:37PM

"We suspect there'll be some thrilling behind the scenes action going on next week."
here's how I imagine this:
-offers you really shouldnt refuse
-srsly you shouldnt have refused that
-enjoy your broked legs
-still refusing?
-BODY IN A WOODCHIPPER

RPGJock: Jul 8th 2008; 10:47PM

This is probably going to happen. Again, its a public trade company, and shareholder are about making money, not pleasing fanboys. If they feel that they will make more money by pushing the purchase through, then it will happen.

Carl Icahn says hello.

Xoviet chiK: Jul 8th 2008; 10:53PM

On the brightside, no more Bioshock milking and Irrational Games / 2K Boston / New EA Boston can get to work on System Shock 3. Also Sim Golf 2 from Firaxis.
-----

I personally don't see a problem with this happening. I think EA has been turning a very respectable about face in the last few years. They still have a long way to go, but as I see it they are in the exact same league as Take Two when it comes to quality v quantity in product releases. I'd be a little more upset if they tried to gobble Ubisoft or Bioware *oh... wait...*, but with EA and Take Two constantly trying to rebuild their image and restructure their development they might just benefit each other as far as gamers and development staff are concerned.

Just my two cents.

dark_inchworm: Jul 8th 2008; 11:06PM

Seriously? No more milking at muthafuckin' EA?

Xoviet chiK: Jul 8th 2008; 11:10PM

Of course general milking will continue... but why continue to milk what was essentially a *very* poor-man's System Shock when you now work for the license holder of the very game you intended to evoke in the first place? They can switch to milking the prize winning cow.

dark_inchworm: Jul 9th 2008; 9:05AM

Bioshock, if I remember correctly, sold at least 2.5 million. I don't know the sales figures for either System Shock title, but I think it's safe to assume neither sold nearly that much. System Shock has also been out of the gaming culture for a while, save for fansites and the occasional reminiscing at places such as our beloved Joystiq.

I'd be willing to bet they'd tackle both, honestly, in a relationship that could draw comparisons to Blizzard's WC/SC - brothers in essence. If they favored one, though, I'd point to Bioshock. Sales matter in this industry; critical acclaim, not so much.

bbear: Jul 9th 2008; 10:36AM

dark_inchworm - Are you kidding? System Shock 2 won like 8 game of the year awards, and certainly sold much more than 2.5 million copies. It was also for it's time a much better game than bioshock. Bioshock is good but system shock 2 was better (taking into account when it came out)

dark_inchworm: Jul 9th 2008; 2:01PM

"and certainly sold much more than 2.5 million copies."

I'm totally digging your credible source... :-/

Wikipedia suggests that the original sold 170,000, while the sequel was "a commercial flop." And yes, both are sourced.

Do us all a favor and do your research outside the realm of fantasy.

DBuck_Eye: Jul 9th 2008; 12:03PM

While they're at it, can the FTC investigate EA's Madden monopoly. I'm more sick of that than this whole "buying Take-Two" drama.

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