EA Proposes to Acquire Take-Two Interactive Software

[BlyGilmore]

N'Gai Croal is a gaming correspondent for Newsweek and also pens the Level Up blog there ...

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/default.aspx

usually very good reading.

[BlyGilmore]

Quote: Originally Posted by tmccormi

This is just a question and a hypothetical one at that... So Tiburon is a separate developer that EA employs to produce the Madden games correct? And 2K sports is just a producer who would be purchased under the pending overtaking of Take Two correct? What would happen if the cost of having the 2K team develop Madden instead of the Tiburon branch do? If EA is only concerned about money, then hypothetically they would let the cheaper of the two companies produce the game right? So if it happens and 2K is the cheaper way to produce the football and basketball games, would it be possible that they produce the games for EA just under the names of Madden and Live?

I am pretty sure Tiburon is owned by EA Sports and not a seperate entity under contract or anything.

The interesting thing is All-Pro Football 2K and the NFL 2K series were all done by the studio Visual Concepts.

Those of you with extra good memories will remember Visual Concepts actually developed Madden and other EA Sports games in the past (Madden 94 and 95, Bill Walsh College Football, NHL 95 and NHL 97).

[jdros13]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlyGilmore

N'Gai Croal is a gaming correspondent for Newsweek and also pens the Level Up blog there ... http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/default.aspx usually very good reading.

Did anyone else read the blog?

Take-Two? More Like Take $208K Per Month...And Take $2.5 Million in Bonuses...And Take 2 x 300,000 Shares That Vest Immediately

Interesting to say the least. If this had already been mentioned, I definitely missed it.

[Pared]

Wow... I wouldn't doubt it though. Most corporate heads do the same exact thing.

"Get mines before the ship is sunk." Unbelievable.

[Spectre]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pared

Wow... I wouldn't doubt it though. Most corporate heads do the same exact thing. "Get mines before the ship is sunk." Unbelievable.

Yup, and its a disgusting practice but its especially bad in this instance given the timing.

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlyGilmore

N'Gai Croal is a gaming correspondent for Newsweek and also pens the Level Up blog there ... http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/default.aspx usually very good reading.

thx for the link - checking it out

[luv_mist]

I just freaking read this whole thread of 31 pages. I must say that I'm officially baffled by this whole ordeal. Definitely will be waiting to see what the products look like. I guess this is slightly a blessing in disguise for me on a personal level. If EA has the testicular fortitude to utilize the properties it inherits through this acquisition, then they will get love from me. I can't see EA allowing TT/2K the freedom to create what they dream of like they do now. Of course, they did just buy Bioware/Pandemic and are leaving them to mix in their creative juices. We'll see how it turns out.

On another note, I really hope that they put creativity and enhancements into the Railroads franchise cause I'm liking what I play. LOL!!........This is slightly depressing.......

[grunt]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkfount

Even if they did put out an EA Box, it still wouldn't be a monopoly. EA will have more than enough leverage to put out a console when they buy TT and Ubisoft. EA even mentioned the idea of combining the industry on one standard console years ago, and some consumers would actually like it. I just see them instead using their leverage to make current console makers like Sony and MS cater more to their desires. They basically got MS to shut down their sports developers to come on xbox live for the first xbox, and EA has much more power now. Why waste money on building a console, when sony and MS are having enough fun doing it?

Good post. I was thinking about the next level of growth for EA and developing their own system is the next logical step. EA must spend tons of money developing games across platforms and having one console would save tons of money. I could see EA charging for online play in the future.

EA would be like those old Hollywood studios where one company controls everything. Sound like a future monopoly for me.

[bkfount]

Quote: Originally Posted by grunt

EA would be like those old Hollywood studios where one company controls everything. Sound like a future monopoly for me.

EA could become a monopoly in the future if things happen a certain way, but even putting out their own console and using their 1st party exclusives to gain immediately market share wouldn't be a monopoly. Nintendo does just that now.

I just think using EA and monopoly together is kind of annoying to read. They aren't one yet, and would have to seriously step up on buying up companies, take tons of marketshare with their own console, and lock out competition from putting games on their EA box. It won't happen for awhile, and people just throw the term around like it happens everyday. A company has to really do some blatant stuff to be taken down as a monopoly.

[grismosw]

If EA ends up buying Take Two I really wish they'd keep the 2K Sports brand, we could get a NFL 2K, NCAA 2K, etc.

I like what Take Two did with the MLB license, they released multiple baseball games and at least gave a choice to gamers. I'm sure many people would by both football games.