Rumor: Activision Making A Play For Take-Two Interactive
Activision Blizzard has Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. But that may not be enough for Kotick and Co.
Some time ago, EA pursued Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive and although negotiations went on for some time, the deal never happened. However, a new potential buyer has emerged: Activision.
A recent article at MCV has incited a storm of discussion and controversy; the piece cites "a senior executive" who says the CoD publisher might make a play for Take-Two. And then, GameSpot sources added fuel to the fire, as those sources have confirmed "talks" between the two companies. The history is clear- Activision merged with Vivendi back in 2007 (a massive $18.9 billion deal) and we all remember when they picked up Blizzard. It's why Activision has become the industry's biggest publisher, supplanting the previous king, Electronic Arts. But hey, Guitar Hero and DJ Hero are gone, and so is True Crime.
So maybe they need more. Grabbing Take-Two would give them Grand Theft Auto, which means Activision would have control of what are - arguably - the three biggest video game franchises of all time. And let's not forget about the Red Dead series, which just got a huge kick into blockbuster-ville with last year's Red Dead Redemption. Plus, they'd get Bioshock, Civilization, Borderlands, and the 2K Sports branch. EA tried to get Take-Two with a $2 billion offer but that was declined, so what might Activision have to offer...? Well, remember that Take-Two's stock is actually lower now than it was when EA tried to purchase them, although it's important to note the soaring of Take-Two's stock when GTAIV launched.
Well, whatever happens, we have a bad feeling this won't go over well with those who already dislike Activision. Trying to corner the market, are we...?
Tags: activision, take two, games industry, gta, red dead redemption
2/11/2011 8:53:49 PM John Shepard
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter
Comments (82 posts)
Cesar_ser_4
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 3:57:53 AM
Snaaaake
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:54:22 AM
Lawless SXE
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 9:43:04 PM
Reply
ZettaiSeigi
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:55:53 AM
That said, I'm sure I'm among the millions who are against Activision getting their grubby hands on Take Two. I hope it never happens. Else, we'd probably have to say goodbye to GTA, Bioshock, Read Dead Redemption, and other well-loved T2 games as we know them.
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:17:59 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:17:30 PM
Reply
Oxvial
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:56:51 PM
HighOnFire
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:09:14 AM
STAY3R
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:36:14 PM
Reply
Honestly, I'm not worrying... for every company that gets assimilated, in time a new more innovative one will rise from the ashes. It's still a very competitive market.
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 11:12:56 PM
STAY3R
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:21:22 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:15:41 AM
jaynet333
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:42:34 PM
Reply
main_event05
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:49:50 PM
Reply
Again, somehow this is Microsoft's fault with their, "If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em" ideology.
I'm just rant there but I'm sure someone can salvage that for me.
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by main_event05 on 2/11/2011 10:50:39 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 11:14:58 PM
main_event05
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:16:40 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 6:23:34 PM
main_event05
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 7:29:19 PM
BikerSaint
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 11:06:22 PM
Reply
main_event05
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:14:27 AM
Reply
Dancemachine55
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:16:04 AM
Reply
GTA IV was over 4 years in the works, and it still had its fair share of bugs. Imagine how poor each game would be if developers only had 1 year to work on a massive GTA or Red Dead game?
I can see other great 2K or Rockstar games dying out as well. If Take Two had been under Activision, it may have been likely that Borderlands wouldn't of seen the light of day because it didn't measure up to CoD standards in the eyes of Antivision.
Take Two are already doing fine the way they are. The gamers love their games. The casual and hardcore audience is happy to have 1 or 2 golden GTA titles for each generation of consoles. Take Two make serious money on games like GTA, Red Dead, Bioshock, LA Noire (which I suspect will be quite huge), and Borderlands.
Take Two would be insane to join up with Activision, and I suspect Take Two shares would plummet down to Middle Earth if the merger were to happen.
Then again, Activision has been treating Blizzard games rather well, I don't see a new World of Warcraft, Starcraft or Diablo every year.
Best of all, if the merger were to happen, I could then call the company "Take Activision 2 Blizzard"... yeah... where Activision belongs...
PorkChopGamer
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:20:37 PM
Bloodysilence19
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:40:40 AM
Reply
___________
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:47:26 AM
Reply
2K are a big enough company to stand on there own feet.
if they were in financial trouble or something like that then i would be worried, but they just came off a record year, and are going to have another one with LA Noire and hopefully max payne 3.
a smaller company yea id believe that, but 2K?
no way!
main_event05
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:51:37 AM
Ludicrous_Liam
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:06:27 AM
Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:40:30 AM
Pandacastro
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:34:25 AM
Dancemachine55
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:42:40 PM
And I for once agree here. Take Two is far too large a company for anyone to buy out or merge with. If EA couldn't do it, what chances do Activision have?
Then again, Antivision did acquire Blizzard and Bungie, so anything could happen.
2010 and 2011 appear to be the years we see more flying pigs.
kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:09:52 AM
Reply
Why would they even consider this. If anything they need to simply expand their operation. They have the groundwork set up to be bigger than EA and Craptivision.
If they are in need of money, than someone over there just needs to learn some budgeting because they should be raking in the money.
Take two, just say no drugs and just say no to craptivision.
Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:28:38 AM
Reply
We are ACTIVISION.
We have analysed your defensive capabilities as unable to withstand us.
We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own.
Your game release timetable as it has been is now over.
You will adapt to service us.
Resistance is FUTILE.
End memo.
A shiny gold piece to anyone who can guess which tv show i stole this from!
PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:35:19 AM
Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:43:43 AM
kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:08:09 AM
Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:32:18 AM
kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:05:36 PM
Several things that happen in enterprise are different from how they happened in other Star Trek iterations.
Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:36:39 PM
In said enterprise episode they send a signal to the delta quadrant which in turn causes the borg to futher explore the alpha quad and consume the outposts on both sides of the neutral zone in TNG S1 finale episode 'The neutral zone' then culminating in the enterprise d's 1st encounter with the borg in TNG S2 episode 'Q who'.
Man i an uber nerd :)
Dancemachine55
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:45:02 PM
kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:53:40 PM
In fact in Star Trek: The original motion picture, Kirk has a display of all the enterprise ships and Nx-01 does not exist.
Therefore we can conclude that everything that takes place in enterprise must be an alternate reality and therefore has no standing in normal Star Trek cannon.
Lawless SXE
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:02:48 AM
Pandacastro
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:36:10 AM
Reply
A2K78
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 6:56:54 AM
Reply
"Take Two would be insane to join up with Activision, and I suspect Take Two shares would plummet down to Middle Earth if the merger were to happen."
I don't know where you got the fact that a Activision takeover will be insane, this when when activison have been doing great of late, something that would defintiely please Take-Two shareholders, Carl Icahn in particular.
Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:42:15 AM
LividFiction
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 7:51:36 AM
Reply
Ultimadesires
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 7:57:53 AM
Reply
Bugzbunny109
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 8:54:35 AM
Reply
Deleted User
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:21:02 AM
Reply
Last edited by n/a on 2/12/2011 9:21:33 AM
HighOnFire
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:33:41 AM
Reply
Look at Raven. It seems like all they do is work on other peoples ideas(Marvel licenses, COD leftovers), which is unfortunate because they are talented developers. They released what I guess is their only fresh IP, Singularity, and it gets buried. No advertisement. No DLC. It didnt matter to Activision because to them, it couldnt be exploited year after year.
When I think of Activision, I think of a metal song by a band called Famine. It's called "Consume, Devour, Repeat". They have absolutely no vision for the future. Every game they pump out other than COD has now failed due to oversaturation of what was working, like Guitar Hero, and COD will likely be next.
Suck it, Activision. From everyone who cares about this industry and rewards real game companies with thier hard earned money.
And keep yo nasty-ass hands off Bioshock.
Last edited by HighOnFire on 2/12/2011 9:40:26 AM
A2K78
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:18:53 AM
Reply
Ever hear of thing called a "hostile takeover"? Guess what, they happen all of the time. In case of EA, the only reason why that failed probably stem from the fact the shareholders didn't like the type of offer they were getting, but in the case of activision thing might be quite different.
Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:13:44 PM
Ludicrous_Liam
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 3:48:02 PM
darthadv
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:32:57 AM
Reply
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 12:08:10 AM

See Full Image









PasteNuggs
Reply
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 9:20:19 PM