Quelling rumors that Microsoft is bidding on the ailing Take-Two, Shane Kim has confirmed to CNN that Microsoft has no such intention. According to the CNN article, taking over an independent publisher that creates games for multiple platforms would actually create a revenue loss, as all Take-Two's development would be shifted to the 360 alone. Said Kim, "We could never launch an acquisition bid at a third party publisher."As for parties that are interested in the company, speculation ranges from Ubisoft to Elevation Partners (of which U2's Bono is a member) to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. The article also suggests, as others have suggested in the past, that Take-Two may be sold in pieces, offering up divisions like 2K Sports and Rockstar Games instead of Take-Two being sold as a whole.
[Via DCEmu]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-21-2007 @ 5:27PM
Ciaran Gallagher said...
Well that in case then, buy Take Two, and sell their games on rival consoles too!
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3-21-2007 @ 5:54PM
Lorul2 said...
Uhhmmmm... OLD! As a matter of fact that story was released before the recent admission of T2 leadership that they are looking to get out. I'm not saying Microsoft is buying T2, but since that CNN story was released things may have changed in Redmond!!
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3-21-2007 @ 6:30PM
aragorn said...
Wow... so eventually the fish don't get any bigger.
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3-21-2007 @ 7:08PM
Michael Zoran said...
Microsoft needs to make sure to buy Take-Two Interactive.
Take-Two Interactive owns Rockstar Games.
Rockstar Games owns Grand Theft Auto.
Microsoft could release all of those games, such as the Grand Theft Auto games, on the Xbox consoles, as well as the PC.
That makes PERFECT sense to buy Take-Two Interactive, because Grand-Theft Auto is a system-selling game.
When you have a system selling game like Grand Theft Auto, then it helps improve sales of EVERY other type of game on the Xbox 360, and future consoles.
If there were ever a need to release games on high-selling consoles such as the Gameboy Advance or the Nintendo DS, then it could still be done.
Microsoft, I am BEGGING you to see the light and buy Take-Two Interactive, just so you end up with Grand Theft Auto as an exclusive intellectual property franchise!
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3-21-2007 @ 7:15PM
squall-san said...
Totally unrelated but though you guys might digg this.
http://studentsofthestrange.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/final-fantasy-xiii-on-360-could-be/
woot
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3-21-2007 @ 10:02PM
LR said...
Easy. Microsoft's acquires Take Two, and then sells off all properties to third parties except Rockstar. Everybody wins, except Sony.
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3-21-2007 @ 10:08PM
Neter said...
Hmm... Lets see...
- Lose a few hundred million dollars a year
- Cut off a major supply of games for the direct competition
- In the process putting my media solution into households of millions more...
Yah.. Of course they aren't interested.
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3-22-2007 @ 7:31AM
Number 01 said...
Microsoft is smart here not buying US/UK game developers. In order to kill Sony Microsoft needs to ignore the fact that the company is a third-party creator and buy a major Japanese studio. If Microsoft bought Capcom, Konami, Square-Enix, Koei, or Namco and made them Xbox 360 Exclusive it would start to mark the end for Sony. If they bought 2 of those companies the would win over Japan and the PS3 would turn into Vaporware. Microsoft should never buy any US companies right now unless they make killer apps, their focus should be on buying out Japanese game companies even if it would cost them alot.
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3-22-2007 @ 8:22AM
aazzametalhead said...
Well, he never said he wouldnt buy a devloper from take two, so if take two decide to sell some of its assets, rockstar games might be under microsoft game studios very soon.
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