Analyst expect hostile takeover of Take-Two by EA

  • Posted February 25th, 2008 at 13:37 EDT by
  • 2,668 views
  • 28 Comments

Several analysts have begun making predictions that the original refusal to Electronic Arts offer to Take-Two could potentially lead to a hostile takeover. This wouldn’t surprise us one bit as EA has more than enough money in the bank to make it happen. A lot of gamers around the world have shown their distaste for this latest news, but it may not matter what their stance is, considering it won’t matter what Take-Two’s stance is either.

"We believe EA is likely to go 'hostile' and likely be successful in a tender offer, given the offer price is 50 percent above the stock’s recent closing price of $17.36, 44 percent above the stock’s average price in the last one year [and] 56 percent above the stock’s average price in the last two years," wrote Stern Agee's Arvind Bhatia, who upgraded the share status from "sell" to "hold."

Right now, Take-Two has stood firm in their belief that the current offer is underwhelming and not an appropriate sum for the publishing company’s buyout. However, Michael Pachter, who always seems to be chiming in on the gaming industry, seems to feel that the offer is more than acceptable.

"We believe that EA’s offer is significantly higher than the amount that would be paid by a major media company, and think that the company is uniquely positioned to derive synergies from a combination with Take-Two. Other prospective bidders are simply not in the same position to value Take-Two as is EA," the analyst added.

Coincidentally, Take-Two’s shares rose 50% today to $26.45 USD per share which is obviously related to the latest news involving the company. Pachter could see EA offering up to a $1 more per share in order to make the transfer a bit more, “friendly.”

This is obviously a huge situation around the gaming world, so we’ll do whatever it is we can in order to keep you updated on the situation.

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What are your thoughts?

  1. liquidghost | LiquidGhost

    • 1:45pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    hostile!!! thats why i dont like EA   ^ 1st

  2. JD-82 | JD-82

    • 1:45pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    aye...wait until GTA4 comes out and take two's shares will rocket through the roof...lets see EA try and buy them out then...

  3. DaveW | JD-82

    • 1:49pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    JD, a hostile takeover doesn't work that way.  Take-Two has taken losses for the last two years, GTAIV will hardly raise the stock prices.  If that were the case, millions of people would buy their stock right before release, then sell shortly after, lol.  it would be a "guarantee," but nothing in the stock market is a guarantee.

  4. NitroMikeo

    • 2:38pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    i hate ea

  5. dmac

    • 3:12pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    The should hurry up and sell to someone "nicer" lol

  6. Daz | miami2399

    • 3:25pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    @JD-82  That is why EA wants it now. Take Two wants to wait, but EA wants that revenue. This is where Sony should step in and take them under there wing. Take a majority in the company but give them full control. If EA does buy them, I will not buy GTA4, or any other EA game for matter......ever. There are plenty of other games that are far better than anything EA puts out.

  7. killercop | killercop

    • 3:51pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    Damn those EA bastards.. More good games to be wasted by their hands..

  8. gingo | gingo

    • 3:52pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    psn id: gingo....  i absolutely hate EA, those b******s are so queer hope their company just dies

  9. markwesker

    • 4:16pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    This should be against competition rules,EA controls why too much gaming and please please will sony jump in with a offer or the gta series will be forever a multi-plat form game which equals not as good games for ps3 or even worse if microsoft buy EA gta will be a xbox exclusive.

  10. VEGAZ5

    • 4:22pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    i'm hoping sony can be the white knight and help out take-two otherwise EA will screw up gta for sure !!

  11. Windu88

    • 4:22pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    Sony should pick them up.

  12. Dave-The-Rave | Dave-The-Rave

    • 4:29pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    Go on Sony get in there !! Get rid of EA and bag some exclusives while you are at it !!

  13. psn_frov | frov

    • 4:41pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    NOOOOOOOO, this would really suck, if it were say Sony I wouldn't mind, but come on EA is acting a bit to much like a baby

  14. Uncool | Admodistrator

    • 5:07pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    You guys are drinking some good haterade lol. But yes to be that aggressive in taking Take-Two obviously has some big impact EA wants to fulfill, whatever that may be.

  15. graphixmaster | mcx

    • 5:10pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    I think Sony is better to take care of the catalog than EA.    Sony still cares about the quality of there games and is willing to take the time nessary.  Sony still wants to out do its self and progress forward.  EA just wants your money. 

  16. TC25ps3

    • 5:28pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    I think that would really suck 2k sports games are way better than EAs sports games and I have no doubt that they would get rid of th best basketall game on the market NBA2k also that would end up in ps3 getting ports of every game that comes out from those two companies because EA obvioulsy doesn't like sony.

  17. IRONMAIDEN

    • 7:53pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    why do they even wanna buy everyone? they make enough money. just hire some people with talent...ooooh i answered my own question lol

  18. meatee | meateetj

    • 8:07pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    "uniquely positioned to derive synergies" blah blah blah... its absolutely worthless jargon like this that makes me sick of this kind of thing.

  19. Alpha2

    • 8:27pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    Patcher is still a dooooche baaaag.

     

    Sadly he could actually be right this time unless T2 can convince their stock holders that you dont "merge" with EA, you become mulch. Joining with EA destroys half of their brands, the only football series to even compete with madden, You thought Burnout Paradise had a lot of in game ads? GTA would have every building plastered, and not with fun fake ads, no they'd have boring self indulgent REAL ads which would get boring after the 2nd time you see them let alone the 90th. T2 and more importantly R* has developed their own personality , EA is like the 'Borg, they asimilate everything leaving nothing of your individuality and eventually they grind out what they need from you until you no longer function as a standalone entity and crap out what's left on the sidewalk. I'm still fearing what will hapen to Harmonix knowing that EA owns them... but then maybe they're safe since they're the only thing in the MTV games devision that makes any money right now.

  20. Xdeth | Xdeth

    • 8:47pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    R* needs to bail from take two now ! God help us if they dont and EA consumes take two. Sony... you already screwed us with letting Phil go... Step in and do the right thing.

  21. AclayPS3

    • 9:44pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    I guess EA is trying to buy out all of the smaller companies so that they'll have lesser competition.

    If small companies such as Insomniac can stay independent, I don't see why Take-2 can't stay independent.

    It's easy to just accept a huge offer that EA has brought to the table, but I think that Take-2 should stick-it-out and reject the offer. Take 2 games is already a large company and they can keep growing without EA.

    My god, why doesn't EA games go somewhere and make another cookie cutter sports game or something. The only game developed/produced by EA that I have liked is the first Need For Speed Underground game and Burnout 3.

    If I was Take 2, I would reject the offer because I would rather own my company than to be owned by another company. I guess EA games needs a little bit more talented developers so they go around with their big wallets full of money and making offers to smaller independent companies to own them.

  22. Babiloo | XavierHarkonnen

    • 10:45pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    if they buy take two, then EA has monolopy on all major sports games i seriously hope take-two won't sell-out

  23. IONIXX | IONIXX

    • 10:54pm GMT - February 25th, 2008

    this is not a good thing, ea should leave take-two alone

  24. Whip1242

    • 12:23am GMT - February 26th, 2008

    Truth be told my reservations about EA taking over Take Two has nothing to do with Bioshock, Grand Theft Auto or etc. My real fear about this takeover deals with them ceasing control of 2k sports. EA has failed to add any creativity in in sports game in years and buying up 2k means that their is NO MORE COMPETITION. All we will have is Madden and Live forever. EA has rested on its laurels for so long and instead of  stepping up their game to show they are the best they just buy everything up. If you cant beat them, buy them.

    I have been a faithful Madden player since day one and every year we seem to go into regression. Sacrificing gameplay for so called inproved graphics. Sacrificing presentation for a few bucks. The creativity isnt their anymore and its said. Instead we get a run to the endzone, hit stick, precision passing hoopla ever year. Like honestly, it football, that stufff should already be in the game. We shouldnt be told its in the game. We cant see stats flash up saying how well a player is doing during the game. We still get pixelations in the stands instead of mlb 08 type fans. We still have no halftime or postgame show that 2k has been doing since 2000 on the dreamcast. Players on the sideline look like stick figures. All we have is a bunch of programmers that know nothing about sports.

    If I begin to complain about live i dont know, we will be hear all day.

    Presentation and Gameplay =EA

    Its in the Game...which one, cause it sure aint yours

    SO KEEP UP THE FIGHT 2K SPORTS FOR THE SAKE OF GAME CREATIVITY AND INTEGRITY. PLEASE KEEP UP THE FIGHT CAUSE IT WILL BE A SAD DAY WHEN WE ALL WALK INTO THE STORE AND ALL WE HAVE TO CHOOSE FROM IS MADDEN AND LIVE. YEAH IT WILL BE IN THE GAME, BUT THE QUESTION IS WHAT YEARS GAME....

    IM OUT...

  25. chomperbull

    • 1:26am GMT - February 26th, 2008

    boycott ea they suck

  26. xtago

    • 2:45am GMT - February 26th, 2008

    Take-2 is owned by a russian guy(I think) who really wants to build it up into a bigger company,  normally this guy will buy a company do some restructuring then sell it off.

    This time this guy hasn't done that,  he would have rejected the offer now,  this guy owns a heap of take-2 shares enough to make him Ceo straight after buying, so it's really more a question of wheather the other share holders stick behind the russian guy or take the money and run.

  27. kwauzzie

    • 4:13am GMT - February 26th, 2008

    i don't understand, what does "hostile" mean?

  28. graphixmaster | mcx

    • 4:35am GMT - February 26th, 2008

    Has anyone read this....

    http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/35732/Rockstar-to-Break-Away-from-Take-Two

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