After Activision just canceled several of its key franchises, the publisher may potentially be looking to bolster its library of intellectual properties by making a bid to buyout Take-Two, with a rumor suggesting that the company has their eyes on the Grand Theft Auto publisher.
An acquisition of Take-Two would have huge ramifications for Activision, with the publisher not only owning Rockstar, the developers behind the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto series and Red Dead Redemption, but also 2K Games, the publishers behind everything from BioShock to the long line of 2K Sports titles. A buyout by Activision would mean a killer AAA-list of titles for the company, thus rendering a “code red” for competing publishers.
A senior executive apparently spoke with MCV this week:
There are very strong rumours amongst people at a very senior level within the global business,
But there’re not much more than that at the moment – they are just rumours. And, of course, given Activision’s news this week, everyone is now looking to see what their next move is. But you can definitely put two and two together and make four-ish.
Take-Two did manage to withstand buyout attempts by Electronic Arts back in 2008, so even if the rumor is true, Activision may not be successful in their buyout. EA tried to take over the company with an estimated $2 billion bid – well over the share value, yet Take-Two resisted the acquisition. However, since 2008 billionaire investor Carl Icahn increasing his stake in the company, and apparently preparing them for a take over.
The rumor suggests that Activision is serious about the buyout, with MCV making one rather chilling suggestion – that True Crime: Hong Kong was canceled to benefit Grand Theft Auto, despite the title being virtually completed.
We’ll be sure to keep our eyes on the situation and alert you the second we hear of anything conclusive regarding these supposed buyout rumors, until then be sure to stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle.
