Take-Two Interactive wholly owns Rockstar and 2K Games. That means that they publish major franchises such as the Grand Theft Auto series, Bioshock series, and all the 2K Sports franchises. This makes Take-Two Interactive a very desirable company for anyone who has the cash to buy them out. In fact, EA tried to buy Take-Two in 2008, but Take-Two refused to sell. CEO of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick, is keeping the independent spirit alive and well.
Professional analysts, such as Arvind Bhatia, have voiced their professional opinions that Take-Two is an “attractive acquisition candidate.” While speaking with Gamasutra, Zelnick addressed the acquisition rumors.
I’m proud of what we’ve delivered. I’m proud of the value we’ve created for shareholders in the past few years. I’m proud the team has had precious few missteps. But, we’re there for the shareholders. All public companies are potentially available. Every time something has come up we’ve considered it. All that said, we enjoy being an independent company.
Sales of L.A. Noire helped raise Take-Two stock prices to their highest level since September of 2008. It looks like that for the short-term, Take-Two is insistent on being independent. It is impossible to predict what Take-Two will decide in the future, but if the company continues to produce quality games, then that might provide further incentive for them to resist the buyout offers.
