Tue, Jul 29, 2008 | 11:59 BST
Seeking Alpha: “Microsoft is a likely bidder for Take-Two”
Seeking Alpha’s published a piece saying Microsoft could be interested in buying Take-Two.
“I think that Microsoft is a likely bidder for Take-Two. Microsoft already makes a video game platform (Xbox and Xbox 360) as well as independently publishes video games.”
The unnamed author added: “Microsoft could become a serious player in the video game industry if they made a console and sold the two best selling games on the planet. Making GTA exclusive to the Xbox (just like Halo is) would be a terrible decision, but providing some, incentive, like an earlier release date, could drive additional Xbox sales too.”
Lots more through the link.
9 comments
#1
Blerk
29/07/08, 11:58 am
Link? Who the hell are ‘Seeking Alpha’? They seem to have a bit of a problem with basic English, so I’m not sure I can take their tip particularly seriously.
#2
patlike
29/07/08, 12:00 pm
It’s an investor site
#3
patlike
29/07/08, 12:00 pm
Link added.
#4
DrDamn
29/07/08, 12:07 pm
“Microsoft could become a serious player in the video game industry” … really? Wow! Before taking their comments seriously on future events I think they might want to get current stuff straight first
#5
Blerk
29/07/08, 12:11 pm
Hush! This is the future!
I also hear that Apple might be getting into personal music players. Walkman could be in trouble!
#6
that_happy_cat
29/07/08, 12:14 pm
Isn’t it Frankola that’s written this?
He’s got a nice disclaimer at the bottom
“Disclosure: I’m long ERTS and now own TTWO calls, so admittedly, I have an interest in a higher bid (especially from someone other than ERTS). But it is in no way ridiculous to conclude that TTWO could, and should, be bought for a price much higher than it’s current share price (high $24) and offer price (~$25.75).”
If you put a thousand monkeys in a room with a thousand typewriters… eventually one of them will bash out enough shit to convince other idiots that they know what they are talking about. These analysts strike me as similar to those comical people that carry around their lunch in a briefcase to make themselves look important. I bet they sit around in posh eateries comparing their business cards….
….mmmm eggshell white.
#7
Blerk
29/07/08, 12:19 pm
Putting the ridiculousness of the article to one side, we’ve been down this route before.
Why would Microsoft ever want to buy Take Two? They’d only really be interested in a handful of their games, so why take on all the extra baggage? They’d be better placed to just pump money into the projects they were actually interested in to ensure that they come to Xbox exclusively/first/with extra content (delete as applicable).
Edit: Which is, of course, exactly what they’ve been doing already.
#8
rainer
29/07/08, 12:28 pm
That is one of the most badly written investor analysis pieces I have read, pump out more GTA games to offset the fan annoyance of going Xbox only like the Rockstar dev teams would be pleased or even agree to that at all is ludicrous.
MS has been shedding internal game development staff and cut Bungie loose preferring to work with third parties so buying Take 2 seems to run counter to everything they are currently doing.
#9
AMG
29/07/08, 1:17 pm
The piece is written by an 18 year-old student. Good luck to him and all that, but i wouldn’t take any of it seriously.