Tag Archives: takeover

Stroking the flames of fire a bit, Take Two COO Karl Slatoff has said the company is a “very attractive” target for a buyout due to the company’s arsenal of IP.

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Trackmania developer Nadia’s sold out to Ubi, it’s been confirmed today.

Did you know Trackmania’s played by 700,000 people a month? Well, it is.

“The acquisition of Nadeo is an important step in our expansion within the on-line gaming sector”, said super Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft’s mega-boss.

“Through Nadeo, Ubisoft will gain an expert team, one of the best on-line technologies around as well as a flagship multiplayer game that enjoys an unrivalled reputation among a loyal and committed community.

Trackmania 2 was announced recently for a 2010 ship.

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Microsoft’s issued a flat-out denial that it’s in the frame for an EA buy.

“We have no plans to acquire EA,” a spokesperson told Marketwatch last night.

“Unsubstantiated” rumors popped up regarding a sale yesterday, forcing up EA’s share price.

THQ’s shares rose 13 percent yesterday on rumour that a “major media company” is preparing a bid for the publisher.

MKM Partners analyst Eric Handler started the chatter, according to this Forbes report.

However, Handler said he does not see a sale as likely in the near term.

“[The] company still has a very high percentage of licensed titles and is just beginning to rebuild its wholly owned IP portfolio,’ he said in an email.

Hit the link for more.

ZeniMax raised $105 million in convertible debt and promissory notes in order to buy, id Software, VentureBeat reports.

The figure comes from an SEC filing – financials figures weren’t disclosed when the deal was announced in June.

ZeniMax previously raised $300 million in private equity funding in 2007.

Full thing through there.

Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter doesn’t think Apple’s buying EA, as rumoured this morning.

“To say that it is idiotic would be an insult to all idiots,” the analyst told VG247 today.

The Street’s David Tong said in this piece that “chatter” said Apple was eyeing EA a takeover target.

Maybe not, then.

A round-up on The Street’s claimed that Apple may be looking to buy EA.

“Adami noted that there is chatter that Apple (AAPL Quote) is eyeing Electronic Arts(ERTS Quote) as a takeover target,” said David Tong, writing in this piece.

Stranger things have happened. In fact, this really wouldn’t be very shocking at all.

Thanks, Kotaku.

Take-Two shares are way up today, having enjoyed an 11.9 percent rise to $9.40 this morning. They also rose more than 5 percent last Thursday.

Why? FlyOnTheWall‘s claiming there’s “renewed buyout chatter” surrounding the firm.

$9.40 isn’t quite the $25.74-a-share offer EA trotted out last year, is it?

Thanks, Barron’s.

MCV’s reporting that Square and Eidos have agreed buyout terms. Finalization on the deal is expected by May.

Square was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

Following this, trading of Eidos shares will be suspended on April 21st and the cancelling of its share listings is due to occur the following day.

A settlement is hoped to be in place by May 6.

More through there.

Warner Bros has lent its support to a Square Enix bid for Eidos, saying it’ll add its 20 percent holding in the firm to a take-over.

Over 36 percent of outstanding shares have now been placed on Square’s side of the fence.

Eidos shares were trading at 32.25 pence when trading opened on Monday.

More on GI.

News of a Square Enix bid for Eidos has resulted in a major share boost for the Hitman-maker.

Eidos’s stock leapt over 117 percent today, with over 5 million shares being traded in the UK market’s first hour alone.

The price is currently at 30.5 pence ($.42).

Square Enix is expected to reveal more details about its deal with Eidos in March.

More over on GI.biz.

Namco has reached agreements to acquire 70 percent of D3′s shares, according to this Andriasang report.

The news apparently comes from a press release.

Namco hopes to acquire the full 100 percent of shares, at a price of 62,000 yen.

D3 will be turned into a wholly-owned Namco subsidiary.

Other detail from the press release outlines resulting benefits of the move:

• Cooperation on overseas content expansion using such products as D3′s BEN10 series.
• Increasing the value of D3′s content by tying it in with Bandai Namco Groups’ other “strategic business units” (the release mentions five such units: toys and hobbies, amusement facilities, game content, network, and video/music content).
• Use of Bandai Namco Games content with D3′s casual games series
• Use of D3′s content with Bandai Namco’s “multi-content” development system (this presumably refers to Bandai Namco’s ability to produce toys, anime and other products outside of games).
• For North American content development, improvement of development efficiency through shared use of technology (game engines, etc.)
• Cooperative development and promotions for mobile content
• Offering of new types of play and new content by using the combined knowhow of Bandai Namco Games and D3

Square Enix has made official an £84.3 million bid for Eidos.

The Eidos board has agreed to recommend the offer to shareholders, which is worth 32 pence per share.

The price represents a premium of 258 per cent over the price at the time the offer was made, January 14, and a premium of 91 per cent over the price average of the last three months.

Said Square boss Yoichi Wada: “Eidos is a talented developer and publisher of interactive entertainment products with a broad portfolio of highly successful mass market franchises, led by Tomb Raider, one of the most successful videogame franchises of all time.

“Eidos maintains a strong reputation for high quality development and proven expertise in creating characters and storylines that appeal to consumers. Eidos’ products are highly complementary to our business and will accelerate our aggressive expansion into Western markets.

“We believe that wide range of both companies’ quality products encompassing major genres will enable us to meet diversified customers’ expectations upon a global basis.”

This is all part of Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada’s push to go “global”.

More on GI.

Eidos revealed today that the company is in fresh talks about a potential takeover.

“The board can announce that it has received a preliminary approach which may or may not lead to an offer being made for the company,” Eidos said in a statement.

“Eidos emphasises that discussions are at a very early stage and that there can be no assurance that an offer will be forthcoming.”

Eidos hasn’t had the most positive start to the year unfortunately, announcing that the company would be lowering it’s yearly projections after Tomb Raider Underworld sales were below initial expectations.

By Mike Bowden

According to this Reuters report, Time Warner’s extended its share in Eidos to 20 percent.

The firm bought 10 million shares in the UK publisher to increase its stake.

Time Warner bought the shares on December 11 and now holds about 52.5 million shares in the company.

MCV’s rumouring that both Square and Warner are readying bids for Eidos.

The site’s quoting as source as saying: “I think Warner will still win, but it’s very interesting that Square have expressed this late interest. They are clearly looking for Western talent.”

Yoichi Wada has apparently already visited Denmark’s IO Studio and is set to return to the UK shortly to “move the deal forward.”

EA and Ubisoft were tagged this week as also having an interest in Eidos.

According to this Reuters report, quoting the Wall Street Journal, Sumner Redstone has sold his 87 percent share in Midway to investor Mark Thomas for $100,000, or $0.0012 a share.

Thomas will assume $70 million of senior secured and unsecured debt.

The sale amounts to a significant loss on Redstone’s investment but secures a hefty tax benefit as he negotiates other asset sales, the paper said.

Redstone has made the move to ease debt on his firm, National Amusements, which has about $1.6 billion in debt outstanding. Half of that will need to be repaid by year-end.

Blimey. More through the link.

Edge’s reporting a rumour piece that appeared in The Daily Mail this morning, which reckons SCi’s being looked at by EA and Ubisoft.

Apparently discussions of are at an “early stage” and that SCi has been approached by two separate publishers in a matter of weeks.

More through there.

According to this Reuters report, Koei and Tecmo have agreed terms to merge and will combine under a holding company in April next year.

The deal is worth $207 million.

Each Tecmo share will be exchanged for 0.9 shares in the holding company, while one share in the holding firm, called Tecmo Koei Holdings, will be allotted to each Koei share, allowing Koei shareholders to take three quarters of the new corporation.

More through there.

Activision’s bought Guitar Hero developer Budcat, the company’s confirmed.

The Iowa-based firm has worked on various versions of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero World Tour.

Budcat will now move on to “a new game in the Guitar Hero franchise.”

Press release after the link.

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