Forbes: Ubisoft a Good Match for Take-Two

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Several analysts have suggested that publisher Ubisoft may be a possible suitor for Take-Two as the company fields buyout and merger proposals.

According to a Forbes report, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick said in a quarterly earnings call last week that the company "had and continues to have formal discussions with interested parties," but did not specify further who the parties might be.

The report points to Ubisoft as a possible candidate, noting that the Prince of Persia publisher's rapid growth and expansion to mediums beyond gaming make it a good fit for Take-Two's properties, which include Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series and 2K Games' BioShock.

"Ubisoft has shown they do a good job of managing original intellectual property," said Cowen and Co. analyst Doug Creutz. "Culturally, Take-Two developers would not have a problem at Ubisoft because they allow a decent degree of creative freedom."

Ubisoft's somewhat meager sports offerings could also be bolstered by the acquisition of Take-Two, which owns 2K Sports. Though Ubisoft Yves Guillemont had voiced his hopes for an expansion into the sports genre, the company currently has only one sports title—Shaun White Snowboarding—planned for release.

"Ubisoft has grown phenomenally over the past few years," said Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald. "But the only way for them to continue to grow is to enter categories that they aren't in."

The long saga of Take-Two's corporate courtship began when publisher Electronic Arts made an unsolicited $2 billion offer for the company last February. Rejected by the company's board of directors, EA attempted a hostile takeover soon thereafter.

The deadline on EA's offer of $25.74 per share has been extended to June 16. Should Take-Two hold out, analysts expect EA to raise its bid to $28-30 per share.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    June 9, 2008 8:29 PM

    Seriously, how can I get a job for forbes where all I do is make up complete bullshit and people take it at face value? This is the 2nd or 3rd forbes article this week and I'm pretty sure the other ones were just as retarded.

    • reply
      June 9, 2008 8:46 PM

      they probably smoke up too...you are closer than you think!

    • reply
      June 9, 2008 8:51 PM

      lol...

    • reply
      June 9, 2008 9:36 PM

      This is what analysts do. All they do is speculate and make shit up.

    • reply
      June 9, 2008 11:16 PM

      They keep their jobs by either being more right than wrong or by being entertaining enough that they can slip by. Who knows...

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