Finally Over: EA Stops Trying to Buy Take-Two

After months of offers, rejection and possible hostile take-overs, EA have finally given up on their quest to buy the GTA producing Take-Two.

Up until now an offer was still very possible and the two companies were in talks. As of today however, all talks have stopped and the deal is off the table. From EA’s press release:

Electronic Arts… today announced that while EA continues to have a high regard for Take-Two’s creative teams and products, after careful consideration, including a management presentation and review of other due diligence materials provided by Take-Two… EA has decided not to make a proposal to acquire Take-Two and has terminated discussions with Take-Two.

So, after nearly 9 months of talk and 6 months of bidding, we can all rest assured that we wont be seeing an “All Play” BioShock 2 or GTA Sims.

Take-Two have also released a press release in similarly polite terms:

We remain focused on creating value for our stockholders and our consumers. This has been our goal since EA launched its conditional and unsolicited bid six months ago, a bid which was repeatedly rejected by our stockholders. As part of that commitment, we remain actively engaged in discussions with other parties in the context of our formal process to consider strategic alternatives. We’re especially proud of the success we’ve enjoyed over the past eighteen months and we remain confident in our ability to generate value for stockholders.

With EA out the window, what other “strategic alternatives” could Take-Two be considering? Who has the bank balance to meat the estimated $2.1 billion price tag? Activision Blizzard might have some cash left over after their $18.8 billion merger. Any one up for some Guitar Hero: Civilization?

Via: Game Politics