Grand Theft Auto IV sales slow, gives EA upper hand in Take-Two merger? |
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Here's some news on the EA/Take-Two merger negotiations for those interested in the politics behind video game development.We all know that the ace in T2's sleeve in its negotiations with Electronic Arts is the indisputable success of Grand Theft Auto IV (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360).
However, the game's been out for months now and sales are bound to slow down. In fact, new data from the NPD Group shows that the game has gone down from the 45th best selling game last July, to 46th last month, although the game was still the top seller for that month.
With sales slowing down, there's also some concern that the game might not meet sales expectations. Ben Charny, analyst for Dow Jones NewsPlus, believes that this may complicate matters in the merger negotiations.
T2 has always managed to delay the merger's deadline by claiming that EA is undervaluing the company with its US$ 2 billion bid. With declining sales of GTA IV, however, they may be forced to accept that demand as their stock values decrease. Perhaps it wasn't so smart for them to keep holding off negotiations after all.
In which case, well played, EA.
Related Articles:
- No dice: Take-Two execs slam EA's fifth buyout offer
- EA, Take-Two finally begin closed door talks
- NPD, Chart Track, Enterbrain combined global report: GTA4 on top
Via CNN
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Comments [refresh]
If Take-Two is smart, which I believe they are they will never sell to EA
This is because everybody in the world, including those in every country in Africa and Asia lol, have already got GTA IV. Think of all your friends, they all have it, right? So who is actually left to buy it, no-one that's who. Hell, I bet every copy that's being bought now is just by people who have lost or accidently broken their copy.
I know some friends that have given up on 360 and will need a PS3 copy. No fanboyism though.
ever heard of a hostile takeover?
I think this article is written in a bit of a biased manner, or at least overly-presumptive. Now, I may be mistaken, but didn't this all start out at a *hostile* takeover bid from EA?
And, since that didn't work out, didn't they then petition the Govt to allow a Merger discussion, instead? --I mean, the article reads as though Take Two was being "bad" or ignorant from not just lying down, rolling over, and taking EA's crap-low bid for buyout. And, if GTA IV is STILL the top-selling title, months after its debut, I don't see how that "weakens" their bargaining position.
But, in all, it just reads to me like the author is under the impression that "it's a given" that EA will buy them out, and that Take Two are fools for not taking an earlier offer.
Maybe .... just maybe... EA will (& should) fail at its takeover attempt. Hmmm, ....I guess then they would have to focus their company's attention on some other endeavor ..... perhaps something like .....CREATING GAMES? :-O
I'm waiting for a price drop. I just don't like games with a lot of hype.
It's interesting how you would read the article as biased, when I could say the same thing for your comment.