Imagine BioShock, War of Worldcraft, Red Dead, Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty under the same roof. That would be the scenario if Activision-Blizzard were able to acquire Take-Two Interactive.
A new rumor report suggests this very scenario is in the early stages of playing out. According to MCV, an anonymous senior executive has divulged that discussions are taking place at a high level about the acquisition. At this time they are only that: discussions.
This wild rumor shouldn’t be dismissed so quickly. Within the past week Activision jettisoned its Guitar Hero and DJ Hero franchises, then sent in-development True Crime: Hong Kong to the chopping block. By trimming the excess, they could be positioning themselves to fill in the gaps with big proven franchises with growth potential like BioShock, Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead.
Assuming this rumor is true and Activision is gearing up to take over Take-Two, their path to success won’t be easy. Only two years ago EA pushed approximately $2 billion across the table to Take-Two and were turned away. Take-Two’s management considered the bid to be under-valued despite it being priced generously above the company’s share value.
It would be in Activision’s best interest to get the deal done by year’s end. BioShock Infinite, the third game in Take-Two’s immensely popular franchise, is set for release next year. With Red Dead Redemption in the rearview mirror, we’re getting into the time frame when the next Grand Theft Auto will be announced. Those are two games Activision would love to have under their belt before they hit shelves.
Unexpectedly, Activision and Take-Two are responding with “no comments” to the rumor report.
