John-ShepardActivision Blizzard has Call of Duty and World of Warcraft . But that may not be enough for Kotick and Co.
Some time ago, EA pursued Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive and although negotiations went on for some time, the deal never happened. However, a new potential buyer has emerged: Activision.
A recent article at MCV has incited a storm of discussion and controversy; the piece cites "a senior executive" who says the CoD publisher might make a play for Take-Two. And then, GameSpot sources added fuel to the fire, as those sources have confirmed "talks" between the two companies. The history is clear- Activision merged with Vivendi back in 2007 (a massive $18.9 billion deal) and we all remember when they picked up Blizzard. It's why Activision has become the industry's biggest publisher, supplanting the previous king, Electronic Arts. But hey, Guitar Hero and DJ Hero are gone, and so is True Crime .
So maybe they need more. Grabbing Take-Two would give them Grand Theft Auto , which means Activision would have control of what are – arguably – the three biggest video game franchises of all time. And let's not forget about the Red Dead series, which just got a huge kick into blockbuster-ville with last year's Red Dead Redemption . Plus, they'd get Bioshock , Civilization , Borderlands , and the 2K Sports branch. EA tried to get Take-Two with a $2 billion offer but that was declined, so what might Activision have to offer…? Well, remember that Take-Two's stock is actually lower now than it was when EA tried to purchase them, although it's important to note the soaring of Take-Two's stock when GTAIV launched.
Well, whatever happens, we have a bad feeling this won't go over well with those who already dislike Activision. Trying to corner the market, are we…?