EA Takes Out $1 Billion Loan To Acquire Take Two

Electronic Arts has taken out a $1 billion load from Morgan Stanley and lenders to help pay for its acquisition of Take Two, should it ever happen. The figure was revealed in recently released SEC filings.

According to EA VP of communications Jeff Brown, "There's no news here. This is just a process point on something we announced in February."

[Electronic Arts]

Please accept it!

I'm getting desperate!

[pwnmaster3000]

its ok that guy is just a hater and take stuff to seriously i still thought it was funny

[permutated]

So my comment got deleted, but the fake, lame ass EA guy above me doesn't get banned?

N4G sucks balls.

[Ovidius]

I was tempted to do something like that, since I was bored. It was a friday night much like this one. No date, and my PS3 was all the way on the other side of the room!! Still, I don't think that you should get THAT mad over the alternate account thing. However, it was funny at first, but now it is getting annoying.

Anyway, I really hope EA doesn't get T2. But if they do, will R* still be part of T2, err.. EA in this case? Will R* be able to leave after the deal with T2 is over?

[va_bank]

R* contract with Take 2 expires in February. Unless EA offers R* what they want, R* will find another publisher. The bad news - Take 2 (not R*) owns the rights to GTA, Midnight Club, Red Dead Revolver, Bully etc., so EA will get to keep the names and outsource game development to India, resulting in typical EA games.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

Hostile takeovers of a game company is like taking off the wheels on a car and attempting to drive it. If EvilA gets taketwo. The employees will bail. The talent that made and sustained the company will vacate like rats on a sinking ship.

[Real gamer 4 life]

Why is EA so desperately want take 2? Is it because of the grantheft auto franchise? Why dont they just leave it alone. All they going todo is mess up the game.

[The Closing]

What's there to mess up that isn't already broken? As it stands:Broken combat? Check! Broken Cover system? Check! Broken driving? Check! Broken shooting system? Check! Repetitive 7 year old scripted missions? Check!

[permutated]

Real gamer, how old are you, Four? Five? Your spelling is awful.

Also, GTA4 couldn't have been worse, so I'm not sure what more they could have possibly messed up under EA's rule.

[Hagaf22]

its not rockstar and gta they are after is the 2k sports series, they want to get rid of the sports competition, gta is just a bonus, but rockstar will separate from take 2 prior to a take over.

[va_bank]

$500,000,000 in sales the first week? Check.

This is not about gaming it's about money. They couldn't care if it was a Dora The Explorer game, as long as it made that money.

[Ali_The_Brit]

EA- Evil Assholes

[Dark General]

Before Take-2 finally caves in and accept EA's offer.

[gEnKiE]

Dammit...that sucks...

[Premonition]

if i were take two i would punch EA, its like the Microsoft and yahoo situation, no matter how many times yahoo says no, Microsoft just keeps putting money on the table, and its the same thing for EA.

[TwissT]

There goes GTA and Bioshock's soul.

[Jamaicangmr]

So it really seems like this sh!t is gonna happen, am depressed now. So GTA4 will be the last true GTA we get because now EA is gonna rob it's soul in order to pump out one every year.

[The Closing]

Grand Theft Auto III October 2001
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City October 2002
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, released in October 2004
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories October 2005
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories October 2006
Grand Theft Auto 3.5 April 2008

[PoSTedUP]

yuup, fuc ea, i hope sony takes it, its not likely but its a possibility. sony has more money than ea.

[PoSTedUP]

you guys have no idea, if this happens.... ea is gong to make a console keeping all their games exclusive, madden, gta etc. this is a good possibility. dont belive me look it up. its not for certaint but it might happen. if they buy out take2

[Close_Second]

...there was a chance for consumers to destroy EA this would be it. Basically, don't buy the next GTA titles and make their take over of Take Two a real waste of money.

Mind you, EA still make a killing as there are still too many people willing to part with their hard earned cash on sub-standard games.

[The Closing]

I wasn't planning on buying the next gta anyhow. So it's a win win.

[omni_atlas]

Fat chance that will be happening if you're a sports fan. Or for example, what happen to a boycott for Battlefield? It still sold millions.

What I want to know is if the SEC will intervene --- EA will def. become a SPORTS game monopoly after the take two purchase.

[Close_Second]

...I am disappointed at how the PS3 version of GTAIV tuned out. Sure it looks good but for the past 2 years we have been fed just how important the Cell and Blu-Ray is for gaming. Well, what benefit did the Cell or Blu-Ray bring to GTAIV for PS3 owners?

Nothing at all other than to make a game that could almost match the supposedly inferior Xbox 360.

However, I do wonder what GTAIV might have looked like if it had been designed from the ground up exclusively for the PS3.

[PoSTedUP]

it would of been beautiful

[Dark General]

GTA4 is meant to entertain above all else like other games. GTA has never been about being the most graphically superior game on the market but to be one of the most unique and entertaining experiences. I think both versions the 360 and Ps3 version of GTA4 proved just that.

[Marcello]

EA are just so utterly obsessed with getting hold of GTA. I find it becoming very sad.

Becareful wat you wish for EA, not because your get it but because your doomed not to like it once you do.