Take-Two shares plummet after EA deal sours

Grand Theft Auto publisher's stock price drops 28 percent after would-be acquirer walks away from formal discussions.

Take-Two Interactive stock opened this morning's trading at $15.80, down more than $6 from its previous closing for a tumble of nearly 28 percent. The drop was the result of Electronic Arts announcing on Sunday that it was walking away from discussions to acquire the Grand Theft Auto publisher, and would not be making another offer.

Back in February, before Electronic Arts went public with its acquisition attempt, Take-Two Interactive stock was trading at $17.36. EA's original $2 billion offer worked out to about $26 per share, and the stock immediately soared to match that price. In the weeks surrounding the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV, Take-Two stock was actually trading higher than the offer, peaking just shy of $28.

While Take-Two stock has lost all those gains and then some, news out of the publisher since the original offer was made has been generally positive. In addition to the successful launch of GTAIV, Take-Two has posted a pair of glowing quarterly reports, the latest issued earlier this month.

275 Comments

  • vengeance00

    Posted Oct 9, 2008 2:23 am GMT

    hopefully they'll go with Activision blizzard or blizzard activision (whatever they are called) they produce some very good quality games (except WOW cos WOW sucks)

  • YoJim8obaJoe

    Posted Sep 24, 2008 10:52 pm GMT

    Surely this must be good at least in the long run,the more companys that stave of the ever hungry EA must be good,right?

  • darkride66

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 8:31 am GMT

    GodLike500 said "Oh yes, Microsoft destroyed Bungie, Rare, and Epic. It's a shame Halo wasn't a blockbuster... Seriously darkride, does your hatred of Bill Gates' empire cloud your history lessons?"
    Where did that come from? I've got nothing against Microsoft, I'm just saying that if people are critical of the way that EA did business how on earth can they endorse a company with as checkered a past as Microsoft. Last I checked, EA was never sued for breaching anticompetitive legislature. Microsoft has been found guilty in courts all over the world, time and time again. And as for MS's track record with studios: Ensemble: Being dissolved, Bungie: broke away and is now independant, Carbonated Games: dissolved, Digital Anvil: dissolved, Hired Gun: dissolved after making porting Halo 2 to the PC, FASA Interactive: Closed, Indie Built: Sold off (actually to Take Two).
    I don't understand how anyone who says EA is evil could possible endorse Microsoft.

  • acsam12304

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 9:43 pm GMT

    @subrosian

    i know what u mean.. its notthing to do with T2 being able to make games or not.

    i just want to rub in the face of those stock holders not supporting T2 cuz they wouldnt gow ith EA.

  • Gamerzone23

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 3:53 pm GMT

    Cabal23
    The only games I like from Epic are Unreal Champions & Gears of War...everything else is dumb.

  • MatzeEdend

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 3:24 pm GMT

    "Microsoft? Are you kidding? MS has a terrible track record for destroying studios."

    So does EA for that matter... it's probably a good thing for Take-Two that the deal fell through.

  • GodLike500

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 2:06 pm GMT

    Oh yes, Microsoft destroyed Bungie, Rare, and Epic. It's a shame Halo wasn't a blockbuster... Seriously darkride, does your hatred of Bill Gates' empire cloud your history lessons?

  • darkride66

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 7:03 am GMT

    blackace said "Glad they didn't get EA buy them out. Hopefully they can merge with UbiSoft, Microsoft or maybe Activision to help them out."
    Microsoft? Are you kidding? MS has a terrible track record for destroying studios.

  • blackace

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:47 pm GMT

    Glad they didn't get EA buy them out. Hopefully they can merge with UbiSoft, Microsoft or maybe Activision to help them out. Anyone besides EA would be a better merger for Take-Two.

  • subrosian

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:31 pm GMT

    acsam12304

    There are more important things than stock prices. The stock price was driven up in hopes of an EA buyout, which would mean mondo profits for people holding shares of Take Two. That inflation in stock value went away when the deal was off the table, back to where it should have been based on Take Two's own performance.

    That's not surprising, nor will it hurt Take Two in any way, stock price does not directly equal the ability of a company to perform.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:15 pm GMT

    I glad they didnt go with EA

  • xdeiri

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 8:18 pm GMT

    Ea is evil buying and not buying

  • acsam12304

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 7:21 pm GMT

    just cuz Take Two said no to EA. there stock fell!?

    wow that is justa lot of BS. those stock holders dont know anything i should go and buy Take Two stock and make it go up and see those stupid stock holders cry... cuz Take Two stock will be high making money

  • piggyvsnfc

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 7:05 pm GMT

    Considering EA's long history of screwing up good franchises this can only be good news. If you don't believe me look at the 60 some page official glitch lists for Mercs 2. I for one am glad this has occurred as I have been leading a boycott of EA in order to avoid TT from being acquired. Also if you like GTA now you can actually afford some of their stock at a point it can only rise from. This is kinda how the stock market works. Buy low sell high. All that really happened here was EA made some money for TT stock holders who saw an opportunity and made themselves look stupid in the process. Also whoever said TT messed up as EA is a piggy bank. Yes EA is a piggy bank, problem is it's full of hard earned money taken from gamers like us, who didn't receive the products promised. Now about the DLC it has been said many times already it will be released sometime in the last three months of the year but should be out before the Christmas rush. You do want it to work properly right? If so be patient lest you want a glitch fest.

  • Skrilla_XS

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 6:53 pm GMT

    *ctg867

    Since when is 2K Sports failing?

  • ctg867

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 6:29 pm GMT

    Maybe if you get Rockstar to finally open their mouth about the GTA IV DLC, then maybe your stocks wouldn't be plummeting eh? How about actually giving some details on stuff like Max Payne 3, GTA Chinatown Wars, L.A. Noire, or Red Dead Revolver 2?

    And you wonder why your stock is plummeting. A company with tight lips (Rockstar), a failing sports division (2K Sports), and a company that isn't putting out ANY big name games until next year (2K Games with Bioshock 2, Champions Online, Borderlands, and Mafia II), doesn't exactly make Take-Two a prosperous company, especially in a serious recession like we have going on now.

  • tawagivercetti

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 5:07 pm GMT

    It doesnt lower the quality of their games so why is this news here?? gamers care not 4 this news

  • shinchy

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 4:50 pm GMT

    Wasn't nearly every single Share in existance down though!?

  • hannify

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 4:43 pm GMT

    I think a bad move you made Take-two - use EA as a piggy bank thats all you need to do

  • Ryuketsu2043

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 3:58 pm GMT

    Ya its down now till they announce their next game them WHAM it will be sky high again..no way i want anything EA near these guys

  • Jigsaw9798

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 3:50 pm GMT

    @Autolycus No it's not.

  • LOXO7

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 3:33 pm GMT

    Haha Take2

  • darkride66

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:38 pm GMT

    Autolycus said "Dont forget Fallout3 is published by TT."
    I have high hopes for Fallout 3 but it's not simply a matter of having great games. Take two had great titles in the past couple of years, like Bioshock and Oblivion, all the 2K sports games, Civilization, The Darkness and guess what? They were a step away from bankruptcy the entire time. GTA4 saved their bacon for now but can they continue like this again till GTA5?

  • Shorty_wTF

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:36 pm GMT

    :X:X:X:X

  • nobeaner

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:15 pm GMT

    In response to darkride66.
    I totally agree with your take on TT spending habits. As someone who has now experienced downsizing twice, it always disgusts me when I hear executives make such decisions. Especially when the writing is on the wall that spending needs to be brought back into check to avoid bankruptcy or being forced to downsize.

  • Autolycus

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:07 pm GMT

    Dont forget Fallout3 is published by TT

  • saintsrowCS

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:00 pm GMT

    I'm glad TTwo wasn't taken over and this shares plummet does have to do with EA's deal going sour but also has to do with a historic horrible day in trading

  • redsoxman05

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:30 pm GMT

    It's not going to affect the company much, I don't think.

    As a side note: release a patch for trophies for GTA IV! ;-)

  • iamtheju

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:30 pm GMT

    Yep I'm glad there won't be more talks with EA aswell. We don't need EA going around ruining more good games. The makers of GTA can do no wrong in my eyes and if i wasn't so poor i'd pay for the next GTA installation myself if i had to. lmao

  • lanista

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:15 pm GMT

    @Phlakaton
    "EA doesnt own them"

    agree

    good for gamers judging by previous hostility against a EA takeover

    "and their stock will rise again. No worries from me. Good games are in their catalog and the stock market is a long term beast."

    yes, anyone interested in the share price should take a long term view

  • Phlakaton

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:11 pm GMT

    EA doesnt own them -- and their stock will rise again. No worries from me. Good games are in their catalog and the stock market is a long term beast.

  • lanista

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:11 pm GMT

    @markharris31
    "Post-GTA launch they're trading lower than before the EA buyout offer. That's pretty terrible."

    I agree. Share price is now lower - and that's AFTER the massive success of GTA4 and the corresponding great trading results / profits.

    What will it now take to get the stock back up? After all it's not easy to replicate the huge success of GTA4, even with it's other titles.

    I can't see it happening any time soon.

  • PA_DUTCH

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:01 pm GMT

    Rome was fighting a two front war...same with the Germans during WWII and France during the Napoleonic wars

  • Amir29

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:51 am GMT

    I'm sorry, but I don't see this affecting the company much. Yes the stock value plummetted, but that's because of EA's target value and not TT's. Now that this entire fiasco is over, we're seeing te actual value of the share price returning and that's normal.

    I see a VERY bright future for TTwo. They've already made the investments to go NextGen and it's already paid off with GTA4, but that's not all they have. The 2K sports line up (though not always the best) is defintely a big sports gaming competitor with profitable sales. They're also publishing Bioshock this year along with two sequels to follow. These are not just great titles, but franchises that will continue to profit year after year. This will contiually increase the profits of the company and of course the value of each share as they exceed earnings.

    This is not "Bad News" in my opinion. In actuality, I think it's a great time to invest. Other companies are skimming bankruptcy while trying to prepare for the demand of NextGen software, and TT is already ahead in the game and actually profitting. I wouldn't be surprised to hear of TT looking to expand itself, and finding a suitable and talented company to take over itself.

  • markharris31

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:41 am GMT

    Duh. TT is a sinking ship, has been for years. They've been plugging the holes with Bioshock and GTA, but they can't float forever at this rate. Post-GTA launch they're trading lower than before the EA buyout offer. That's pretty terrible.

    @mov
    Stockholders are the only reason you have so much capital available for gaming in the first place, friend. Where do you think the seed money for those games comes from? Investors, of course. That's how business works, friends, and without investors, companies, "teh evil corporations" you wouldn't have many of the innovations we take for granted today. Quit being blind and naive, it's annoying.

  • darkride66

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:33 am GMT

    Myzz617 said "But It is not like TT is going to go bankrupt."
    But that's the thing, isn't it. TT could easily go bankrupt. They have huge debt and despite having an outstanding lineup they refused to make any money until GTA4 due to rampant overspending which doesn't seem to be slowing. Standard and Poors stated today "Despite the recent success
    of Grand Theft Auto and expanded operating
    margin, we believe TTWO will have difficulty
    maintaining its sales momentum and operational
    improvement."
    Frankly, I don't have any faith in the new board. First thing they did when they were hired was give themselves huge raises and pay out stock options to the company that hired them. Since then they haven't slowed their spending at all. That's not how you run a business.

  • Trindris

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:19 am GMT

    Cabal23, You can't say your own messages epic fail people, you arrogant cur (heheh cur).

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