Posted Feb 07, 2008 at 06:09AM by Jay P. Listed in: Reviews, Rumors Tags: Microsoft, PS2, Take-Two Interactive, Viacom
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Rumor: Viacom to buy Take Two Interactive - Image 1For everyone's benefit, we won't be beating around the bush with this particular rumor. Apparently, there's a speculation circulating that Viacom will be acquiring Take-Two Interactive.

As of last year, a group of shareholders that include OppenheimerFunds, SAC Capital management, and Tudor Investment fired the company's management and retained ZelnickMedia to manage it.

Also, the company has been experiencing several delays regarding high-caliber titles Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360, PS3) and Manhunt 2 (Wii, PSP, PS2).

Viacom, on the other hand, has been actively buying gaming assets over the past couple of years and struck a deal with Microsoft that involved a gaming component.

It's just not natural for a media conglomerate such as Viacom to buy whatever gaming publisher it sees fit because the acquired gaming firm could lose revenue from licensed games that are based on properties from rival media companies.

Most of these licensing deals have rules that allow the property owner to take the license somewhere else if the published gets sold to a competitor. As for Take-Two Interactive, they don't have that kind of situation since most of their games are developed internally.

It's one of the reasons why their operating expenses have always been higher than the industry's average. Putting everything together, it seems that both Take-Two Interactive and Viacom won't be having any problems whenever this does push through in the future.

Just a fair warning to those who like to let their minds wonder off when thinking about rumors, nothing is still set in stone. Don't forget that these industry rumors should be taken with a good dose of skepticism.


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3 Comments


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   by chris m - 2008-02-07
 » hmm

something about GTA being published by Viacom doesn't sound right


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   Re: DBLAZE - 2008-02-07
 » Good Move IMO

To me it sounds VERY RIGHT! Viacom owns MTV, BET, Nick and many other young people networks. With Viacom having this young audience and all these music rights from videos and artists; it's like a match made in Heaven! Imagine all the music in the next GTA or Midnight Racing game...Very good move for both companies if you ask me!
   by chris m - 2008-02-07
 » ?

Viacom owns MTV, BET, Nick and many other young people networks. With Viacom having this young audience

you just hit the nail on the head with that
imagine a GTA getting released under Viacom, everyone would be up in arms saying it's being marketed towards children(even more)



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