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EA, THQ takeover rumors spur stock

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Sep 23, 2009 10:59 am PT

Rumors of bids by Microsoft, Warner send Madden and UFC Undisputed publishers' share prices skyward.

A new wave of consolidation has hit the game industry since the economic downturn began last year, with Square Enix picking up Eidos, Tecmo merging with Koei, Warner Bros. snagging Midway out of bankruptcy, Namco Bandai buying D3Publisher, and most recently, ZeniMax purchasing id Software.

"Get me Riccitello and Farrell on the phone!"

The wave may not have broken just yet, as rumors of takeovers of THQ and Electronic Arts are pushing the publishers' share prices higher this week, Reuters reports. According to the wire service, rumors are circulating that Microsoft is pondering an acquisition of Electronic Arts, and a major media company is preparing a takeover bid for THQ. Last year, EA was in the suitor's seat, as it spent months pursuing an ultimately unsuccessful hostile takeover of Take-Two Interactive.

As an acquisition, EA could instantly bolster Microsoft's Xbox 360 effort by making franchises like Need for Speed, Medal of Honor, and Skate exclusive to the system. EA also has a number of big-name licenses, including Harry Potter and the exclusive gaming rights to the National Football League, although change-of-ownership clauses could prevent those titles from becoming Xbox 360 exclusives. In addition to its original and licensed titles, EA also runs the EA Partners program, which offers various publishing and distribution services to developers and covers titles like Rock Band, Brutal Legend, and Crysis 2.

The Reuters report doesn't single out candidates to make the THQ bid, but a Dow Jones Newswire article specifies MTV Games owner Viacom and Warner Bros. parent Time Warner as potential suitors. THQ recently enjoyed a significant hit with the chart-topping UFC 2009 Undisputed on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. THQ's stable of franchises also includes wholly owned properties like Saints Row, Red Faction, and the soon-to-debut Darksiders, as well as series based on licenses like WWE wrestling and Nickelodeon TV shows.

In both cases, the rumors have driven the supposed targets' stock prices higher. THQ opened the week with shares at $6.51, and by press time, the price had jumped roughly 15 percent to $7.47. EA shares are up nearly 8 percent from $18.55 to $19.95 in the same span of time.

324 Comments

  • MasonChaos

    Posted Nov 29, 2009 5:44 am PT

    Just so you know EA= Brutal Legend, Need For Speed, Left 4 Dead, Dragon Age: Origins, Dante's Inferno, C&C, 95% of sports games.
    Activison= Modern Warfare, Crappy Tony Hawk games, Crappy Guitar Hero Games
    UbiSoft= Assassin's Creed

    Winner= EA

  • MasonChaos

    Posted Nov 29, 2009 5:41 am PT

    @ Rygarr

    I would definatly buy EA before Activision and Ubisoft. Although, I would try to buy infinty ward from under activision.

  • Rygarr

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 6:31 pm PT

    I don't care about MS buying EA if Sony buys Activision and Ubisoft.

  • issizots

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 10:48 am PT

    oh yea and a few more things to add to the OBSCENENESS of MICROSOFT trying to HELP out people in our bad economic times just LOOK at the PRICE TAG of Windows??? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

  • issizots

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 10:48 am PT

    every single Operating System they've released since um... Windows 95 has literally had something substantially wrong with it when they could have easily fixed it WHILE BETA was in effect, and i'm "not sure" if M$ knows what beta means, but it's the process where you "FIX EVERYTHING BEFORE IT IS RELEASED SO THERE ARE NO BUGS" like i said the WORLD OF GAMING was BETTER and at its BEST when Nintendo/Sega/Sony ruled the planet, now look, it's "ALL" about exclusives... And DO NOT say sony are just as bad IF you count the number of exclusives on the 360 compared to the PS3 YOU WILL SEE that sony HAD to literally have Exclusives just to keep it's market because Micromoney just tried to HOGG it all. just think how much microsoft is helping our country right now, what contributions have they gave our country/planet except excess HIGH prices and lame (_(_) ways to monopolize everything they see FIT. I H_A_T_E M_I_C_R_O_S_O_F_T_ and i'm SURE Bill Gates is even SICK with it... the world is going to turn on microsoft soon, iand they'll wish they were more rewarding, I just wish another Operating System besides MAC and Linux were available to ACTUALLY blow Windows out of the competition, then their SUPER HIGH PRICED OE wouldn't be making them billions, they'd only have their overrated/overcharged xbox 360 and network to make money from....amongst other things...monopoly potentials

  • issizots

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 10:38 am PT

    IF EA LETS microsoft buy them it just shows how you become "The worlds BIGGEST SELLOUT" and they will be absolutely CRUSHED with hate and possible crazed gamers trying to assassinate them...who knows, but if microsoft gets EA in it's hands i'll literally BE SICK, and to see microsoft TRY to boycotte the market just for it's console INSTEAD of WORKING TOGETHER to make the gaming market better, shows JUST how stupid, pathetic, and undoubtly the worst company to hit this earth with helping other companies out. all they look for is to help THEMSELVES and in our economic times they DANG sure don't care about anybody else, talking about making titles exclusives that's already out like DLC? that's called breach of contract and i'll be sure to have a class-action law suite sent straight TO EA/Microsoft for some BIG $$. There was a time...

  • issizots

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 10:38 am PT

    I once remembered when Microsoft only had games on the Computer, THOSE WERE THE BEST GAME DAYS EVER, because we didn't have sony and nintendo trying to cut each other off from exclusives and such. now that Microsoft is in the mix everything IS GOING TO CRAP, and i hope microMONEY knows that if they do buy this they will NOT make people like me want an xbox 360 anymore, the console is LAST GENERATION, i'm staying with my "this/next" generation console. Heh If microsoft really knew how to compete they'd throw away the 360 in the garbage and make a NEW console that can ATLEAST keep up with the ps3's hardware and stop slowing games down COUGH "FFXIII" COUGH and makeing things for us people who do nothing BUT give these big corperate jerks their paychecks in the price of buying their games. I just bought dragonage origins and NOW i have to worry that if microsoft buys EA the two year DLC won't be guarenteed for PS3? cuz i KNOW M$ sure would LOVEEEE to monopolize every bit of content just so ppl will literally have to buy their CRAP console but i will not. I hope someone finds some way to sue the CRAP out of M$ and TOTALLY cripple it's line and literally put them OUT of business, GOD that would put the world BACK ON track with gaming liek it USED to be. enough SAID, i'm SO MAD i can't even think straight...

  • snake3rules

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 10:35 am PT

    shouldnt monopoly law prevent them from buying EA? That is far too much of a hold on the videogaming world.... Soon all EA games will only be 360 .... Microsoft has already been stopped once (maybe more) for trying shat like this ... they think they can just buy out the competition and use money to win any war....

  • iwantapepsi

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 1:41 pm PT

    is microsoft trying to buy out all the oter compancy this is not monoply at&t tryed it before and it didnt work

  • DavidRI

    Posted Sep 27, 2009 10:31 pm PT

    Microsux + EA = even more lousy game titles

  • benjamin385

    Posted Sep 26, 2009 6:26 pm PT

    Well you need to follow the rules of Monopoly Microsoft if you are going to at least try and make an Monopoly.

    Pass Go collect $200.00
    lol

    But in all seriousness I would Hate Microsoft forever if this happened...

    I own Both Consoles Xbox 360 is ok same with the PS3
    Just if Microsoft Forced EA into an Position to well make games exclusively for X box 360 and windows. Just some games are better on PS3 than 360 and Vice-verca.

  • scarface_dm

    Posted Sep 26, 2009 6:12 pm PT

    It would be wise of MS to buy Ea, to extend there exclusive game library because as it stands now I see not too many new exclusives for 360, and I just hate for the 360 to lose fans to the ps3 because of this!!

  • david1233

    Posted Sep 26, 2009 1:02 am PT

    i'd love if MS bought EA

  • shavedballbag

    Posted Sep 25, 2009 2:32 pm PT

    Don't know if MS would get approval for an EA takeover. Definitely might be some monopoly issues there.

  • capedbear

    Posted Sep 24, 2009 11:54 pm PT

    MS wants to rule the gaming world. Too bad they don't spend that money to make better or more innovative games. Fanboy wars are tiring but so is MS need for monopoly.

  • spyfromspace

    Posted Sep 24, 2009 4:15 pm PT

    everything in the gaming news spark a fanboy war....hum...except Wii news

  • im-a-roustabout

    Posted Sep 24, 2009 3:53 pm PT

    Big surprise, MS trying to create another monopoly. The guy was sued for billions and yet he has not learned his lesson yet.

  • Potemkin2005

    Posted Sep 24, 2009 11:08 am PT

    armyof1jjk, I think you're wrong about Microsoft not innovating. I think they would because eventually sales would begin to dwindle and the only way to spur them would be with upgraded hardware.

    You clearly don't understand your own examples either bro. That or you're so incapable of explaining yourself clearly that I can't understand what you're trying to say.

    I'm not going to spend time discussing OSes any further because this discussion should be about gaming.

    Overall though, agree to disagree bro.

    However, my opinion isn't foolish, arrogant or short-sighted. It's too bad you couldn't argue your point intelligently enough to not resort to personal insults. Have a great day!

  • Jshaw71

    Posted Sep 24, 2009 10:56 am PT

    i am not sure whats worse, for ea to stay in it's owners hands, or to be bought by M$... meh' i guess we'll see in the end...

  • LittleDuck

    Posted Sep 24, 2009 10:30 am PT

    I don't like EA, but considering the amount of the gaming market it owns and all it's contracts, I don't want to see it taken over.

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