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Take-Two acquires WWE license

[UPDATE] Grand Theft Auto publisher picks up World Wrestling Entertainment license from bankrupt publisher THQ; deal finalized; Yuke's will remain developer.

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[UPDATE] Take-Two Interactive today confirmed that 2K had entered into an exclusive, multi-year licensing agreement with WWE for games to be developed by Yuke's. WWE '14 is due out this fall for "consoles" and will be the first title in the new partnership. Financial terms of the agreement were not divulged.

The original story follows below

The rumors were right. Bloomberg reports today that Take-Two has agreed to acquire the World Wrestling Entertainment license for video games following THQ's bankruptcy last month.

No Caption Provided

According to the documents, Take-Two's acquisition of the license will save millions by minimizing impact on WWE and developer Yuke's.

"By working together to transition development of WWE games going forward, the parties have minimized the harm to WWE and Yuke's, which have, in turn, agreed to substantial reductions of their claims" against THQ, lawyers for Take-Two said in court papers.

Without the new agreement, the Take-Two lawyers said WWE and Yuke's claims "would certainly exceed $30 million and might exceed $60 million." Other THQ franchises, like Homefront, Company of Heroes, and Saints Row, were sold during an auction last month.

The new agreement will nullify the previous WWE and Yuke's contracts, allowing the companies to sign new deals with Take-Two. According to the documents, WWE agreed to waive $45 million in pre-bankruptcy claims, as well as royalty advances of around $7.5 million through 2017.

As part of the new deal, THQ will pay WWE $650,000 in royalty payments for games sold while under bankruptcy protection. In addition, THQ will give its 14 percent stake in Yuke's--about 1,552,000 shares worth $4.5 million--back to the developer, as well as a $250,000 royalty payment.

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Randy21021

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Randy21021

To be Honest i haven't touch a wrestling game since PS2 days, ever since WWE went PG i just stop taking interest in wrestling

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DeViLzzz

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DeViLzzz

@Randy21021 Which means you really never liked wrestling so who cares.

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Randy21021

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Randy21021

@DeViLzzz @Randy21021 Hm Yes i did love wrestling but not anymore it's too kiddish i'm a 90s Era Kid so yeah..

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nardhardy

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nardhardy

WWF NO MERCY. Can we please get something close to it? submissions were brutal when someone submits,the realistic groggy opponents from long matches causing fatigue, the backstage access was on point,if i remember you can have a royal rumble back there if you want,the options were endless and gameplay was so much fun.

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xsnrgman

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xsnrgman

@nardhardy Too good to be true. But hopefully with Take-Two they can bring that gameplay back to life with current gen high fidelity graphics. If not, they don't get my money besides from GTA V eventually.

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dlCHIEF58

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dlCHIEF58

@xsnrgman @nardhardy

If you actually read the article, Yukes is still going to be the developer with Take Two publishing. Take Two is not making the game, though since they now have the license they have some say in the quality and hold the purse strings. So do not expect a game leaps and bounds over the last one since the same people are making it.

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Uri-Z

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Uri-Z

@xsnrgman @dlCHIEF58 @nardhardy If only they looked at Rockstar nicely and asked for the Euphoria Physics Engine... imagine the splendor... The tables... moves on the ropes... chairshot impacts... *sigh* in my dreams it will remain..

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xsnrgman

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xsnrgman

@dlCHIEF58 @xsnrgman @nardhardy Well it's a bit of a shame then. They want to suck in more money and barely improve last year's game. Only minor improvements hopefully one of them being easier controls. Doesn't look like enough for me to buy their game.

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kungfuj0

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kungfuj0

Note to Take Two:

FIRE (p)Yukes and reform AKI and let them guys do what they do (No Mercy, WM2000, WCW/NWO World Tour/Revenge). You'll have a hit on your hands in no time!

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DrKill09

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DrKill09

Please improve the controls.

2 • 
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berserker66666

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berserker66666

Can you spell "Bad Idea"?

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Leeric420

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Leeric420

@berserker66666 As oppose to THQ? yahhh you sir get the dumb comment of the day award.

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DrKill09

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DrKill09

@Leeric420 @berserker66666 There was nothing wrong with THQ. They at least took chances.

Saints Row > GTA

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dlCHIEF58

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dlCHIEF58

@DrKill09 @Leeric420 @berserker66666

And where is THQ now if there was nothing wrong with them? That's right, they aren't around anymore. At least Take Two has built up a reputation of focusing on quality in their games and delaying them when necessary to add polish, and I expect they will take the same care with the WWE license.

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BlackBaldwin

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BlackBaldwin

I was actually hoping for a new developer doing the wwe franchise instead of Yukes sure WWE13 was decent but it was the only decent game made with the license in the last four years maybe longer really but oh well didn't really have a lot of hope for change anyways...

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lorider25

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lorider25

N64 WCW VS NWO Revenge was my sh*t back in the day

10 • 
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Leeric420

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Edited By Leeric420

@lorider25 Hell ya, You know how long it would take to get the black bat when playing as sting? Foreva!

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FAIL_TR0LL

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FAIL_TR0LL

@lorider25

Man, I hate wrestling, but that game was amazing.

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vishnuvanjara

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vishnuvanjara

Take Two thanks for given one more good game

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Fryboy101

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Fryboy101

i swear if they use the euphoria physics engine in the next WWE game, it might be the best wrestling game

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SavoyPrime

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SavoyPrime

So Yuke's is still gonna be developing? Damn. Well, there goes my interest for WWE games. I was hoping Take-Two was going to start with a clean slate. I haven't been impressed with any of the WWE games since Yuke's started developing.

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RedLegZeff

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Edited By RedLegZeff

They still make wrestling games? Haven't really payed attention to them since the 90's.

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chuckles471

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chuckles471

So does this mean that steriod use will be part of the gameplay?

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ManHooYin

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Edited By ManHooYin

I might actually buy a wwe game now I buy pretty much anything Rockstar is involved in.

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debryson

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debryson

@ManHooYin It wouldnt be Rockstar -__- Take Two is a big company and Rockstar is just one division. They will likely sign a deal to keep Yuke's as the developer and have 2k sports/games publish.

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ManHooYin

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ManHooYin

@debryson @ManHooYin lol i actually read it wrong hehe my bad cos i read the title it said ' GTA publisher picks up wwe.....' In my mind immediately replaced Take-Two with Rockstar hahahaha got excited thinking Rockstar would be developing it. Though don't like the idea of Yuke's continuing developing it I hope 2K sports will do something to improve the franchise cos they do make some decent sports games, for me mainly NBA.

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ManHooYin

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Edited By ManHooYin

@debryson @ManHooYin lol i actually read it wrong hehe my bad cos i read the title it said ' GTA publisher picks up wwe.....' In my mind immediately replaced Take-Two with Rockstar hahahaha got excited thinking Rockstar would be developing it. Though don't like the idea of Yuke's continuing developing it I hope 2K sports will do something to improve the franchise cos they do make some decent sports games, for me mainly NBA.

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WCK619

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WCK619

I would love to see what a rockstar publisher would do with the franchise.

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iBuzz7S

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iBuzz7S

@Metallicwolf29 Tell that to the millions *and millions* of people who tune in every Monday night to watch Raw.

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Chico_Azteca

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Edited By Chico_Azteca

@iBuzz7S @Metallicwolf29

Those are mostly Cena kids

3 • 
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WCK619

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WCK619

@iBuzz7S by "different audience" you mean little children right?

4 • 
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iBuzz7S

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iBuzz7S

@Metallicwolf29 @iBuzz7S Ha ha, so you were a fan long ago? :p

I guess you're right, but it's doing fine today. They are appealing to a different audience and with everything they are associated with, going back to the Attitude Era will burn bridges with many contacts.

Regardless, it's a video game. I don't think it matters which era they are in because you can set those matches to end however you like. Hundred chair shots and blood = win. >=]

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