Efter att Take Twos ledning valde att nobba ett bud från EA på 2 miljarder dollar (13 miljarder svenska kronor eller 26 dollar per aktie) har EA gått ut och offentliggjort sitt bud för att Take Twos aktieägare själva ska kunna ta ställning till det. Budet är 64 procent högre än Take Twos aktievärde i fredags, men tajmingen är så klart inte den bästa för aktieägarna då företaget gör sig redo att lansera sin viktigaste produkt Grand Theft Auto IV.
EA-chefen John Riccitello har skickat ut följande uttalande:
"Our all-cash proposal is a unique opportunity for Take-Two shareholders to realize immediate value at a substantial premium, while creating long-term value for EA shareholders. Take-Two's game designers would also benefit from EA's financial resources, stable, game-focused management team, and strong global publishing capabilities."
Take Two-chefen Strauss Zelnick var dock inte lättflörtad i pressreleasen som Take Two sände ut strax efteråt:
"Electronic Arts' proposal provides insufficient value to our shareholders and comes at absolutely the wrong time given the crucial initiatives underway at the Company. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our creative and business teams, Take-Two has made enormous strides in the past 10 months toward our common goal of being the most creative, innovative and efficient company in our industry. We're extremely proud of our unique portfolio of game franchises, exceptional creative talent and loyal consumer following. Our Board believes that we will build greater value for our stakeholders by remaining relentlessly focused on our strategy and delivering on our mission of making the highest quality interactive entertainment.
In addition to undervaluing key elements of our business, EA's proposal fails to recognize the value we are building through our ongoing turnaround efforts, which will further revitalize Take-Two. While we have made substantial progress already, the turnaround of our business which we initiated in June is not yet complete, and we believe its benefits have not been recognized in either our current stock price or in the value of EA's proposal."
Räkna med en spännande tid framöver. Beslutet ligger i aktieägarnas händer. Har de tålamod med att vänta på att Take Two-ledningen kanske vänder skutan med Grand Theft Auto IV eller kommer de välja att casha in och acceptera EA:s bud. Fortsättning följer...