Take-Two Shareholders Slash Stock in Company

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Take-Two Shareholders Slash Stock in Company


The drama at Take-Two [http://www.take2games.com/] continues to mount as the company's two biggest shareholders have slashed their holdings in the company.

FMR LLC [https://www.oppenheimerfunds.com/], reduced its stock even more dramatically, from 14.7 percent to 2.75 percent.

The concern now is that the moves will undermine Take-Two's postition that Wedbush Morgan [http://www.ea.com]said, "To the extent there was speculation that shareholders would band together and hold out for more money from EA, that's kind of shot down now. They are voting on this deal and they are voting with their feet. They know they have no leverage."

Shareholders have also launched a lawsuit in Delaware against company management, claiming that its refusal to explore the offer but then subsequently arranging large payout packages for executives if the company is taken over amounts to "breaches of fiduciary duty."

Company chairman Strauss Zelnick recently said he believes Take-Two has a "really bright future [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/82025]as an independent company," but added that he was willing to engage in further negotiations with EA following the release of Grand Theft Auto IV in April.


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Quindo

New member
Jul 18, 2006
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Ive seen this coming and it's terrible news for the industry as a whole.

From now on big players will think twice before trying to stay independent and refusing an offer such as EA's.

EA will now continue to try reaching a broader market by moderating game content and thus killing creativity.

Expect moderate games, and lots of 'm.
 

Darkong

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Nov 6, 2007
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You can see what they're doing, selling some stock while the price is good and hoping that it'll fuel the buyout so they can cash in. Its kinda sad that its coming to this situation but that's the way the market works I guess.
 

Echolocating

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Jul 13, 2006
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Investors are obviously in it for the money. They invested in Take-Two to make money, not games. When EA brought a pile of cash to the table, the investor's eyes lit up. Take-Two's management obviously wants to secure their future, while the investors wanted to take the money and run.

We need the glory days of game development again... you know, the guy that literally programmed a game in his bedroom closet and designed monochrome tile graphics on grid paper. ;-)
 

oneplus999

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Oct 4, 2007
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Ok, we all know that GTA4 is going to blow everyone away, time to buy? :D
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=TTWO&t=5d&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=