Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/EA won't make move on Take Two until after FTC probehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/ea-wont-make-move-on-take-two-until-after-ftc-probe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/ea-wont-make-move-on-take-two-until-after-ftc-probe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/ea-wont-make-move-on-take-two-until-after-ftc-probe/#commentsFiled under: ,

Electronic Arts said today that it will not acquire publisher Take-Two until after the Federal Trade Commission finishes reviewing the acquisition for potential antitrust concerns (via Reuters). The FTC has until August 21 to complete its probe and we're betting they won't finish early.

After an innumerable amount of extensions, EA now says, because of the investigation, its offer to Take Two shareholders has been extended to July 18, the last day of E3 Media and Business Summit. We suspect there'll be some thrilling behind the scenes action going on next week.

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]]>acquisitioneaelectronic-artsmergertake-twoRoss Miller2008-07-08T21:00:00+00:00GameStop officially acquires NZ's Gamesmanhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/gamestop-officially-acquires-nzs-gamesman/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/gamestop-officially-acquires-nzs-gamesman/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/gamestop-officially-acquires-nzs-gamesman/#commentsFiled under:


Even the Kiwis were no match for the armed and fully operational GameStop empire as it acquired New Zealand's largest independent gaming chain. GameDaily reports that New Zealand's The Gamesman will be absorbed into the GameStop collective and bring the company's presence in the country to 38 stores. This news confirms rumors from last month of The Gamesman's demise.

On the bright side, Phil McPhee, general manager of The Gamesman, says the move will "enhance the service and experience for customers." Wow, Gamesman's customer service must have been awful! Good thing it got bought out by GameStop.

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]]>acquisitionacquisitionsgamesmangamestopnew-zealandAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-02T18:30:00+00:00Ubisoft has $1.2 billion acquisition war chesthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/ubisoft-has-1-2-billion-acquisition-war-chest/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/ubisoft-has-1-2-billion-acquisition-war-chest/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/ubisoft-has-1-2-billion-acquisition-war-chest/#commentsFiled under:


Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, speaking with Les Echos, says the publisher has a $1.2 billion war chest for spending on acquisitions. The executive states the company needs to grow rapidly to keep pace with publishers like EA (which may, or may not, acquire Take-Two) and the other 800 lbs. gorilla on the block, Activision Blizzard.

Guillemot says acquisition isn't the only way Ubisoft is growing. The company is getting involved in films and licensing, along with opening up new studios and pushing into Asia. He also states that the company will begin working on CG movies, starting with mini films based on its franchises at first, and then moving on to feature films. Hopefully, any Ubi-produced CG film will fare better than Square's Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

[Via GameDaily, Develop]

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]]>acquisitionguillemotubisoftwarchestAlexander Sliwinski2008-06-02T15:30:00+00:00Epic Games takes seat, acquires Chair Entertainment Grouphttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/epic-games-takes-seat-acquires-chair-entertainment/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/epic-games-takes-seat-acquires-chair-entertainment/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/epic-games-takes-seat-acquires-chair-entertainment/#commentsFiled under:


Epic Games today announced its acquisition of Utah-based Undertow developer, Chair Entertainment Group. Under directors Donald and Geremy Mustard, and CEO Ryan Holmes, Chair Entertainment becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Epic, keeping both its name and "its focus on creating new original game properties which utilize Epic's Unreal Engine technology."

We've placed the full press release, which contains the usual "We're thrilled to buy this awesome company!" and "We're so glad this amazing company bought us!" quotes, after the break. Not specifically mentioned is how the acquisition will affect Chair's Ender's Game projects, if at all. After requesting comment, we were promised an update "as soon as one is available." Funny, we were just about to tell you readers the same thing.

EPIC GAMES ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF CHAIR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Cary, North Carolina - May 20, 2008 - Epic Games, Inc., creators of the award-winning Unreal and Gears of War video game franchises and the industry leading Unreal Engine, today announced its acquisition of Utah-based development studio, Chair Entertainment Group, LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, Chair Entertainment Group has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Epic Games and will continue to operate under the same name while maintaining its focus on creating new original game properties which utilize Epic's Unreal Engine technology.

"Chair's stylized approach to creating games is further enhanced by their ability to stretch our technology in new directions that not only help in creating amazing gaming experiences but also demonstrate the power and versatility of the Unreal Engine," said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games, Inc. "We are thrilled to bring the Chair team into the Epic family, and look forward to working with them to create original new games that continue to innovate and inspire."

"Our team has long admired Epic for its ability to shape the game industry with its innovative technology and first-rate video game offerings," said Ryan Holmes, Co-Founder and CEO of Chair Entertainment Group. "We share Epic's passion for creating ground-breaking game play experiences and are excited for the opportunity to partner with a truly visionary company."

Founded in 2005, Chair Entertainment Group is jointly led by directors, Donald and Geremy Mustard, and CEO Ryan Holmes. Best known for its award-winning Xbox Live Arcade title, Undertow, Chair's previous success includes the launch of its Empire property which has produced an Orson Scott Card-written New York Times bestselling novel and a feature film currently in development with Warner Bros. In 2007, after several years of building games with Unreal technology, Chair entered into an agreement with Epic Games to make Unreal Engine 3 their exclusive technology for game development.

About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its Unreal series, recently shipping Unreal Tournament 3 for PC and PlayStation 3. Epic's breakthrough game, Gears of War, sold over 4.7 million copies and was awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Game Developers Choice Awards, GameSpot, GamePro and many others. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including the Game Critics Awards' Best Console Game and Spike TV's 2007 RPG of the Year Mass Effect by BioWare and the 2007 BAFTA Best Game and Spike TV Game of the Year BioShock by 2K Games. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Engine. Epic was also recognized as 2006 Studio of the Year by Spike TV, 2006 Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine and 2007 Large Company of the Year by the North Carolina Technology Association. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through the Epic Games Web site at www.epicgames.com.

About Unreal Engine 3
The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and its best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 maintains those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's advanced toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained through the Unreal Technology Web site at www.unrealtechnology.com.

About Chair Entertainment

Founded in 2005, Chair Entertainment Group is an independent video game production company committed to creating blockbuster entertainment franchises through development of its original intellectual properties. In 2006, Chair launched its first original property, Empire, as a best-selling novel written by Orson Scott Card. A feature film based on Empire is in development by Warner Bros. and Chair has future plans for video games and comic books based on the property. In November 2007, Chair launched Undertow, the award-winning underwater action shooter which was named Xbox Live Arcade Game of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine. Additional information and gamer forums can be found at: www.chairentertainment.com.

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]]>AcquisitionBreakingNewsChairChair-EntertainmentEnders-GameEpicEpic-GamesUndertowUnrealLudwig Kietzmann2008-05-20T17:55:00+00:00EA extends Take-Two purchase offer deadline a third timehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/ea-extends-take-two-purchase-offer-deadline-a-third-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/ea-extends-take-two-purchase-offer-deadline-a-third-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/ea-extends-take-two-purchase-offer-deadline-a-third-time/#commentsFiled under:


Super mega-huge publisher EA has announced a third extension of its tender offer for all outstanding shares of common Take-Two stock, pushing the previous deadline, which quietly passed by last Friday without so much as a hello, to 11:59PM EST on June 16, 2008. EA notes that as of 5:00PM EST on May 16, 2008, "approximately 6,210,261 shares of Take-Two had been tendered in and not withdrawn from the tender offer." In Take-Two's response, the publisher noted that said shares amount to 8% of the total.

The reason given for the latest extension seems to have less to do with virtuous patience and more to do with those pesky US Federal Trade Commission guys snooping around. "Extending our offer will allow the FTC review process to continue," said Owen Mahoney, Senior Vice President of EA Corporate Development, who added that the $25.74-per-share offer remained unchanged. The FTC sent EA a second request for information regarding the proposed takeover back in April.

Take-Two's Chairman of the Board, Strauss Zelnick, reiterated that the offer was inadequate and continued to advise stockholders to hold on while buyout discussions with "interested parties" continue.

Read -- EA announcement
Read -- Take-Two's response

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]]>AcquisitionEAEA-Take-TwoFTCTake-TwoLudwig Kietzmann2008-05-19T09:25:00+00:00Infogrames confirms rejected SCi attempted purchasehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/infogrames-confirms-rejected-sci-attempted-purchase/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/infogrames-confirms-rejected-sci-attempted-purchase/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/infogrames-confirms-rejected-sci-attempted-purchase/#commentsFiled under:


And playing the part of the jilted lover in today's episode of As The Game Industry Turns is Infogrames, as the company confirmed that while it recently offered to purchase Eidos-owner SCi, the Atari-parent saw its bid turned aside "at this stage."

The timing of the news is particularly interesting, given that SCi last week said that it had rejected an unspecified acquisition offer, though it remains unknown if the publisher was talking about Infogrames or some other mystery suitor. Not long after, SCi accepted a £60 million investment from Warner Bros. as part of what it called a strategic relationship.

We know how you feel Infogrames (or is it Atari?). You put yourself out there, and you're vulnerable. But thankfully, it's not as if you don't have options.

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]]>aciacquisitionatarieidosinfogrameslara-croftlaracroftJason Dobson2008-04-28T20:45:00+00:00Handheld N+ dev SilverBirch acquires Lighthouse Interactivehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/handheld-n-dev-silverbirch-acquires-lighthouse-interactive/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/handheld-n-dev-silverbirch-acquires-lighthouse-interactive/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/handheld-n-dev-silverbirch-acquires-lighthouse-interactive/#commentsFiled under:


Canadian dev SilverBirch, the force behind the DS and PSP versions of recent XBLA release, N+, has opened up its doors -- and wallet -- and acquired Netherlands-based publisher Lighthouse Interactive. SilverBirch calls the move a first step in the company's "strategy of building an integrated video game company."

The developer purchased all of the publisher's outstanding shares for CA$4 million, or $3.97 million in real currency, which it paid out as cash, a vendor note, shares of stock, and an earn-out based on fiscal 2008 financial performance. It's an interesting marriage, given SilverBirch's experience with portable titles as well as the MMO Metin 2, while Lighthouse is best recognized for steering sim and strategy titles for the PC. Wake us when Sword of the Stars comes to the DS.

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]]>acquisitionlighthouselighthouse-interactivelighthouseinteractivenn-plusnplussilverbirchJason Dobson2008-04-28T13:00:00+00:00SCi receives, turns aside potential takeover bidhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/sci-receives-turns-aside-potential-takeover-bid/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/sci-receives-turns-aside-potential-takeover-bid/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/sci-receives-turns-aside-potential-takeover-bid/#commentsFiled under:


While talk of a takeover of British publisher SCi continues to be tossed around, this doesn't mean that Lara Croft's troubled parent is open to shacking up with just anyone.

This week the company confirmed that it has received an offer from an unspecified suitor at a "significant premium" to SCi's current share price. However, the company stayed strong, turning away what we imagine to be bags of money emblazoned with dollar signs, claiming the offer was "not be in the best interests of the company or its shareholders." Still, with 14 projects in the vertical file and key management on the run, it might be time for SCi to lower its standards.

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]]>acquisitionediosscistockstomb-raidertombraiderJason Dobson2008-04-23T12:03:00+00:00Gamestop grabs 49 stores in ... Norway (yes way!)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/gamestop-grabs-49-stores-in-norway-yes-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/gamestop-grabs-49-stores-in-norway-yes-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/gamestop-grabs-49-stores-in-norway-yes-way/#commentsFiled under:


Not content with its sprawling store base across America, games retailer GameStop has continued its invasion expansion into Europe with the purchase of 49 stores in Norway, reports GamesIndustry.biz. The ubiquitous chain completed the transaction by ensnaring all of the outstanding share capital of "Free Record Shop," a business which, even to the layman's ear, doesn't sound terribly profitable. The acquired stores will now bear GameStop's brand and presumably start charging for their goods.

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]]>AcquisitionGameStopNorwayLudwig Kietzmann2008-03-31T21:00:00+00:00Tenchu dev K2 acquired by Capcomhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/tenchu-dev-k2-acquired-by-capcom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/tenchu-dev-k2-acquired-by-capcom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/tenchu-dev-k2-acquired-by-capcom/#commentsFiled under: ,


Capcom is certainly in the mood to spend money. On the heels of knotting up the rights to MotoGP for the next half-decade, the company has forked over enough cash to purchase Japanese dev K2, a studio known for such titles as Valhalla Knights as well as last year's abysmal Tenchu Z.

The purchase was made via an exchange of stock that's expected to be completed on May 1. Capcom failed to elaborate on its plans for the studio, however, noting only that the acquisition was made in order to make "its game development activities more efficient and speedy," leaving us wondering if Capcom plans to revisit the flailing Tenchu stealth action series at all or is simply adding cogs to its development machine.

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]]>acquireacquisitionbreakingnewscapcomJapank2stealthJason Dobson2008-03-31T09:05:00+00:00Take-Two asks shareholders not to take EA offerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/take-two-asks-shareholders-not-to-take-ea-offer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/take-two-asks-shareholders-not-to-take-ea-offer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/take-two-asks-shareholders-not-to-take-ea-offer/#commentsFiled under:


Take-Two is appealing to stockholders not to consider EA's early-morning all cash tender offer, which pitched a purchase of the company's stock at $26 a share (a 4.4% premium over yesterday's closing price). The Take-Two board states it will review and consider EA's offer and, within 10 business days, advice stockholders of the board's position on the matter along with its reasoning.

The 10 day "please wait" request from the Take-Two board is still way within the April 11 deadline given by EA on its $26 per share offer to stockholders. EA wants Take-Two and it wants it bad.

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]]>AcquisitionBreakingNewsBuyoutEARiccitielloTake-TwoTakeTwoZelnickAlexander Sliwinski2008-03-13T11:46:00+00:00EA makes all cash tender offer to purchase Take-Twohttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/ea-makes-all-cash-tender-offer-to-purchase-take-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/ea-makes-all-cash-tender-offer-to-purchase-take-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/ea-makes-all-cash-tender-offer-to-purchase-take-two/#commentsFiled under:


With Take-Two Executive Chairman Strauss Zelnick having thoroughly rejected EA's initial buyout offer, the Madden and Burnout publisher has redirected its corporate Katamari at Take-Two shareholders. EA has announced the commencement of a tender offer for all of the currently outstanding shares of common stock of Take-Two Interactive Software at $26 per share. Valued at approximately $2 billion, the offer reportedly represents a 64% premium over Take-Two's closing stock price on February 15, the company's last trading day before EA began its increasingly aggressive financial courtship. Compared to Wednesday's stock price, it constitutes a 4.4% premium.

Barring extension, the tender offer is good until midnight EST on Friday, April 11, 2008. EA CEO John Riccitiello described the offer as "a great opportunity for Take-Two shareholders" and as a a way to "maximize the value" of their investment. "For EA shareholders, the combination would add additional intellectual properties to our already strong portfolio and welcome Take-Two's talented creative teams to the great development organization we've built at EA," he concluded.

Will shareholders deem this offer welcomed financial assistance or unwanted financial insistence? We'll have to wait and see.

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]]>AcquisitionBreakingNewsBuyoutEARiccitielloTake-TwoTakeTwoZelnickLudwig Kietzmann2008-03-13T06:50:00+00:00Sega: We're not interested in a buyout, thankshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/sega-were-not-interested-in-a-buyout-thanks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/sega-were-not-interested-in-a-buyout-thanks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/sega-were-not-interested-in-a-buyout-thanks/#commentsFiled under:

Apparently, one merger per decade is enough for Sega. Despite falling on some tough financial times recently, Sega has declared that it is decidedly not interested in getting bailed out by some generous big-time buyout (not that anyone else was necessarily interested, mind you).

In an interview with Reuters, Sega Sammy CEO Simon Jeffrey said his company isn't eager to ride the industry's recent wave of consolidation. "That's not an area we want to play in right now," he said. "We have no interest in being acquired, we are very happy with our position right now."

Buoyed by extremely strong sales of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Jeffrey seems perfectly content with his company's current sixth-place position in the game publisher rankings. "There is plenty of room for smaller companies to be successful and profitable in this business," he said. "You don't have to be number one or number two. You can be number six very happily," Jeffrey said. Chant along with us everybody: We're number six! We're number six!

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]]>acquisitionbuyoutmergermergerspublishersegasega-sammyKyle Orland2008-03-06T15:00:00+00:00EA rejects 'impossible' collaboration with Jack Thompsonhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/ea-rejects-impossible-collaboration-with-jack-thompson/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/ea-rejects-impossible-collaboration-with-jack-thompson/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/ea-rejects-impossible-collaboration-with-jack-thompson/#commentsFiled under:


No thanks, we don't need Jack. So says publisher EA, having rejected Florida's attorney at lawl, Jack Thompson, and his recent offer to assist in the attempted buyout of Grand Theft Auto publisher, Take-Two. In an impassioned letter, the spirited lawyer and friend of Mass Effect threw his support behind EA's (thus far unsuccessful) maneuver, claiming he would be "delighted" to help "evict the [Strauss] Zelnick Trojan Horse from within Take-Two's corporate walls."

Responding via e-mail (posted by GamesIndustry.biz), EA's Mariam Sughayer politely turns down the offer, saying, "In response to your offer to assist in the proposed acquisition of Take-Two, we would strongly prefer that you not get involved in this matter." Sughayer goes on to cite Thompson's past behavior towards gaming, "including false claims about content in [EA's] games," as a source of enmity, rendering any possible collaboration "impossible."

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]]>AcquisitionEAGTAJack-ThompsonJackThompsonTake-TwoTakeTwoZelnickLudwig Kietzmann2008-03-06T10:50:00+00:00Take-Two: More companies want to buy ushttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/take-two-more-companies-want-to-buy-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/take-two-more-companies-want-to-buy-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/take-two-more-companies-want-to-buy-us/#commentsFiled under:

Like that hot catholic school girl with a penchant for acting tough, everyone seems to want a piece of Take-Two these days. The Associated Press is reporting on a recent SEC filing in which the company reveals its been approached with a few "informal indications of interest in a business combination" since EA's unsolicited buyout offer earlier this week. It makes sense ... after all, when if the most popular guy in school (read: EA) gets turned down by a relatively popular girl (read: Take-Two), then everyone else suddenly thinks they have a chance with her.

Like that goth girl with the spiked choker and way too much black mascara, though, Take-Two is acting like it doesn't want the attention. The filing goes on to say that the company "has not engaged in any substantive discussions with any party (including EA) with respect to a business combination." At least they're being direct about their lack of interest. Everyone knows the best way to ruin a business rep is by being a merger tease.

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]]>acquisitionbusinessbuyoutEAmergemergerSECT2take-twotakeoverKyle Orland2008-02-29T14:30:00+00:00Intel buys up Offset Software, Project Offset still 'going strong'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/intel-buys-up-offset-software-project-offset-still-going-stron/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/intel-buys-up-offset-software-project-offset-still-going-stron/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/intel-buys-up-offset-software-project-offset-still-going-stron/#commentsFiled under: ,


Sam McGrath, technical guru and one of three founders Offset Software, has announced that the company has been purchased by technology giant Intel. The notice came in the form a short post on the Project Offset website, with McGrath adding that the now mythical project is still "going strong" and that the team is "excited about things to come."

Honestly there are two ways to take this, either as PR rhetoric, or a sign that the tech demo that wowed us way back in 2005 could finally be getting its game legs. We'd like to believe the latter, but most of us here stopped believing in miracles a long time ago. But it begs the question as to what Intel has up its sleeves -- why would it pick up such a small developer if Offset Software's game engine technology didn't somehow fit into Intel's master plan? Whether it's interested in pushing Project Offset ahead or is just wanting to field the company's impressive middleware technology, it will be very interesting to see what comes out of this latest game industry acquisition in the months to come.

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]]>acquisitionintelmiddlewareoffset-softwareoffsetsoftwareproject-offsetprojectoffsetJason Dobson2008-02-25T10:00:00+00:00EA proposes acquisition of Take-Two for $2 billion [update 1]http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/24/ea-proposes-acquisition-of-take-two-for-2-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/24/ea-proposes-acquisition-of-take-two-for-2-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/24/ea-proposes-acquisition-of-take-two-for-2-billion/#commentsFiled under:


Not one to miss out on a gaming industry trend as hot as corporate synergy, Electronic Arts recently proposed an acquisition of Take-Two Interactive Software for $26 a share (nearly a 63 percent premium to their current stock value) -- for a grand total of approximately $2 billion.

Before you start feverishly fantasizing about a Bioshock/Crysis mash-up, you should know that Take-Two's executive chairman, Strauss Zelnick, shot down the proposal upon receiving it last Tuesday. Attempting to go over the bossman's head, EA CEO John Riccitiello made his proposal public, hoping that Take-Two shareholders will find the offer more attractive than Zelnick initially did.

EA intends to keep the proposal on the table to give Take-Two's board of directors "further time to consider it," obviously hoping to force Zelnick's hand. Whether or not this strategy will work, we imagine we'll find out in the next few days. We'll keep you updated as the situation develops.

Update: Take-Two's Board of Directors have considered the offer, and politely refused. Check out the full story for Zelnick's reasoning behind shooting down the proposal.

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]]>acquisitionbreakingnewsbuyoutEAElectronicArtsmergerTake-TwoTakeTwoGriffin McElroy2008-02-24T14:45:00+00:00Epic's Mark Rein responds to Microsoft buyout rumorhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/epics-mark-rein-responds-to-microsoft-buyout-rumor/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/epics-mark-rein-responds-to-microsoft-buyout-rumor/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/epics-mark-rein-responds-to-microsoft-buyout-rumor/#commentsFiled under: ,

Did you hear the one about Microsoft buying Unreal Engine developer Epic Games for one billion dollars? The rumor stems from the latest issue of GamePro magazine, and while not flat-out denying the rumor, Epic VP Mark Rein did has some choice words.

In an email to Develop, Rein said, "I have not seen the actual GamePro article but if they're going to make predictions about us selling Epic we would prefer if they started at $2 billion, because we don't want anyone thinking that we're cheap," followed by a smile-inducing emoticon. A more tangible bit of Epic Games speculation is that Gears of War 2 will be unveiled at GDC this week.

[Via X3F]

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]]>acquisitionbuyoutepicepic-gamesgears-of-warmark-reinmicrosoftunrealunreal-engineunreal-engine-3Ross Miller2008-02-19T15:15:00+00:00Nvidia to acquire Ageia Technologieshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/nvidia-to-acquire-ageia/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/nvidia-to-acquire-ageia/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/nvidia-to-acquire-ageia/#commentsFiled under: ,


Graphics whiz buys physics boffin news now, with the announcement of graphics card designer Nvidia's "definitive agreement" to purchase Ageia, developer of the PhysX middleware and corresponding PPU (physics processing unit) hardware accelerators. Ageia's PhysX solution is reportedly in use by over 140 shipping or in-development games across a range of platforms, including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PC.

The purchase reflects both companies' shared goal of "creating the most amazing and captivating game experiences," said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia. "By combining the teams that created the world's most pervasive GPU and physics engine brands, we can now bring GeForce-accelerated PhysX to hundreds of millions of gamers around the world."

The press release makes no mention of the acquisition cost nor specific products those millions of gamers around the world can expect in the future, but the first benefits of the agreement are sure to be seen in precariously stacked, stunningly rendered crates.

[Via Engadget]

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]]>AcquisitionAgeiaBreakingNewsGeForceGPUGraphicsNvidiaPhysXPPUTechnologyLudwig Kietzmann2008-02-05T08:00:00+00:00SCi management out, stock price recoveringhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/18/sci-management-out-stock-price-recovering/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/18/sci-management-out-stock-price-recovering/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/18/sci-management-out-stock-price-recovering/#commentsFiled under:


SCi shareholders must be celebrating like the Munchkins of OZ after Dorothy dropped a house on the Wicked Witch of the East over the resignations of the company's executive board -- shares rose 44% on the news. The company's stock plummeted last week over the news that SCi had taken itself off the market for a buyout, causing investors to call for the heads of the executive board.

The board officially saw the resignation of CEO Jane Cavanagh, Managing Director of Publishing Bill Ennis and Managing Director of Studios Rob Murphy; all resignations were effective immediately and former Corporate Development Director of EA Phil Rogers is now the chief executive. SCi Chairman Tim Ryan says the company needs to restore faith and trust in investors by "under-promising and over-delivering." Meanwhile, SCi will strap on the stilettos and start walking the streets again in search of a potential suitor -- maybe it'll fight for territory with Codemasters on the corner.

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]]>acquisitionbuyouteidosresignationsalesciAlexander Sliwinski2008-01-18T14:00:00+00:00