Riccitiello: 'Take Two bid is all about Rockstar'

EA CEO dismisses importance of 2K Sports as publisher closes in on acquisition

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello has said that Rockstar is the publisher’s “primary interest” in its bid to acquire Take Two.

EA’s buyout of Take Two became a much stronger possibility yesterday – as the US mega-publisher went ‘hostile’ by approaching individual shareholders with a tender offer of $26 per share.

Analysts and Wall Street observers have both predicted that Take Two stakeholders will find the offer very tempting, despite the company’s Board urging its investors to ‘take no action’ over the interest.

Many have speculated that EA’s interest had much to do with the chance to win the rights and personnel behind 2K’s Sports games, but Riccitiello called that benefit a “secondary consideration”.