Word of a Codemasters acquisition indicates Take-Two Interactive may soon expand its incredibly diverse portfolio. Take-Two reportedly has an interest in bidding for the DiRT and F1 publisher, a move which Codemasters shareholders could be encouraged to accept. Nothing is final as of yet, but internal statements from Take-Two and Codemasters suggest such talks could result in a positive outcome for each company.
Today, Codemasters issued internal communications that have since been seen by Video Games Chronicle. According to the publication, Codemasters’ board of directors intend to advise shareholders to accept Take-Two’s offer in the event that an official bid is made.
VGC also received a statement from Take-Two, wherein the Rockstar Games and 2K Games parent company expressed its firm belief that “the combination of Take-Two and Codemasters would bring together two world-class interactive entertainment portfolios, with a highly complementary fit between 2K and Codemasters in the racing genre.”
The statement further noted the following: “Take-Two believes that it can bring benefits to Codemasters performance by leveraging Take-Two global distribution and 2K’s core operating expertise in publishing, including, live operations, analytics, product development, and brand and performance marketing.”
Interestingly, both Take-Two and Codemasters have been busy with acquisitions of late. Not even a month ago, Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games confirmed its recent acquisition of Crackdown 2 developer, Ruffian Games. The Scotland-based studio now goes by Rockstar Dundee. Late last year, Codemasters purchased Slightly Mad Studios–the team behind the Project CARS franchise. The publisher also recently secured the rights to World Rally Championship (WRC), inking an agreement that says five annual WRC games are to release between 2023 and 2027.
[Source: Codemasters, Take-Two Interactive via Video Games Chronicle]