EA looks certain to gobble up UK publisher Codemasters following the confirmation that rival bidder Take-Two has withdrawn its previous offer.
Take-Two announced that it was attempting to buy Codemasters – which is one of the UK's longest-running games companies – late last year, and valued the firm at $980m. However, EA agreed to an increased offer of $1.2 billion, causing Codemasters' board of directors to withdraw its recommendation for the Take-Two deal and instead opt for the EA bid.
Today, Take-Two has issued a statement that says, with the consent of its board of directors, it is no longer interested in purchasing Codemasters, but it will look for other acquisition opportunities in the industry:
Take-Two remains a highly disciplined organization and, with its strong balance sheet, will continue to pursue selectively organic and inorganic opportunities that are designed to enhance the Take-Two’s long-term growth and deliver results to its shareholders.
Codemasters was founded in the '80s and is perhaps most famous with Nintendo fans for its Micro Machines NES game, as well as having a hand in the Game Genie cheat code device. It has been pretty quiet on the Switch of late, giving us a port of its GRID Autosport racing game, but little else.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 30
In the voice of Darth Vader:
Noooooooooooooo
Shame. Chances of a proper new Dizzy game will be even slimmer under EA. Take Two are a little more quirky and might have actually done something, even if just a collection.
BTW for those of you wanting to play the new Fast Food Dizzy on Switch you can download the Fuze4 Player for 89p and it's included with it! I didn't realise until recently you don't need the full priced Fuze4 software to play it... The 89p player allows you to play people's games but not make your own.
Goodbye codemasters. Although you didnt have much on the switch, no chance of anything coming to it now.
Another studio corrupted by money and the same game but with different numbers
Disappointing. Dirt became my favorite racing series after burnout died. Hopefully they produce better games than Criterion did after the acquisition.
May you rest in peace. Codemasters is here since the 80's let that sink in what a shame.
Dizzy gets to big lake
"Would you like to spend £0.79 to buy a bridge?"
Well, who is gonna be looking forward to Dizzy remasters with obligatory micro-transactions eh? Oh look over there, it's Denzel trapped in a block of ice! How do I free him?? Just remembered, the eshop... I can purchase in-game currency with my real hard-earned money so that I can buy firewood and matches from the in-game shop.
@mr_benn Haha, beat me to it. We must be showing our ages 😜
@mr_benn @tipehtfomottob
Or you have to keep buying loot boxes until you just so happen to get a bridge.
I'll be interested in hearing about when they get shut down because EA forced them to use Frostbyte to make a 2d co-op only horror comedy AAA low budget story based among us clone that's also a soccer battle royale game.
Overlord 1, 2 and Dark Legend, as well as their Dizzy games on the C64 are literally the only games of theirs I have ever played.
And I didn't complete any of them. ^^
@TheSmashTheorist
Small? CodeMasters has SEVEN HUNDRED employees, and have been around since the mid eighties.
They were one of the largest independant developers to still be owned by the original founders when they finally went public in 2018.
@sanderev Truth
@Pod you get the point
I love corporate-speak. "Will continue to pursue organic and inorganic opportunities." So if the pursuit contains both the organic, and the inorganic opportunities and the two sets represent 100% of the total set, then why was a qualifier necessary where "pursuing opportunities" would have conveyed the same point?
Although while they may want organic and inorganic both, it's 2k, so we know they don't want fair trade.
Noooo, now they are going to be ruined and shut down!
@TheSmashTheorist
I do, BUT.
Codemasters have been into sequels and numbers since the mid nineties, and their first sale of 50% to a foreign investor was ten years ago. This allowed the Darling brothers to move on with their lives, so it's not like they're the ones being corrupted anymore.
But sure, man, I get you.
It's still not great that a British studio is bought out by one of the big Americans. And then it had to be EA again.
Either way this company is dead.
I hope everyone finds new racing games soon.
When EA takes over a British studio they usually close it down sooner or later
Take-Two issues the most CORPORATE WORDS response I've seen.
@NEStalgia Because adding more words is how you give you a more professional appearance.
For those interested in Codemasters' older games, there are currently two cartridges based on their output on the Evercade... one is focussed on the Oliver Twins and includes the Dizzy games... and there is another one coming up which includes Sensible Soccer and Cannon Fodder (which they apparently now own the rights to), along with C.J. and Cosmic Spacehead! 😆
[In the voice of Homer Simpson]
Mmmmmm... inorganic opportunities. Metal... rock... helium... potassium chloride. [Scarf, scarf]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QHe-tnzUM
@Damo Can we institute a rule whereby we are allowed the widest latitude to curse and swear when EA is the topic?
im not even surprise anymore screw ea.
EA has some good sales so its fine by me... I bought fifa and grid over Christmas and both were good purchases.
I too began purchasing Codemasters product upon hearing this news, knowing future discounts would be less generous, and future games would be less good.
Also, I predict their studio made from former Evolution employees will be the first one shut down (Motorstorm, OnRush, Dirt 5 dev). Might even happen as part of the merger.
Haven't played many Codemasters games. Like many other, not happy with EA buying it either.
Well Codemasters is dead now.
Instead of a possible Midnight Club revival we get another studio churning out Need For Speed.
They are going to micro transaction the living daylights out of every decent Codemasters game. Could this year get any worse ?
I’m going to get an early night and rub my shoulder pads and ZX Spectrum collection until I nod off whist I think of the good old days.
Bigger isn’t always better... as I said to my 3 ex-husbands.
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