You may have never heard of Take-Two Interactive before.
But there is a very good chance you’ve heard of their video games — whether or not you’re even actually a gamer.
From ubiquitous pop culture heavyweights like “Grand Theft Auto” and “Red Dead Redemption,” to annual tentpole sports games like NBA 2K (as well as a smattering of more obscure — but beloved — titles), Take-Two’s reach and influence in the video game world is well-established and well-earned.
So what’s a world-dominant studio to do in these particularly trying times?
Get even bigger, apparently.
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According to BusinessWire, Take-Two is scooping up Gearbox Software, the acclaimed makers of the irreverent “Borderlands” franchise, as well as a number of beloved additional properties.
But the biggest surprise might be the price tag that came with purchasing Gearbox, especially during a time when some of the biggest names in the video game industry are downsizing.
Have you played any of the “Borderlands” games?
To acquire the “Borderlands” makers, Take-Two ponied up an eye-watering $460 million — which is what the transaction was valued at, per BusinessWire.
Additionally, the outlet announced that the transaction paved the way for the fourth “Borderlands” video game to be made — big news for fans of the zany franchise.
While “Borderlands” is the crown jewel of this acquisition for Take-Two, the venerable video game titan also scooped up a number of more obscure intellectual properties.
“Duke Nukem,” a crass and bombastic shooter, as well as beloved indie darling “Risk of Rain” will soon be in the Take-Two portfolio, strengthening an already mighty impressive roster.
That being said, “Borderlands” (which has a live-action film coming out soon) is still the big ticket item for Take-Two.
With both “Borderlands” and “Grand Theft Auto” as part of Take-Two’s empire, the massive video game conglomerate now owns two pioneering franchises in the video game industry.
The influence and unmitigated success of the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise is well-chronicled at this point, but it still shouldn’t understate how big of a franchise GTA is/has become.
Apart from the seemingly endless commercial and critical success of the games, you can find the DNA of “Grand Theft Auto III” in pretty much every open-world action game currently out.
“Borderlands,” meanwhile, popularized and pioneered the “looter shooter” genre of video games.
In a sense, Take-Two seems to have grown too big to fail. Even if they only ever produced “Grand Theft Auto” and “Borderlands” games, the company would still likely finish with its books in the black.
But given the shaky state of the video game industry, it’s more than fair to wonder if this is $460 million gamble will ultimately pay off for Take-Two.
