Beware the 'Sony buying Rockstar' rubbish

[Shrygue]

via Computer and Video Games


The kids are waving their rumour flags again this morning, sending the internet on fire (the naive part, anyway) with claims that Sony Computer Entertainment is about to buy GTA house, Rockstar.

The rumour comes from fan site PlayStation Universe (strike one), which says it caught wind of the unexpected news while eating dinner with the developers in California. We reckon some wine was probably involved as well if they were over 21.

The site says, "Various sources in the press and development team state that Sony is looking to take Rockstar 'under their wings'. While we learned that any agreement Sony and Take Two entered into would not affect the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV, such an agreement would presumably affect any future releases from Rockstar, including the new franchise Sony has been discussing and L.A. Noire."

But wait; the site has since retracted a piece of its article, correcting the major error that they were actually eating in Westwood, and not Hollywood. Ah, it all makes sense now.

It sounds like another example of a fan's wet dream to us. Unless there's a surprise outbreak of mad cow disease in its offices, we could never see Take Two flogging off its prize asset. On top of that, SCEI is still posting losses and cutting back on expenditure so we can't see it spending what would be a hugely exaggerated amount on Rockstar.

It'd be bad news for Rockstar as well, which'd be going from its long-running strategy of multi-platform development to limiting itself to just one console. So in summary; it wouldn't make sense for Sony, it wouldn't make sense for Take Two and it wouldn't make sense for Rockstar.

Rockstar expectedly told us, "we don't comment on rumour or speculation", and this time we think it's actually because they're following protocol, and not because there's a bigger story hiding under the cloth.

[F9zDark]

"We don't comment on rumor or speculation."

I find that statement extremely interesting and it only furthers the rumor. If they said, "No its just a rumor, its not true." It'd die immediately and people would get on with their lives.

But blanketing the rumor with an ambiguous, open statement will simply set it alight more.

[acn010]

meh.... ill believe when theres proof

[ish420ism]

There is a rumor of my $#@! in your ass. jajaja.
But seriously. Take Two is done for. As soon as GTA4 pays for all the legal fees the company owes. The best thing Take Two can do is sell. Developers have no say, Shareholders do. REMEMBER THAT

[Basil Zero]

How about we all forget about every rumor about one company buying another altogether and start to worry about games.

[mavsman4457]

This just looks like one site attacking another rather than a rumor being shot down.