There is a news article on a german webpage about the bid of EA for Take 2.

They are writing that Forbes is speculating that Ubisoft could help Take 2 against EA.

I couldn't find an English article for it with news.google.com, but my guess is that they will come.

Beside the fact that EA owns 17% of Ubisoft (what is not loved by Ubisoft), does it make sense in a business matter. My personal guess is, yes for both (like Forbes is speculating) .

Ubisoft does not have a "sports" devision, Take 2 does. It is the only of a wester developer that has somewhat success against EA Sports. Sport games is a big market (think about Madden, Fifa, PES and such). Something Ubisoft will most likely love to get a foot in for a cheap price.

Ubisoft gives developers more freedom than EA. I think thats something Take 2 would benefit from.

Ubisoft want to get more "Game-Movie" things, and a GTA movie is definitely an option (GTA is a strong brand).

So both would benefit from it, is my guess.

Is a Ubisoft-Take2 partnership better than an EA-Take2 partnership? In business matter and in matter for us gamers?

Anything with EA turns to crap.

So wait, is this the case?

EA wants to buy a company they already own 20% of.
They're declined, so a company EA owns 17% of tries to buy the one EA owns 20% of?

And no, everything with EA does not turn out to be crap.

They have the best golf game on Wii.

They have godfather:blackhand edition, which rocks.

They have the Sims series.

They have the Orange Box published (on 360 too)

Rock Band

Boom Blox

And a few more.

 Well, both Ubisoft and Take 2 doesn't want to get bought from EA. Ubisoft has grown to a size where EA has problem to get the rest, Take 2 has not. Both together would be to big for EA. Thats the sweet part of the deal ;)

I would prefer Take 2 to be owned by Ubi than EA certainly, but I doubt it is going to happen

I hope it will happen.

Ubisoft makes a lot of AAA titles. Take 2 makes a lot of AAA titles.

But EA makes a few AA titles and a lot of crap. And stoo often they've turned decent stuff from others into crap.

Merging with Take Two would dilute the ubisoft shares EA owns throwing them back to sub 10% levels for the merged take two - ubisoft entity and making a takeover possibly prohibitively expensive.

I think everyone always seems to forget the last option ... which is Take 2 might want to go at it alone ...

After reading the forbes article, located here:
http://www.forbes.com/2008/06/06/taketwo-ea-buyout-tech-enter-cx_0606taketwo.html?partner=yahootix

There is one large assumption that is built into all of this.
1. TAKE 2 MUST SELL/MERGE THE COMPANY
2. Management WILL/MUST SELL/MERGE THE COMPANY.

What happens if Take 2 doesnt want to do any of the above? Also when Zelnick says formal discussions have begun ... here might be a possible formal discussion:

"I would like to buy ur company for $X Billion" (interested buyer)
"No" (Take 2)

Thats what EA and Take 2 did before EA took their bid hostile. They were in "formal discussions" and Take 2 kept on saying "No".

If EA wraps up both Ubi and Take2, they only have Activision to contend with in the West, they could shift possibly 1/2 of the western developer effort toward a specific platform, that would hurt like crazy for who?

Depending on which platform they shift to, only the developers and EA.

Gaming on a whole would be better off if the western front didn't turn into a heirarchy... What happened to the passion these guys had during the 80's?

This is such a ridiculous misconception, EA have published some of the most critically acclaimed and highly anticipated games of this generation.

Boom Blox, Crysis, Spore, Command and Conquer, Mass Effect, Rock Band, Madden, Skate, The Sims, FIFA, Burnout, Battlefield, etc.

You really need to grow up or research your facts before throwing around misinformed comments. Just because The Orange Box wasn't a particularly good port or the fact that you have to pay for a high-end gun in Battlefield doesn't mean the whole company is worthless.