Jack Thompson offers help to EA in Take Two buyout, EA declines, and Jack Fires Back

[FriskyTanuki]

The Offer:

Describing himself as a longtime Take Two shareholder, controversial attorney Jack Thompson has written to Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello (and, naturally, cc’d several media outlets) with an offer to assist EA in its effort to acquire the Grand Theft Auto publisher.

In a long, rambling letter, Thompson spills most of his ink painting T2 boss Strauss Zelnick as a villain (which EA probably wouldn’t disagree with, at least in the deal-making sense) and concludes with:

I am delighted to work with Electronic Arts to evict the Zelnick Trojan Horse from within Take-Two’s corporate walls. In doing so, I can get the new Take-Two into the clear as to the trouble I and others can send its way.

Zelnick is the source of trouble headed Take-Two’s way, not I, and EA can make the case, with my help, that such trouble can be avoided.

It’s not the first time Thompson has referenced being a T2 shareholder, although we suspect his stake in the company is possibly as small as a single share. He claimed that he purchased T2 stock in late 2005 because it would allow him to attend - and speak at - T2’s stockholder’s meeting. That meeting eventually came and went without his input, however.

The Response:

GamePolitics readers will recall last week’s report detailing Miami attorney Jack Thompson’s generous offer to assist Electronic Arts in its bid to acquire Grand Theft Auto publisher Take Two Interactive.

While we assumed EA would simply ignore Thompson, the game publisher has chosen to administer a public slap, instead. Apparently, EA has not forgotten Thompson’s bizarre, 2005 attack on its beloved Sims franchise. Here’s the text of EA’s letter:

Mr. Thompson,

We have received your letter to EA’s shareholder site. In response to your offer to assist in the proposed acquisition of Take-Two, we would strongly prefer that you not get involved in this matter. EA is a strong supporter of creative freedom for game developers. We feel that your past statements – including false claims about content in our games – make any collaboration with you impossible.

Sincerely,
Mariam Sughayer
Sr. Manager Corporate Communications
Electronic Arts, Inc.

GP: Good call by EA. Trying to ignore Thompson in the hope that he will just go away has been a mistake the video game industry has repeated time and again.

UPDATE: GP has received a comment from Thompson:

I’ve just seen excerpts at Gamasutra. That’s fine. Then I’ll be involved at the Take-Two shareholders meeting. Oh, and EA’s improper collaboration with modders of the Sims was and is absolutely correct.

Thompson's Take Two Conspiracy:

…so by now you’ve read Electronic Arts stinging dismissal of controversial attorney Jack Thompson’s offer to help it acquire Take Two Interactive. We’ve just received from Thompson this copy of his response to EA:

I have in the last few days been contacted by a company with whom Take-Two does business. This company is now my client.

My client informs me that Take-Two has breached a substantial contract with it. It appears based upon what my client tells me that this is how Take-Two does business within the industry. This does not surprise me, as I have seen this same company up-close for a number of years. But it is surely gratifying to get corroboration of my observations, out of the blue, from a corporate entity which has been stiffed by Take-Two and which must take legal action, it seems, to get recompense. How sweet.

If you all at EA want to pursue a purchase of Take-Two without fully knowing what is “out there” in the form of liabilities, posed by my client and others, of your take-over target, you got [sic] right ahead. I’m sure EA’s shareholders will be impressed with your lack of “due diligence” exhibited first by your “don’t help us, Mr. Thompson” and now your anticipated “we don’t want to know about contractual liabilities of Take-Two” posture. Maybe the new corporate logo of EA should incorporate an ostrich…

Your corporate approach to due diligence exhibits the type of circle-the-wagons acumen that is leading the video game industry to the federal regulation that ESA’s own leaked poll indicates 65% of Americans want.

:lol:

 

[Hitze]

I think they hurt Jack's feelings

 

[emdub]

If he is a shareholder of Take Two, isn't taking on a client that claims Take Two 'breached a contract' a conflict of interest?

 

[Thomas96]

wow, nice trick, trying to scare EA by alleging that Take -two has some sort of legal problems. Might not keep the deal from happening, but it could make a delay or two...

 

[Trancendental]

[quote name='Thomas96']wow, nice trick, trying to scare EA by alleging that Take -two has some sort of legal problems. Might not keep the deal from happening, but it could make a delay or two...[/quote]


Take Two has legal problems? NO WAI!

 

[reicaden]

sooo. you can be a shareholder, and then hold a case with a client against the company that owns your shares .

 

[W.arner1281]

Why hasn't Jack Thompson been gunned down on the streets in an apparent Grand Theft Auto fashion?

 

[TwinkyC]

I'm liking the new macho EA. First, the Mass Effect incident, and now this. Way to go EA. (Wow, I can't believe I actually said that.)