So EA wants to buy Take-Two Interactive, to the tune of $2 billion, and while to a certain degree I agree with EA's CEO John Riccitiello - this would be a major win for Take-Two stockholders, who've hung on for a rather bumpy ride over the past few years, I'm not sure how good it would be to the people who really matter to us here at Kotaku - the gamers. I thought I would take a look at the pros and cons of such a massive purchase, and then let you folks discuss it a bit as well. Imagine a squiggly, screen-distorting dream sequence effect here as we ponder the question, "What if Take-Two agreed to an EA buyout?"

What EA Would Gain

First, let's put things into perspective from a game standpoint. What games are we talking here? Well EA would of course get Rockstar, which means Grand Theft Auto would be theirs, along with Midnight Club and Manhunt - though at this point it's probably best to toss that one out the window. Then there's 2K Games, which would give them BioShock and the upcoming games Mafia 2 and Borderlands - not a bad haul. EA would also suddenly own Firaxis - and thus every game with a Sid Meier in front of it - Civilization, Pirates, etc. That's an awful lot of property there, isn't it, and that's not even considering the 2K Sports situation, which brings us to...

The Cons

2K Sports No More - EA certainly isn't going to compete with themselves, are they? I see no reason for their to be a 2K Sports label anymore when EA Sports would do so nicely. This means whatever is left of the 2K Sports games - NBA, NHL, MLB, and College Hoops - gone. Remember how we worried when EA announced they had signed an exclusive deal with NFL? This would wipe out their major competition in one fell swoop, while filling in a few holes with games like Top Spin. Not good.

Attack of the Sequels 2008 - A Grand Theft Auto game right now comes along every few years, completely knocks us on our asses and then goes back to the drawing board, lurking in the shadows until they are damn well ready to knock us on our asses again. Can you imagine what EA would do with this franchise? Maybe not a new one every year, but spin offs, alternate reality versions, etc. With the resources at their disposal, we'd see GTA everywhere - even moreso that we will this April - until we are completely sick of it. Then we'll see it some more. In our earlier interview with Riccitiello, the EA CEO addresses this concern by pointing out last year's reorganization, which placed greater emphasis on the developers over the EA brand, but I cannot honestly see how they could resist milking GTA for all it's worth.

Goodbye Free Downloadable Content - Remember that nice chunk of free DLC Take-Two released for BioShock at the end of last year? How much do you think EA would have charged for it? My guess? More than free. I'm imagining new car packs for Grand Theft Auto for 500 points a shot here. Maybe even some costly DLC that makes some of those EA Sports titles play like their often superior 2K counterparts! That would just be completely awesome.

Lower Quality Standards - Aside from some of the issues with BioShock, Take-Two developers generally take their time with their products, making sure everything is polished to a fine shine before passing it onto the consumer. EA isn't so bad when it comes to quality, though nowhere near Take-Two standards. A bigger company with strict deadlines makes for mistakes...it happens.

GTA: Brought To You By Axe Body Spray - Simply put, EA believes in in-game advertising. Not just signs, but product placement in every location possible. From road signs to the brand of cell phone your character uses, the clothing he or she wears and the cars he or she drives. Imagine Grand Theft Auto with all the cute, fictional radio ads replaced with advertisements for real-world products. Imagine stopping by Pizza Hut to replenish your health before heading off to Old Navy to pick up a fleece hoodie. Imagine hell. Eerily similar, yes?

That's plenty of negative points, but what about the positives?

The Pros

Console Exclusive No More - This might be a mark in the cons category for many of you who still believe having a game only on your console somehow empowers you to be a dick in forums and blog comment sections, but I see this as a good thing. I own all three consoles, but I know plenty of people who don't. People who sunk all their cash into a PS3 and then sit around reading all of our stories gushing over BioShock before curling up in the corner and crying themselves to sleep. EA doesn't like console exclusives. EA would launch the next GTA for all consoles, including the Wii, DS, PSP, and mobile phones.

Jack Thompson Versus EA - I would absolutely love for Jack to send a threatening letter to EA lawyers regarding a violent game release. They would devour him whole, and then make a game about it. Take-Two likes to play footsie with him because of the publicity he generates I'm sure, but EA don't play that.

BioShock and System Shock - Having both of these franchises under one company could prove to be incredibly awesome. Imagine a Victorian steampunk BioShock sequel with ties to a brand new System Shock title? I know, two different franchise, two different realities, but hell. I can dream. I just think it would be nifty to have the two universes click together somehow.

The Verdict

So, what did I miss? As far as I can see that's five cons to 3 pros, and honestly that last pro was a bit of a stretch. Do I think Take-Two should allow EA to purchase them? No. I believe that Take-Two has the strength to carry on without EA interference. With games like GTA IV, Mafia 2, and Borderlands coming soon, as well as the closest thing EA has to competition in the sports arena, I don't think this is necessary at all, and from a gamer standpoint I think it would hurt Take-Two's properties more than help.

Now on the other hand, were I a shareholder, the offer would sound mighty, mighty tempting to me right now...which is of course EA's plan. Here's hoping it doesn't pan out, and if it does...here's hoping I am wrong.