PlayStation 'going after' a major publisher in response to Xbox/Activision deal, says insider

Sony PlayStation is ‘going after’ a major publisher in response to the Xbox/Activision deal, says an insider.

While the ongoing acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft continues to loom, it seems that Sony is preparing to make a major acquisition of its own and it's a biggy to say the least.

As spotted by Gamerficial.com, an industry insider, Rythian, claims that if Microsoft successfully acquires Activision Blizzard (and it’s looking likely), Sony will attempt to buy Take-Two, owners of Rockstar Games and 2K.

“Have it on extremely good word that if Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard, Sony is going after Take-Two Interactive to counter it,” tweeted Rythian. “3 of my trusted and almost always correct sources confirmed that to me.”

Have it on extremely good word that if Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard, Sony is going after Take-Two Interactive to counter it.

3 of my trusted and almost always correct sources confirmed that to me.

— Rythian (@LumberjackRy) February 27, 2023

When on the topic of how much Sony could pick up Take-Two for, Rythian claims that it would cost as little as $20 billion. Well, I say little, but in comparison to the $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard takeover, it is fairly small in comparison.

Activision Blizzard is being bought for $70 billion, Take-Two would roughly be $20 billion, if that.

— Rythian (@LumberjackRy) February 27, 2023

While we should take all rumours and speculation with a pinch of salt, in the event that Sony acquires Take-Two for $20 billion, that could be considered a steal. After all, just on the basis of owning the rights to the Grand Theft Auto franchise, which would be massive, GTA Online alone is a mammoth money-maker for Rockstar Games.

Then of course we have the likes of 2K franchises such as WWE 2K, BioShock, Mafia and much more. So in that respect, I could see the cost of acquiring Take-Two exceeding $20 billion, but I could be wrong. That being said, according to Macrotrends.net, Take-Two currently has a net worth of $20.02 billion.

In my opinion, I think it’s unlikely that Take-Two would consider selling up anytime soon, especially with GTA VI on the horizon. If I was to take a guess, I perhaps wouldn't be surprised if Sony at least attempts to pick up some major shares in the company. However, as with most acquisitions nowadays, if enough money is thrown about, anything can happen.