Take-Two Founder Bails Out As "Bully" Ships
Take-Two Founder Bails Out As "Bully" Ships
October 18, 2006
Is Take-Two Interactive founder Ryan Brant's resignation somehow related to the launch of Bully? That's unknown, but the timing is curious.As reported by CNN/Money, the controversial video game publisher announced yesterday that Brant, a founder of the company as well as its former chairman and CEO, stepped aside. Brant had been on disability leave since June and was listed as VP of production.
SEC investigators are looking into stock option grant procedures at Take-Two as well as at dozens of other corporations, both in and out of the game sector.
In a 2005 settlement with the SEC on another matter, Brant paid a half-million dollar fine and was forced to return over three million dollars of income. He was also barred from serving as an officer or director of a publicly traded company for five years.
New York Post reporter Roddy Boyd, who often covers the controversial Take-Two, writes in today's edition:
"Brant leaves a very mixed legacy. On the one hand, he built Take-Two into a $1.2 billion-revenue company and revolutionized video game design. On the other, Brant oversaw one of the most blatant financial frauds in recent memory, and despite being forced from his chief executive slot in 2004 left a legacy of profound corporate governance woes."
"...Brant, 35, suffered from a bad back, according to a person familiar with the company. There was no statement as to his successor at the Rockstar Games subsidiary, the unit he ran after abdicating the CEO slot."
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Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
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Comments
seriously, need more info on this one!
So, sure, let John Bruce take credit for, or at the least revel in, Brant's physical disability. It wouldn't be a surprise based on John Bruce's past actions.
As to Brant leaving because of Bully... there will always be speculation one way or the other. The only person who truly knows why... is Brant himself.
nightwng2000
NW2K Software
The NY Post also says he "revolutionized video game design." Umm, what? Publishing director types don't design games...
@Blitz Fitness
How do Take Two’s quarters break down?
Their fiscal year (end of Q4) is around Oct 31st. So it's possible the two could be linked. What better way to cheer up investors than to have the guy who was in charge when the finances were in shambles "step down" rather than simply take time off to recover.
@illspirit
The NY Post also says he “revolutionized video game design.” Umm, what?
*shrug* Maybe they were talking about Rockstar, and crediting it to him since he co-founded them...
http://tinyurl.com/yzlmbn
Citigroup said the departure of founder, former chairman and chief executive officer Ryan Brant removed a big psychological overhang for the stock... Shares of the video game publisher rose 1.86 percent to $15.37 in late morning trade on Nasdaq.
I knew my Bus. Admin. degree would do something for me someday, lol.
Yeah, you would have a bad back too if you let all those politicians step all over you.
Look, I think Take-Two are fantastic publishers but they seriously need to get their shit together because it's going to compromise a lot of great games out there if they don't.
Well, JT did get all smug over that MGS fan killing himself...
Ugh, please don't remind me. I think I was angrier when I read that post than I have ever been in my entire life. And I am not exagerrating.
This happens ALL THE TIME in the corporate world.
Happened to my old boss. Fell off his porch and messed his back up bad. After about 6 months, they negotiated a contract buyout. Basically, they paid him a certain amount of money, in exchange for him waiving certain clauses in his contract, and then resigning.
Common corporate procedure.
He din't really do any direct damage,but he madea ruckus,which led to controversy,which led to the chilling effect.
Danm him.
Take Two has made some serious financial mistakes and did indeed do stuff that really isn't kosher.
But Rockstar has nothing to do with Take Two's doings. Just like Maxis isn't responsible for action Electronic Arts does.
still if T2 goes under I can see the devs under them being in hot water and I would have to see rockstar or irrational go under.