Take-Two Bids For Acclaim's Juiced

According to New York Newsday, Take-Two has made a $10 million bid for the publishing rights to Acclaim’s street racing simulation Juiced. Acclaim filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy three weeks ago, and currently owes creditor and primary lender GMAC Commercial Finance the sum of $23 million. The Take-Two offer comprises $8.125 million for the rights to the game and up to $1.875 million in royalties, subject to the game achieving specific sales levels. But the Scottish Fund4Games organization, which co-funded the game, is contending that Acclaim has forfeited the rights to the game, because of unpaid fees amounting to the equivalent of $4.25 million. As part of the Take-Two deal, $4.5 million of their offer would go to Fund4Games. Take-Two does appear an unlikely publisher for the title, though, since the game is thematically almost identical to Rockstar’s Midnight Run series, a third iteration of which is shortly to be released. Since previous reports have suggested that the name Juiced can no longer be used in conjunction with the game, some kind of Midnight Club rebranding might be possible, although legal filings indicate the game must be in stores by October 11th for Take-Two's deal to be ratified, implying there wouldn't be enough time to change the name and some naming arrangement may have been reached. However, a final deal is yet to be struck, and Acclaim’s auditors are allowing other companies to bid for game until 30th September.