New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO) announced that it has signed new employment agreements with the senior creative talent at its Rockstar Games label, which develops the top-selling "Grand Theft Auto" franchise. The new agreements run through 2012. Take-Two added that it has agreed to fund the future development of new titles to be owned by a new company controlled by key Rockstar team members, which will be exclusively published by Take-Two.

Miami, Fla. - The Florida Supreme Court this week permanently disbarred Miami attorney Jack Thompson, a vocal critic of violence in video games who had specifically targeted Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO) and its "Grand Theft Auto" franchise.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO) will allow players of its forthcoming "Grand Theft Auto IV" to download any of the over 150 songs they hear within the game from Amazon's (NASD: AMZN) MP3 store. Players will use an in-game cell phone to text a number and receive a "text" back with the artist and song title. Those signed up for the Rockstar Games Social Club will also receive an e-mail with links to purchase tagged songs from Amazon. The game is slated for release on April 29.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive's (NASD: TTWO) board has rejected an unsolicited bid of about $2 billion for the company from fellow games maker Electronic Arts (NASD: ERTS), saying the proposal undervalues Take-Two and is a "highly opportunistic" move given the pending release of "Grand Theft Auto IV." The offer of $26 per share represents a 64% premium over Take-Two's stock price on Feb. 15, the day before EA made its proposal.

New York - A website has been set up to inform consumers of how to receive compensation resulting from the settlement of class action lawsuits against Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO), over the "Hot Coffee" explicit sexual content included in the initial release of its "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." Consumers who purchased the original version of the game may exchange their game disc for an edited version, while those with a receipt are eligible to receive up to $35 from the company.

New York - Take-Two Interactive's (NASD: TTWO) Rockstar Games label on Thursday announced the release date for its "Grand Theft Auto IV" title for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, which will ship to retailers worldwide on April 29. The release had originally been scheduled for October 2007, which the company delayed to devote more time to development.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO) announced on Friday the settlement of all consumer class action lawsuits in the U.S. related to the "Hot Coffee" online download that could unlock sexually explicit content in its "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" game. Under the settlement, which still requires court approval, all claims against Take-Two will be dismissed without any admission of liability or wrongdoing by Take-Two or its Rockstar Games unit, which developed the game.

New York - Microsoft has paid video game publisher Take-Two Interactive $50 million for the exclusive rights to offer downloadable episodes for its "Grand Theft Auto IV" game over the Xbox Live Marketplace service for the Xbox 360.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive has announced plans to lay off an undisclosed number of staff, as part of a restructuring aimed at reviving a company that has lately seen a shareholder revolt and been plagued with controversies over stock options and its "Grand Theft Auto" game franchise.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive has settled several lawsuits filed against attorney Jack Thompson, an outspoken critic of game violence who has been involved in several lawsuits against Take-Two, GamePolitics.com reported.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two, creators of the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise, is now the subject of a formal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into its stock options granting practices, the company said in a regulatory filing.

New York - Investors at video game publisher Take-Two Interactive ousted five of the company's six board members on Thursday -- including CEO Paul Eibeler -- in a shake-up that followed multiple controversies at the company, including stock options backdating and a scandal surrounding its "Grand Theft Auto" franchise.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive has begun settlement negotiations in a class-action lawsuit over the sexually explicit game content hidden in the code of its popular "Grand Theft Auto" title.

New York - Rockstar Games, a unit of Take-Two Interactive, announced on Wednesday that it will publish "Manhunt 2," a sequel to its violent action title, for PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo Wii this summer. The original game was banned in Germany, Australia and New Zealand, and pulled from store shelves by a number of U.K. retailers, after it was found at the crime scene of a murdered teenager there. The sequel is being developed at Rockstar London, in conjunction with Rockstar North, while the Wii version is being created at Rockstar Toronto. Separately, Rockstar announced on Wednesday that it will bring its previously PSP-only "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories" title to the PlayStation 2; the game is slated for release in North America on March 6 and in Europe on March 9.

Miami - Jack Thompson, a vocal critic of violence in the media who has filed numerous lawsuits against video game publishers, now faces disciplinary proceedings at the hand of the Florida Bar Association, over allegedly false and disparaging statements he made against a judge and several lawyers, Daily Business Review reported.