Although Take-Two did eventually turn down Electronic Art's offers by letting the final one expire earlier this month, the two video game giants have been entertaining the idea of a merger.  This is mostly on account of EA's undying persistence, and both companies have signed confidentiality agreements to keep ongoing negotiations under wraps.

While some might think this marriage would give rise to new and better video games born from two different groups, Don Reisinger at CNET believes quite the opposite:

Some tout this acquisition as the next logical step for a video game industry that's becoming more consolidated. Others say that EA's takeover of Take-Two could actually increase the value of games and create a company that will offer some of the most impressive titles we have ever seen, thanks to the combined efforts of developers.

That sentiment may ring true in some cases, and every now and then, there's a flash of something unique, but if this acquisition becomes a reality and EA swallows up one of the biggest developers in the industry, it spells trouble for gamers and the industry itself.

Reisinger goes on to say that consolidation would ruin the industry's ability to offer unique video games, meaning we would only see more and more sequels rather than new IPs.  Furthermore, developers who may want to flex their creativity by making more interesting games would be quashed by the suits that sign their paychecks.

While he acknowledges the need to make a profit, Reisinger says the hype surrounding games like Spore and LittleBigPlanet are an indication of the community's thirst for more innovative titles.  And yet they do not dominate the current market:

Market research and sales figures dictate more sequels and first-person shooters because those sell and most companies believe that there's no reason to risk developing an innovative title that may or may not appeal to consumers when the guaranteed money is in light updates to known titles.

And if EA and Take-Two--two of the biggest culprits of derivative gaming-- combine to form one major developer, this will only get worse.

I'm thinking he did not enjoy Grand Theft Auto IV and isn't looking for to Gears of War 2 like some of us sequel-loving sheep are.