Electronic Arts is still hoping to acquire Take-Two Interactive, the publishers of Grand Theft Auto IV.  This week, they renewed their bid of $25.74 U.S. to buy the company.

The offer, which had expired last Friday, values the video game publisher at over $2 billion.  EA has been pushing to take over the firm for months, and Take-Two previously insisted that the company wait until GTA IV hit the streets.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick can only shake his head at the deal.  He says that when the board originally received the offer back in March, they “unanimously determined to be inadequate and contrary to the best interests of Take-Two’s stockholders.”

The company isn’t closed-minded on selling, says Zelnick. “The Board is committed to maximizing stockholder value and is exploring all strategic alternatives to do so. We said we were willing to begin formal discussions with interested parties on April 30th, following the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV, and we have in fact begun that process.”

The huge success of Grand Theft Auto IV, and a new Bioshock movie deal with Universal are raising the profile, and price, of Take-Two.  If EA hopes to acquire the company, they may have to raise their bid or make some adjustments to their strategy.

There was a rash of news erupting today on the matter of Grand Theft Auto: IV. Here’s a quick summary of what went down:

• EB Games reported that the PS3 version of GTA IV was outselling the Xbox 360 version on pre-orders in Australia, causing some sites to report that the same was true in North America. UK retailer Asda, however, reported the same findings. HMV reports the opposite.
• Sam Houser at Rockstar told 1UP.com that there will be some differences in the game between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, mostly to do with the subtle differences in rendering between the consoles. (Which reminds us of the differences between Firefox and IE rendering.) Houser chooses the PS3 as his favorite in terms of visuals: “There’s a certain kind of softness without being blurry – some warmth to it – and then there’s a certain more clinical element to how the 360 looks.”
• Word has spread that a leaked copy of the game has popped up on the web, pointing to the complete impatience of some gamers. The leaked copy will supposedly run on Xbox 360 systems with the necessary mod chips. (Just — don’t plug that console into the Internet…)
• Some sites also leaked in-game footage. The complete intro was posted on YouTube, and quickly removed from the site.
• Sasha Grey, a porn actress, said she’d like to appear in a Grand Theft Auto game, “strapped with two MP5K’s and a black and grey skintight outfit”. Hype for GTA V, already?

Grand Theft Auto IV will be out on April 29.

Take-Two Interactive has turned down an offer from Electronic Arts, according to a statement from the firm. EA reportedly offered to buy the firm at $26 U.S. per share.

Electronic Arts has been attempting to acquire Take-Two for some time, but the firm is determined to hold out until they release Grand Theft Auto IV in a month. Take-Two says they will revalue their stock options after the game is released.

The company says it will discuss “strategic alternatives” and “business combination” options with interested parties.