How many articles about bad economy and suffering publishers have you read on QJ in the past two months? I lost count. That's because it's undeniable - the gaming industry in in the toilet, praying not to be flushed. Take-Two's Chief exec, Strauss Zelnick, describes the current situation to be so bad, that "being slightly down is the new up."

Strauss Zelnick of Take-Two Interactive recently spoke at the BMO Interactive Entertainment conference and shared his opinion on the game industry's standing amidst the ongoing economic turmoil. His observation: they're not immune from recession. His prediction: it's not looking good. Find out more about these earth-shaking revelations after the jump.

After a long drawn out battle to stave off Electronic Arts' takeover bid, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick laid down the final word on Take-Two's status as a company, announcing that they have decided to remain independent after all.

After the Federal Trade Commission gave its blessing to continue merger negotiations, Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive have finally begun its closed door meeting regarding the deal. However, it seems that both parties will be rather tight-lipped regarding the details of the meeting. You can read a statement released by EA regarding their "secret negotiations" in our full article.

Electronic Arts has once again extended the deadline for its buyout offer for Take-Two Interactive's shares. While EA's persistence may impress some, Take-Two's own execs aren't as amused. More on this story in the full article.

The comments made by Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick about how 2K Sports titles are out-rating EA Sports games in reviews seem to have gotten to EA Sports boss Peter Moore. Peter blogged recently about how competitive their line-up is and he spoke of how franchises like NBA Live will put on a ground-breaking show when E3 2008 comes. More details in the full article.

EA Sports or 2K Sports? Although EA Sports has the advantage in the number of their franchises, Take-Two head Strauss Zelnick believes that 2K Sports still "outrate[s] them significantly." Quite a claim. More in the full article.

It seems like Electronic Arts still won't be getting their hands on the Grand Theft Auto creators any time soon. Despite receiving a newly revised offer, Take Two's Strauss Zelnick criticized EA's actions saying it was once again undervaluing their company. You can read more about what the Take Two chairman had to say in response to EA's offer in our full article.

It's official. The board of directors at Take-Two Interactive has rejected Electronic Arts' offer to purchase the company at US$ 26 per share. According to the statement released by the company, the offer from EA was inadequate due to a number of reasons. To find out more, check out the full article.

Perhaps it's a good thing that the management of Take-Two Interactive took the necessary steps to protect employees in the event of a company buy out. As it is, Electronic Arts has already taken the steps to do so: EA recently made a US$ 2 billion offer to Take-Two shareholders.

More on these developments in the full article after the jump.