Some clever WHOIS digging by GameCyte shows that Take-Two Interactive probably isn’t the only target of gaming behemoth Electronic Arts‘ recent takeover bids. Attempts to acquire Ubisoft have long been rumored, but the existence of EAUbisoft.com—and the details of its domain registry—more or less confirm them.

Is it just me or when you think of EA do you imagine some bulging ‘roided-out freak, trying desperately to get even huger despite the fact that it’s already a hideous, unrecognizable mess?

I’m reminded of a “Mr. Show” skit from several years back, which featured a massive, multi-national corporation called GloboChem, whose slogan was “We own everything—so you don’t have to!” I’m half expecting someone from EA to call any minute and offer money for Couch Potatoes. Why? Not because it’s necessarily valuable. Just because they don’t have one yet.

Development studios and indie publishers, in particular, are like Pokemon to EA. “Gotta catch ‘em all!”

You know, pretty much everyone I talked to last week at GDC who works on the creative side of the industry told me that all this consolidation scares the crap out of them. Not because they’re worried about their jobs or whatever, but because they’re worried about the games. Now, of course, EA says its new “label” system respects the “creative culture,” but ... well, I guess all I’m saying is that based on the conversations I had last week with wary developers, that’s gonna be a really hard sell.

Still, at the end of the day, everyone has their price. And whatever Take-Two’s or Ubisoft’s price is, I’m willing to bet EA can afford it.

Ahh, another fix. But then what?

Ain’t capitalism grand?