Publisher Take-Two today announced that following numerous discussions with interested parties over the past few months, it has decided to call off all merge talk and focus to "continue operating and building Take-Two as an independent company." Says CEO Strauss Zelnick:[blockquote2]"Take-Two's Board of Directors and management have a clear mandate from stockholders to maximize value," said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of the Board of Take-Two. "We are strongly positioned creatively, financially and competitively to benefit from the opportunities we see in the fastest growing segment of the entertainment industry. Our management and outstanding and talented employees have maintained an unwavering focus on our products and our business through this lengthy strategic review process and we are confident in our prospects. We remain focused on maximizing value for stockholders and are executing on our business strategies in a determined manner."[/blockquote2]Time to break out the champagne!