Nexon and NCsoft in Valve buyout talks – report

Valve, the company that does not want to be sold, is being linked to another buyout.

This time the allegations say that two of Korea’s gaming powerhouses, NCsoft and Nexon, are in active talks to acquire the Half-Life developer and PC gaming powerhouse.

The reports stem from Joonang News, which Venturebeat describes as a major Korean publication”. It says the company is valued at a surprisingly low $893m.

All parties have so far refused to comment. Nexon has previously been linked with a possible EA acquisition.

Of course, let’s bear in mind that we’ve heard these sorts of rumours before. And we’ll hear them again. Valve co-owner Gabe Newell has been clear about his lack of desire to sell.

And Valve and Nexon already enjoy a partnership of sorts with the pair teaming up to bring Counter Strike Online to Asia.

Indeed, partnerships between East and West are increasingly both in frequency and value. Only recently Chinese gaming giant Tencent acquired a minority stake in Gears of War and Infinity Blade developer Epic.