Anyone following Electronic Arts' ongoing pursuit of Take-Two Interactive knows that the key to deal is clearly Rockstar Games and its blockbuster Grand Theft Auto franchise (GTA IV just racked up a record setting $500 million in its first week). In March, EA chief John Riccitiello acknowledged that he's very keen on picking up the talented folks at Rockstar.

"I believe the company is fully justified in calling themselves Rockstar because that's what they are in this industry," he said at the time. "The big headline here is that our primary interest is in Rockstar and the intellectual properties around Rockstar. Sports games are secondary consideration here."

Well, Riccitiello must be quite pleased to hear then that Rockstar actually wouldn't mind becoming a part of EA. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Rockstar head Sam Houser called Riccitiello "the real deal" and he said that he does see some appeal in an EA alliance. Houser noted that if the deal were to happen, Rockstar would become a "much smaller fish in much bigger pond" whereas currently the developer is more akin to a great white shark swimming in Take-Two's waters. Houser, who actually was turned down by EA for a job in the late '90s, added that he doesn't have "any kind of problem with [being a smaller fish]."

There is some concern about whether Rockstar would accept being managed by EA, however. Houser runs Rockstar as an autonomous unit at Take-Two and Rockstar may feel hindered if they have to seek approval on projects from EA. "These are the kids on the island in Lord of the Flies," commented Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. "Are they manageable? No one knows."

Thanks to our friends at Joystiq for the tip.