According to reports, Microsoft is planning to buy Epic Games, the developer of the hit Xbox 360 game Gears of War, for the price of $1 billion.
The report comes from the latest issue of GamePro magazine which stated that by this summer, Microsoft plans to finish a deal to buy Epic Games.
According to Travis Moses, assistant editor of GamePro magazine, "Microsoft will buy Epic Games for $1 billion this summer," adding "Microsoft has lots of cash on hand, and in buying Epic, could collect royalty rights for Unreal technology across other platforms."
Many are expecting an announcement from Epic Games at this weeks Game Developers' Conference 2008 (GDC 2008), revealing Gears of War 2.
The fact that Microsoft and Epic both have their booths set up next to each other at the conference lends some weight to both reports.