GT INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE CORP
S-8, 1998-08-11
PREPACKAGED SOFTWARE
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     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 11, 1998
                                                        Registration No. 333-___

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                 ---------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                 ---------------
                          GT INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE CORP.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        Delaware                                                 13-3689915
        --------                                                 ----------
  (State or Other Jurisdiction of                             (I.R.S. Employer
   Incorporation or Organization)                         Identification Number)

                                417 Fifth Avenue
                            New York, New York 10016
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)
                                 ---------------
                          GT INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE CORP.
                            1997 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)
                                Ronald Chaimowitz
                                417 Fifth Avenue
                            New York, New York 10016
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                                 (212) 726-6500
                     (Telephone Number, Including Area Code,
                              of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:

                              David P. Levin, Esq.
                        Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel
                                919 Third Avenue
                            New York, New York 10022
                                 (212) 715-9100

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
====================================================================================================================================
                                                                Proposed
                                                                  Maximum                    Proposed
                                                                  Offering                   Maximum                     Amount of
    Title of Securities to          Amount to be                 Price Per                  Aggregate                  Registration
        be Registered                Registered                   Share(1)                Offering Price                    Fee
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                  <C>                            <C>                      <C>                          <C>   
Common Stock, par
value $.01  per share                4,000,000 shares               $6.4375                 $25,750,000                  $7,597
====================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)      Estimated  solely for  purposes of  calculating  the  registration  fee
         pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended,
         based upon the average of the high and low sales  prices for the Common
         Stock reported on the Nasdaq National Market on August 7, 1998.


<PAGE>

                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

         This Registration  Statement on Form S-8 is being filed for the purpose
of registering an additional  4,000,000 shares of the Registrant's Common Stock,
par value $.01 per share, to be issued pursuant to the  Registrant's  1997 Stock
Incentive  Plan,  as  amended.  The  contents of the  Registrant's  Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-33353), relating to the 1997 Stock Incentive
Plan, are incorporated herein by reference.


                                        2

<PAGE>

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The Registrant  hereby  incorporates by reference in this  Registration
Statement the following documents:

         (a) The  Registrant's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal  year
ended December 31, 1997 (File No.  0-27338),  filed pursuant to Section 13(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act");

         (b) The Registrant's  Transition Report on Form 10-K for the transition
period from January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 (File No. 0-27338), filed pursuant
to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act;

         (c) The Registrant's  Current  Report on Form 8-K, filed March 4, 1998,
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act;

         (d) The Registrant's  Current Report on Form 8-K/A,  filed May 7, 1998,
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act;

         (e) The Registrant's  Current  Report on Form 8-K, filed July 22, 1998,
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act;

         (f) The Registrant's  Current Report on Form 8-K, filed August 5, 1998,
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act;

         (g) The  Registrant's  Quarterly  Report  on Form  10-Q for the  fiscal
quarter  ended June 30, 1998,  filed  pursuant to Section  13(a) of the Exchange
Act; and

         (h) The Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed pursuant
to Section  12(g) of the  Exchange  Act,  which  contains a  description  of the
Registrant's  Common  Stock,  including  any  amendment  or report filed for the
purpose of updating such description.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c),  14 and  15(d) of the  Exchange  Act,  prior to the  filing  of a
post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all
securities  offered  hereby  have  been  sold  or  which  deregisters  all  such
securities  then  remaining  unsold,  shall  be  deemed  to be  incorporated  by
reference in this  Registration  Statement and to be a part hereof from the date
of filing of such documents.

Item 4.   Description of Securities.

         Not applicable.

Item 5.   Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

         The  validity  of the shares of Common  Stock  offered  hereby has been
passed upon for the  Registrant by Kramer,  Levin,  Naftalis & Frankel.  Certain
members of, and persons  associated  with,  such firm own an aggregate of 24,662
shares of Common Stock.


                                       -3-

<PAGE>

Item 6.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Reference  is  made  to  Section  102(b)(7)  of  the  Delaware  General
Corporation Law (the "DGCL"),  which permits a corporation in its certificate of
incorporation  or an  amendment  thereto  to  eliminate  or limit  the  personal
liability of a director for violations of the director's  fiduciary duty, except
(i)  for  any  breach  of  the  director's  fiduciary  duty  of  loyalty  to the
corporation or its stockholders  (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or
which  involve  intentional  misconduct  or a knowing  violation  of law,  (iii)
pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL  (providing  for  liability of directors for
unlawful  payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or  redemptions),  or
(iv) for any transaction  from which the director  derived an improper  personal
benefit. The Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,  as
amended, contains provisions permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL.

         Reference  is made to  Section  145 of the DGCL which  provides  that a
corporation  may indemnify any persons,  including  directors and officers,  who
are,  or are  threatened  to be made,  parties  to any  threatened,  pending  or
completed   legal  action,   suit  or  proceeding,   whether  civil,   criminal,
administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such
corporation),  by  reason of the fact  that  such  person is or was a  director,
officer,  employee  or agent of such  corporation,  or is or was  serving at the
request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation  or  enterprise.  The  indemnity  may  include  expenses  (including
attorneys' fees),  judgments,  fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably  incurred  by such person in  connection  with such  action,  suit or
proceeding,  provided such  director,  officer,  employee or agent acted in good
faith and in a manner he  reasonably  believed  to be in or not  opposed  to the
corporation's  best  interests  and,  with  respect  to any  criminal  action or
proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. A
Delaware  corporation  may indemnify  directors  and/or officers in an action or
suit by or in the right of the  corporation  under the same  conditions,  except
that no  indemnification  is permitted without judicial approval if the director
or officer is  adjudged  to be liable to the  corporation.  Where a director  or
officer is  successful  on the merits or  otherwise in the defense of any action
referred  to above,  the  corporation  must  indemnify  him or her  against  the
expenses which such director or officer actually and reasonably incurred.

         The Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,  as
amended,   provides  for  indemnification  of  directors  and  officers  of  the
Registrant to the fullest  extent  permitted by the DGCL.  The  Registrant  also
maintains  liability  insurance for each director and officer for certain losses
arising  from  claims  or  charges  made  against  them  while  acting  in their
capacities as directors or officers of the Registrant.

Item 7.   Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.

Item 8.    Exhibits.

         Exhibit Number                Description

                    4.1       Amended and Restated  Certificate of Incorporation
                              of the Registrant and  Certificate of Amendment of
                              the   Amended   and   Restated    Certificate   of
                              Incorporation  of the Registrant  (incorporated by
                              reference  to  Exhibit  3.1  filed  as part of the
                              Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
                              fiscal quarter ended June 30, 1998).

                    4.2       Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant (as
                              amended   on  July   23,   1998)(incorporated   by
                              reference to Exhibit 3.2 filed as


                                       -4-

<PAGE>

                              part of the Registrant's  Quarterly Report on Form
                              10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 1998).

                    5         Opinion of Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel.

                    23.1      Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

                    23.2      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

                    23.3      Consent  of  Kramer,  Levin,  Naftalis  &  Frankel
                              (contained  in the  opinion  filed  as  Exhibit  5
                              hereto).

                    24        Power of Attorney  (included on the signature page
                              of this Registration Statement).

Item 9.    Undertakings.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a  post-effective  amendment  to this  Registration  Statement  to  include  any
material  information  with respect to the plan of  distribution  not previously
disclosed  in  the  Registration  Statement  or  any  material  change  to  such
information in the Registration Statement.

         (2) That,  for the  purpose  of  determining  any  liability  under the
Securities Act, each such  post-effective  amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration  statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities  at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective  amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

         The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any  liability  under  the  Securities  Act,  each  filing  of  the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where  applicable,  each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual  report   pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act)  that  is
incorporated by reference in the Registration  Statement shall be deemed to be a
new Registration  Statement relating to the securities offered therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be  permitted to  directors,  officers  and  controlling  persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,  the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities  and Exchange  Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore,  unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director,  officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by it is against public
policy as  expressed  in the  Securities  Act and will be  governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.


                                       -5-

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the  City of New  York,  State  of New  York on this 11th day of
August, 1998.

                                     GT INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE CORP.



                                     By: /s/ Ronald Chaimowitz
                                         ---------------------
                                     Name:   Ronald Chaimowitz
                                     Title:  Chairman of the Board of Directors
                                             and Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW  ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that  each  person  whose  signature
appears  below  constitutes  and  appoints  each  of  Joseph  J.  Cayre,  Ronald
Chaimowitz  and Jack J.  Cayre his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and agent,
with full power of  substitution  and  resubstitution,  for him and in his name,
place and stead,  in any and all  capacities,  to sign any or all  amendments to
this  registration  statement,  and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto,
and other  documents in connection  therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange
Commission,  granting  unto said  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  full  power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary
to be done in and about the  premises,  as fully for all intents and purposes as
he might or could do in person,  hereby  ratifying and  confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                      SIGNATURE                                               TITLE(S)                                  DATE
                      ---------                                               --------                                  ----
<S>                                                          <C>                                              <C>
 /s/ Joseph J. Cayre                                         Chariman Emeritus of the Board of                 August 11, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------             Directors
Joseph J. Cayre


/s/ Andrew Gregor                                            Senior Vice President, Finance and                August 11, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------             Administration, and Chief
Andrew Gregor                                                Financial Officer (Principal
                                                             Financial and Accounting Officer)
                                                             

/s/ Ronald Chaimowitz                                        Chairman of the Board of Directors                August 11, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------             and Chief Executive Officer
Ronald Chaimowitz                                            


/s/ Jack J. Cayre                                            Executive Vice President, Director                August 11, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------
Jack J. Cayre


/s/ Stanley Cayre                                            Director                                          August 11, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------
Stanley Cayre


/s/ Steven A. Denning                                        Director                                          August 11, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------
Steven A. Denning


<PAGE>

/s/ William E. Ford                                          Director                                          August 11, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------
William E. Ford


/s/ Jordan A. Levy                                           Director                                          August 11, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------
Jordan A. Levy


/s/ Alvin N. Teller                                          Director                                          August 11, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------
Alvin N. Teller


/s/ Philip J. Riese                                          Director                                          August 11, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------
Phillip J. Riese
</TABLE>




                [LETTERHEAD OF KRAMER, LEVIN, NAFTALIS & FRANKEL]


                                 August 11, 1998


Securities and Exchange Commission
Judiciary Plaza
450 Fifth Street., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549

               Re:     Registration Statement on Form S-8
                       ----------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to GT Interactive  Software  Corp., a Delaware
corporation (the "Registrant"), in connection with the preparation and filing of
a Registration  Statement on Form S-8 (the  "Registration  Statement")  with the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  "Commission"),  with respect to the
registration  under the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"),  of an
aggregate of 4,000,000 shares (the "Shares") of common stock, par value $.01 per
share ("Common  Stock"),  to be issued pursuant to the  Registrant's  1997 Stock
Incentive Plan (the "Plan").  The Shares represent  additional  shares of Common
Stock  which  were  authorized  to be  issued  under  the  Plan by the  Board of
Directors  and the  stockholders  of the  Registrant  in April and  June,  1998,
respectively.

         In connection  with the  registration  of the Shares,  we have reviewed
copies  of the  Registration  Statement,  the Plan,  the  Amended  and  Restated
Certificate of Incorporation,  as amended,  and the By-laws,  as amended, of the
Registrant,  and such other documents and records as we have deemed necessary to
enable us to express an opinion on the matters covered hereby. In rendering this
opinion,  we have (a)  assumed  (i) the  genuineness  of all  

<PAGE>

KRAMER, LEVIN, NAFTALIS & FRANKEL

Securities and Exchange Commission
August 11, 1998
Page 2

signatures  on all  documents  examined  by us,  (ii)  the  authenticity  of all
documents  submitted to us as  originals,  and (iii) the  conformity to original
documents of all documents  submitted to us as photostatic  or conformed  copies
and the  authenticity  of the  originals of such  copies;  and (b) relied on (i)
certificates of public officials and (ii) as to matters of fact,  statements and
certificates of officers and representatives of the Registrant.

         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares covered
by the  Registration  Statement,  following  the  granting  of the  options  and
restricted  stock  described  in the Plan and upon  delivery  of such Shares and
payment  therefor at the prices and in  accordance  with the terms stated in the
Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

         As of the date hereof, certain members of, and persons associated with,
this firm owned an aggregate of 24,662 shares of Common Stock of the Registrant.
Such  information  is also  disclosed  in Item 5 of Part II of the  Registration
Statement.

         We hereby  consent  to the use of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration  Statement  and to the use of our  name in Item 5 of Part II in the
Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consent, we do not thereby admit
that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7
of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

         We are delivering this opinion to the  Registrant,  and no person other
than the Registrant may rely upon it.

                                            Very truly yours,

                                            /s/KRAMER, LEVIN, NAFTALIS & FRANKEL





                    CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

         As   independent   public   accountants,   we  hereby  consent  to  the
incorporation  by  reference in this  registration  statement on Form S-8 of our
report  dated  May  21,  1998,  included  in  GT  Interactive  Software  Corp.'s
Transition Report on Form 10-K for the transition period from January 1, 1998 to
March 31,  1998 and of our  report  dated  February  13,  1998,  included  in GT
Interactive  Software  Corp.'s  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal  year
ended  December  31,  1997 and to all  references  to our Firm  included in this
registration statement.

                                                /s/ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP



New York, New York
August 4, 1998






                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

         We consent  to the  incorporation  by  reference  in this  Registration
Statement on Form S-8 for the  registration of 4,000,000  shares of common stock
of our report dated May 10, 1996,  with respect to the  financial  statements of
WizardWorks Group, Inc. (not separately  presented in such report),  included in
the  Transition  Report on Form 10-K of GT  Interactive  Software  Corp. for the
transition  period  from  January  1, 1998 to March 31,  1998 and in the  Annual
Report on Form 10-K of GT  Interactive  Software Corp. for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1997.


                                                   /s/ERNST & YOUNG LLP


Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 4, 1998




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