EA to acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios

[8th lutz]

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/11/ea-to-ac...ndemic-studios/

 

Monolithic publisher EA has today announced an agreement with Elevation Partners to purchase VG Holding Corp -- a move which sees EA becoming the owner of both BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios. A shocking move to be certain, but one that should make complete sense to a publisher looking to strengthen its lineup of role-playing games and action titles. BioWare, currently finishing development on November's Microsoft-published Mass Effect, has proven itself to be one of the leading developers in the genre, and Pandemic Studios' Mercenaries franchise has shown an alarming propensity for blowing things up.

 

The purchase will cost EA up to $620 million in cash payment to the stockholders of VG Holding Corp., with another $155 million in equity going to "certain employees" of VG Holding Corp., "subject to time-based or performance-based vesting criteria." Ray Muzyka, Co-founder and CEO of BioWare Corp, thinks it's money well spent. "This vision is consistent with BioWare's focus on crafting the highest quality story-driven games in the world," he says. "It will enable us to further the careers of the passionate, creative and hard working teams at BioWare Edmonton and BioWare Austin."

[2600Lives]

Say goodbye to those great BioWare games. EA will probably charge them with coming up with their yearly Madden title or some crap.

[PressureCooker2600]

The Fourth Reich continues to grow.

[MCHufnagel]

EA isn't that bad. Don't you remember all of the great games Bullfrog and Westwood have made since being bought by EA?

 

Oh ya, there're gone!

[Shannon]

Well at least they managed to release Bioshock before being ruined.

[Jess Ragan]

Uh, that was Irrational Games, now a division of 2K Games. Tsk tsk, and you call yourself a fan!

[2600Lives]

Don't forget Irrational also made the kick ass Freedom Force games.

[+Random Terrain]

When did EA become evil? I know it happened many years ago, but I don't remember exactly when.

[gdement]

When did EA become evil? I know it happened many years ago, but I don't remember exactly when.

 

When they ruined Origin, if not before.

[Shannon]

Uh, that was Irrational Games, now a division of 2K Games. Tsk tsk, and you call yourself a fan!

 

Doi Forgot about that minor detail.

 

In that case, yet another company ruined by EA. Woo hoo!!

[Cybergoth]

When did EA become evil? I know it happened many years ago, but I don't remember exactly when.

 

I think EA lost its soul with Trip Hawkins, around 1991, when he left to form 3DO.

[Lord Helmet]

Great, now the Battlefront and KOTOR games will suck.

[+Random Terrain]

When did EA become evil? I know it happened many years ago, but I don't remember exactly when.

I think EA lost its soul with Trip Hawkins, around 1991, when he left to form 3DO.

Thanks. That sounds about right to me. Remember when Trip Hawkins was almost like Steve Jobs with that enthusiastic world-changing magic? Now Steve Jobs isn't even Steve Jobs.

[MCHufnagel]

Great, now the Battlefront and KOTOR games will suck.

I'm sure Lucasarts will find some other developers for those projects. I can't see them working through EA because I'm sure EA would want some hand in distribution/publishing.

[PressureCooker2600]

I was always wanting a new KOTOR......I just hope Lucasarts doesn't make a deal with the Dark side.

[cimerians]

Oh no...not Bioware and Pandemic too?

 

How many more companies will fall to the EA axe......

 

Those bastages. I still miss the original Origin System and my solo Ultima's!.

I will never buy an EA game.

 

In reality most of the good developers probably leave or have left before EA even buys them.

[liveinabin]

On the surface of it, really bad news.

Still, we'll have to see how it pans out. Both Bioware and Pandemic are big organisations with a good name, making (particularly Bioware) the kind of games that EA currently doesn't do. Given that, it's going to be difficult for EA to 'absorb' them. Might even end up being good, who knows, it might give Bioware the money and manpower to get their games from concept to store a bit quicker.

 

Oh, and as for KOTOR, Bioware don't have anything to do with that anymore anyway. And the whole IP belongs to Lucasarts.

[jboypacman]

Dang EA i think they have gotten way to big for there own good.They were a good company once a long time ago.