View Full Version : EA to acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios (joystiq.com)
7th lutz
10-11-2007, 05:05 PM
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/11/ea-to-acquire-bioware-corp-and-pandemic-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."
FantasiaWHT
10-11-2007, 06:15 PM
Man... dizzying heights followed by horrific lows... is this October 28, 1929? (Black Monday stock market crash)
SONIC'S IN SSBB!!!!!!!!!
ssbb isn't coming out until February....
The EA pimps buy out a ring of high-class courtesans and shove them on the streets to peddle STDs and drugs.
God damn could the day get any lower?
Poofta!
10-11-2007, 06:44 PM
oh man, that sucks. i have a feeling Bioware will go the way of Interplay/Black Isle now...
call it whatever, but im so tired of seeing the fecal matter that is EA in my games.
Damaramu
10-11-2007, 07:19 PM
Wow. A buddy of mine works for Pandemic. I should call him up and get the DL on this.....hope he didn't get laid off!
heybtbm
10-11-2007, 07:39 PM
Booooo!
The thought of EA in control of the Mercenaries franchise makes me sick.
Damaramu
10-11-2007, 07:47 PM
Just chatted with my friend. He said that it's not "a take over" and left it at that. He could not divulge the details of the deal, but he's hoping it doesn't affect his compensation bonus next year. He thinks EA is a "shady company". lol
Hawksmoor
10-11-2007, 08:09 PM
This is a real shame. Given EA's track record with studios they've acquired, there's little reason to think that BioWare and Pandemic won't be buried, dissolved, or relegated to churning out the typical EA schlock.
zemmix
10-11-2007, 09:07 PM
I guess this means they will never do another KOTOR game. And what will happen to that Sonic RPG game I wonder.
Nikademus1969
10-11-2007, 10:39 PM
I can see it now... Madden: the RPG
Someone shoot me :bawling:
ScourDX
10-11-2007, 11:29 PM
What the heck is Ray Muzyka thinking. EA usually buyout company with great franchise and then screw it up. I used to like EA. Now they are like Microsoft of videogame.
PallarAndersVisa
10-12-2007, 12:51 AM
so who ISN'T owned by EA now?
Richter Belmount
10-12-2007, 02:14 AM
Thank god electronic arts hasnt bought out the japan market , bastards.
gum_drops
10-12-2007, 02:45 AM
I guess this means they will never do another KOTOR game.
No not like the originals, but I wouldnt be surprised to see a bastardized generic action game with the KOTOR brand "fingers crossed". Plus it would have a great hip-hop soundtrack!
koster
10-12-2007, 04:17 AM
Next up from Pandemic, Destroy All Humans! 2008 (followed by Destroy All Humans! 2009, ad infinitum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_infinitum)).
Hasn't EA done enough to the gaming community already... :-/
insinion
10-12-2007, 08:50 AM
Atleast Atari still has the rights on Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Dungeons & Dragons and Neverwinter Nights..
kaedesdisciple
10-12-2007, 08:57 AM
No not like the originals, but I wouldnt be surprised to see a bastardized generic action game with the KOTOR brand "fingers crossed". Plus it would have a great hip-hop soundtrack!
And somehow be FILLED with ads for the latest cars and energy drinks.
Bioware, Pandemic, nice knowing you. See you on the other side, I guess.
Richter Belmount
10-12-2007, 05:08 PM
I can imagine the soundtrack being like that in mecenaries 2 , hmm maybe we can expect a urban turn based role playing game soon.
(OO) It's all lining up....EA buys BioWare...Walmart buys EA...Starbucks and Walmart merge..NOooOoooo!! The locusts are everywhere! Get off me!
Rob2600
10-14-2007, 01:07 AM
Isn't EA the company that charges $50 for roster updates?
kaedesdisciple
10-14-2007, 10:16 AM
Isn't EA the company that charges $50 for roster updates?
Not only do they charge for it, they successfully collect it each and every year.
Moo Cow
10-14-2007, 10:22 AM
If I could churn out the same game each year and make millions off of it, I would.
FantasiaWHT
10-14-2007, 01:31 PM
Isn't EA the company that charges $50 for roster updates?
Don't forget paying off the reviewers to gloss over that fact. I took a review of one of the latest Mario Parties (like a 6/10 I think) and replaced every instance of "Mario Party" with "Madden". Everything in the article was perfectly valid applied to Madden (which gets a 9, of course)
Bluteg
10-15-2007, 09:10 PM
Atleast Atari still has the rights on Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Dungeons & Dragons and Neverwinter Nights..
FUCK YOU EA! At least I have some hope with that news. Ghetto Gansta Rap Dance Party RPG, here we come.
Microsoft Game Studios (I'm sure money could be pulled out of someones ass) should just buy EA. 360 would be nothing but exclusives.
scooterb23
10-15-2007, 10:02 PM
Now they are like Microsoft of videogame.
That may be my favorite line in this thread.
I don't have much else to say, I guess we'll see what kind of games they may put out, and judge from there. Or is that not how it's supposed to work anymore?