I hope battle field 2 is still gunna be made but what is wrong with EA i think they make good games.
EA to complete DICE takeover
By
Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor
Publisher looks to pick up the remaining 26 percent of the Battlefield series developer it doesn't already own.
Electronic Arts has been in the process of acquiring Digital Illusions CE (DICE) since 2003, purchasing the publisher in chunks here and there. However, the long courtship is set to come to an end soon, as EA announced that the companies have agreed on a final merger proposal.
If all goes according to plan, EA will purchase the remaining shares of DICE in September, "effectively making DICE a fully integrated studio within EA." The merger must be approved by a two-three majority vote at DICE's annual shareholders meeting in May, but that shouldn't be a problem, considering EA already owns approximately 68 percent of the company's shares.
In a statement issued by the Stockholm-based company, DICE chairman Thomas Skoglund said that the acquisition "resolves a stifling and complex situation while at the same time safeguarding DICE's position as a leading-edge game developer in a global and increasingly competitive environment."
Specifically, DICE noted that the current ownership situation has two glaring weaknesses that a full acquisition would remedy. First, it prevents DICE from using EA tools, technology, and financial resources. It also added that it could make it difficult to entice talented employees to join or stay with the company in the future.
DICE is currently at work on downloadable content packs for its Battlefield 2 PC game, and Xbox 360 and PSP versions of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. The company was founded in 1992 and has offices in Sweden and Canada.
By
Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor
Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.
53 comments
EA is giving me more and more reason to start up a new gaming company with a bunch of other people and friends who have all considered going into the gaming business and showing EA what it's like to go up against a company that's in it for quality games as opposed to money so they won't have the ability to simply buy someone out. Time to start making some calls...
EA has already taking over the world (in games) but i hope DICE still makes the games they want to do... Like BF 3 or whatever!!.... Well i hope!!!
EA was an excellent company in the 90's, both the US and Canadian bases made great games! EA gets my love.
The only people to blame for this are gamers themselves. If people didn't continuously buy the crap that EA puts out, they wouldn't be in a position to buy out all these companies. Vote with your wallets. It's the only way.
EA already "owned" DICE, the paticulars were samantics.. Dice is one of the few good development houses they have now. They owned it anyway, not much of a story.
When EA took over westwood, come out with generals. That ended C&C saga collections for me. T_T
This may actually be a good move for DICE and a bad move for us the consumber. DICE now has the financial backing to be more creative depending if EA gives them any creative freedom. Bad for us because as EA gobbles up developer after developer they remove the competitive edge, and without competition there's no desire to be the best. With no desire there is no quality. Soon we will end up playing Pong again. Only this time it'll be in High Def.
Wow Ea will trash the games now. Probably the 26% that Dice had made Battlefield so good. Now its going to suck. Ea is going to pressure the next game in the series to come out quickly and make as many spin offs as possible, like SF which is a joke. I can't stand EA they ruined westwood and command and conquer by not supporting the game with patches, and its only a matter of time before Battlefield goes to hell. Well its a good game now and I'm sure people will play it, but the future makes me sick.
I consider this bad news. Why? Because most developers simply want to churn out the same stuff over and over again to rake in cash, and not take any risks. When a developer is owned completely by a publisher, they no longer have a foot to stand on to argue their case. Make no mistake about who will be calling the shots, and who will have the last say on content - it will be EA. And just remember - if a few games do badly, and EA has to cut costs, they'll simply dump some of those development houses they acquired to balance their books, and your 'favourite' developers will be no more. Publishers like EA chew up and spit out development houses. They're like a tornado ripping up everything in their path, and leaving a mess behind. You're fine while you're inside the funnel...but god help you when you get thrown out, because it's a long drop with a messy end.
"EA's next target: Valve. just you wait... " Nah. It'll never happen. Valve has its own ambitions of becoming a publisher. What did you think Steam was for?
just look at the latest games by EA and would u swear by your statement that everything that EA touches is bad? EA consists of multiple studios also, so you cuold probably blame the difference in game quality on them.
What always amazes me is when I hear about EA acquiring this developer and that, I'm reminded of the EA I used to know and love...the small pool of 'garage' developer teams who were all so proud of their individual accomplishments that their record-album like game boxes had group photos of them. What a difference twenty years makes....
wow. who back then would have thought EA to become this big...oh and i'd appreciate a BF2 demo before Oblivion lands next week. with my small schedule at home, i doubt i'll play anything beyond Oblivion and GRAW.
Oh god no! I hope this doesn't mean that there won't be a Rallisport Challenge 3 for the 360...I was still holding out hope!
Has history repeated itself? One company trying to take over the world. Yeah, i can't blame you know, surely EA needs more money to make better looking games, like um......... I don't know. I guess all their funding is headed straight to Madden. Someday, EA will stand for ECLIPSE ALL!
how much longer is it gonna take for EA to rule the entire planet?! I think it's next move is to buy Microsoft AND Sony! lol
man this sucks....:( i hope you still make good games dice and dont fall into "the only making them for money crap...."
EA needs to stop buying everybody out. Pretty soon there will be no good companies and just EA making bad games.
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- Publisher(s): EA Games
- Developer(s): Digital Illusions
- Genre: Action
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