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Home News Electronic Arts Buys Popcap Games

GAMING NEWS

Electronic Arts Buys Popcap Games

Posted on Tuesday, July 12 @ 13:52:39 Eastern by Jenna_Jue

Aside from the fun I'm having creating EA-PopCap hybrids, today's news isn't entirely unexpected. We already knew that PopCap Games was in talks with a company interested in purchasing the casual games developer for a cool BILLION. Even if you had your money on Electronic Arts shelling out for the house zombies, unicorns, and jewels built, I doubt you've hit a jackpot large enough to buy your own PopCap Games.

Electronic Arts announced today that they've purchased PopCap Games for more than one billion dollars in cash and stock. EA CEO John Riccitello seems pretty pleased:

EA and PopCap are a compelling combination. PopCap's great studio talent and powerful IP add to EA's momentum and accelerate our drive towards a $1 billion digital business. EA's global studio and publishing network will help PopCap rapidly expand their business to more digital devices, more countries, and more channels.

PopCap Games CEO David Roberts also seems pleased... what with all the cash in his pockets:

We picked EA because they have recast their culture around making great digital games. By working with EA, we'll scale our games and services to deliver more social, mobile, casual fun to an even bigger, global audience.

More information will surely come out of EA's investor call this evening, but until then, continue mixing EA and PopCap franchises in the comments. Me? I just hope EA doesn't swallow PopCap up and destroy their talent like they did with PlayFish a while back.
Related Games:   Battlefield 3, Bejeweled 2, Dead Space 2, Madden NFL 12, Peggle, Plants vs. Zombies
Tags:   EA, popcap


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Comments
  • 213EDD
    213EDD
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posted: Jul 12th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
    Ohh boy I just cant wait...
    0 0
  • tinymhg
    tinymhg
    Joined: Jun 2011
    Posted: Jul 12th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
    Batttlefield 4: Plants vs. Dead Space
    0 1
  • Amorphis
    Amorphis
    Joined: Dec 2010
    Posted: Jul 12th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
    Can't wait for Bejewelled Effect 3 *rubs hands*
    0 1
  • danielrbischoff
    danielrbischoff
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posted: Jul 12th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
    Stop rubbing your hands! ... creepy lookin'
    0 1
  • Amorphis
    Amorphis
    Joined: Dec 2010
    Posted: Jul 13th, 2011 at 8:41 am
    Force of habit, I was a diabolical mastermind in my last job!
    0 1
  • tinymhg
    tinymhg
    Joined: Jun 2011
    Posted: Jul 13th, 2011 at 8:47 am
    I nominate Amorphis for the people speaks, BUT only if danielrbischoff’s reply is left on.
    0 1
  • tinymhg
    tinymhg
    Joined: Jun 2011
    Posted: Jul 13th, 2011 at 8:50 am
    Ok, now I have to nominate the whole thread for the people speaks.
    0 1
  • Amorphis
    Amorphis
    Joined: Dec 2010
    Posted: Jul 13th, 2011 at 10:01 am
    I like that idea!
    0 1
  • drathbone
    drathbone
    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Jul 12th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
    The Sims: Zumas Revenge. Now with a new TOTALLY unique, revolutionary save feature for only $10/month
    0 1
  • danielrbischoff
    danielrbischoff
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posted: Jul 12th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
    Thumbs Up, but you forgot to say that the Totally unique save feature is only available to those who bought the game new.
    0 2
  • sliverstorm
    sliverstorm
    Joined: Jun 2007
    Posted: Jul 12th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
    So EA is grabbing Popcap. My question is: for what? The purpose of acquiring a company is to add additional synergistic value. For regular developers and IPs, the fit is obvious. But for smaller, mobile-centric game studios that really don't need a publisher in order to produce, market, and sell games, these acquisitions need to be part of a broader mobile strategy. "Get Big Through Acquisitions" is usually a bad play unless there's a long-term plan being the acquisition--EA's stock didn't drop 3.8% on announcement for no reason. I feel like EA is just jockeying for position in an emerging market that they don't understand and hoping a play emerges in the future.
    0 0
  • Commiebot
    Commiebot
    Joined: Mar 2007
    Posted: Jul 13th, 2011 at 12:33 am
    I'm thinking that having a stable of Popcap's games is going to becoming a backbone of EA's new Origin service (can I call a new way to gouge you and drag out the process a service?). As you say though, I doubt EA really has the maneuverability to know and adjust to what the casual audience wants.

    Here's hoping EA doesn't do to Popcap what it did to my beloved Westwood Studios.
    0 1
  • Diabolus
    Diabolus
    Joined: Nov 2008
    Posted: Jul 14th, 2011 at 1:14 am
    fEAding frenzy.
    0 1
  • pennpsu
    pennpsu
    Joined: Sep 2010
    Posted: Jul 14th, 2011 at 11:55 am
    silverstorm is dead on ...EA is looking for market position here. EA is like the Blob. They will become the first too big to fail game studio.
    0 0
  • OdiousLupous
    OdiousLupous
    Joined: Jul 2011
    Posted: Jul 16th, 2011 at 10:16 am
    So they close down servers to their older games multiplayer because of cost but then do this...
    0 0

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