Bioware: It's over?
 

Bioware has just been bought by EA. This include the right to Mass Effect as well as the unnamed Bioware MMORPG.

Does this mean this is the end of the quality we have come to expect from Bioware?

EA buys Bioware
 

Electronic Arts to Buy BioWare and Pandemic Studios Game Makers in a Deal Worth $860 Million

By MAY WONG
AP Technology Writer
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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Seeking to fill gaps in its product lineup, video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. said Thursday it will acquire two software studios from Elevation Partners in a deal worth $860 million, the largest in its history.

The studios, BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios, are known for their action, adventure and role-playing games. Elevation owns their parent, VG Holding Corp.

EA, the world's No. 1 video game publisher, is known for blockbusters such as "The Sims" and "Madden NFL," but it has at times had less than 10 percent of the lucrative market for role-playing, action and adventure games.

"These guys are powerhouses there, and this acquisition puts us in a strong competitive position now," Frank Gibeau, president of EA Games, said in an interview.

Under the terms of the deal, EA will pay VG stockholders up to $620 million in cash and issue as much as $155 million in equity to some of the company's employees. The shares will be subject to certain time- and performance-restricted vesting criteria.

Redwood City-based EA will also assume about $50 million in outstanding VG stock options and has agreed to lend VG up to $35 million until the deal closes.

Company officials declined to elaborate on the financial terms.

Prior to this deal, EA's largest acquisition was its $680 million purchase of mobile game publisher Jamdat Mobile Inc. in 2006.

BioWare and Pandemic have a total of 10 games under development. Together, they employ about 800 people in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, as well as in Canada and Australia.

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Well, I'm sure it was gonna happen eventually.

Re: EA buys Bioware
 

Mwahaha, The gaming giant takes another victim...

Let's hope its a good thing.

Re: Bioware: It's over?
 

Ah! Not good!

I do trust Bioware, however. I just have to believe in them. Just like they believed in me...

Hopefully nothing bad will come from it. I'd cross my fingers, were I not so busy typing.

Re: EA buys Bioware
 

Seriously. It's a sad day for PC RPG'ers everywhere. Be prepared for EA influencing Bioware and releasing overly buggy games that play better on a damnedable console. Man, this really does make me angry.

The monopoly of EA must be dissasembled.

Re: EA buys Bioware
 

The PC RPG world's days are coming to an end.

Sorry 75% of all the EA games I've encountered have more or less sucked.

Re: EA buys Bioware
 

I won't say the sky is falling, but this news did not make me smile either. The interview at Gamespot with the Bioware founders did reassure me some.

Re: EA buys Bioware
 

Oh no.. :triste:

Damn you EA. :mad0265:
Like the f'ing borg.

Killing another game studio. EA Represses new ideas, creative choices and firstborn babies. :)

Re: EA buys Bioware
 

I'd say that the limitless coffers of EA could only make more in depth, complex RPGs possible, but i say some pretty dumbass things every now and then.

Nothing good will come of this.

Re: EA buys Bioware
 

Hell, if EA uses those limitless coffers and lets Bioware do their own damned thing, they'd make more money in the long run, methinks.