Poll: Microsoft Ready To Buy EA?

[ChromeAlchemist]

Oh lord, I think I'm gunna...URRG-

Rumblings of a Electronic Arts takeover by Microsoft have driven Wall Street into a frenzy this morning.

Reuters is reporting "unsubstantiated talk" of a possible sale, causing shares to jump for both companies. Electronic Arts saw a jump of over 8% to $20.01, while Microsoft's shares increased 1.1 percent to $26.05

"There's talk that Microsoft might be interested in acquiring Electronic Arts. It's unsubstantiated chatter, but it's out there," said options strategist Frederic Ruffy.

Analyst Trip Chowdhry said talk of this sale is unjustified. "Our contacts just don't see Microsoft buying Electronic Arts, no synergies whatsoever, and also not Microsoft's corporate primary focus right now."

Electronic Arts and Microsoft have yet to issue any comments on this story.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter told IGN a sale of this magnitude is highly unlikely.

"Their value as a one platform exclusive publisher is lower than their value on multi-platform. A media company would pay a lot more," he said. "Also, most licenses would terminate."

So what are your thoughts on this? Aside from whether it's likely or not (I'm thoroughly in the "no" area of this one, this is the same company who said they wanted to acquire Nintendo), what kind of effect would this have on the industry as a whole? Thoughts?

Source [http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/102/1027673p1.html]

 

[tomtom94]

Evil + Evil = A Bad Thing.

Surely this would be a very bad deal as far as EA are concerned? Microsoft would make FIFA and Madden and such 360 exclusive, which means competitors on the PS3 and Wii will have less opposition for sales.

That said it would shift a hell of a lot of consoles if Sims 3 DLC was made exclusive...

Anyway, Cadbury recently refused a $12bn offer from Kraft Foods to buy them out, I don't see EA selling in the current economic climate and I don't see Microsoft paying a ridiculous amount to buy them.

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

I don't think it will happen but it could. After all, ms could afford to buy out god himself.
I would hope that if they did then there would be more pc games made but i doubt it

 

[scotth266]

A partnership? Maybe.

An acquisition? Highly unlikely.

I don't think that it'll happen, but if it did, there's no telling how it would turn out. But since the only evidence that a sale is on the way is unsubstantiated rumors, I don't think anyone really has to get their knickers in a twist just yet.

Oh, and in before the "M$ IS THE EVILZORZ" posts, because we both know what's gonna happen.

 

[Twilightruler]

Nah, whatever MS would offer EA, EA could make up by releasing "The Sims: Pre-School" or "Madden NFL 2010.5" (now with changeable colors on the inside of the mascot's jerseys)

 

[electric_warrior]

wow, two different shades of mediocrity!! well colour me thrilled...

 

[Bigeyez]

I just made a thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.145335] on this a little while ago haha. But yeah It'll definitely put Microsoft in a very powerful position. It would be interesting to see if Sony would be willing to cough up royalties to Microsoft in order to keep games like Madden multiplatform

 

[Radeonx]

A partnership? Maybe.

An acquisition? Highly unlikely.

I don't think that it'll happen, but if it did, there's no telling how it would turn out. But since the only evidence that a sale is on the way is unsubstantiated rumors, I don't think anyone really has to get their knickers in a twist just yet.

Oh, and in before the "M$ IS THE EVILZORZ" posts, because we both know what's gonna happen.

This is definitely the right way to think things through. A partnership is one thing, but buying EA studios is another. I doubt it will happen.

 

[You_have_a_name]

haha, then the new fifa wont be on PS3 that would irritate my mate

 

[Pimppeter2]

WOW!

That would kill the PS3 and Wii.

But I don't think it will happen anyway

 

[Jak The Great]

actually I think this would bring about an anti-trust suite. That would essentially put a monopoly on the gaming industry

 

[TPiddy]

Evil + Evil = A Bad Thing.

Surely this would be a very bad deal as far as EA are concerned? Microsoft would make FIFA and Madden and such 360 exclusive, which means competitors on the PS3 and Wii will have less opposition for sales.

That said it would shift a hell of a lot of consoles if Sims 3 DLC was made exclusive...

Anyway, Cadbury recently refused a $12bn offer from Kraft Foods to buy them out, I don't see EA selling in the current economic climate and I don't see Microsoft paying a ridiculous amount to buy them.

Yeah cuz it's not like Sony fucked Xbox baseball fans or anything .... MLB '09 "The Show" is exclusive to the PS3.

Also, EA's fucking of every other football fan by making Madden the exclusive NFL license. There's a football game coming out called "Backbreaker" which uses a good physics engine to simulate hits and it's going to get passed over because no NFL license. Shame on you EA and Sony.

 

[GyroCaptain]

Well, EA's shown enough improvement from their Westwood murdering days that I kind of want to wait and see what happens with them in future. Microsoft isn't the soul-powered furnace people make it out to be, but I think catering to MS exclusively would be a Bad Thing for both.

 

[Liberaliterr]

I hope this doesn't go through, I don't want MS to have a monopoly on the industry, or to see the competitors lose out even thought they do good things.

 

[Ben7]

The bigger it gets, the eviler it becomes!

 

[the cornflake]

I don't like EA or MS but i rahte rnot see them together

EA has already bought Bioware and Pandemic studios and sub subdevelopers/publishers under them as well.

They had also bought Westwoods Studios a long time ago ruining a perfectly good game.
RIP: Command and Conquer

 

[Mordwyl]

I wouldn't be that surprised if it happened. Disney did get Marvel.

Yes, I went there.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Well Microsoft is rich enough to buy Saturn (supposedly the most metal-rich body in the solar system) I doubt EA will want to jeopardize what they have going here, since they are raking it in.