Rumors of EA getting taken over?

[ultramarine486]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/04/26/ea-spikes-on-report-japans-nexon-makes-takeover-bid/

Electronic Arts shares are trading higher Thursday morning on a report that apparently originated with a South Korean newspaper that said the Japanese game company Nexon has made a bid for EA.

The rumor has been passed along this morning via a Bloomberg video report, among other places.

Not a lot to go on here just yet, but EA shares are responding strongly to the rumor: the game maker?s shares have spiked $1.22, or 8.1%, to $16.23. The stock lately has been trading close to a 52-week low, as it continues to struggle through a transition to switch more of its business to digital distribution and away from the traditional shrink-wrapped console game market.

As the Forbes article said it's not much to go on but it's an interesting thought. If it does end up happening what do you guys think the repercussions will be?

EDIT: Another article giving a bit more information topped with a few thoughts on the matter.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/04/26/rumor-free-to-play-publisher-nexon-offers-to-buy-ea/

 

[Qitz]

It'd be interesting for sure, EA does seems to be sinking so another company buying it up wouldn't be horrible.

Hey, it's not like Nexon could do any worse right?

 

[WoW Killer]

If it meant a complete management reshuffle of EA then it's a good thing. That company has been operating for too long on acquisition without any real growth, and the level of bureaucracy in their management system shows through in their customer service.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Are Nexon known for good customer service and customer friendly behaviour?

 

[Emiscary]

Oh pleeease tell me that EA's management is getting axed at the end of this ordeal. Please dear God in heaven let everyone one of those syphilitic ballsacks spend their golden years doing tech support for minimum wage... *fingers crossed*

 

[Daystar Clarion]

So Satan himself decided to take over operations?

Well it was only a matter of time...

[sub]Inb4 all the EA hate [/sub]

 

[RJ 17]

[sub]Inb4 all the EA hate [/sub]

Not quite all the EA hate:

Oh pleeease tell me that EA's management is getting axed at the end of this ordeal. Please dear God in heaven let everyone one of those syphilitic ballsacks spend their golden years doing tech support for minimum wage... *fingers crossed*

Anyways, as for the OT, yeah it would be some sweet, delicious justice to see EA get taken over and gutted for a change. I guess the old saying is true: "There's always a bigger fish."

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Well here's Nexon's website: http://www.nexon.net/

It comes with the tagline:

"The best in free-to-play online games"
All Nexon games are completely free to download and play. The games are regularly updated with new content and are completely supported. Play for free, forever.

Oh sweet baby Batman, If they apply the EA franchises to their current business model I predict MICROTRANSACTIONS EVERYWHERE! Forget about feeling bad because of a £15 map pack, you'll be paying through the nose for everything!

This may be a case of better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

 

[ultramarine486]

Anyways, as for the OT, yeah it would be some sweet, delicious justice to see EA get taken over and gutted for a change. I guess the old saying is true: "There's always a bigger fish."

Feels less like a bigger fish situation and more along the lines of jackals leaping on wounded prey.

 

[RJ 17]

Anyways, as for the OT, yeah it would be some sweet, delicious justice to see EA get taken over and gutted for a change. I guess the old saying is true: "There's always a bigger fish."

Feels less like a bigger fish situation and more along the lines of jackals leaping on wounded prey.

The sea has scavengers as well, my friend.

 

[Antari]

I hope they buy up EA and split it up into tiny little components. It would be a fitting end to a destructive company.

 

[shadowmagus]

No. This is bad. I hate EA but Nexon are the microtransaction kings. Remember when Richitello talked about you paying a dollar for more bullets in a Battlefield/CoD game? Nexon would make it a reality. Nexon customer service and support are also beyond horrible, worse then anything EA could put out.

There are ways for EA to go away, but this would be like killing it only for it to be raised back as a Lich, more terrible and more mircotransaction happy then before.

 

[Limecake]

I've played a couple Nexon games in my day and they aren't exactly amazing, not terrible but just boring.

Did I miss something though? I know EA isn't raking in money hand over fist but I still thought they had enough of a money coming in to keep themselves a float. So is Nexon raking in cash then? Maybe I'm just skeptical, but I didn't know a developer who makes cheapo/Korean/Grind-fest MMO's would have the kind of money to buy one of the most iconic and largest developers in history.

does anyone know the market value for both Nexon and EA?

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

I hope they buy up EA and split it up into tiny little components. It would be a fitting end to a destructive company.

If that does happen I hope the irony is not lost on the EA execs

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Well here's Nexon's website: http://www.nexon.net/

It comes with the tagline:

"The best in free-to-play online games"
All Nexon games are completely free to download and play. The games are regularly updated with new content and are completely supported. Play for free, forever.

Oh sweet baby Batman, If they apply the EA franchises to their current business model I predict MICROTRANSACTIONS EVERYWHERE! Forget about feeling bad because of a £15 map pack, you'll be paying through the nose for everything!

This may be a case of better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

So far in all of the Nexon games I've played (which was all of 2), it was possible to earn everything in the game without having to pay a dime. Paying basically just meant that you got all the best gear instantly instead of having to work for it. You were never forced to pay for anything. It was nowhere near as bad as EA's microtransaction idea of paying $1 every time you need to reload in Battlefield.

 

[ultramarine486]

I've played a couple Nexon games in my day and they aren't exactly amazing, not terrible but just boring.

Did I miss something though? I know EA isn't raking in money hand over fist but I still thought they had enough of a money coming in to keep themselves a float. So is Nexon raking in cash then? Maybe I'm just skeptical, but I didn't know a developer who makes cheapo/Korean/Grind-fest MMO's would have the kind of money to buy one of the most iconic and largest developers in history.

does anyone know the market value for both Nexon and EA?

https://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:EA
http://quotes.wsj.com/JP/3659

EA's stock is apparently at 16$ due to the rumors of getting bought out. In the last five or so years their stock went from about 50$ a share to 12$. Granted Nexon doesn't look that much better however as their stock seems to be hovering around the 19$ mark. Not to mention with the ME3 debacle, and the fact that The old republic didn't do nearly as well as they hoped EA could be seen as in a serious slump.

 

[Thoraxe]

That would beautiful. With the way EA games sysmetacally gobbles up talented companies and turns them into shit, the idea that an even crappier company might absorbs them, is really delicious in its irony and its justice.

I hope they fire all the people at Bioware too.

 

[Vegosiux]

So far in all of the Nexon games I've played (which was all of 2), it was possible to earn everything in the game without having to pay a dime. Paying basically just meant that you got all the best gear instantly instead of having to work for it. You were never forced to pay for anything. It was nowhere near as bad as EA's microtransaction idea of paying $1 every time you need to reload in Battlefield.

So, P2W then? Sorry. Bad. Even if you're not technically required to buy anything, you're at an in-game disadvantage if you don't so it's about the same like you don't really have to give your wallet to the robber when he has you pinned on the ground and a foot on your neck. That's a bad model and should be tarred, feathered and then burned alive. And tar burns slowly.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

So far in all of the Nexon games I've played (which was all of 2), it was possible to earn everything in the game without having to pay a dime. Paying basically just meant that you got all the best gear instantly instead of having to work for it. You were never forced to pay for anything. It was nowhere near as bad as EA's microtransaction idea of paying $1 every time you need to reload in Battlefield.

So, P2W then? Sorry. Bad. Even if you're not technically required to buy anything, you're at an in-game disadvantage if you don't so it's about the same like you don't really have to give your wallet to the robber when he has you pinned on the ground and a foot on your neck. That's a bad model and should be tarred, feathered and then burned alive. And tar burns slowly.

It's bad for PvP, but it's fine for PvE, especially in games where leveling and looting is supposed to be the interesting part.

 

[Vegosiux]

It's bad for PvP, but it's fine for PvE, especially in games where leveling and looting is supposed to be the interesting part.

Looting is never the interesting part. The entire loot mechanic is retarded, in my opinion. I know people get kicks out of it, but I don't see how, just the same way I don't see just what's so great about coffee. Reward me by how I do, not by RNG. Or rather, give me the ability to customize and upgrade my own gear as I see fit according to how I do, as opposed to showering me with pre-set items.

As for leveling up? How interesting that is depends on whether or not there's any actual content outside endgame.

Plus, even in PvE that just breaks the progression curve entirely.