EA might have finally found a buyer, with Amazon, according to reports, set to officially announce its offer today.
Update: No one knows which way is up with this story, with a conflicting report suggesting that Amazon won’t be making an offer to buy EA. You can find the outlet’s comments below.
Original story: EA has reportedly been looking for a buyer (or merger) as far back as 2012, when its market value plummeted by 37%. The publisher refused to comment on the speculation at the time, but more rumors surfaced in May that it was on the lookout again. Puck (opens in new tab) (via VGC (opens in new tab)) reported that Disney, Apple, and Comcast-NBCUniversal were in the running, along with Amazon.
And now, For The Win (opens in new tab) claims that Amazon has taken the next step, and made an offer. The announcement is slated for later today apparently, but there’s no official word yet. This will be great news for EA, after a decade-long mission to find a buyer. But not so great in terms of giant companies with deep pockets, flashing the cash to get a monopoly in the industry. Like Microsoft snapping up Bethesda parent company Zenimax Media, or its plan to buy Activision, for example.
Although as per the update up top, this is being contended by CNBC (opens in new tab) who say their sources say that no formal offer will be being made.
As a solitary entity, I can do diddly squat about any of this. So let’s look on the bright side of how this deal could affect me, personally. And there is one tantalizing possibility: all of the amazing shows I could be getting over the coming years as part of my Amazon Prime subscription.
Amazon Effect
Video game adaptations used to be the stuff of cringe. There was Street Fighter (opens in new tab), Mortal Kombat (opens in new tab), even the Super Mario Bros. (opens in new tab) got a piece of the action. A few decades later, and we’re finally seeing a turnaround.
The Witcher on Netflix has been a hit, while Arcane – adapted from League of Legends – managed to overshadow Cowboy Beebop when it debuted. With Amazon’s budget, we could see some fantastic new shows based on EA’s trove of IPs.
I know I keep harping on about it, but someone please do something with Jade Empire. The game is true GOAT material and if we’re not seeing a sequel, can we please at least try a TV show? Mass Effect is another favorite, and of course, the Dragon Age dweebs will soil themselves at the thought of a Prime Video series based on the franchise. Let’s get those casting ideas for Solas going!
As Amazon’s library of original content goes, its streaming service is home to some real gems. Among the best Prime Video shows you’ll find The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and A League of Their Own. Sneaky Pete was also a good one, if you missed that before it was cancelled.
There’s no reason to think that a series based on EA’s many IPs would be a flop; I’d think it’d be quite the opposite given Amazon’s resources and track record.
Is this deal a portent of impending doom for the video game industry? Perhaps. Should massive companies with infinite funds be allowed to squash competition by buying up publishers and developers, unchecked? Definitely not.
But I am a just consumer. I consuuume. On nom nom.
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