EA Games Buys DICE

[MC]

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2006--Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced the acquisition of Digital Illusions CE (DICE), acclaimed development team and creators of the Battlefield game franchise. Located in Stockholm, Sweden, DICE becomes a fully integrated EA studio dedicated to growing the Battlefield franchise and developing new products for the PC, next generation consoles and other new platforms. The acquisition is effective immediately.

"EA is thrilled to officially welcome this team of incredibly talented people and a globally recognized game franchise," said Paul Lee, President of EA's Worldwide Studios. "The DICE studio has strong opportunity for growth as we build the Battlefield franchise and other new products. We're confident that our creative approach and business leadership principles are well matched to share future success."

Patrick Soderlund, DICE CEO, said, "Being part of the EA studio team is a great step forward that will help us continue to deliver new games and new franchises to DICE fans. We've been working very closely with EA for the past five years and this is a very natural step for us as we move into the next generation of gaming."

Patrick Soderlund will become an EA Studio General Manager, maintaining responsibility for the DICE studio and taking on additional creative responsibilities. The DICE leadership team will continue in their roles in Stockholm.

The acquisition was completed via a merger through which EA acquired the assets and liabilities of DICE. DICE shareholders, representing approximately 2.6 million shares, will receive SEK 67.50 per share in cash, to be paid out on October 16, 2006.

Source: http://planetbattlefield.gamespy.com/fullstory.php?id=106243

Who's next? I'd say VALVe Corporation.

Discuss!

 

[itr]

VALVe doesn't have to worry about ever going under, they make enough money from Steam, supposedly last year they made an operating profit of 50+million. I don't think you'll see them taken up anytime soon. This news is a bit old but it shows that they are finally ending the deal, I cannot believe DICE tbh...

 

[MC]

VALVe doesn't have to worry about ever going under, they make enough money from Steam, supposedly last year they made an operating profit of 50+million. I don't think you'll see them taken up anytime soon. This news is a bit old but it shows that they are finally ending the deal, I cannot believe DICE tbh...

The trend seems to be that if you have any collaboration with EA Games and do well, chances are that you're going to be bought.

 

[itr]

The trend seems to be that if you have any collaboration with EA Games and do well, chances are that you're going to be bought.

They can't be bought out anyways, they are an LLC, DICE actually was a traded company.

 

[elNarr]

GOD DAMNIT! And i just so liked Bf series -_-, well, ea just buys all the damn companies, so they wont have challengers..

**** ea!

 

[Jakut]

I bet EA's next game will be Battlefield Hockey. With tanks, grenades and GUNS!!!

 

[elNarr]

or Battlefield: The Battle in Somalia

Introducing brand new weapons: Stick, Rocks, and Rpg!
and vehicle: Lada with attached m60 on the trunk!

 

[sub]

I thought DICE was already owned by EA. Oh well, they generally only produced sequel after sequel of unfinished and buggy games. They should be a perfect fit for EA.

edit: Did I mention I hate DICE? Because I really hate DICE

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/dice/dont-complain-to-dice-no-ones-listening-204607.php

 

[MC]

I thought DICE was already owned by EA. Oh well, they generally only produced sequel after sequel of unfinished and buggy games. They should be a perfect fit for EA.

edit: Did I mention I hate DICE? Because I really hate DICE

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/dice/dont-complain-to-dice-no-ones-listening-204607.php

I don't like DICE either. Every patch released for Battlefield 2 only made the game worse such as limiting the C4 throwing distance (which the max distance is what now, like a foot?) and not to mention that they still haven't made Claymores destroyable by being shot at or by explosives.

You can't forget about them shutting down Trauma Studios once Battlefield 2 was nearly complete. That pissed me off more than anything.

EA Games buys out any company that produces a good title. It's a smart move to make business wise though it's usually not a well liked decision.

They can't be bought out anyways, they are an LLC, DICE actually was a traded company.

Oh, alright. I can imagine EA Games having a list of companies to buy and VALVe Corporation being at the top (even though you said they can't be bought).

 

[SailorAlea]

Don't just blame Electronic Arts for buying--blame the little companies for selling. They give up their artistic integrity when they see an enormous cheque--afterall, they can always (unless the purchase agreements forbids it) quit and start up a new company, only to be bought out again. =p

 

[MC]

DICE's new logo:

Source: http://www.dice.se/

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

Actually, crazy as it sounds, the Battlefield 2 for Xbox360 is actually damn good...way less buggy, much shorter load times, better models for weapons, etc. Less players and such, of course, but I was still shocked at how well it held up.

 

[MC]

Actually, crazy as it sounds, the Battlefield 2 for Xbox360 is actually damn good...way less buggy, much shorter load times, better models for weapons, etc. Less players and such, of course, but I was still shocked at how well it held up.

That's probably since it hasn't been demolished by all of the patches that have been released for the PC version.

Since you liked Battlefield 2 for the consoles, then you should keep an eye on the next release - Battlefield: Bad Company.

I think DICE is going too far into calling themselves a EA Games company, but that's just me. I guess they were really looking forward to being bought by EA Games since I never seen a company be that outward (for lack of a better word) about being bought, at least with any of the companies that were bought by EA Games.

 

[itr]

Actually, crazy as it sounds, the Battlefield 2 for Xbox360 is actually damn good...way less buggy, much shorter load times, better models for weapons, etc. Less players and such, of course, but I was still shocked at how well it held up.

DICE Canada probably did the port for that, Sweden and Germany team somehow have the buggiest versions known to man.

 

[wheres_]

Actually, crazy as it sounds, the Battlefield 2 for Xbox360 is actually damn good...way less buggy, much shorter load times, better models for weapons, etc. Less players and such, of course, but I was still shocked at how well it held up.

No no no, you see- It shouldn't be buggy- at all- period.

I really hate DICE also, and EA.

I care not for this.

 

[Arthos]

People ***** and ***** all the time about EA and it's ilk, but at the end of the day, they still make money, and they still get richer. As Alea mentioned, the little companies STILL sell out.

EA has a formula that works. Can you really blame them for sticking too it instead of taking the risk of trying something new and failing? I'm not defending EA. I'm just saying, that if you hate them so much, stop *****ing about it. Get out there and find a way to change it.

 

[Tassadar]

EA already **** all over the BF series, so I figured it was only a matter of time until this disgusting amoeba absorbed Dice.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... EA is to video games as MTV is to music. They're the worst thing to happen to the industry.

As far as changing it goes, I do my best. I don't buy any EA products and I try to get other people not to. That's all I can do, short of starting a multi-billion dollar international corporation, and I think we all know how easy that is.

 

[Arthos]

Could always be Militant.

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

That's a good plan but EA also reaps the benefits of its sports games so at the end of the day not buying BF2142 won't exactly put them under. Besides EA is just a publisher, they don't MAKE the games, it's their crap deadlines that force the little guys to put out crap.

However, in response to the Xbox version being "less buggy", what I meant to imply is that there were no more of its anomalous load times, way less physics glitches, almost no lag, etc. The only "bug" I really noticed is that the voice announcing your caps and losses of flag points is a little loud. Otherwise it seems clean as a whistle to me--and it actually looks fairly polished (except for certain deaths but that's because physics suck anyway).

 

[Arthos]

They feed the public with what they want. Unfortunately thats crappy sports games every single year and games that come out on time, regardless of readiness. They don't care because the developers patch the crap out of them anyway. Once it's out the door and purchased, it's all said and done for the publisher.


Save for Steven Wright and Maxis. They pretty much have EA under their thumb with their own products.