Electronic Arts Purchases BioWare, Pandemic

Kotaku is reporting that EA has purchased BioWare and Pandemic Studios, having offered some $620 million in cash to the Elevation Partners group to buy up VG Holding Corp. From the press release: "'We are truly excited by John Riccitiello's new vision for EA,' said Ray Muzyka, Co-founder and CEO of BioWare Corp. 'This vision is consistent with BioWare's focus on crafting the highest quality story-driven games in the world. It will enable us to further the careers of the passionate, creative and hard working teams at BioWare Edmonton and BioWare Austin.'"

Anybody at Bioware-Austin

[the_skywise]

Still have your Resistance is Futile shirt? :D

EA Games...

[Anonymous Coward]

<whisper>

Purchase Everything

</whisper>

Game over!

[decipher_saint]

Game over man, GAME OVER!

Re:Subject Field.

[DJCouchyCouch]

I think you meant Bioshock.

I mean Bioware.

Re:Another one bites the dust...

[Conception]

I'm sure they are feeling none too smart... them and their HALF A BILLION DOLLARS.

This sums things up nicely:

[Anonymous Coward]

Fuck

Re:Carry The Torch?

[ObiWanStevobi]

Shut up you fool! EA is listening.

This is GREAT news!

[Huntr]

Baldur's Gate would have been a much better game if it had more basketball and football in it.

Re:This sums things up nicely:

[Irish_Samurai]

NO shit. Actually, the first thing I said when I read the headline was:

"Fuck, Fuck, FUCK! NOOOOO! God damn it! First the NFL license then this shit."

Re:Subject Field.

[jollyreaper]

I think this is likely to be a disaster, unless EA learns to keep their fingers out of the pie.

About as likely as Michael Jackson keeping his fingers out of little boys.

Re:Obligatory SW Reference

[Pearson]

I had a Star Wars reference too:

As the truth begins to emerge...
Bioware: "That wasn't part of the deal! You said you would leave us alone!"

EA: "I am altering the terms of our agreement. Pray I don't alter them any further!"

Re:Carry The Torch?

[Anonymous Coward]

What part of "high quality" do you not understand?

What does HK-47 say?

[Anonymous Coward]

Statement: Master, would you like to make a trip to EA headquarters? Clarification: For research purposes of course. Unrelated Query: Have you seen my blaster rifle?

Re:This is GREAT news!

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

Unfortunately, while their plans for Baldur's Gate IV: You Are Not A God include using edgy 3D character models instead of carefully animated sprites, replacing all the NPC interactions with shrugs and "huh" noises (and some bad chat-up lines between Minsc and Aerie if you know how to find the easter egg), cutting out the spell effects with complex graphics and having a guy just pull out a gun and shoot the bad guy first instead, scrapping the D&D-based game mechanics in favour of "highest level always wins", and allowing Elminster to join your party, there are no plans at the present time to include football in the courtyard of the De'Arnise Hold. Sorry.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[7Prime]

Wait... you mean it will soon create it's best game? ala Battlefield 2142?

Mass Effects new cover

[Doolwind]

Lets just hope they don't touch Mass Effect, or else the cover will look like this: New cover for Mass Effect [doolwind.com]

In the future?

[Teisei]

EA - It's In The (every fucking) Game.