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Electronic Arts Purchases BioWare, Pandemic

Posted by Zonk on from the depths-of-horror dept.

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.'"

5 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. Re:There's hope for Bioware by crossmr · · Score: 3, Informative

    EA is doing everything they can to kill of The Sims. They've absorbed Maxis entirely at this point, you won't find the Maxis name on anything anymore. They recently just changed from Safedisc to securom on the series which has caused uncountable problems, and to sweeten it they've got a moderator on a rampage banning and screaming at anyone who dares defile the securom name, or even claim they're having a problem because of it. That despite the fact that they set up a forum specifically to talk about securom.

  2. Re:No. No No No No No. by great+throwdini · · Score: 5, Informative

    EA never made good games. They purchased companies that did, and the quality improved for a year or two until their creativity burned out too.

    Back in 80s, EA attracted a number of top game developers and was (to many) synonymous with interesting, solid gameplay. MULE and Archon are two clear standouts published by EA, but a complete list of hits both big and small from "back in the days" is pretty lengthy (Bard's Tale, Mail Order Monsters, the various Construction Set games, Starflight, Seven Cities of Gold, etc.)

    EA itself may not have "made" these games, but its distribution strategy and relationship with developers back then did a lot to get good games in the hands of eager players.

  3. Re:Let me be the first to say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    BioWare didn't develop KOTOR II. Obsidian did.

  4. Re:Let me be the first to say... by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I liked KOTOR 2, but regardless, Obsidian developed KOTOR 2, not Bioware. Don't blame (or credit) Bioware for anything in KOTOR 2 except the engine.

    --
    "16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
  5. Re:Let me be the first to say... by Jiles · · Score: 4, Informative

    Bioware didn't develop KOTOR2. Knights of the Old Republic 2 was Obsidian's doing.