It seems like EA might have finally found a buyer, with Amazon set to officially announce its offer today.
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 rumours surfaced in May that it was on the lookout again. Puck (via VGC) reported that Disney, Apple, and Comcast-NBCUniversal were in the running, along with Amazon.
And now, For The Win has claimed that Amazon 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 Bethesdsa parent company Zenimax Media, or its plan to buy Activision, for example.
As a solitary entity, I can do diddly squat about all that. So let’s look on the bright side of how this is going to affect me, personally. And there is one: 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, Mortal Kombat, even the Super Mario Bros. 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.