It looks like EA has finally found a buyer, with Amazon set to officially announce its offering today.
EA was reportedly looking for a buyer (or a merger) as early as 2012, when its market value plummeted 37%. The publisher declined to comment on the speculation at the time, but more rumors surfaced in May that he was on the prowl again. Puck (Opens in a new tab) (via VGC (Opens in a new tab)) reported that Disney, Apple, and Comcast-NBCUniversal were in the running, along with Amazon.
And now, For The Win (opens in a new tab) has claimed that Amazon has taken the next step and made an offer. The announcement is apparently scheduled for today, but no official word yet. This will be great news for EA, after a decade-long mission to find a buyer. But not so good in terms of giant corporations with deep pockets, showing cash to get a monopoly in the industry. Like Microsoft buying Bethesda's parent company, Zenimax Media, or its proposed purchase of Activision, for example.
As a lone entity, I can do anything about it. So let's look at the positive side of how this is going to affect me personally. And there's one: all the amazing shows I could watch for years to come as part of my Amazon Prime membership.
amazon effect
It used to be that video game adaptations made people cringe. There was Street Fighter (opens in new tab), Mortal Kombat (opens in new tab), even Super Mario Bros. (opens in new tab) got a piece of the action. A few decades later, we are finally witnessing a change.
The Witcher on Netflix was a hit, while Arcane, adapted from League of Legends, managed to outshine Cowboy Beebop in its debut. With Amazon's budget, we could see some fantastic new shows based on EA's trove of IP.
I know I can't stop talking about it, but someone please do something about Jade Empire. The game is actual GOAT stuff and if we don't see a sequel, can we at least try a TV show? Mass Effect is another favorite, and of course Dragon Age chumps will get dirty thinking of a Prime Video series based on the franchise. Let's get on with these casting ideas for Solos!
As Amazon's original content library says, its streaming service is home to some real gems. Some of the best shows on Prime Video include The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and A League of Their Own. Sneaky Pete was good too, if you missed it before it was cancelled.
There's no reason to think that a series based on EA's many IPs would be a flop; I think it would be quite the opposite given Amazon's resources and track record.
Is this deal a harbinger of impending doom for the video game industry? Can be. Should massive corporations with infinite funds be allowed to crush the competition by buying up publishers and developers without control? Definitely not.
But I am a fair consumer. I consume. nickname name