Gerelateerd EA Sports Maxis Ubisoft BioWare Take‑Two Interactive Activision Blizzard PopCap Games
Who is EA Sports owned by?
EA Sports
| Logo since 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Formerly | Electronic Arts Sports Network (1991–1993) |
| Products | EA Sports Rally series F1 series FIFA series Madden NFL series NBA Live series NHL series UFC series EA Sports College Football |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
| Subsidiaries | EA Cologne EA Madrid EA Romania EA Tiburon EA Vancouver Metalhead Software |
Who owns majority of EA?
Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:EA) Institutional investors hold a majority ownership of EA through the 88.02% of the outstanding shares that they control. This interest is also higher than at almost any other company in the Recreational Products industry.
Is EA owned by Disney?
Who owns Electronic Arts? Is it Disney or Tencent? – Disney doesn’t own Electronic Arts, but the two companies do have an exclusive deal. In 2013, they signed a deal for Electronic Arts to exclusively produce Disney’s Star Wars games, according to Polygon, Disney bought the Star Wars franchise in 2012. Article continues below advertisement Tencent may be expanding into video games, but Electronic Arts isn’t one of its takeovers.
- Tencent owns another big name in the gaming world — Riot Games.
- According to an article by Variety, Riot is the world’s largest video game company in terms of revenue.
- The company is responsible for big titles like League of Legends and Valorant,
- Electronic Arts is actually owned by a mix of mutual fund holders and individual stakeholders.
Because the company is publicly traded, more people are entitled to a piece of the pie. According to CNN Business, the top five owners of Electronic Arts (as of March 2023) are as follows:
The Vanguard Group, Inc.BlackRock Fund AdvisorsSSgA Funds Management, Inc.Massachusetts Financial ServicesWellington Management Co. LLP
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Does EA own EA Sports?
EA Studios We are dedicated to creating new, innovative, and immersive gameplay experiences. Committed to building exceptional games, EA Studios is made up of over 20 studios and more than 6,000 creators globally. We are responsible for some of the world’s most beloved game franchises, including EA SPORTS FIFA™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL™, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™, and Plants vs.
Does EA own Ubisoft?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Electronic Arts is an American company that is a developer, marketer, publisher, and distributor of video games, that was founded in 1982. Products of the company include EA Sports franchises, Sims, and other titles on both handheld and home gaming consoles,
- Electronic Arts often acquires new companies to expand or add to new product lines.
- For instance, EA chairman and chief executive officer Larry Probst said after the acquisition of JAMDAT Mobile that “we intend to build a leading global position in the business of providing games on mobile phones”.
- EA followed through with this later, making the company into EA Mobile, and allowing people to purchase and download content produced by them directly onto their phones.
After the acquisition of Origin Systems, some staff in that company claimed that Electronic Arts initially gave them more resources, but allowed little latitude if employees made a mistake, and in some cases no longer trusted them, and even worked against them.
EA has shut down entire companies or the studios thereof after acquiring them, including the studio DICE Canada, Origin Systems, EA Chicago ( NuFX ), and Pandemic Studios, Gaming blogger Brian Crecente has said that fears that EA doesn’t care about the quality of their products after they are acquired are debatable.
As of April 2021, Electronic Arts’ largest acquisition is the purchase of Glu Mobile, for $2.4 billion. Of the 39 companies acquired by EA, 20 are based in the U.S., five in the United Kingdom, six in Continental Europe, and eight elsewhere. The majority of these companies and studios are now defunct, with some having been merged into other entities.
- Of the six companies which EA purchased a stake in, two remaining companies are based in the U.S., while three other U.S.
- Companies are defunct.
- After acquiring a 19.9% stake in France-based Ubisoft in 2004, EA sold a remaining 14.8% stake in it in 2010.
- Each acquisition listed is for the entire company, unless otherwise noted.
The acquisition date listed is the date of the agreement between Electronic Arts (EA) and the subject of the acquisition. Unless otherwise noted, the value of each acquisition is listed in U.S. dollars, because EA is headquartered in the U.S. If the value of the acquisition is not listed, then it is undisclosed.
Is EA still a company?
An update on our people and business The below announcement was shared with Electronic Arts employees by our CEO Andrew Wilson. Team, As we near the end of the fiscal year, I’m writing to share an update on our business. Even amidst macro uncertainty, EA is operating from a position of strength.
Our business is gaining momentum as we continue to deliver high quality games and amazing content across some of the largest, most beloved franchises in the world. At the heart of global football culture, EA SPORTS FIFA 23 is pacing to be the biggest title in franchise history. Apex Legends performance is strong on the heels of a memorable 4th anniversary event, and The Sims is fueling imagination and engagement across its passionate community.
We are leaders in a dynamic industry with new audiences, new technology, and new media trends fundamentally reshaping the world around us. This level of transformation creates powerful opportunities. Now, more than ever, we must be focused on our strategic priorities: building games and experiences that entertain massive online communities; creating blockbuster interactive storytelling; and amplifying the power of community in and around our games with social and creator tools.
- These priorities align our investments with opportunities to make the biggest impact.
- As we drive greater focus across our portfolio, we are moving away from projects that do not contribute to our strategy, reviewing our real estate footprint, and restructuring some of our teams.
- These decisions are expected to impact approximately six percent of our company’s workforce.
This is the most difficult part, and we are working through the process with the utmost care and respect. Where we can, we are providing opportunities for our colleagues to transition onto other projects. Where that’s not possible, we are providing severance pay and additional benefits such as health care and career transition services.
- Communicating these decisions began earlier this quarter and we expect them to continue through early next fiscal year.
- I want to extend my deep appreciation to all our employees who have contributed to our incredible story so far.
- It’s through your love of games that we continue to deliver on our mission of inspiring the world to play.
Looking forward, we are focused on writing our next great chapter by bringing more amazing games to more people around the world — inspiring them to build community, participate in shared fandom, and have joyful experiences. The future of entertainment is interactive, and no team is better equipped to lead this transformation than us.
Does BlackRock own EA?
BlackRock Inc. ownership in EA / Electronic Arts, Inc. – 13F, 13D, 13G Filings 2023-01-27 – BlackRock Inc. has filed an SC 13G/A form with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing ownership of 24,801,166 shares of Electronic Arts, Inc. (US:EA).
- This represents 9.0 percent ownership of the company.
- In their previous filing dated 2023-01-25, BlackRock Inc.
- Had reported owning 24,801,166 shares, indicating a decrease of 0.00 percent.
- BlackRock Inc.
- Has a history of taking positions in derivatives of the underlying security (EA) in the form of stock options.
The firm currently holds call options representing 0 of underlying shares valued at $0 USD, Note: prior versions of this page mistakenly stated that the share values represented the number of options, not the number of underlying shares. For more information on the data backing these reports, please see the SEC document : BlackRock Inc.
Is EA selling itself?
Electronic Arts is reportedly pursuing a sale or merger, and it’s claimed that the video game publisher and developer has held talks with Disney, Apple, Amazon, and Comcast – NBC Universal over a possible deal. According to news site Puck (via VGC ), EA has been “persistent in pursuing a sale” and at one point it looked like Comcast subsidiary NBC Universal would have merged with the gaming company, with Comcast CEO Brian Roberts running the combined entity.
The general terms of the proposal, which lawyers and bankers for both sides negotiated for several weeks, would have seen the Roberts family take majority control of the combined entity,” the report claims. “In the configuration most seriously discussed, the company would have been run by Wilson.” That deal eventually fell apart due to disagreements over price and structure.
Neither Comcast nor EA have commented on the report. The report also claims that Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard for a staggering sum has been the main driver of EA’s desire to sell itself. “Others say that EA is primarily interested in a merger arrangement that would allow Andrew Wilson to remain as chief executive of the combined company,” the report added.
- When reached for comment, an EA spokesperson told GameSpot, “We don’t comment on rumors and speculation relating to M&A.
- We are proud to be operating from a position of strength and growth, with a portfolio of amazing games, built around powerful IP, made by incredibly talented teams, and a network of more than half a billion players.
We see a very bright future ahead.” Mergers and acquisitions have made headlines in the gaming industry as of late. EA purchased Codemasters last year, Sony is preparing to purchase Destiny 2 developer Bungie in a deal that will help strengthen its multiplatform goals, and Square Enix sold off several of its studios to Embracer Group.
Does EA have debt?
Electronic Arts Long Term Debt 2010-2022 | EA Electronic Arts long term debt from 2010 to 2022. Long term debt can be defined as the sum of all long term debt fields.
Electronic Arts long term debt for the quarter ending December 31, 2022 was $1.879B, a 0.05% increase year-over-year. Electronic Arts long term debt for 2022 was $1.878B, a 0.11% increase from 2021. Electronic Arts long term debt for 2021 was $1.876B, a 372.54% increase from 2020. Electronic Arts long term debt for 2020 was $0.397B, a 60.06% decline from 2019.
| Electronic Arts Annual Long Term Debt (Millions of US $) | |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $1,878 |
| 2021 | $1,876 |
| 2020 | $397 |
| 2019 | $994 |
| 2018 | $992 |
| 2017 | $990 |
| 2016 | $991 |
| 2015 | $31 |
| 2014 | $580 |
| 2013 | $559 |
| 2012 | $539 |
| 2011 | $ |
| 2010 | $ |
| 2009 | $ |
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Electronic Arts Long Term Debt 2010-2022 | EA
Is Jeff Bezos buying EA?
This morning there were rumors that Amazon is going to make Electronic Arts an offer it can’t refuse. That is, Jeff Bezos’ company, which has been trying to build its own game business for about ten years, is going to buy EA. Bloomberg and CNBC later denied the information.
Does EA own Harry Potter?
A Harry Potter MMO was in the works, but EA doubted the brand’s future Electronic Arts owned the rights to the Harry Potter films until the release of the two-part Deathly Hallows. After that, the license reverted to Warner Bros., the same way it did with The Lord of the Rings.
One of the planned projects, however, never came into existence. The fans of the young wizard would be able to roam the magical world in a huge MMO that EA decided to cancel. Kim Salzer, former product marketing director, has revealed that the company didn’t trust the future of the license, in the mid-term.
In a stream with The Real Brandolorian, Salzer has delved into the motives of this decision. “a big one for me, because I was so personally involved in it and it’s such a huge IP that has lived on”, she commented. “We did all the research and beta built out, it was a combination of offline/online experience, where we mailed to the kids prizes, ribbons and stuff like that”.
Did Amazon buy EA?
Apex Legends Respawn This week brought with it a very fast, and very bizarre news cycle in which GLHF, a Swedish media group, published an article on USA Today saying that Amazon was about to buy EA, quite literally by the end of that day. But as markets were about to open, CNBC had a segment where they cited their own sources saying the deal was not happening, essentially laughing off the rumor.
- The acquisition reportdid not pan out.
- Amazon did not buy EA on Friday and USA Today was forced to issue a retraction and the original piece was butchered with edits.
- But there are true aspects to this story.
- EA has been looking to sell, and megacorps, Amazon among them, have been looking to buy, as have Meta, Apple, Disney and of course Sony and Microsoft always being on the prowl for new publishers in this age of enormous acquisitions and gaming industry consolidation.
Amazon buying EA probably does make the most sense out of any possible pairing there. Unlike Meta, Apple and Disney, Amazon has expressed an explicit interest in gaming the last few years with their purchase of Twitch and the work at their own first party studios.
- The problem is that they have produced few meaningful results.
- New World, a struggling MMO, and Lost Ark, a successful port of a Korean MMOARPG, but one currently facing a bot infestation problem.
- New World Amazon Amazon scooping up EA would give them access to a massive amount of successful IPs from day one, making them a player in the space by acquiring what is the biggest remaining independent publisher after Activision Blizzard was bought by Microsoft for $70 billion, which is still undergoing regulatory approval.
I doubt Microsoft could also buy EA, as that would trigger some much more serious anti-trust alarms. Sony meanwhile, would probably not be ready to acquire a company worth a third of its own $100 billion market cap. EA has been trying to shake its “Worst Company in the World” moniker from years ago when it was among the most hated brands not just in gaming, but anywhere, for a while there.
While I would venture a guess that few would say they explicitly love EA, there have been plenty of other gaming publishers to hate the last few years besides them, and Activision Blizzard has taken the cake for the most mistakes and scandals. EA still has close to a monopoly on the sports game market, something that they have grown somewhat complacent with, judging by reviews on the latest Madden.
But Ultimate Team makes billions, and elsewhere, EA has a lot of successful IPs to their name. Apex Legends is one of the biggest shooters in the world. BioWare has new Dragon Age and Mass Effect games in the works. Respawn is making a sequel to the only Star Wars game anyone has liked in recent memory.
It feels like they have more going for them than say, Activision or Ubisoft, these days. Still, again, it’s hard to match a potential buyer with EA that isn’t Amazon. Meta, Apple and Disney all feel too random and disconnected from gaming. Microsoft is busy with Activision and Sony isn’t big enough. So I think there’s a reason that Amazon and EA keep being mentioned in the same sentence.
If I was a company with close to unlimited money and an interest in gaming, there are worse giant publishers I might buy, and EA seems like a more likely pick than say, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Capcom, SEGA or CDPR in the current market. So even if this specific rumor fell flat, I cannot rule this out conceptually, at least.
Why is FIFA leaving EA?
That’s not to say EA Sports didn’t want to continue the partnership. The company saw no need to unnecessarily jeopardise its most profitable series, but it did want more freedom. Specifically, it wanted to do more with its games, stage esports tournaments, and release non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on FIFA.
Does EA own FIFA anymore?
With the World Cup in full swing, the FIFA video game series—which has an official World Cup mode that lets players relive (and rewrite) their favorite moments of the 2022 tournament—should be on top of the world. Yet it’s the last time video game publisher EA and FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, will be working together after both sides went public with a very messy split in May.
The breakup means that EA’s series will no longer be able to call itself FIFA— it will now be known as (the less catchy) EA Sports FC —and will lose access to global tournaments, following with the Women’s World Cup in 2023. But it’s FIFA that stands to lose the most from the parting. For most of the past three decades, EA Sports and FIFA had a seemingly amicable relationship.
EA paid an undisclosed fee to license the FIFA brand, and was able to sell its titles as something of the “official” soccer video game. With almost no effort on its own part, FIFA got to be associated with one of the most popular video game series on earth, one with some 150 million players. 
Vinícius Júnior The relationship soured in 2021, No doubt aware of the profits being made by EA—the soccer series now generates hundreds of millions every year—FIFA asked for a reported one billion dollars to continue the deal, by all accounts an enormous increase over previous licenses.
(EA declined to confirm the terms of the negotiation for Fast Company,) Instead, EA walked. This is where the video game deal comes in. Amid this run of bad press, the hit video game series has offered FIFA a rare opportunity to positively launder its brand to millions. That’s now off the table. EA, for its part, will be fine.
Its development team and marketing muscle remains and it still has its myriad deals for everything from player likenesses to the lucrative English Premier League and Champions League competitions. All that is to say the only material change to EA games will be the name on the box. 
Jack Grealish FIFA, on the other hand, appears to be scrambling. Since news of the split with EA emerged, the organization has lent its name to a number of embarrassing blockchain-based games, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has boasted that “the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans,” signaling the organization’s intention to create a rival soccer simulation game.
But his confidence is at odds with the reality of video game development. The scale and complexity involved in creating modern, blockbuster sports video games is immense, so much so that only a handful of developers around the world are capable of it. And FIFA just alienated one of them. The others are currently busy making their own games, and if FIFA wanted to bankroll the establishment of a new studio, it could be years before it would be in a position to release a game to EA’s standards.
Even so, Infantino insists that a rival could be up and running by 2024, “Nothing is impossible,” says EA’s Jackson. “But it’s not that easy.” This whole mess is one that FIFA could have avoided had it not so grossly overestimated its importance to EA and to the wider video-game market.
Does EA still own FIFA?
EA SPORTS AND FIFA EXTEND LICENSING AGREEMENT UNTIL 2022 – REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and ZURICH – May 8, 2013 – EA SPORTS™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) have announced an extension of their existing licensing agreement until December 31, 2022.
Under the terms of the agreement, EA SPORTS maintains exclusive rights to release FIFA-branded action and management videogames. In addition, EA SPORTS also holds exclusive rights to release the official FIFA World Cup™ videogame, as well as retaining its status as a Presenting Partner of the FIFA Interactive World Cup.
“EA SPORTS released the first FIFA-branded football game in 1993, and 20 years later our partnership with FIFA continues to be very strong,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive Vice President and Head of EA SPORTS. “Our franchise has become the benchmark for quality and innovation in the sports videogame genre, and we look forward to many more years of connecting with consumers around the world with our games carrying the prestigious FIFA name.” “Our relationship with EA SPORTS is of high importance to FIFA” said Jérôme Valcke, FIFA Secretary General.
The EA SPORTS FIFA franchise, the most critically acclaimed sports videogame franchise in the world, continues to drive record consumer engagement with over 65 million games played weekly. ### About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 275 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at,
EA SPORTS, The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. Official FIFA licensed product. “© The FIFA name and OLP Logo are copyright or trademark protected by FIFA.
- All rights reserved.” Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc.
- John Madden, NFLand FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.
- About FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association is the world governing body of football, comprising 209 football associations grouped into six confederations.
Based in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA’s mission is to develop the game of football at all levels, to touch the world through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup™ and to use the power and popularity of football to build a better future for the underprivileged.
Which is bigger EA or Ubisoft?
Electronic Arts (EA)’s brand is ranked #- in the list of Global Top 1000 Brands, as rated by customers of Electronic Arts (EA). Their current market cap is $41.98B. Ubisoft’s brand is ranked #80 in the list of Global Top 100 Brands, as rated by customers of Ubisoft. Electronic Arts (EA) vs Ubisoft.
| 51% | Promoters |
|---|---|
| 24% | Passive |
| 25% | Detractors |
Who owns Ubisoft now?
Ubisoft
| Logo since May 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Administrative headquarters in Montreuil | |
| Total assets | €4.959 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | €1.807 billion (2022) |
| Owner | Guillemot family (14%) Tencent (9.99%) |
Does EA own other companies?
This article is about the video game company. For the art form, see Electronic art,
| The EA headquarters building at Redwood City, California in May 2011 | |
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as |
|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | May 27, 1982 ; 40 years ago in San Mateo, California, US |
| Founder | Trip Hawkins |
| Headquarters | Redwood City, California, US |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people |
|
| Products | See list of Electronic Arts games |
| Revenue | US$6.99 billion (2022) |
| Operating income | US$1.13 billion (2022) |
| Net income | US$789 million (2022) |
| Total assets | US$13.8 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | US$7.63 billion (2022) |
| Number of employees | c. 12,900 (2022) |
| Subsidiaries | See § Development studios |
| Website | ea,com |
Electronic Arts Inc. ( EA ) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California, Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the designers and programmers responsible for its games as “software artists”.
EA published numerous games and some productivity software for personal computers, all of which were developed by external individuals or groups until 1987’s Skate or Die!, The company shifted toward internal game studios, often through acquisitions, such as Distinctive Software becoming EA Canada in 1991.
Currently, EA develops and publishes games of established franchises, including Battlefield, Need for Speed, The Sims, Medal of Honor, Command & Conquer, Dead Space, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Army of Two, Apex Legends, and Star Wars, as well as the EA Sports titles FIFA, Madden NFL, NBA Live, NHL, PGA and UFC,
Will Origin be replaced by EA?
Two years ago, EA announced its plans to replace the Origin PC client, and now the new app is finally beginning to roll out. 
EA Two years ago, EA announced its plans to replace the Origin PC client, and now the new app is finally beginning to roll out. Supposedly, it’s a much lighter and faster experience with a more streamlined design. EA says the new app, simply called the EA app, will be easier to navigate and has improved social features.
Players will now be able to link their account with other platforms such as Xbox, PlayStation and Steam – making cross-play much easier than before. A unique custom ID keeps finding friends simple, and you can build a cross-platform friends list that will show what your friends are playing and if you can jump in.
EA assures existing users that the transition will be easy and that they won’t lose access to their content, saves and installed games. Their Origin friends list will automatically transfer, too, making it easy to pick up where they left off. If you’re a Windows user, the EA app is available to download from EA’s website now and Origin users will be prompted to make the switch in due course.
Where does EA make money?
The segment’s contribution to the company’s overall revenues was 68% in fiscal 2019.
| WHAT IS BIG? | ||
|---|---|---|
| (1) Console: | $4.4 Bil | 61% |
| (2) PC/Browser & Other: | $1.7 Bil | 23% |
| (3) Mobile: | $1.2 Bil | 17% |
| TOTAL Revenues in FY2023: | $7.3 Bil | 100% |
Is EA a monopoly?
EA has monopolies on a number of incredibly popular titles that require yearly updating. EA is a content publisher, which will continue to put them in a position of power relative to console manufacturers like GOOG, MSFT, and SNE.
Is Call of Duty owned by Microsoft?
By Seattle Times business reporter Vancouver, Washington, resident Michael Feist has logged nearly 163 hours on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II since it was released two months ago. That’s nearly a week spent at virtual war on his Xbox Series X, and exactly the kind of commitment Xbox-maker Microsoft is investing in by acquiring gamemaker Activision Blizzard for $69 billion.
The 27-year-old and his brothers took days off work to play when it came out. Call of Duty, one of the most successful video game franchises ever, has been in Feist’s life ever since he was a child. He used to wait in line at GameStop for the latest Call of Duty release with his stepdad. They weren’t the only ones — the 19-year-old military-themed franchise has generated over $30 billion in revenue, with 425 million units sold,
Now, Call of Duty is at the center of a legal battle surrounding Microsoft’s largest-ever acquisition, the purchase of Call of Duty owner Activision Blizzard. The company approved Microsoft’s nearly $69 billion acquisition bid in April. In the months since, regulators in the U.S.
have assailed the deal as anticompetitive and moved to block it, It is undergoing regulatory scrutiny in the U.K. and European Union. The deal would be among the 30 largest acquisitions in history. It dwarfs Amazon’s $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM earlier this year and Microsoft’s largest successful acquisition so far, the 2016 purchase of professional network platform LinkedIn for $26.2 billion,
Microsoft competes with Sony and Nintendo in the video game world, but remains in last place, according to Microsoft. With the acquisition, the Redmond-based tech giant wants to become more competitive in the industry. “Its vision for the transaction is simple: Xbox wants to grow its presence in mobile gaming, and three-quarters of Activision’s gamers and more than a third of its revenues come from mobile offerings,” according to Microsoft.
- The Activision acquisition didn’t sit well with the Federal Trade Commission, the newly emboldened federal agency tasked with stopping monopolies from forming.
- Microsoft’s promises to make key games such as Call of Duty available on more platforms haven’t swayed the FTC.
- Commissioners claimed the acquisition is anticompetitive in a complaint filed earlier this month.
“With control of Activision’s content, Microsoft would have the ability and increased incentive to withhold or degrade Activision’s content in ways that substantially lessen competition — including competition on product quality, price and innovation,” the complaint says.
- Microsoft contests the claim that the deal would give it any sort of monopoly.
- Xbox and Activision, the company said Friday in a response to the FTC lawsuit, “are just two of hundreds of game publishers, who compete by providing different types of games on different platforms at different prices, ranging all the way down to $0.” A key to the legal fight? Call of Duty.
“The FTC’s case is all about one game, Call of Duty,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said during the company’s annual shareholder meeting in December. Activision has released a new Call of Duty installment every year since 2003, when the shooting game debuted.
- This year’s Modern Warfare II generated $1 billion in sales in the first 10 days following its Oct.28 release, despite the $70 price tag.
- Modern Warfare II includes a story mode, a cooperative mode and a multiplayer platform offering players a soldier’s-eye view of battles historical and imagined.
- Call of Duty game developers have consulted with Pentagon advisers on the battle mechanics to make them as lifelike as possible.
The franchise’s biggest draw is the multiplayer mode, which allows teams of gamers to square off against each other, sometimes in championships. Call of Duty has been the bestselling game of its release month for a record 14 consecutive years, said Mat Piscatella, a video game industry adviser with research company The NPD Group.
- It doesn’t get much bigger than Call of Duty,” Piscatella said.
- Platforms such as Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation get revenue from Call of Duty in two ways: game sales and in-game transactions.
- Players can buy special weapons and gun “skins,” making it a long-term revenue source for platforms, said Joshua Foust, who has written about the video game industry and consumer identities.
Sony is worried about losing this long-term revenue source if Call of Duty is no longer on PlayStation, the world’s most popular gaming console, Foust said. Sony claims Microsoft will end PlayStation’s access to the game if the acquisition goes through.
Sony representatives did not respond to inquiries. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo sometimes lock popular games down in exclusive contracts, in the hope that gamers particularly interested in, for example, Mario Bros. or The Last of Us will buy their system and not a competitor’s for access to the titles.
Sony has 286 exclusive games, while Xbox has 59, Smith said. The FTC is concerned Microsoft plans to withhold Activision titles, including Call of Duty, from Sony and other competitors. In the response to the FTC filed Friday, Microsoft argues it is not financially viable to remove Call of Duty from PlayStation.
- Paying $68.7 billion for Activision makes no financial sense if that revenue stream goes away,” Microsoft attorneys said in the response.
- Nor would it make sense to degrade the game experience and alienate the millions of Call of Duty players who play together using different types of consoles.” Microsoft further argued that Xbox and Activision “are just two of hundreds of game publishers, who compete by providing different types of games on different platforms at different prices, ranging all the way down to $0.” Feist has a YouTube channel and Twitter account where he talks about Xbox releases and news using the name XBOXOBI.
He said in an interview the deal is protecting the competitor more than the consumer. Sony argues Microsoft could change console and game prices at will without fear of losing market share or consumers, which Sony, as the market leader, already does, Feist said.
- He also said PlayStation has exclusive Call of Duty in-game deals and content that Xbox doesn’t.
- Microsoft’s acquisition would create “console parity,” Feist said.
- XBOX Responds | Activision Blizzard Deal Hurts Sony – YouTube XBOXOBI 407 subscribers XBOX Responds | Activision Blizzard Deal Hurts Sony XBOXOBI Watch later Share Copy link Info Shopping Tap to unmute If playback doesn’t begin shortly, try restarting your device.
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Who did EA merge with?
Electronic Arts is reportedly pursuing a sale or merger, and it’s claimed that the video game publisher and developer has held talks with Disney, Apple, Amazon, and Comcast – NBC Universal over a possible deal. According to news site Puck (via VGC ), EA has been “persistent in pursuing a sale” and at one point it looked like Comcast subsidiary NBC Universal would have merged with the gaming company, with Comcast CEO Brian Roberts running the combined entity.
- The general terms of the proposal, which lawyers and bankers for both sides negotiated for several weeks, would have seen the Roberts family take majority control of the combined entity,” the report claims.
- In the configuration most seriously discussed, the company would have been run by Wilson.” That deal eventually fell apart due to disagreements over price and structure.
Neither Comcast nor EA have commented on the report. The report also claims that Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard for a staggering sum has been the main driver of EA’s desire to sell itself. “Others say that EA is primarily interested in a merger arrangement that would allow Andrew Wilson to remain as chief executive of the combined company,” the report added.
When reached for comment, an EA spokesperson told GameSpot, “We don’t comment on rumors and speculation relating to M&A. We are proud to be operating from a position of strength and growth, with a portfolio of amazing games, built around powerful IP, made by incredibly talented teams, and a network of more than half a billion players.
We see a very bright future ahead.” Mergers and acquisitions have made headlines in the gaming industry as of late. EA purchased Codemasters last year, Sony is preparing to purchase Destiny 2 developer Bungie in a deal that will help strengthen its multiplatform goals, and Square Enix sold off several of its studios to Embracer Group.
Who owns Ubisoft Microsoft?
Ubisoft
| Logo since May 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Administrative headquarters in Montreuil | |
| Total assets | €4.959 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | €1.807 billion (2022) |
| Owner | Guillemot family (14%) Tencent (9.99%) |