Topic: EA buys PopCapGames

I was surprised (and a little disappointed) that EA bought PopCapGames. What do you think about this?

I don't know how to react to this. I really enjoy EA games such as Sims and such. Maybe this purchase of PopCapGames was a good thing especially by a good company.

PopCapGames has made some good games there are not just for hardcore gamers, But for almost anyone. (Plants vs Zombies, Peggle, BeJeweled, and many others.) I think EA made a good choice in buying a company like PopCapGames.

no will the stop making editions off plants vs zombies

Disappointed why?

People always get all upset when one company acquires another. It's like the acquired company has been given the death penalty, the way people respond.

It's a great deal for both. PopCap gets the additional resources of EA. EA gets the casual reach it's been after for a while. Win-win.

I'm just hoping PopCap will still put out the great casual games we've come to expect from them...

All i have to say is, THANK GOD IT WASN'T ZYNGA

I think the disappointment is the long track record of what happens to a lot of companies that EA takes over. Often they'll take in a small developer,finish up a project or two, and then they shut down the studio to save money firing most and giving others the option to stay on in another location and people end up having to move or quit. When I worked at a company we used someone who stomped EA a bit in the sports arena with a fun game, after the sales came in, they bought the developer out, canceled our projects, had them do something, then fired off 90% of them and closed the doors. They've done this a lot since the later 1990s, though in a few cases they will keep a studio up though usually rename it to EA (City), but usually it's a sign of layoffs and consolidation. PopCap though has a massive brand recognition so they probably will be safe, but it's hard to say for sure as EA has been having their EA Online dept for casual games stomped in the ass hard by them for a long time with their own Pogo service just doing ok but not great like PopCap.

See, this is the exact opposite of what I want happening. I enjoyed having Popcap around releasing amazing games like Plants vs. Zombies, Chuzzle and Peggle which just so happen to be some of my favorite games of all time. I hope that EA realizes the amount of creativity with some of the developers at Popcap and doesn't just buy the company for game rights and fire all of the genius masterminds working at the company.

PopCap's response:

As some of you may have heard, we recently announced that PopCap Games is being acquired by Electronic Arts, a small mom-and-pop boutique software publisher. What does this mean for the future? It’s simple:
1. EA is being rebranded to Poptronic Arts
2. Sim Zuma: The SwampLife Edition
3. Peggle: Dead Space – Bjorn’s Breakfast
4. Bejeweled Battlefield Blitz
5. Plants vs. ZombEAz: NFL Lockout Edition
Wow!
Ok, not really.
It means PopCap will join forces with one of the world’s largest game publishers, giving us access to many more resources and a greatly expanded global audience. It doesn’t mean that PopCap is going away or changing what we do or how we do it. On the contrary, PopCap’s creative culture is the main reason EA was interested in us. We’re not changing our focus from creating awesome casual games everyone can enjoy.
So what should you really expect from us in the future as part of EA? More! More games, more platforms, more players, and more fun.
PopCap has been around for more than ten years now, and we look forward to bringing you great games for at least another decade to come!

Sincerely,
Your friends from PopCap

Am I just being paranoid or is the uncertainty in the wording of that sentence a bit unsettling? lol

As long as it's not like when maxis got bought.
I still remember the starting credits when playing the sims 2:
"MAXIS"
Some expansion packs later:
"EA GAMES"
"MAXIS"
Other expansion packs after that:
"EA GAMES"

Other than that i have no problems with this news.

im not sure hwat to expect of them.
plant vs zombies remains one of the most addictive game i ever played.
i just hope it wont kill the innovation behind popcap.

other than this, they will benefit from larger budget to bring us larger games. how cool is that.

What's uncertain about "we're going to be around for another 10 years minimum"?

I was just a little disappointed because I thought maybe there won't be anymore Plants Vs. Zombies. But I do agree that EA wouldn't just buy a company and not use it. And I also didn't see the message PopCap wrote.

Gotta love PopCap's sense of humor. Personally, I don't see anything bad coming of this.

I'll color myself "cautiously optimistic".

_{which looks a little like magenta}