NationStates Jolt Archive

http://kotaku.com/gaming/ea-grabs-two-devs/ea-buys-bioware-pandemic-309937.php

Electronic Arts just announced that they have "acquired" both BioWare and Pandemic Studios. EA cut a deal with Elevation Partners to buy up VG Holding Corp, which owns both companies.

DAMN YOU EA! DAMN YOU!

EA: All your videogame companies are belong to us!

"The Internet" died the day the first IBM PC was sold to the first GP pleb.

Yea, verily I say unto thee, once Arpanet was mighty, then it was slain by the web browser and the unwashed masses.......

The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen!

I hardly believe EA will ever be able to produce a game equal to Baldur's Gate...they'll probably fire all the developers and use the licenses to churn out a million crappy clones of once great franchises.

How long will it be until EA ownes the rights to every franchise ever?

I hardly believe EA will ever be able to produce a game equal to Baldur's Gate...they'll probably fire all the developers and use the licenses to churn out a million crappy clones of once great franchises.

Madden: Star Wars confirmed for Xbawks360

Well...
At least Bungie threw Microsoft off their back. You win some, you lose some. What can you do, besides forcefully take over EA in a military coup?

You can hire all the developers that they fire and make an ubergame and take over. You'll probably have to get a loan from the bank first, though.

If the developers are dissatisfied with the direction EA is taking the company, they'll usually leave and form a new one to pursue their own ideas.

If the developers are dissatisfied with the direction EA is taking the company, they'll usually leave and form a new one to pursue their own ideas.

And make something awesome, like Bioshock.

Is Bethseda still independent? Still holding out against the Force of E(a)vil?

well, they still dont own the japanese gaming companies. Therefore in my book, gaming is pretty safe :p

EA: All your videogame companies are belong to us!

They gobble them up and unfortunately slaughter them.

RIP Janes!

I hardly believe EA will ever be able to produce a game equal to Baldur's Gate...they'll probably fire all the developers and use the licenses to churn out a million crappy clones of once great franchises.

They probably won't be making any changes to Bioware, at least not for a couple of years. Bioware already has several projects going (Mass Effect 2 and 3, the Sonic RPG, Dragon Age, more?) and I think they'll let Bioware make them the way they want. Mass Effect is looking really good, so I think the chances of an EA owned Bioware making a game better than Baldur's Gate are pretty high.

If the internet was over, I would have heard the plans on /b/.

If the internet was over, I would have heard the plans on /b/.

I'm pretty sure we had a thread with that subject on /v/...

I thought this topic was about Al Gore going back in time and sabotaging his own insidious creation.

I thought this topic was about Al Gore going back in time and sabotaging his own insidious creation.

He isn't a plumber and the internet is a series of tubes.

He isn't a plumber and the internet is a series of tubes.

You mean Al Gore ISN'T Mario?!

November 2007: Mass Effect is released to great acclaim. Hailed as one of the greatest games in recent history. A new standard for RPG excellence is set.

January 2008: The EA acquisition of BioWare becomes official.

November 2008: Mass Effect 2 is rushed for the Holiday season, and is released on Xbox 360 and PS3. It is lambasted for lacking the depth and detail of the first game, and running the storyline into the ground. EA exhorts its "improved graphics".

Q1 2009: EA disolves the BioWare devision, and lays of its workers. The former BioWare employees form a new company.

2009: EA continues its acquisitions, taking over Bethesda, Valve and Bungie.

Q4 2009: EA releases Mass Effect 3 as a largely EA venture. Gaming publications around the world predict the death of Western RPGs.

2010: Western RPGs all but disapear from the market. EA acquires Blizzard, Vivendi and Sierra.

2012: The American gaming industry is crippled by a lack of quality games. EA stock plummets. Microsoft discontinues the line of Xbox consoles, citing the shortage of marketable games.

Q4 2012: EA declares bankruptcy.

Q4 2012: End of Mayan calendar

Q4 2015: The American Gaming industry is restored by former employees of companies acquired by EA create new quality games for Japanese consoles.

2016: A new US console is released after a four year depression.

He isn't a plumber and the internet is a series of tubes.
*FTW*

And make something awesome, like Bioshock.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/1394-Zero-Punctuation-BioShock

*FTW*

Is that...is that for me? *reaches out and grabs TW, eats the F*

*buries it for safekeeping*
:)

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/1394-Zero-Punctuation-BioShock

So if it didn't lead me to the promised land, then where am I RIGHT NOW, huh? Huh?

Yeah, that's right, I'm sitting at my c-oh wait. Dammit.

“The neural net processor was completed on July 4, 2013. Over the next three years Cyberdyne became the number one supplier of military computers. The Skynet Defense Funding Bill is passed. The system goes online on August 4, 2015. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. Skynet becomes self-aware at 2:14 AM Eastern Time on August 29, 2015....................”

*FTW*

You give a thumbs up to that but not the more hilarious image of Al Gore as Mario? Shame shame...at least my joke was original...

You mean Al Gore ISN'T Mario?!

*FTW*

:)

Is Bethseda still independent? Still holding out against the Force of E(a)vil?

They were bought out and brought into the folds of Evil(tm) just after Daggerfall AFAIK.

We are Electronic Arts, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile.

Maxis is like the Borg resistance, but EA has learned and nothing else they acquire will have the ability to survive assimilation with any part of their identity intact.

“The neural net processor was completed on July 4, 2013. Over the next three years Cyberdyne became the number one supplier of military computers. The Skynet Defense Funding Bill is passed. The system goes online on August 4, 2015. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. Skynet becomes self-aware at 2:14 AM Eastern Time on August 29, 2015....................”

Except history is altered when a small group convinces Cyberdyne to use the Windows Vista OS to power Skynet.

:D

We are Electronic Arts, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile.

Maxis is like the Borg resistance, but EA has learned and nothing else they acquire will have the ability to survive assimilation with any part of their identity intact.

By 'Maxis' you mean 'the diseased orifice which, after extensive kicking, occasionaly spews forth another stunted, deformed and usually stillborn offspring of the formerly great Sims series', right?

well, they still dont own the japanese gaming companies. Therefore in my book, gaming is pretty safe :p

Not entirely, Japanese companies make great games, but American Studios make better games nowadays imo.

Not entirely, Japanese companies make great games, but American Studios make better games nowadays imo.

QTF.

So if it didn't lead me to the promised land, then where am I RIGHT NOW, huh? Huh?

Yeah, that's right, I'm sitting at my c-oh wait. Dammit.

Are you still walking funny? ;)

By 'Maxis' you mean 'the diseased orifice which, after extensive kicking, occasionaly spews forth another stunted, deformed and usually stillborn offspring of the formerly great Sims series', right?
The Sims was ever great? No. The first few Sim Cities were good. Then it got redundant and they made some weird spin offs then they made the Sims and that got redundant.

By 'Maxis' you mean 'the diseased orifice which, after extensive kicking, occasionaly spews forth another stunted, deformed and usually stillborn offspring of the formerly great Sims series', right?

Hello? Spore? It's kind of the messiah you know.

Hello? Spore? It's kind of the messiah you know.

Meh, who knows how that will turn out. It's been delayed and delayed, and ports have been announced for every platform imaginable. And today's Maxis is very different from what it was before they were bought by EA. Still, they're probably a good match for each other, as Maxis has a history of creating a good game every now and then, with tons of shit in between. But remember what happened to Westwood. EA let them do their thing for a while, then killed them. And then C&C Generals happened.

Something positive for PS3 owners is that Mass Effect 2 and 3 on PS3 is now a possibility. At least I think it is. Bioware owns the Mass Effect IP and now Bioware is owned by EA, and EA loves to port games. The first Mass Effect game is probably out of the question, though, as it's being published by Microsoft.

The Sims was ever great? No. The first few Sim Cities were good. Then it got redundant and they made some weird spin offs then they made the Sims and that got redundant.

SimCity 2000 is the one I like best. The Sims was fun as well, though I can see your point with the many SimCities and a fair amount of The Sims expansions.

Anyone remember that funny fiasco known as "Streets of SimCity" or something like that? Basically you could take your SimCity and have a little Car Wars/Twisted Metal party through its streets literally.

The Sims was ever great? No. The first few Sim Cities were good. Then it got redundant and they made some weird spin offs then they made the Sims and that got redundant.

SimAnt.

I'm one of those weird people that actually enjoyed SimLife. >_<

I'm one of those weird people that actually enjoyed SimLife. >_<

I always had fun singing Thus Spake Zarathustra everytime I unleashed The Monolith on some tree or lizard.

November 2007: Mass Effect is released to great acclaim. Hailed as one of the greatest games in recent history. A new standard for RPG excellence is set.

January 2008: The EA acquisition of BioWare becomes official.

November 2008: Mass Effect 2 is rushed for the Holiday season, and is released on Xbox 360 and PS3. It is lambasted for lacking the depth and detail of the first game, and running the storyline into the ground. EA exhorts its "improved graphics".

Q1 2009: EA disolves the BioWare devision, and lays of its workers. The former BioWare employees form a new company.

2009: EA continues its acquisitions, taking over Bethesda, Valve and Bungie.

Q4 2009: EA releases Mass Effect 3 as a largely EA venture. Gaming publications around the world predict the death of Western RPGs.

2010: Western RPGs all but disapear from the market. EA acquires Blizzard, Vivendi and Sierra.

2012: The American gaming industry is crippled by a lack of quality games. EA stock plummets. Microsoft discontinues the line of Xbox consoles, citing the shortage of marketable games.

Q4 2012: EA declares bankruptcy.

Q4 2012: End of Mayan calendar

Q4 2015: The American Gaming industry is restored by former employees of companies acquired by EA create new quality games for Japanese consoles.

2016: A new US console is released after a four year depression.

You should add the return of Janes with Janes F/A-35 Joint Strike Fighter hehe

You give a thumbs up to that but not the more hilarious image of Al Gore as Mario? Shame shame...at least my joke was original...

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13127562&postcount=27
I agree that they couldn't have done it without the little people. :p

My ... uhm, TW sans F ... was more in line with my personal finding of Ted "The Hulk"/"Clinically Depressed" Stevens as a nauseatingly vile public figure.

But remember what happened to Westwood. EA let them do their thing for a while, then killed them. And then C&C Generals happened.

And then they learned their lesson and so Generals begot Tiberium Wars.

You all do realise that EA will only make games that sell well, the reason that they propagate low quality games is because they're cheap to make and appeal to a mass audience that does not have discerning taste for games, EA will invest in better quality games if people buy them in enough numbers to be profitable.

Anyone remember that funny fiasco known as "Streets of SimCity" or something like that? Basically you could take your SimCity and have a little Car Wars/Twisted Metal party through its streets literally.

I played that for a while, only problem being that the controls seemed a bit sensitive to me.

What about SimCopter? :p

monopolistic consolidation in the tecnologicly assisted/enabled rpg industry have exactly WHAT to do with the internet?

=^^=
.../\...

monopolistic consolidation in the tecnologicly assisted/enabled rpg industry have exactly WHAT to do with the internet?

=^^=
.../\...

Everything, man! Don't you see?!

If EA continues, it will only be a matter of time before they own the electronics industry, the internet, and then the human race itself.

...And then, the restistance begins.

...

MY LIFE FOR AIUR!

And then they learned their lesson and so Generals begot Tiberium Wars.

You all do realise that EA will only make games that sell well, the reason that they propagate low quality games is because they're cheap to make and appeal to a mass audience that does not have discerning taste for games, EA will invest in better quality games if people buy them in enough numbers to be profitable.

Yes, Tiberium Wars was a big improvement, but you do realize that Westwood Studios doesn't exist anymore, right? EA destroyed them, and the people making the original C&C games are gone. And the same fate probably awaits Bioware, even if they get to keep the Bioware name. It's just a matter of time.

As for how future games will turn out, well, even if they "learn their lesson" and try to make great RPGs, can they really do that when nearly everyone that currently works for Bioware are gone?

http://kotaku.com/gaming/ea-grabs-two-devs/ea-buys-bioware-pandemic-309937.php

DAMN YOU EA! DAMN YOU!
...

You're such a tool.

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13127562&postcount=27
I agree that they couldn't have done it without the little people. :p

My ... uhm, TW sans F ... was more in line with my personal finding of Ted "The Hulk"/"Clinically Depressed" Stevens as a nauseatingly vile public figure.
Ohokay.

I played that for a while, only problem being that the controls seemed a bit sensitive to me.

What about SimCopter? :p

i loved both Streets of Sim City and SimCopter!

but then i always was a bit of a SimCity nut, and anything that meant i could actually move round it in 3D was just.... awesome :P

i loved both Streets of Sim City and SimCopter!

but then i always was a bit of a SimCity nut, and anything that meant i could actually move round it in 3D was just.... awesome :P

Good times, good times.

Why is it that whenever I think of EA PC games I subsequently think of a big pile of smoking crap?

I thought EA already owned Bioware, considering the opening screens of Neverwinter Nights.:p