Doubt this will happen . Ea has support on a lot of games for nintendo and sony .

Not plausible right now .

once EA is assimilated....Activision will rule teh worldz!!

T__T

really though. Activision will destroy 3rd parties without EA as a 3rd party competitor

hahaha yh ryt

I dont think it will happen, but if it did Id assume they would still make games for ps3 and the wii. that would be weird.

Id assume that EA would cost alot of money to buy, maybe even to much for microsoft. who knows, but I dont see this happening.

What i think is that Microsoft want to buy some devs like bioware or buying some Ip from them.

but I can really see EA shareholders jumping at the chance to earn less on dividends and watch their stock price drop over the next few years. The 360 makes up the smallest amount of revenue for the company so it makes good financial sense to agree to a buy-out by MS.
:P

EA wont be as big and profitable on one console as they are now on all consoles, MS would lose big if they did, look at what happened to Rear.

EA is supported by all 3 platforms if they go to Micrsoft and offer exclusives that means a loss of 2 platforms they simple wont be able to afford it and the money will have to come from Micrsoft who realise this to.

sheesh.

I hope It wont happen, but if it does.

This will force Sony to create a new studio only for sports games, and if that happens, well start seeing some actually good sports games (take as example the Sony exclusive baseball game).

Aside from that, Ea stock will go to the ground since no nintendo or Sony gamer will buy EA games anymore.

Edit bellow:
Yeah could be that they dont have the best record on sports games, but they will now have to compete with EA which will force them to make good sports games to stay on the market.

I'm not sure about this, but it could happen. If enough cash is involved.

It would be a HUGE blow to Sony and Nintendo a like. I think Nintendo would be ok long term since they rely so heavily on their first party games anyway. This move however could potentially kill Sony in the gaming console market given that 80+% of the good sports games reside with EA. You also factor in Bioware into that equation and this would be a huge win for MS. Sony probably could survive but I think they would be a shell of what they are right now. The potential loss for Sony just can't be measured with a move like that. Madden exclusive on the 360....its almost too big a move to even imagine.

I hope, and pray neither Sony nor MS acquire EA.

That would cause a huge negative impact on gaming as a whole

If MS does this, then it's a VERY smart and Expensive move on their part.

This will allow more exclusives on the 360 but also capitalizing on the multi-plat titles like all sports titles. MS knows where EA makes their revenue and its on multiplat titles for all 3 consoles. MS will allow that to continue, but will also have more 1st parties to create more exclusives for the 360.

The only one's that might find this as "retarded" would be the PS3 droids. Even though MS would keep the sports franchises multiplat and selective games, it would allow other titles like say Dante's Inferno to be exclusive to the 360 to contend with big name games like God of war 3.

vvvvv oh look, the first scaried Droid.

EA losing money from going exclusive would ruin any financial sense this move would make. Maybe MS wants to be software only after this gen.

Peter Moore coming back home?

since Peter Moore moved to EA and the EA exec moved to MS, ive been all over the possibility of this on certain forums. i've been saying for nearly two years now that this is the long term plan

Bye-Bye Sony & Nintendo.

EA is releasing BC2 next year and will make fat chash off of that. not to mention they just produce great games. They have nothing to worry about.

dream on, EA would rather have her own console

If they became a first party MS developer, that would void the NFL license. So, not going to happen. If they were to do this it would be like Microsoft buying any other company, it wouldn't make them a MS game studio you nubs. It just would be a financial move for MS, acquiring a publisher is not acquiring a game studio. DURRRRRRRRRR.

Not happening, and one word gives a reason why this will never happen MADDEN. Madden sales will be cute in half and the total sales are already declining as it is.

For me this is no big deal as madden gameplay has gone to sh*t. Maybe this will void the contract with the NFL exclusive rights so other companies can make a Simulation football game. Heres looking at you 2k.

a few things would have to happen if this were true

EA would have to lose the NFL license any licenses like it.

@ Alcohog - What do you know troll?

I would quit gaming simple as that only pc gaming for me then.

this would be a waste of money. also EAs profits would plummet if this happened because sony and nintendo make a bigger profit for ea than microsofts consoles do. msoft wouldnt make any profit from this

If it happens it would single handedly destroy the industry like nearly everything MS seems to touch.

But it won't happen it will fail under competition laws in both US and EU. With the amount of IPs EA has I would say MS would have to pay $54 billion.

as long as Epic is in there leaving a Gears footprint...

If it did happen sony would acquire Konami, From software etc they would use all their resources and the game industry would become an exclusive battlefield.

MS would = US.
Sony = EU, Japan.

I think if it was to happen there would be certain clauses in any deal. I don't think EA would give up multiplatform titles that are their bread and butter. It would mostly be exclusives that Microsoft would benefit from.

After all, with all this talk of exclusives don't you think Microsoft are trying to sort things out for themselves?

I can't see it happening anyway tbh.

Ea market value is 6.4 billion dollars .

Even if Ms would do this ea still have to make franchises for sony and nintendo .

Microsoft can by ea . It`s just very unlikely .

i could see this happening.
Actually prob part of the plan when moore left and became the prez at ea.
Yea, i see it happening. And sony will still be good.
That jus mean more american games, overpriced, overcharging on dlc, on a new faulty american system. When sony and nintendo get out of gamin so will i.
But no american system for me. never.

EA would still pump out games to all consoles for a while based on existing publishing deals, etc...MS would be making money off all... Eventually you would see MS start to filter certain games that it could and make them 360 exclusive. In fact MS might just let EA continue to be multiplatform for the most part.

I smell Hostile takeover.

look ea wouldnt let that happen they make billons on madden alone this is funny

Well, we all know that Microsoft is prepared to do anything to control their markets by trying to achieve monopoly.

This is bad news for all gamers we need more than one console on the market

i doubt this will happen, it would really hurt gaming as a whole... They should just acquire other studios

Heres the deal, this actually spells out a couple of things,

A) Moore Going there
B) the relationship with MS is strong than originally thought
C) this would have a huge impact as they could just make 20% of games exclusive and it would have a large impact

Wow, I hope this isn't true. I like Madden!

I guess this would mean no more Battlefield 3, Command and Conquer, The Old Republic, Mass Effect 2 on the PC, Sims, ect ect/

About time they are trying to get more studios lol, but this is too big, i mean they should have kept Bungie as a first party studio, and Ensemble and make more

Microsoft WISH they could afford EA.

I doubt it will happen but if it did and Microsoft wanted to kill of Sony, I present two words as evidence.....EA Sports

The combination of Madden and NCAA would give a massive spike in sales for 360 hardware and software

The article is pretty vague, I can't really form an opinion on this until we know whats happening with EA's big multiplatform titles.

I think rather than buying EA outright MS might be looking at acquiring a few of there development houses or IP's

Bioware and Pandemic would be my studios of choice.

This would never happen. First it would never be approved by the FTC. Second, MS owning EA is a conflict of interest. If MS didn't publish for other consoles under the EA label, EA's value would significantly drop. If they did publish, then they are competing against themselves.

from what i've seen over the years of EA is they do the buying not the other way around,c'mon seriously do you really think a billion dollar company like EA will sell itself?, and give up making $$$ on all platforms to make $ exclusively on just one?i seriously don't think this will ever happen.

how would i be able to play madden

Microsoft will acquire a few studios from EA.

BOTH Microsoft and EA stocks jumped at the rumor, which means the takeover will benefit both companies, as far as the stock market/investors/shareholders are concerned.

And it is very possible. If Microsoft could afford to buy Yahoo, then Microsoft CAN afford to buy EA.

The biggest obstacle to this deal is Sony may file a complaint to FTC, and FTC may not allow it.

So Tattoo loving baldy was a Trojan Horse eh

would have gone there for no reason lol

EA became successful buy Eating others for like 20 years.

Anyhow it wil be a tragedy either way. Sony can live off Japan but don't know about the west.

Bullsh*t I doubt this would ever happen. If it did your all fuc*in idiots if you think sony and nintendo wouldn't be supported. Microsoft would buy up everything, steal the best games as exclusives. Ala Mass Effect, Dead Space 2 things along that nature. Than Madden, Skate, GH/rockband whatever the hell they own and all the casual games stay Multi-platform, hell I bet even a lot of games would stay multi. Why? Because duh Sony has to pay Microsoft otherwise Sony has no popular casual games. They wont end all the franchises on other consoles, that cuts their profits. Microsoft would make a killing, EA still makes all it's profits and Microsoft has ridiculous amounts of games.

Whether it's Microsoft or one of the movie studios.

I've played a lot of EA games. Bringing out games like FIFA, MADDEN,NHL,etc. with minor updates every year only made me hate this company.Most of the console games of different genres made by EA are simply forgivable, rip-off of games made by other developers or they are downright worse.
This all factors made be believe that EA and MICROSOFT have a lot in common. News about MICROSOFT buying EA somehow makes me happy.
HAPPY because it will only make me hate this company more.
[just like i hate MICROSOFT (RAAAAAAAGGGGEE)

In the past there was ideas about EA making its own Console and what this woud be for the Gaming World. EA is definalty one of the most important Publishers. Maybe Microsoft and EA is planing the next Console Generation togehter.

And if EA woud really be bought by Microsoft i dont think, that they stop PS3 or any other Console Games. There will be more likely timed exklusives.

Poor MS, when they can't beat Sony on their own they have to resort to things like buying out one of the biggest publishers lol
Sadly this will most then likely ruin them with a lot of games not being profitable because of exclusivity :(

If Sony was buying EA though it would obviously be a stroke of genius!!!
Go for it Microsoft, oh and buy Sega aswell...

i dont really see this happening

it would make more sense for MS to aquire SEGA, if they were going to. The sega name could help them alot in Japan, and sega own alot of IP's which could make good NATAL based games, as that motion controller would only really be suitable for arcade type games

if this happens i will be severely pissed. say what you want about EA (i hate them in a lot of ways too) but i will NOT accept games/franchises like burnout, bad company, dantes inferno, dead space, brutal legend, fight night, need for speed, mirror's edge, and some other good titles to be exlusive just for the sake of microsoft not being talented enough to make their own studios like sony and nintendo did.

i know this wouldn't happen because EA is primarily a multiplatform distributer/publishing/develop ing company; but if it did, i better still get those games i mentioned on other platforms.

how stvpid this man of the year assuming microsoft would be willing to pay sony royalty fee for every multi-plat games EA will make.

*sigh

I think the chance of EA making their own console is bigger than MS buying them. I just can't see what's in it for EA.

Madden
FIFA
Need for Speed
Battlefield
Team Fortress
Half-Life
Mass Effect
Star Wars
Sims
Rock Band
Fight Night
NHL
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Crysis
Dead Space
Mirror's Edge
Command & Conquer

EXCLUSIVE IPs ON Xbox 720.

Hmmmmm games made by EA will suck more.......LOLOLOLOLOLOL

MS couldn't even get Yahoo in a money deal they had to join forces, I doubt MS will even have half the cash to afford buying EA.

I don't know how many of you are in investments, but I have a couple shares both on EA and Microsoft. Both of them did great today for some reason. So I checked out the community stock traders forum i go to and the forums there are dipping some nice info on such deal. Even if its market hype to get the stocks up on an uptrend. Its well worth it in the long run till the end of the year. Thats if you are an investor.

But in the gaming industry it would be a VERY, VERY Bad move on both of those party's if indeed its true. This is something that doesn't benefit MS since it will buy EA out at a loss and continue to lose. As EA will loose market space for their prospective projects. EA will not only lose the option and opportunity to sell more to different platforms then just one.

A fellow trader tipped me there's also other parties interested and looking to buy out EA. None other then Walt Disney and Time Warner

Don't believe me?
Here is the link he sent me.
http://www.reuters.com/arti...

That deal would have some far-ranging implications, Im sure. Its not like games are developed overnight, so I doubt anything slated for release on any competing console would get squashed, but after a couple of years who knows?

The move wouldnt surprise me too much, MS is a SW company. By controlling EA, they could do a number of things. Obviously they would make money off of any EA game sold, even for the PS3 or Wii...but it could be a move in consolidating the industry, and it could fail horribly. Or succeed wildly, and MS would step away from direct manufacture and become a huge licensing and SW company, putting all of its games on Nintendo and Sony systems. Or vice versa...

A lot of possibilities in that one. Not sure how it would turn out, but buying up the biggest game publisher in the world have a definite impact.

Classic RUMOR!

Would be the equivalent of Console Checkmate times 1 Billion!

as far as i can gather thers 2 ways to take over a company

you ask nicly and the major sharholders sell up 50.1 percent of total

b you buy every share floating and then work on the mino holders

either way ea/ms would kill other game consoles

activision is big but big enough ea owns the video game spots industry, and thats what would be the problem

if it happened then yes ms would wield too much power and emerge as a potional super, company, only needing a good hardwae company into themix

ms/ea/samsung... would be evil

Theres also a rumor EA is buying THQ which sounds much more legit. Plus this is coming from reuters.com.... yeah reuters.com. Never heard of it.

This is from reuters.com. Never heard of it? Oh yeah me either!

EA wouldn't be able to keep the exclusive license on the NFL game if they were only on one platform. That would be so awesome because All-Pro Football 2K8 still plays better than Madden 10 and I would love to be able to finally get a 2K football game again. Also as a personal preference I really don't like EA games. Dead Space was good, but that's been about it. Bad Company is a dime a dozen. All the racing games they make are average at best. The big hope for them this holiday are Brutal Legend and Dragons Age Origins, but neither strike me as memorable. Honestly, 2K games is much better not only on sports games but adventure games as well. Granted since EA is the big 3rd party that advertises a ton this makes it big news, but outside of Madden and Rock Band what are EA's big games? This wouldn't affect me in the slightest if it happened.

I don't think this will happen, but if it did, then it would be an adrenaline shot to Microsoft. Every development studio owned by EA would be under the control of MS, including Visceral Studios and Bioware, and the guys who make Madden, and NBA Live. This would be huge news, as now Microsoft would have a lot of first party studios cranking out exclusive games. And these are games that usually go to Sony's console, so Sony would be forced to create more development studios to offset the loss of sports franchise games. They already make The Show series, but they would need to expand that. Microsoft probably doesn't have enough money to persuade the executives of EA to sell, and EA has more profitable future prospects if they stay third party. However, if MS personally offered the cash to the top people of the company, as it is wont to do, then it could happen.

sure would be a curve ball if it happened. Hard to say how this would be a game changer though.

Ms is a software developer first and foremost. They sell software for all brands of pc including Sony. Not to mention cell phones. If they do buy EA, and they can afford to, they would greatly expand the software they have on offer... and their profit. They would still have PS3 versions of the games. They are in it for the money after all. Sony would just have to cut another check to MS. The PC check and the Gaming check. I dont believe it would be bad for Sony, just uncomfortable.

Expect to see more pc and windows mobile versions of games.

http://n4g.com/industrynews...
Enough now

Not this dumb rumor again. Microsoft isn't in any kind of shape to be buying a company as big as EA. They've had a lot of problems that cost a lot of cash the last few years.

NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

Better for M$ to purchase EA rather than Take-Two.

this would be a dumb move, it would be the end of gameing if this happens. microsoft needs to make there own games rather than buying other companys.

This would be so unfair.

IT'S JUST RUMORS!!!! RUUUMMMOOORRRRRSS!!!!!

Yeah not going to happen. Really not a smart move since the Xbox 360 is already a successful machine and the gaming division has been highly profitable for some time now. Just kick back and rack up the profits. No need for a big acquisition like this. Unless those Microsoft suits really want to finish off the competition for good.

Oh, that is why Microsoft let Bungie go, let EA took Bioware, shut down multiple studios...it is in their plan all along to save up to purchase EA.

Evil but it could happen. I hope not because it will be no Madden, Fifa and Rockband on other platform. Every gamer regardless of which console they own should be able to enjoy as many games as possible.

But if Microsoft did bought EA, they will be golden.

If this ever happens the PS3 can/will say bye bye to EA sports.

this will kill the gaming industry, ea threatening not to publish games on the dreamcast is what killed it, could kill a lot because a lot of platforms rely on EA

Well Sony...go for ACTIVISION then!!!!

Meet fire with fire lol

this droid right here will never buy a crapbox! So continue your mass destruction on the gaming industry Microsoft, monopolizing everything in your way! You will never be able to buy Sony!

Dont do it MS, Madden only sold 1.8M. It is no longer EA's cash cow. Thank You fans for showing EA that they cant rewrap the same gift every year and pawn it off as new.

PS3 to pull a Dreamcast in 2010.