EA purchases Codemasters

[Hero-of-Time]

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-12-14-ea-agrees-USD1-2-billion-acquisition-of-codemasters

They were rumours over the weekend of them swooping in and offering a better deal than what Take Two had brought to the table. Guess the rumours were true.

Thoughts on this, @Nicktendo? I know you really dislike the company (EA) but you love F1 games. I wouldn't be surprised if they monetize the hell out of it and incoporate some kind of Ultimate Team mode into the game.

[Julius]

Just got to say, I hate how almost every acquisition these days is becoming a case of the absolute worst companies (EA, Activision, Take Two) competing to acquire good studios.

Doing their shareholders proud, I'm sure. Urgh. 

On the upside, at least they're competing for them with other rich folks, and so are throwing more of their money at it than if they didn't have competition, I guess? 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Julius

[Nicktendo]

Very sad day, and it's extremely unlikely I'll pick up future F1 games given I'm on an EA boycott.

Codemasters already have a ton of needless DLC fluff and season passes in the game, but it doesn't affect the gameplay at all. I guess this just means it'll likely get worse. 

Big shame for the Dirt Rally and GRID games as well, both of which I've enjoyed a ton recently. 

[Dcubed]

Very sad day for British game development...

Sumo Digital is now the one and only large scale independent British developer left.

Gee Whiz.  Where are we going Papa EA? 

[Hero-of-Time]

56 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Very sad day for British game development...

Sumo Digital is now the one and only large scale independent British developer left.

Gee Whiz.  Where are we going Papa EA? 

I'm very surprised nobody has snapped them up yet. They are a talented studio that have somehow managed to keep their independence. I wonder if MS have tried buying them out?

[Dcubed]

51 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I'm very surprised nobody has snapped them up yet. They are a talented studio that have somehow managed to keep their independence. I wonder if MS have tried buying them out?

Yeah, it’s remarkable how long and how well they’ve held on (going all the way back to the Gremlin Graphics days; they’re the longest surviving British developer alongside Rare/Ultimate!)

Fingers crossed that they can hold out, but with the way the industry is now (very rapidly!) consolidating? I bet they’re gonna get bought out by Microsoft soon...

[Will]

13 hours ago, Nicktendo said:

Very sad day, and it's extremely unlikely I'll pick up future F1 games given I'm on an EA boycott.

Codemasters already have a ton of needless DLC fluff and season passes in the game, but it doesn't affect the gameplay at all. I guess this just means it'll likely get worse. 

Big shame for the Dirt Rally and GRID games as well, both of which I've enjoyed a ton recently. 

Yeah it’s kind of fine at the moment as it’s totally ignorable. I started getting notifications for podium pass season 3 last time I played and it seems fairly decent if you’re into that sort of thing.

Given that F1 is by far my most played game I’ll continue to buy them so long as they keep up the quality. I feel like EA have learnt a lot since their couple of big misses and seem to be offering people what they want without going so far as to cause any uproar. At least I can’t recall seeing any lately, I don’t really play any of their games or study them enough to know to be honest.

Hopefully the additional money available to them will push the F1 games to be even better. Codemasters have done a great job with them and hopefully EA will be seeing the acquisition as a solid pillar to build around rather than milk all of the value from it.

[Aperson]

RIP F1 games. F1 2017 was the last one I bought and although I hear they've got better since it looks like F1 2020 was the last non-EA F1 game and that's sad.

 

And yes, I know EA have done F1 games before... though I feel like F1 games before F1 06 were sub average.