EA Purchasing Warner Bros. Games Rumours Fly As Publisher States Fresh Interest in Acquisitions

EA Purchasing Warner Bros. Games Rumours Fly As Publisher States Fresh Interest in Acquisitions

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Richard Walker

With Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (the company's video games sector) reportedly being up for sale, rumours are currently running rampant that Electronic Arts could be looking to pounce on a possible acquisition, with IPs like the Batman Arkham series, TT Games' LEGO franchise, the Harry Potter license and Mortal Kombat potentially at stake.

Previously, Microsoft, Take-Two, Activision, and EA have been in the mix when it comes to rumoured Warner Bros. Interactive  acquisition talks, but recent comments from Electronic Arts on its acquisition strategy have sparked fresh speculation that the FIFA, Battlefield, and Apex Legends publisher could be poised to make a move.

With EA linked to a possible WB Games takeover, COO Blake Jorgensen was asked about the subject of an acquisition, to which he replied that there is "one big asset we know of", stopping short of naming Warner Bros. Interactive, specifically, adding that the company is "more interested than ever" in acquisitions.

"It is very rare that we don’t get a chance to look at anything that’s up for sale," Jorgensen commented during EA's Q1 earnings call yesterday (via VGC). "You can imagine people call us and say, 'we’re thinking about selling a business' or 'we’re thinking about selling ourselves'. We are a place that a lot of people want to come as a long-term home if they decide to sell their business. So we get to look at almost everything."

He went on to add that EA's interest lies more in gaining new talent rather than game franchises, stating that its priority lies in forging "long-term relationships with people," adding that "we’re really trying to buy great talent versus games." Jorgensen cited Respawn as a "classic example".

"It wasn’t about Titanfall – and that’s no offense to Titanfall, it’s an amazing game and we’ll maybe see a Titanfall at some point sometime down the road – but it was really about the team and it starts at the top with Vince but it goes all the way through the whole organisation," he said.

Reports from CNBC and The Information stated that Warner Bros. Interactive could be up for sale as parent company AT&T seeks to gain approx. $4 billion to pay off its debts. Could EA be in the frame to acquire WB Games and its studios (including WB Montreal, NetherRealm, Monolith, TT Games, and others) and licenses, then? For now, this is one to file strictly under the 'rumour' category, but stranger things have happened.

Comments
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  • Gross. More games I am NOT going to buy if EA acquires.
  • EA is getting too big.
  • "It wasn’t about Titanfall – and that’s no offense to Titanfall, it’s an amazing game and we’ll maybe see a Titanfall at some point sometime down the road.." And that is why we don't want this to happen. It all seems more about buying up studios and franchises, bastardizing them for a little bit and then leaving them to rot when their halfassed releases fail to generate as much buzz as it should. Not that I believe anymore that we'll get another Batman game (How long have they teased us without anything at all?), but if EA got hold of WB, we could definitely kiss the possibility goodbye.
  • EA and Acivi$ion are the two biggest evils in the Video game industry. Too much greed.
  • But on the other hand if its sold to Microsoft as the rumours suggested then high chance no more Mortal Kombat or Batman on the PlayStation. EA is the lesser evil if you ask me, rather than risk All Warner games turning Xbox only
  • I don't think friendship is appropiate here. Fatality, Brutality and Animality come to mind...
  • @5 Didn't Minecraft release on Playstation when Microsoft bought them?
  • @7 Edit: So the PS3 version was released by Majang self but the PS4 version isn't.
  • Yep, even more for me to avoid like the plague in the future then.
  • Many also crap on Activision as well but out of all the rumored big publishers I'd rather they get WB Interactive.
  • Great news! I always thought the Arkham games were too good. Time to make them shitty!
  • Wouldve mu h rather Take Two.
  • "It wasn’t about Titanfall – and that’s no offense to Titanfall, it’s an amazing game and we’ll maybe see a Titanfall at some point sometime down the road" Yeah and that's why TF3 has been canned for probably 4 years, why Bad Company 3 won't see the light of day any time soon when it was 10 years ago BC2 came out. If they buy this expect MK to be a bare bones game with nearly all the characters sold off in packs or the graveyard to be full MTs not like it is now but worse. I was pissed when Respawn went over to them because it won't be long before they swallow it up and destory it.
  • Let's not try and pretend that WB is some sort of wholesome company, they've done plenty of crap previously that EA would have been dragged through the coals for.
  • @7 MS didn't release Minecraft for PS4. I think the deal was in place for PS consoles. Which is why there was a Vita version and the looming PS4 on the horizon.
  • @Comment #5 by johnnyhotrocks Don't forget the LEGO games as well.
  • Be shut down in few years.
  • I have no idea why WB is looking to sell one of their most profitable divisions. These studios should remain in house. If they are looking to pay off debt, then they should sell off divisions that don’t make them any income.
  • @2 I'm not sure what you mean by EA getting too big. According to wikipedia, the only studios they bought since 2012 was Respawn and some mobile developer called Industrial Toys. They haven't really grown, and only seemed to have closed studios like Visceral and Maxis. As far as the WB licenses, other places have said they aren't necessarily guaranteed to go with any studio sales. EA or Microsoft would likely have to negotiate for those separately.
  • @Comment #19 by darkrequiem7 I heard that as well but we know damn well the influence and cash both companies have.
  • Can't Epic Games buy this division?
  • @21 Epic have enough money to buy most companies because of Fortnite Battle Kid Royale but don't give a toss about every trophy in Save Te World what is now broken. Yes All trophies are broken and have been for a whole month now and they don't give a toss about it and when you open a ticket about it they just close it. At least EA fix broken trophies in their games.
  • @21 So let me gets this straight you don't think Epic should buy WB games division because they won't fix your precious little Battle Shite game please give me a break.
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