EA Now After Epic Games

Krunal | October 03, 2008 | Rumor | Playstation 3 XBOX 360 Company

With the threat of impending takeover lifted from 2K Games, it seems that another company have gotten into the eye lines of EA. This time it's Epic Games, the creator of Gears of War and Unreal Tournament series.

Electronic Arts is hunting to rebuild its connection with the hardcore by releasing a plethora of new IP's titles that appeal specifically to a certain section of the gaming arena. Their recent deal with an internal Epic Games Studio "People can fly" (creators of painkiller) and Grasshopper Studios is just a minor step in this direction.

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Comments

1 thumbs!
Daigoji_Gai | October 03, 2008 | reply

Epic doesn't need EA, EA needs epic. EA can rebuild their connection with the hardcore by fixing the brands they already own and improving the quality. Start with what's in their own backyard before they go looking into the possibility of getting another.
5 thumbs!
chautemoc | October 03, 2008 | reply

Gobble gobble gobble .
- 0 thumbs!
  Krunal | October 03, 2008 | reply
  
  Heh... chautemoc, it seems that someone does't understand what your post is about and has reported it (no worries I've restored it). Though now that you've said that... I can really see EA as Pacman...
  - 5 thumbs!
    chautemoc | October 03, 2008 | reply
    
    They reported "gobble gobble gobble"? What could possibly be off about that? Unless..oh dear..
    - 0 thumbs!
      Daigoji_Gai | October 03, 2008
      
      They don't get the "gobble gobble" mentality of EA?
      
      Hrm...
0 thumbs!
redneonfish | October 03, 2008 | reply

Part of me would like multiplatform Gears, the other half hopes that EA wouldn't ruin it for the 360 users.
2 thumbs!
Kim Jong Il | October 03, 2008 | reply

Oh ffs EA, just *bleep* off.
4 thumbs!
Subzer0 | October 03, 2008 | reply

Smart business decision by EA. They must see potential in Epic Games.
- 0 thumbs!
  Daigoji_Gai | October 03, 2008 | reply
  
  Potential? It is not potential they see my friend...
  
  They see a company with a <underline>proven</underline> track record of developing great games and that has three great money generating IPs including Unreal, Unreal Tourney and now Gears of War.
  
  Has nothing to do with "seeing potential" everyone knows Epic is one of the top developers in the US... they see a way of repairing their brand image and simply (to quote Chaut) "gobble gobbling" companies does not a good brand make.
0 thumbs!
FinalFantasyFanaticc | October 03, 2008 | reply

Even if EA did SOMEHOW get Epic, which we all know will NEVER happen, Gears wouldn't go multiplat, its owned by Microsoft so EA would technically have to buy Microsoft to make it multiplat XD
But i cannot see Epic selling themselves to EA within the next 10 years or so lol.
- 0 thumbs!
  BlackLabel | October 03, 2008 | reply
  
  No they would just buy the game licence off of Microsoft just like Microsoft bought the game licence off of Epic.
0 thumbs!
ShadowJ | October 03, 2008 | reply

Gears isn't owned by Microsoft, Microsoft only have the "exclusive rights" to it, which means for the length of the contract signed, Gears will only be released on 360 and PC.

The choice of multiplatform or not is between the game company and console company, meaning if EA bought Epic, then EA can negoiate a new deal that would allow them to release mutliplatform games (usually this means 6 month gap release etc. Such as what Bethesda Softworks have been doing recently)

Then again they usually go for the biggest bidder (Microsoft in this case and again hence why Bethesda Softworks is giving everything to Microsoft for Fallout 3)

Back to the point at hand...EA aren't all that bad, look at the Battlefield series...currently I am beta testing their new Battelfield game (Battlefield heroes) and once released it will be a hit. Though the move towards Epic suggests that either EA are in big trouble or they are attempting to swallow up their competition
- 0 thumbs!
  Tenken | October 04, 2008 | reply
  
  MS owns the IP jointly with Epic, meaning both own it. One can't use the Gears franchise without the other's consent.
0 thumbs!
Gutter_Tech | October 04, 2008 | reply

multi platform gears!!! lol that prolly pissed off a fan boy or 2 lol
0 thumbs!
RabidChinaGirl | October 04, 2008 | reply

I'm 99% sure Epic is going to politely decline an EA takeover. On the other hand, that 1% really worries me.
- 0 thumbs!
  BlackLabel | October 04, 2008 | reply
  
  Money talks and while it may seem unbelievable Epic Games are a small development team, as games get more expensive to make the risks become greater i think EA have attacked at the right time after the commercial failure of Unreal Tournament 3, that was an expensive game and failed. Epic might be licking their wounds and moving on to Gears 2 but i think any developer would love to be under the wing of EA Games these days.
  - 0 thumbs!
    ShadowJ | October 05, 2008 | reply
    
    UT3 might have failed to overcome the current competition but you seem to forget that EPIC has the failsafe of the Unreal engines. It is all down to their gaming engine that other games have success, such as the rainbow six franchise and pretty much all other FPS games that look towards Epic for that engine.
    
    Then again Unreal hasn't had any competitors within its actual genre since Quake took a new route and that's what Unreal needs to do. Quake III arena was the reason I got into Unreal since me and my friends searched for related games in college to play over LAN. Quake IV when released focused on the single player aspect once again whereas UT3 worked on the multiplayer aspect and made a campaign around the maps.
    
    Personally I love UT3 and still play it but worldwide it hasn't done so good.
    
    As to Epic and EA...Epic will decline unless they are offered something they can't refuse
0 thumbs!
Silver Mirror | October 04, 2008 | reply

I thought they tried this before, and Epic spat in their face. I don't expect this to occur.
0 thumbs!
Final Blade | October 04, 2008 | reply

_{While I would love to see gears on the PS3, I don't think it'll ever happen unfortunately.}
0 thumbs!
Dark Arcanine | October 04, 2008 | reply

All I saw was Unreal Tournament and my interest peaked at that moment. Would be great.