EA Paying Up To $1.3 Billion for PopCap Games

Electronic Arts is acquiring casual gaming giant PopCap, maker of Plants vs. Zombies and Bejeweled, among others. EA is paying out $650 million in cash, $100 million in stock and up to $550 million in earn-outs for hitting financial milestones in the next few years.

“EA and PopCap are a compelling combination,” said EA CEO John Riccitiello. “PopCap’s great studio talent and powerful IP add to EA’s momentum and accelerate our drive towards a $1 billion digital business. EA’s global studio and publishing network will help PopCap rapidly expand their business to more digital devices, more countries, and more channels.”

“We picked EA because they have recast their culture around making great digital games,” said David Roberts, CEO of PopCap. “By working with EA, we'll scale our games and services to deliver more social, mobile, casual fun to an even bigger, global audience.”

The press release notes that PopCap games have been downloaded more than 1.5 billion times and Bejeweled, the flagship franchise, has sold more than 50 million units.

Hat tip to Business Insider.

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

TMar

111 months ago

EA is evil..

Rating: 7 Votes

Cougarcat

111 months ago

So long and thanks for all the games, Popcap.

Rating: 3 Votes

Asclepio

111 months ago

goodbye cool games...

Rating: 3 Votes

bwillwall

111 months ago

Both EA and Microsoft games do not make art... They are just cheap lazy game factories. Valve is where its at, along with some others.

Rating: 2 Votes

OliverOSX93

111 months ago

Say hello to PvZ 2. It will be 3 times as easy as number 1 and with only half as much effort from the development team. All but the first 5 plants will require in app purchase ( at a pound a plant ) and the app its self will set you back £10

Rating: 2 Votes

ScottishCaptain

97 months ago

Did Activision kill Blizzard? No.

Never played Diablo 3, huh?

-SC

Rating: 1 Votes

joemod

97 months ago

Popcap CEO's quote modified to reflect what was actually going through his mind while he was saying it:

:(

I remember when EA truly meant "Electronic Arts". M.U.L.E. Archon. Construction sets. They published the first Bard's Tale.

Now, hmmm. "Enormous Amoeba", maybe.

Voting you up, although for 1.3b $ I would have done the same. They made him an offer he could not refuse.

Rating: 1 Votes

iMacFarlane

97 months ago

Popcap CEO's quote modified to reflect what was actually going through his mind while he was saying it:

"We picked EA becau$e they have reca$t their culture around making great digital game$," said David Roberts, CEO of PopCap. "By working with EA, we'll $cale our game$ and $ervice$ to deliver more $ocial, mobile, ca$ual fun to an even bigger, global audience."

:(

I remember when EA truly meant "Electronic Arts". M.U.L.E. Archon. Construction sets. They published the first Bard's Tale.

Now, hmmm. "Enormous Amoeba", maybe.

Rating: 1 Votes

chrono1081

111 months ago

So many nerds hating on EA for no reason. You don't HAVE to buy their sports games.

You obviously don't know much about the games industry. Not only is EA consistently ranked as one of the worst studios to work for (often claiming the top spot in main studios due to poor pay, overworked employees, and bad benefits) but they tend to ruin everything they get their hands on. As others have stated, take a look at what they did to Maxis.

EA is a puppy mill for game developers and games IMO. They focus on quantity over quality and release a ton of mediocre crap just to rake in money.

Rating: 1 Votes