EA purchases PopCap for $750 million

EA has agreed a deal to purchase PopCap Games (makers of smash hit titles like Peggle, Bejeweled and Plants vs Zombies) for $750 million USD.
That $750 mil breaks down as $650 mil in cash (well, perhaps not literally cash as that’d be an awful lot of briefcases) and $100 mil in EA ‘common stock’ that’d be distributed between current PopCap shareholders (so they’re probably quite happy).
“We picked EA because they have recast their culture around making great digital games,” David Roberts, CEO of PopCap, said into a passing microphone.
We’ll just have to wait and see what this move means for both companies. PopCap have a series of much-beloved titles, but a huge corporate takeover of this nature can often sully even the finest of reputations.
Meanwhile, there’ll be questions raised over how much influence EA will have on future PopCap releases. With Origin (EA’s new digital platform) setting itself up as a competitor to Steam, it’s possible we’ll see the end of PopCap games through that digital retailer.
Source: marketwatch.com