It has been confirmed by both EA and WarnerMedia that EA has purchased Playdemic, formerly Warner Bros. Games’ Playdemic Ltd, for $1.4 billion. Playdemic is a primarily mobile developer that has is behind Golf Clash, a game that has had over 80 million downloads since its launch. Other games include Village Life, Gang Nation, and Gourmet Ranch. The news follows speculation that Warner was looking to sell off its gaming division, and while the company is not looking to get rid of every studio it does suggest it is willing to let go of some of its smaller groups.
“We founded Playdemic with a focus on creating highly engaging and innovative game experiences. Our success with Golf Clash has proven our approach and demonstrated the ability of our incredibly talented teams to develop and operate best in class mobile games,” said Paul Gouge, CEO of Playdemic. “Joining EA, one of the most successful games companies in the world, is an important next step in our journey and we are excited to continue to develop both Golf Clash and new titles as part of the EA family.”
“We have enjoyed working with the talented team at Playdemic as they have grown Golf Clash beyond all expectations into a hit mobile game with tremendous longevity,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Games. “While we have great respect for the Playdemic team, our decision to divest is a part of our overall strategy to build games based on Warner Bros. storied franchises.”
“Playdemic is a team of true innovators, and we’re thrilled to have them join the Electronic Arts family,” said Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts. “In addition to the ongoing success of Golf Clash, the talent, technology and expertise of Playdemic will be a powerful combination with our teams and IP at Electronic Arts. This is the next step building on our strategy to expand our sports portfolio and accelerate our growth in mobile to reach more players around the world with more great games and content.”
EA is expanding its mobile apps and offerings and will no doubt have plans for Playdemic to develop other games similar to Golf Clash, and possibly support EA’s other app as well. $1.4 billion is a lot of money so EA will want to see a major return on investment there.
Source: Press Release
KippDynamite
That is a crazy amount of money.