Amazon reportedly set to buy EA – and my Prime sub is looking better than ever

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EA might have finally found a buyer, withAmazon, according to reports, set to officially announce its offer today.

Update:No one knows which way is up with this story, with a conflicting report suggesting that Amazon won’t be making an offer to buy EA. You can find the outlet’s comments below.

Original story:EA has reportedly been looking for a buyer (or merger)as far back as 2012, when its market value plummeted by 37%. The publisher refused to comment on the speculation at the time, but more rumors surfaced in May that it was on the lookout again.Puck(viaVGC) reported that Disney,Apple, and Comcast-NBCUniversal were in the running, along with Amazon.

And now,For The Winclaims that Amazon has taken the next step, and made an offer. The announcement is slated for later today apparently, but there’s no official word yet. This will be great news for EA, after a decade-long mission to find a buyer. But not so great in terms of giant companies with deep pockets, flashing the cash to get a monopoly in the industry. LikeMicrosoft snapping up Bethesda parent companyZenimax Media, or its plan tobuy Activision, for example.

Although as per the update up top, this is being contended byCNBCwho say their sources say that no formal offer will be being made.

As a solitary entity, I can do diddly squat about any of this. So let’s look on the bright side of how this deal could affect me, personally. And there is one tantalizing possibility: all of the amazing shows I could be getting over the coming years as part of myAmazon Primesubscription.

Amazon Effect

Video game adaptations used to be the stuff of cringe. There wasStreet Fighter,Mortal Kombat, even theSuper Mario Bros.got a piece of the action. A few decades later, and we’re finally seeing a turnaround.

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The Witcher on Netflixhas been a hit, while Arcane –adapted from League of Legends– managed toovershadow Cowboy Beebopwhen it debuted. With Amazon’s budget, we could see some fantastic new shows based on EA’s trove of IPs.

I know I keep harping on about it, but someone please do something with Jade Empire. The game is true GOAT material and if we’re not seeing a sequel, can we please at least try a TV show? Mass Effect is another favorite, and of course, the Dragon Age dweebs will soil themselves at the thought of a Prime Video series based on the franchise. Let’s get those casting ideas for Solas going!

As Amazon’s library of original content goes, its streaming service is home to some real gems. Among thebest Prime Video showsyou’ll find The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and A League of Their Own. Sneaky Pete was also a good one, if you missed that before it was cancelled.

There’s no reason to think that a series based on EA’s many IPs would be a flop; I’d think it’d be quite the opposite given Amazon’s resources and track record.

Is this deal a portent of impending doom for the video game industry? Perhaps. Should massive companies with infinite funds be allowed to squash competition by buying up publishers and developers, unchecked? Definitely not.

But I am a just consumer. I consuuume. On nom nom.

Shabana has been writing about games for almost a decade now, as well as covering tech, politics, food, and other random tidbits at Gizmodo UK. She’s stepped outside of news every now and then to write game guides, and always appreciates a DM if she’s helped get you out of a pickle. During her time freelancing, you may have spotted her words at VG24/7, GamesRadar, and IGN. She’s also held the position of news editor at Gizmodo UK, T3, and The Sun Online.

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