Casual games firm PopCap is said to be on the verge of being acquired for over $1 billion and potential buyers could include EA Games or an Asian games firm. Acquiring PopCap would mean a substantial upgrade for EA’s casual gaming portfolio and PopCap games could also benefit from EA’s reputation and promotional muscle.Seattle-based PopCap is known for hit games including Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies…………
PopCap Games, developer of Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies, is reportedly in the process of being acquired for more than $1 billion and PopCap Games is in late stage acquisition discussions to be acquired by Electronic Arts (EA). With games like Bejeweled, Peggle and Plants vs. Zombies in its library, PopCap definitely brings some strong titles to the table. EA is best known to gamers for its hardcore games particularly in the console and PC realms, while PopCap’s strength is as a casual game maker for mobile devices, Mac and PC. That right there explains the potential synergy between these two respective powerhouses. If PopCap becomes part of EA, EA greatly strengthens its position in the casual game and social game markets. With pressure from Zynga and other companies like DeNA, which owns Ngmoco, EA may be hedging its bets that it can continue to maintain a dominant presence in the burgeoning social and mobile gaming space. Recently EA acquired iOS game developer Firemint, makers of the Real Racing and Flight Control games. Its own EA Mobile studio expanded greatly in 2006 when EA acquired JAMDAT Mobile in a $680 million deal and EA also grabbed one of PopCap’s rivals Playfish back in 2009 for $400 million, so acquisitions of this size are not unknown in EA’s history. EA is not the first suitor rumored to have offered a deal to PopCap, but also Zynga, the game maker behind Facebook-based titles like Farmville is rumored to have looked at the casual game publisher.
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