According to a fresh claim from Puck, Apple is one of several companies in talks with Electronic Arts (EA) about a possible acquisition.
Because it appears to be for a merger arrangement, EA has spoken to some “possible suitors,” including Apple, Amazon, and Disney. Apple and the other companies declined to comment, and the status of the talks is unknown at this time, but Apple has an interest in gaming thanks to its Apple Arcade service.
Disney was EA’s first choice, and the game company approached Disney in March to establish a “more important connection” than license deals, but Disney decided not to pursue a purchase order.
EA also met with NBCUniversal and came close to a contract, but the talks fell due to pricing and construction disputes. Andrew Wilson, the CEO of Electronic Arts, wants to stay on as CEO after a merger, which could cause friction if Apple decides to buy the company.
EA is a well-known video game publisher, with titles such as “The Sims,” “Battlefield,” “Apex Legends,” “SimCity,” “DragonAge,” “FIFA,” and more
There have been some reports that Apple is attempting to compete in the AAA gaming market by publishing titles that compete with those available on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, but the company has so far stuck to simpler games developed for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
Since January 2019, Apple has offered the $4.99 monthly Apple Arcade gaming service, which has been steadily expanding with additional titles every month. An EA takeover might provide Apple access to the next level of sport and a slew of popular gaming titles, but it remains to be seen if Apple is serious about getting into gaming on a larger scale.
The gaming industry is currently undergoing significant consolidation, with Microsoft recently purchasing Activision Blizzard for over $70 billion and Sony purchasing Bungie for $3.6 billion.
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