Are Amazon Buying EA?

The consolidation of the gaming industry was something experts have been warning us about for years. The greater these conglomerates grow, the less choice there will be for the consumers. And try as legal entities around the world might, it's almost impossible to actually enforce laws against anticompetitive practices (right now, for instance the Brazilians are struggling to sue Sony for paying developers to not join the Xbox Game Pass). So this recent news about Amazon's acquisition of EA should surprise no-one, it's just yet another example:

• Tencent's Purchase of Sumo Digital is Freedom Under Attack
• Sony To Buy Square Enix
• Microsoft Buys Activision Blizzard – Shareholders Approve

But before we mourn the death of the industry, let's get into the details about this latest acquisition.

Amazon Reportedly Buying EA, Announcement Expected Very Soon

As first reported by USA Today, Amazon is set to buy EA and will announce the news today (August 26, 2022). This shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone given just how closely the two have been working together in recent years (just check out these Prime Gaming rewards for EA's game, Apex Legends). The fact Prime Gaming even exists should have tipped us off years ago; clearly they want to get into the gaming industry.

We should add, CNBC are claiming that Amazon aren't going to make a bid today, and that this is still rumor. So who knows? Maybe this won't actually come to pass. But given recent events, we'd be very surprised if they didn't go ahead with the deal. Since when have EA ever turned down money? Plus, almost everyone publication besides CNBC agree with USA Today.

We'll let you know as soon as we find out more. What do you think about the acquisition? Can you think of some positives here, or is this just bad news all-around?

We can only hope and pray that the indie market survives with the industry in this state. Otherwise, we can say goodbye to games like this: