date of publication:
May 23 2022 21:03 GMT
Update date: May 23 2022 22:20 GMT
Apple is in active negotiations to acquire Electronic Arts, the giant video game development giant such as FIFA and Apex Legends, according to a new report published by Puck.
While “Apple” is one of the many companies that are negotiating with the leader of the video games, the list of negotiators includes major companies such as Amazon and Disney.
The move to acquire EA is a distinctive decision that will strengthen Apple’s position in the video game market, especially since it is still new to this market, with its Apple Arcade game service, which it launched in 2019.
The “Apple Arcade” service provides subscribers with a variety of games, but the majority of them are in the category of light games and quick adventures that are compatible with the company’s iPhone, iPad and Apple TV devices, for a subscription of $4.99 per month.
Apple did not reveal its intention to compete in the gaming market against strong competitors, such as Microsoft and Sony, with their Xbox and PlayStation gaming platforms.
But if Electronic Arts acquires it, it will have in its hands a large segment of rich gaming content, such as The Sims, Battlefield, SimCity, and certainly EA Sports FC football games, which were previously called “FIFA”.
It is noteworthy that “Electronic Arts” entered into negotiations for the first time with “Disney” last March, to establish a more objective relationship that goes beyond just concluding content licensing contracts between the two companies, but Disney has not decided to go into an acquisition.
The negotiations also brought together the video game giant at NBCUniversal, and they were close to completing the agreement, but things came to a standstill due to a difference over the value of the deal and the terms of its completion, especially since Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, wants to continue in his position if the agreement is reached. to a merger agreement with another company, which Buck’s report expects to constitute a major stumbling block in the way of negotiations with Apple.
This is the second time that Electronic Arts has been at the top of the technical market, and it was the first time that the company announced that it would not renew its partnership contract with the International Football Association “FIFA” regarding the use of its trademark.
This comes after Andrew Wilson, CEO of the company, made it clear last year that his company does not benefit from that partnership, except for the years of the World Cup, only the four letters on the front of its game disc box.
It is also considered one of the reasons that led to the severance of the partnership between the two parties is that the International Football Association is seeking to raise the value of the contract, which has a duration of 4 years, to more than one billion dollars, in addition to the fact that the contract will not make the use of the “FIFA” brand a monopoly on “Electronic Arts”. Rather, the International Federation wanted to have the right to benefit from the brand through partnerships with multiple parties, to maximize its financial benefit from the “FIFA” brand.
The decision of “Electronic Arts” to end the close relationship with the International Federation, which lasted for more than 20 years, was in line with the company’s desire to diversify the games it offers to its fans, without being associated with a glamorous brand.