Apple eyeing Electronic Arts?

[Dual867PowerMac]

<gloat>

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/09/1436248

:pray:

In related news, Apple has recently lured (http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/05/0020210&tid=187) Richard Teversham away from Microsoft. Teversham had previously been a senior executive at Microsoft's European X-Box division.

</gloat>

[gdoane]

It's sort of an odd combination to go headhunting from Xbox Europe and then go after Electronic Arts. EA Sports is probably what they're after but the only European sports series EA has is their old Fifa Soccer line.

[CaptainPike]

I guess that they finally realize they need talent from Microsoft.

And I'm surprised they can afford Electronic Arts.

[F9thRet]

They must want Secure Rom to destroy there systems also.

Stephen

[Dual867PowerMac]

It's sort of an odd combination to go headhunting from Xbox Europe and then go after Electronic Arts. EA Sports is probably what they're after but the only European sports series EA has is their old Fifa Soccer line.
They're probably going to move Mr. Teversham to the United States.

[Dual867PowerMac]

I guess that they finally realize they need talent from Microsoft.

And I'm surprised they can afford Electronic Arts.
I'm sure they can.

What's wrong with getting talent from someone perceived as the competition or the enemy? Let's go back 40 years...

In 1969, Glenn "Bo" Schembechler, the head football coach at Miami (Ohio) University, was hired by the University of Michigan to revitalize their football program, which had fallen on hard times. Prior to taking the head coaches' job at his alma mater, Schembechler had worked for Ohio State's Woody Hayes for five seasons.

This instigated the "10-Year War" in the infamous Ohio State/Michigan rivalry.

Later that season, the Wolverines, which had been drubbed 50-14 the previous year by Hayes' Buckeye squad, upset the heavily favored OSU team 24-12.

[gdoane]

They're probably going to move Mr. Teversham to the United States.

Apple has shown interest in video game tech before. Astute gamers might remember the Apple Pippin, released in the mid 1990's in a joint venture between Apple and Bandai. Ill-fated against such systems as the then-contemporary PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn systems, the Pippin would sell fewer than 50,000 units total.

Fast forward to the 21st Century, and Apple, Inc. applied to the U.S. Patent Office back in December of 2007, about a year and a half ago.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/06/apple-files-patent-for-multitasking-gaming-touchscreen/

Could they be up to something?

More recently, Apple applied for Trademark Protection in February of 2008 for game devices that use the Apple brand and logo.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/10/apple-applies-for-trademark-protection-on-gaming-devices/

It may be just boilerplate as Apple lawyers simply jockey to protect the popular and lucrative iPhone/iPod Touch game market, or something has been in motion over at Apple for the past year and a half.

Now that they've got more than lawyers dealing with potential game hardware and software, things are looking a bit suspicious over in Cupertino HQ.

[Spaceman Spiff]

What worries me is that if they buy EA then they'll stop making products for the Xbox. Of course, that would be a stupid move on their part.

[gdoane]

What worries me is that if they buy EA then they'll stop making products for the Xbox. Of course, that would be a stupid move on their part.

I don't think that would necessarily be the case as Apple themselves make software for the Windows systems (iTunes, Safari, Quicktime) so Apple isn't completely averse to making product for a MS platform.

Electronic Arts would lose a lot of sales as a single-platform publisher and I don't think Apple wants EA to lose money.

I'm hoping that maybe Apple will try and shake loose some of EA's old titles that you don't see anymore (Road Rash, Shockwave, M.U.L.E. and such). EA's got some good old series from back in the day that could use a modern system update.

[Erick_KS]

I guess that they finally realize they need talent from Microsoft.

And I'm surprised they can afford Electronic Arts.

They can afford things now, because they can use their ipod and related income to subsidize other things now.

[CaptainPike]

They can afford things now, because they can use their ipod and related income to subsidize other things now.

Ahh. I forgot that it's not really their superior personal computers that have gotten them where they are.

[Erick_KS]

Ahh. I forgot that it's not really their superior personal computers that have gotten them where they are.

Their traditional offerings have retained a cult following for a long time.

They seem to now be shunting ipod and music profits into pushing other products that have had trouble breaking out into the mainstream on their own merits.

[Dual867PowerMac]

I love Apple. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/BengalsManiac/wub-1.gif