Death of Dice? Merger with EA!!!!

Titus · Post by **Titus** » 2006-03-17 23:32

A press release by DICE today, annouced the merge of Digital Illusions CE into Electronic Arts. What this means, is DICE will be working directly with EA on ideas, and certain tools / features.

The Board of Directors of DICE believes that the current ownership situation creates uncertainty for DICE and its employees as the partial ownership prevents DICE from accessing EA’s tools, technology and financial resources. The board also believes that the current ownership structure will in the long term make it difficult for DICE to retain and attract talented employees and has led to an illiquid stock with insufficient research coverage.

Recognizing these challenges EA proposed to merge DICE into EA’s subsidiary EA Holding. After thorough deliberation and extensive exploration of alternative options, the Board of Directors of DICE has agreed that such a merger is in the best interest of DICE’s shareholders, DICE and its employees. Following completion of the merger EA will be able to share tools and technology with DICE, which will help DICE to navigate console transition as well as transition to next-generation platforms. In addition, DICE and its employees would become part of a group with significant financial resources, which will be necessary in order to be successful in the coming years as game development is becoming increasingly costly and competitive.

Could this be the end of DICE as we know it? You be the judge! Read the full story here. http://global.dice.se/press/pressreleases/?article=f7b266f0-5623-4fba-8ca8-6a12aa901721

Late

T

Post by **Rhino** » 2006-03-17 23:34

Yes its is death to dice. They started dieing once they singed the contract with EA. But without EA we would have never had BF42 or BF2 (forget BFv, apart from its POE mod ofcourse)

Whats going to happen to dice is excatly what happened to westwood

Post by **fuzzhead** » 2006-03-18 02:07

'[R-CON wrote: Whats going to happen to dice is excatly what happened to westwood

Exactly.

Post by **Happy** » 2006-03-18 02:13

Care to explain what happened to westwood?

Post by **RikiRude** » 2006-03-18 02:15

i hate you EA!!

Night · Post by **Night** » 2006-03-18 02:40

I don't believe it is a merge; EA bought all of DICE's stocks and basically EA now owns DICE.

six7 · Post by **six7** » 2006-03-18 02:50

i loved red alert...

lonelyjew · Post by **lonelyjew** » 2006-03-18 03:14

I don't really care. If DICE wants to churn out half assed games, so be it, as long as awsome modding groups like this one are willing to pick up the peices and make mods that are better ten fold then the original game.

Post by **Rhino** » 2006-03-18 12:38

'[R-PUB wrote:=BONG=Happy']Care to explain what happened to westwood?

WestWood Studios, made some of the best series of RTS Games ill probably ever play. The Command & Conquer series! First, Command & Conquer, then C&C Red Alert, then C&C Tiberian Sun (EA brought shears of Westwood like they did for dice at this point i think), then C&C Red Alert 2, Then Westwood made a FPS called C&C Renegade (was like BF2 where u drove tanks ect, was good for its day), Then EA brought up westwood 100%. Then EA released a shit game compared to the old C&C series called C&C Generals. Was nothing like the old C&C games. Now there is no sing of a new C&C comming out

Same will probaly happen to the BF series

Post by **Hitperson** » 2006-03-18 13:09

oh hell.

Post by **Evilhomer** » 2006-03-18 15:05

'[R-CON wrote:Rhino']WestWood Studios, made some of the best series of RTS Games ill probably ever play. The Command & Conquer series! First, Command & Conquer, then C&C Red Alert, then C&C Tiberian Sun (EA brought shears of Westwood like they did for dice at this point i think), then C&C Red Alert 2, Then Westwood made a FPS called C&C Renegade (was like BF2 where u drove tanks ect, was good for its day), Then EA brought up westwood 100%. Then EA released a shit game compared to the old C&C series called C&C Generals. Was nothing like the old C&C games. Now there is no sing of a new C&C comming out

Same will probaly happen to the BF series

Don't forget the Dune series. Dune 2 is one of the best games I have ever played!

six7 · Post by **six7** » 2006-03-18 17:34

the decline in the quality of the battlefield series is easy to see...
iIdont understand, if EA has soooo much money, why they cant release better quality games than small companies

Post by **Ghostrider** » 2006-03-18 17:43

six7 wrote:the decline in the quality of the battlefield series is easy to see...
iIdont understand, if EA has soooo much money, why they cant release better quality games than small companies

Because a long as No other company gorws strong enough to challenge and make EA compete against them, they will stay with their lazy asses glued to their freaking chairs.

I want Command and Conquer to make a GREAT comback!! >_<
I dont want to see the end of the BF series!!
Hell! I want VU Games, Activision, or whatever company to make a Better game than what EA could ever publish!!

!*#@&%*!

If the taliban were serious about their Jihad, they would've blown up EA by now..

-Ghostrider

six7 · Post by **six7** » 2006-03-19 07:07

'[R-DEV wrote:Ghostrider']

If the taliban were serious about their Jihad, they would've blown up EA by now..

-Ghostrider

lol

Post by **requiem** » 2006-03-19 07:31

I think this was a good move, DICE will be able to benefit from the economies of scale generated by the only large cap in the sector, which are substantial. Added benefits from the widest distribution network & developmental knowledgebase is also significant. As modder, I'm happy EA was there, they were & are always open to communication with the various mod teams, had to push DICE to get us the tools as well as get us a release on time.

Nice little reminder of Mod Day:

Lawrence & Ben (EA)

EA Assets

Good old Arminace, ex-lead of FH, we pretty much rocked everybody

Nice building

Panorama shots

I've met quite a few people at EA and they're really good guys, they have my full respect.

TheDot · Post by **TheDot** » 2006-03-19 19:03

yay! more crappy expasion packs coming up!

da.SPAWN · Post by **da.SPAWN** » 2006-03-19 19:19

mhh i have mixed feeling about the merger.
personaly i hope for the DICE devs that they don´t get "under the wheels" for a few dollars more per share,
on the other hand DICE could benefit from EA as requiem has said

Post by **Rhino** » 2006-03-19 19:42

da.SPAWN wrote:mhh i have mixed feeling about the merger.
personaly i hope for the DICE devs that they don´t get "under the wheels" for a few dollars more per share,
on the other hand DICE could benefit from EA as requiem has said

They might benefit from it. But i very much dout it when you look at what happened to westwood.....

da.SPAWN · Post by **da.SPAWN** » 2006-03-19 21:03

yea i have grown up with the westwood games

it´s a shame
i have here a box "10 years westwood games".....

Post by **Rhino** » 2006-03-19 21:07

da.SPAWN wrote:yea i have grown up with the westwood games it´s a shame
i have here a box "10 years westwood games".....

I still have my sovite RA1 disc somwhere, but its scrached to hell and not even a exstrmaly good drive can read anything from it

Not that i can play it on Win XP anyways even if it could read it.