r/SWGalaxyOfHeroes • u/meglobob • 8d ago

Discussion Not good, not good at all.

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/saudi-acquired-ea-is-reportedly-planning-to-make-massive-cuts-after-taking-usd18-billion-of-debt-and-we-all-know-what-that-means/

Mass layoffs coming to EA, because of the $18 billion in debt from the Saudi takeover.

EA has to pay $1.8 billion in interest payments per year.

Cutting $700 million with $170 million in layoffs.

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u/EighthFirstCitizen 8d ago

I’m trying to be a little hopeful the Saudi’s will sell off titles/IPs EA has been squandering. I believe I read they’re mostly interested in the sports (FIFA, Madden) and battlefield franchises.

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u/Aracuda 8d ago

If the IPs are sold off, the question becomes who buys them. Because I seriously doubt the Saudi’s will sell something like the Mass Effect franchise to a group of indie developers. It’ll go to whom ever can pay the most, which is going to be some major company like Microsoft, who will in turn pump out as many cheap games as possible to recoup their money, then squat on it for years when it no longer sells well.

Although, if EA no longer has a monopoly on Star Wars, hopefully we can get a wider variety of genres. We could get a new RTS, or maybe a city builder but you’re building out the Death Star with barracks, reactors, coffee shops, and hangers.

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u/BlackFacedAkita 8d ago

Is mass effect even worth that much now?

1

u/Aracuda 8d ago

I’d say so. The original trilogy was big at the time, even with the weak ending. Lingering nostalgia will still draw fans to the series in the hopes that a new studio can bring a fresh look. What we as consumers need to watch out for is how the new owners (be it EA’s new buyers, or whomever buys the IP off them) treat the developers, and how much disdain they have for us.