Casual games can be serious business these days, and the rumored billion-dollar acquisition of PopCap by Electronic Arts is yet another sign of the times.
EA announced Tuesday that it will buy PopCap for $650 million plus stock and earn-outs, which altogether could add up to as much as $1.2 billion.
The deal is expected to close in August.
In a statement from EA, the company’s CEO John Riccitiello said PopCap’s talent and stable of games, which includes hits such as Plants vs. Zombies and the perennial favorite, Bejeweled, accelerate the company’s drive towards a $1 billion digital business.
“EAâs global studio and publishing network will help PopCap rapidly expand their business to more digital devices, more countries and more channels,” Riccitiello said.
Last year, EA bought Angry Birds publisher Chilingo for $20 million. Earlier this year, the gaming giant acquired iOS game maker Firemint, too. Previously, EA had also acquired Playfish.
Not only has EA been snapping up casual, social and mobile gaming companies; it has also inked a five-year deal with Facebook, gearing up for a battle royale with Zynga.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, jonya
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