Codemasters to Have a Lot of Freedom Under EA
What does the future look like for Codemasters after its acquisition by Electronic Arts? Apparently well, as CEO Andrew Wilson has ensured that the British developer will enjoy just as much freedom as the team at Respawn Entertainment.
For three months now, Codemasters has been part of Electronic Arts, after the publisher acquired the British developer for about $1.2 billion. The acquisition has caused a lot of excitement among gamers, although the mood of some fans was and still is far from enthusiasm. Perhaps the fears of lovers of virtual rallies and races will be dispelled by the recent interview with Andrew Wilson by MCV. The CEO of Electronic Arts assured that the company does not intend to interfere too much in the work of Codemasters and wants to provide developers with more opportunities, as is the case with Respawn Entertainment. Wilson compared EA to a "amazing cupboard" containing technologies, marketing reach etc. from which developers can take what they need:
“At Electronic Arts we have this amazing cupboard of IP …and of technology, an amazing cupboard of marketing breadth, depth and reach on a global basis, and an amazing network of players. And so the way we’re thinking about this, and it’s how we worked with Respawn, it’s more about handing Codemasters a set of keys to the cupboard, and they can come and take what they need from that cupboard, but they get to continue to be who they are, because that’s what made them special in the first place.”
Andrew Wilson was seconded by Frank Sagnier, president of Codemasters. He, too, pointed to Electronic Arts' "marketing muscle," adding mentions of expertise in online services, a modern analytics platform, and the publisher's platforms (Origins and EA Play). He also did not fail to remind us that EA already has some experience with racing games through the Need for Speed and Burnout series. Both presidents also stressed that about $1.2 billion is a modest price to pay for the purchase of Codemasters, which we are to see in the coming years.
This is not the first such assurance. Even long before the first information about the planned acquisition appeared, reports were published about the freedom enjoyed by developers working under the aegis of Electronic Arts. Later, when the news of the Codemasters purchase spread, Frank Sagnier spoke of the opportunities that the partnership with EA would open up for his company. This is to allow the publisher to deliver "new racing experiences" every year. Whether and how these promises will be fulfilled - time will tell.
