Cheats-Area.com

   "Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment - an EA company". This is what the Swedish developer's placeholder website reads as of today, after Electronic Arts announced that they have finalized the acquisition of DICE. Which goes whithout saying, is the same studio that created the Battlefield series, and is just about done with their latest project, Battlefield 2142 (coming October 17).

   It's been a long and tedious story, since Electronic Arts began its shocking series of investments in late 2004. That's when the NFL license fell under EA's monopoly, when they ripped almost 20% shares out of Ubisoft, and a similar chunk out of DICE. They initially hoped to swallow 90% of the Swedish studio in one scoop, only to be rejected by several key shareholders at that time. In the end, however, EA prevailed... (cue mortuary song)

   In January 2005, Electronic Arts increased their stake in Digital Illusions to nearly 60%, and by March 2006 a full merger between the two companies became inevitable. A merger which, as of today, is complete, after a final investment on EA's behalf worth around $24 million. As a result, DICE is now "a fully integrated EA studio dedicated to growing the Battlefield franchise and developing new products for the PC, next generation consoles and other new platforms". I wonder when the "Origin syndrome", a.k.a. "Westwood syndrome" will kick in.

   As a great Jew once said: "EA does not play DICE with the world". Or something along those lines.