Shortly after securing its controversial acquisition of EA, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is planning a merger with huge implications for the industry. That is, at least, according to a report from Bloomberg, which states that the PIF is looking to merge EA with its gaming wing, Savvy Games Group.
If this merger sees the light of day, that would mean franchises like The Sims, EA Sports FC, and Battlefield would be under the same roof as Pokemon Go, which Savvy owns through one of its subsidiaries, Scopely, acquiring Niantic. Such a merger would likely come under scrutiny, given
there were already concerns raised regarding the PIF's involvement with EA.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports that executives within the PIF are still considering the move, and they are yet to reach a final decision. It is said that they hope to encourage "better coordination between its assets", now that the PIF has many gaming studios under its belt, and even more that it has invested in.
Over the past several years, we have seen the PIF - the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia - invest in numerous gaming companies, including Nintendo, Capcom, Activision Blizzard, and Take-Two. EA is the most prominent to be outright owned by the PIF, alongside other investors. If EA were to be brought into the fold at Savvy Games Group, then that could signal a change in strategy, getting more hands-on.
The PIF's influence over EA was one of the major concerns held by workers and gamers alike during the acquisition. Many feared that we would start to see more layoffs, especially since the acquisition set investors back $55 billion. Others worry that the PIF's influence will result in games being censored or even scrapped altogether if they include LGBTQ+ characters and themes. Fans of The Sims and BioWare games have been particularly concerned about this.
None of the parties who would be involved in this potential merger commented on the story. It remains to be seen if the PIF makes such a bold move and goes through the regulatory process once more.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.thegamer.com/saudi-arabia-pif-ea-savvy-merger-report/
