The latest to go overboard in AT&T’s attempt to keep the ship afloat is Playdemic, a mobile games studio that produces Golf Clash.
Games company Electronic Arts (EA) is paying AT&T $1.4 billion in cash for it.
David Haddad, president of Warner Bros Games, said: “While we have great respect for the Playdemic team, our decision to divest is a part of our overall strategy to build games based on Warner Bros storied franchises.”
That essentially seems to mean that Discovery, which is buying a 29% stake in WarnerMedia to create a new streaming and games company, doesn’t want it. In a deal announced in May, AT&T picked up $43 billion from Discovery for that 29% stake.
Paul Gouge, CEO of Playdemic, made enthusiastic noises about being sold off. “Joining EA, one of the most successful games companies in the world, is an important next step in our journey and we are excited to continue to develop both Golf Clash and new titles as part of the EA family,” he said.
Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson also exuded pleasure at the move: “Playdemic is a team of true innovators, and we’re thrilled to have them join the Electronic Arts family,” he said. “In addition to the ongoing success of Golf Clash, the talent, technology and expertise of Playdemic will be a powerful combination with our teams and IP at Electronic Arts. This is the next step building on our strategy to expand our sports portfolio and accelerate our growth in mobile to reach more players around the world with more great games and content.”
Gouge said: “We founded Playdemic with a focus on creating highly engaging and innovative game experiences. Our success with Golf Clash has proven our approach and demonstrated the ability of our incredibly talented teams to develop and operate best in class mobile games.”
