EA to buy online game developer Mythic

First posted 09:25am (Mla time) June 21, 2006
Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO -- Electronic Arts Inc., the world's biggest video-game publisher, said on Tuesday it will buy Mythic Entertainment, beefing up its portfolio of online roleplaying games.

EA did not disclose financial terms of the deal, which was expected to close in the company's second fiscal quarter, the company said in a statement.

Mythic, which will be renamed EA Mythic, developed "Dark Age of Camelot" and is working on another keenly anticipated fantasy-themed title called "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning."

Both of those are what are called massively multiplayer online roleplaying games, which let hundreds or thousands of players carry out missions or battles in virtual worlds.

Such games are attractive to publishers since they usually require a monthly fee on top of the 50-dollar cost of the game itself.

The most popular online roleplaying game is "World of Warcraft," developed by Blizzard Entertainment, a division of French media giant Vivendi.

EA also publishes an online roleplaying game called "Ultima Online" but is better known for its sports, racing and shooting titles.