Apple Rumored for Possible Electronic Arts Takeover; Analyst Calls Rumor 'Retarded'
Apple recently picked up former Xbox division director of strategy Richard Teversham, along with Bob Drebin, the designer of the Gamecube graphics processor. The hirings have fueled speculation that Apple is looking to make a move into the wider gaming industry, and specifically that it is currently eying Electronic Arts.
But hard-nosed Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter isn't buying it.
"Sounds retarded to me," said Pachter to Gamasutra.
"Apple could buy Warner Music for around $3 billion, and control 20 percent of all recorded music," he continued. "That makes more sense to their current business model than buying EA for more than twice that, doesn't it?"
"I don't want to start a rumor, but want to point out that Apple doesn't own any entertainment content, so I don't know why they would feel compelled to enter a new business unrelated to their current product slate," he concluded.
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I wouldn't say it's completely unrelated. Biggest selling feature of iPhones are apps and people have called it a gaming platform before.
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It's a console. The EA thing would make sense if they grabbed software guys, but they grabbed the x-box strategy guy and the game cube graphics processor guy, this is all hardware. It could also mean that they are partnering with EA to publish games as well.
This is going to be interesting, someone floated this rumor from apple to test the waters.
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