Gaming the Mobile

Gaming the Mobile: "Electronic Arts couldn't beat Jamdat, so last week it made the largest acquisition in its history, paying $680 million for the Los Angeles-based game maker (pdf), reports Business 2.0. The deal gives EA, the world's largest publisher of PC and console videogames, a lead in the burgeoning $2.6 billion market for cell-phone videogames.

EA and JAMDAT together plan to publish over 50 games for mobile phones in the first twelve months following the completion of the acquisition, including popular titles like Tetris, Bejeweled, JAMDAT Bowling, Need For SpeedTM, EA SPORTS Madden NFLTM Football and EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer.





Jamdat now controls roughly 25 percent of the U.S. market, and it's been consistently profitable: Driven by its flagship games, Bejeweled, Jamdat Bowling, and Tetris, the company has posted four straight profitable quarters since its initial public offering in October 2004, and revenues are expected to reach $80 million this year.
Rumors of a Jamdat acquisition have been swirling for months. During the summer both Electronic Arts and Microsoft (MSFT) were mentioned as possible suitors. The logic was simple: Founded in early 2000, Jamdat was one of the first companies to make mobile games. Since then, it has mastered the art of forging relationships with Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, and other carriers, which control"