Today,Electronic Artsannounced its acquisition of Metalhead Software, thedeveloper behind theSuper Mega Baseballseries. This is a purchase that may finally fill a gap in EA Sports' library of sports games, so long as the studio does not suffer the fate of others acquired by the publisher.
ConsideringEAis well known for its yearly release of games for almost every major sport, its lack of baseball games has left a noticeable gap in its library. This is likely the main reason for the publisher purchasing Metalhead Software, whose most recent releaseSuper Mega Baseball 3received praise when it released in 2020.
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In a press release on EA’s website, the publisher reveals it plans to work with the developers to “grow theSuper Mega Baseballfranchise as well as develop new gaming and sports experiences for players worldwide.” The press release goes on to highlight the company’s focus on growing the EA Sports brand,mentioning the revival of college football gamesthat it announced earlier in 2021. While many may consider Metalhead’s acquisition good news for the smaller company, as being a part of EA suggests theSuper Mega Baseballseries will have a much larger development budget, there are reasons for fans to be concerned.
While being owned by a major publisher often drastically increases the budget of a game, it also means the need for a game to turn a profit rises as well. The pressure to succeed financially can lead to developers adding features that focus less on improving the game and more on driving revenue. Even if the developer does not add money-making features, the publisher may require it. When it comes to EA, it is more than likely the nextSuper Mega Baseballrelease will include loot box systems like those found inFIFA’snow highly controversial Ultimate Team mode.
While the developers may be forced into adding loot boxes to its games, that should be the least of their concerns.EA has a history of acquiring studios and then closing themdown if they underperform. Pretty much all the big publishers have closed down a few studios, but EA’s history is fierce and, for the fans of the studios it buys, often deeply concerning. With this in mind, while being owned byElectronic Artsoffers a higher development budget in the short term, if Metalhead is not careful it could meet the same fate as other studios.
