A look back at some of gaming's biggest studio sales in the wake of Microsoft's big Bethesda acquisition
Though SimCity was a major success for Maxis before the EA buyout, the company suffered heavy financial losses. After the acquisition, the studio would go on to make the widly successful Sims series.
Ensemble made its name with Age of Mythology, before netting a deal to work on Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. After the buyout, the studio continued to develop successful RTS games—like Halo Wars—before being closed in 2009.
Treyarch rose to a whole new level after this buyout. Before the Activision deal, it worked on EA hockey games, and well-received action game, Die by the Sword. After the deal, the studio takes the charts by storm with several Call of Duty entries.
Has Bioware's recent output been as acclaimed as the studio's best work before the EA deal? Not quite. Though Mass Effect: Andromeda and Star Wars: The Old Republic can't match Baldur's Gate II and KOTOR, its CV remains strong.
Minecraft is a huge success for Mojang, but pre-buyout the team's size means the game can't expand onto other platforms quickly. After the deal, the game reaches all major formats, expanding into new spin-offs, like Minecraft Dungeons.
Respawn's critically respected Titanfall games struggle sales-wise before the deal goes through. Afterwards, Apex Legends builds on Titanfall's shooting design to find a much bigger audience.
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