Irony was called to the frontlines in the hot battle between EA and smaller game developers when EA announced that it would be adapting Hasbro’s Monopoly game for the 360, PS2, Wii, and handheld devices. This is proof that art imitates life.
The deal originated from July of last year when EA, reacting to Atari selling Hasbro’s rights back, resorted to its instinct to absorb and devour, and bought the rights from Hasbro to market games based on their products.
In February, in addition to announcing handheld and console game versions of Littlest Pet Shop and Nerf N-Strike, EA also announced they’d be working on games like Scrabble and Monopoly. Today, EA announced that Monopoly would be released this fall, based on Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, the latest board game version.
The irony here is astounding. EA, a company founded on Rockefeller’s theory of monopolies and social Darwinism, is developing a game about its own practices. Over the years, EA has used horizontal integration to absorb smaller independent companies and capitalize on their investments.
Perhaps EA will modify the old monopoly board and have Westwood and Bullfrog instead of Boardwalk and Park Place.
[via gamespot]
