Tech Brew Ride Home EA Taken Private
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Sep 29, 2025 In a stunning turn, EA is being taken private for $55 billion, signaling a major shift in the gaming industry amidst slowing growth. Meanwhile, DeepSeek introduces a cost-cutting AI model that may ignite a price war. OpenAI is rolling out new parental controls for teen users, including alerts for self-harm. Additionally, debt financing is becoming a key player in the explosive growth of AI infrastructure, suggesting a busy future for tech funding.
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EA Buyout Signals Gaming Maturation
- EA is being taken private in a $55 billion leveraged buyout backed by PIF, SilverLake, and Affinity Partners.
- The deal reflects slowing growth in gaming and the appeal of predictable live-service revenue to buyout investors.
Gamers Favor Familiar Titles Over New Releases
- Industry growth has slowed and players increasingly stick with established titles rather than buying new $80 games.
- That consumption pattern makes steady live-service revenue more valuable and reduces upside for blockbuster-driven growth.
Sparse Attention Could Start An AI Price War
- DeepSeek's new 'Sparse Attention' approach lets it halve tool prices and may spark an AI price war.
- The model supports FP8 to cut memory and speed calculations, enabling cheaper inference on limited hardware.