EA DICE

**EA Digital Illusions CE AB** (**DICE**) is a Swedish video game developer based in Stockholm. The company was founded in 1992 and has been a subsidiary of Electronic Arts since 2006. Its releases include the *Battlefield*, *Mirror's Edge* and *Star Wars Battlefront* series. Through their Frostbite Labs division, the company also develops the Frostbite game engine.

## History

### Foundation (1992)

Digital Illusions was founded in May 1992 by Olof "Olle" Gustafsson, Markus Nyström, Fredrik Liljegren and Andreas Axelsson, four friends and former members of The Silents, a demogroup that developed for Amiga systems. The four studied at Växjö University, thus DICE was established in Växjö.

### Expansion (2000–2004)

 File:DICE logo (2000).svg
In 2000, DICE acquired developer Refraction Games. From the acquisition, DICE inherited the in-development *Battlefield 1942*. Patrick Söderlund, who had founded Refraction Games in 1997, subsequently joined DICE as chief executive officer. This was followed with the merger of Sandbox Studios April 2001. Sandbox Studios added 50 employees to DICE's staff, amounting to 150 total employees. In September 2004, DICE also merged with Trauma Studios in New York City. Trauma Studios employed nine people at the time.

### Acquisition by Electronic Arts (2006–present)

In November 2004, Electronic Arts (EA) announced their intent to purchase all outstanding shares in DICE at a price of Template:SEK per share, with the deal's closing deadline scheduled for 27 December. At the time, EA owned 18.9% in DICE. Initially, the offer was rejected by shareholders representing 28% of DICE's ownership on 15 December, after which EA adjusted its offer on 20 December, intending to only purchase 44.5% at the same price per share, extending the offer deadline to 20 January 2005. On 25 January 2005, shareholders agreed to the acquisition, and EA raised their ownership in DICE to 59.8%.

In March 2006, EA announced a new plan to acquire all outstanding shares in DICE for Template:SEK per share. The acquisition was completed on 2 October, with 2.6 million shares in DICE transferred to EA in exchange for a total of Template:SEK. Shortly following the acquisition, on 5 October, EA closed Digital Illusions Canada, DICE's Ontario-based studio. The 25 employees working at the studio at the time were given the option to transfer to DICE's headquarters in Stockholm or any other EA studio. DICE co-founder Liljegren announced on 16 October that he established RedJade as a successor to Digital Illusions Canada.

In May 2013, EA's Danger Close Games studio became part of DICE under the name DICE Los Angeles, with several staff from DICE's Stockholm headquarters expanding the outfit to 60 employees.

## External links

* Template:Official website
* Template:Dmoz

Template:Battlefield series
Template:Electronic Arts

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Template:Cite web
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:Cite web
3. ↑ Template:Cite web
4. ↑ Template:Cite web
5. ↑ Template:Cite web
6. ↑ Template:Cite web
7. ↑ Template:Cite web
8. ↑ Template:Cite web
9. ↑ Template:Cite web
10. ↑ Template:Cite web
11. ↑ Template:Cite web
12. ↑ Template:Cite web
13. ↑ Template:Cite web
14. ↑ Template:Cite web
15. ↑ Template:Cite web
16. ↑ Template:Cite web
17. ↑ Template:Cite web
18. ↑ Template:Cite web
19. ↑ Template:Cite web
20. ↑ Template:Cite web
21. ↑ Template:Cite web