Margins Check: Gaming acquisitions, online premiers and more

Editor’s Note: Welcome to On the Margins, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week, the RCR Wireless News staff considers events in the wider business world and how they could affect the wireless industry.
–Gaming giant Electronic Arts Inc. opened its wallet again last week snapping up Pandemic Studios and BioWare Corp. for nearly $800 million in cash and stock. The deals are expected to bolster EA’s action, adventure and role-playing gaming portfolio. Pandemic produced such games as “Star Wars Battlefront” and “Destroy All Humans,” while BioWare produced “Baulder’s Gate” and “Neverwinter Nights.” Analysts noted that EA had $2.8 billion in cash and short-term investments at the end of the second quarter, and looks to be eager to grow its share of the gaming space.
–NBC Universal acquired Oxygen Media for a reported $925 million, giving the peacock network control of the female-targeted television network. NBC, which has been aggressive with providing content to mobile platforms, could leverage the deal to provide content to an underserved female market in the mobile space.
–No. 5 network CW premiered two of its new series online via Yahoo TV before the shows appeared on the television network. The shows, “Aliens in America” and “Life is Wild,” were available online more than a week before they premiered on TV and were available for free without commercials. The move shows television networks are getting more creative in trying to attract viewers to new programs and bodes well for further experimentation into the wireless space.