Xbox Gaming in South Africa

PopCap Games, the studio behind some of the most addictive casual games around, is apparently lined up to be sold to an unconfirmed buyer. So, which high roller is set to open its wallet to cough up the cash? According to two unnamed sources over at TechCrunch, all signs are pointing to none other than mega-publisher Electronic Arts.

The deal, expected to be worth in excess of $1 billion, will mean an investment of over 10% of EA's total market capitalization - a bold move for any company, especially considering the current volatility of the world economy.

A move to buy PopCap would bolster EA's position in the casual gaming market, adding to the $400 million already shelled out for Facebook game developer Playfish in 2009. The deal is said to be in the late stages of discussion, so we shouldn't have to wait long to hear more.