EA and MMO Convergence

With the announcement that EA is buying BioWare (along with Pandemic and the current parent of both companies, Elevation Partners) for $860 million, it seems that a range of past, present, and future MMOs will be part of the EA brand.

But is it a brand that can challenge Blizzard?

Is it a brand that can eclipse SOE?

EA has done some good things.  They have had some games that have outshone Blizzard in the past.

But they have also shipped a lot more crap than SOE.