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EA is trying to pull one over on fans by naming a C tier studio "Bioware Montreal".

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Croatoan

Croatoan

They/Them A-10 Warthog
The Bioware Studios are:

A Tier
Bioware Edmenton: ME 1,2 and 3, Dragon age series, and all classic Bioware games. Working on new IP now.

B Tier
Bioware Austin: SWTOR and helped with DA: I. I don't think they have a project other than swtor support now.

C Tier
Bioware Montreal (Formerly EA Montreal): Known for such hits as Boogie Superstar, Spore Hero and The Sims 3: High-End Loft Stuff. Their one solid effort is ME3 multiplayer.

Why is this a big deal? Well, EA Montreal was given the Bioware title so EA could cash in on a new Mass Effect and casual fans would not be the wiser. Particularly since the only thing people look for when it comes to developers is the name on the box (which would be Bioware). In other words, your average consumer won't know that the product isn't even made by the same people that it was prior (Edmenton).

Also, I can't find the interview so this could be "tales from my ass" level stuff, but if I remember correctly Bioware Montreal is made up of mostly new hires that were kids that grew up playing the original ME games and wanted to work on the new one. There is nothing wrong with this, but apparently there isn't enough senior oversight to keep them on track. Which is why after 5 years ME:A is an amateur level production that seems completely unpolished because EA finally said "Ship the damn thing, or else".
 
B

BY2K

Membero Americo
Are we sure EA Montreal in Bioware Montreal? Last I heard, they were two different studios in the same building with EA Motive.
 
S

SunBroDave

Member
While this feels too conspiratorial, people should know going into ME:A that it's not made by either of the dev teams behind the original ME trilogy or Dragon Age.

Remember folks, never pre-order.
 
B

burgerdog

Member
Edmonton.

My face is tired. Anyway, it's starting to become apparent after all the amateur hour we have started to see from the first few hours of the game.
 
V

vincenth69

Member
BY2K said:
Are we sure EA Montreal in Bioware Montreal? Last I heard, they were two different studios in the same building with EA Motive.
Click to expand...

They were. Bioware Montreal existed as a different entity from EA Montreal (though in the same building). EA Montreal closed and Bioware remained.
Later, (2years ago, while EA Montreal had been closed for more than 2-3years IIRC) EA Motive studio opened in the former EA Montreal place.
 
K

Krooner

Member
given how staff flit between umbrella studios as and when needed, I think categorising them on perceived quality is completely useless.
 
The Hermit

The Hermit

Member
Echoplx said:
All Bioware studios are D tier
Click to expand...

mass-effect-shepard-head-spinning-360-13770416003.gif
 
R

ReplacementPelican

Member
Croatoan said:
Which is why after 5 years ME:A is an amateur level production that seems completely unpolished because EA finally said "Ship the damn thing, or else".
Click to expand...
Amateur? Really.

You take an interesting point about whether games companies should be more transparent in their approach to satellite studios and yet you wrap it up in some total hyperbolic bullshit. C'mon man.

Personally, I think there should be a level of transparency but there is absolutely no way to enforce it.
 
C

Conkerkid11

Member
I wonder why the main studio didn't make Andromeda? Kinda disappointing. What are they working on?

ReplacementPelican said:
Amateur? Really.

You take an interesting point about whether games companies should be more transparent in their approach to satellite studios and yet you wrap it up in some total hyperbolic bullshit. C'mon man.

Personally, I think there should be a level of transparency but there is absolutely no way to enforce it.
Click to expand...
Have you missed all impressions of the game, and/or haven't played it yourself yet? I really don't think he's being hyperbolic.
 
S

singhr1

Member
vincenth69 said:
They were. Bioware Montreal existed as a different entity from EA Montreal (though in the same building). EA Montreal closed and Bioware remained.
Later, EA Motive studio opened in the former EA Montreal place.
Click to expand...

You got some sources to back up these claims/timeline?
 
K

kami_sama

Member
BY2K said:
Are we sure EA Montreal in Bioware Montreal? Last I heard, they were two different studios in the same building with EA Motive.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's no sources for the claim.

SunBroDave said:
While this feels too conspiratorial, people should know going into ME:A that it's not made by either of the dev teams behind the original ME trilogy or Dragon Age.

Remember folks, never pre-order.
Click to expand...

Good point.

Kill3r7 said:
The studio behind one of the best new IPs this gen made Shellshock: Nam '67.
Click to expand...

Also true, but we don't know if this info is real.
 
W

whatevermort

Member
Croatoan said:
The Bioware Studios are:

A Tier
Bioware Edmenton: ME 1,2 and 3, Dragon age series, and all classic Bioware games. Working on new IP now.

B Tier
Bioware Austin: SWTOR and helped with DA: I. I don't think they have a project other than swtor support now.

C Tier
Bioware Montreal (Formerly EA Montreal): Known for such hits as Boogie Superstar, Spore Hero and The Sims 3: High-End Loft Stuff. Their one solid effort is ME3 multiplayer.

Why is this a big deal? Well, EA Montreal was given the Bioware title so EA could cash in on a new Mass Effect and casual fans would not be the wiser. Particularly since the only thing people look for when it comes to developers is the name on the box (which would be Bioware). In other words, your average consumer won't know that the product isn't even made by the same people that it was prior (Edmenton).

Also, I can't find the interview so this could be "tales from my ass" level stuff, but if I remember correctly Bioware Montreal is made up of mostly new hires that were kids that grew up playing the original ME games and wanted to work on the new one. There is nothing wrong with this, but apparently there isn't enough senior oversight to keep them on track. Which is why after 5 years ME:A is an amateur level production that seems completely unpolished because EA finally said "Ship the damn thing, or else".
Click to expand...

1) Do you have any idea the turnover at every studio everywhere? No game series is made entirely by the people who made the one that you love
2) You haven't finished the new Mass Effect. Have you even played it? Or just seen some funny GIFs? It's got some animation screw ups. This is not amateur. Could you make it? No you could not. Don't insult people's work, work they've cared about. Animation shit isn't the be all and end all. (Let's not forget: the original game also had some terrible animation. And stupid faces. And bad frame rates. People loved it.)
3) You don't like Mass Effect Andromeda? Cool. No reason to insult everybody who worked on it.
 
J

JigglesBunny

Banned
Certainly explains a lot. I finished up with the Early Access trial on Xbox One minutes ago and I have little in the way positive impressions.

I mean, the gameplay is improved but everything else...ugh.
 
C

CryptiK

Member
Bioware was never really an A Tier studio though, they made like 2 good games followed by bad and mediocre ones.
 
W

wildfire

Banned
Patryn said:
I'm not necessarily doubting you, but is there any citation on the studio being renamed?
Click to expand...

Yeah this is a serious allegation. It would put the quality control in a different light if the game was mostly done by one of EA's weakest studios.


CryptiK said:
Bioware was never really an A Tier studio though, they made like 2 good games followed by bad and mediocre ones.
Click to expand...

Let's not get distracted with opinions. Even with the mistakes in story telling they made with ME 3 and the shit show that was Dragon Age 2 Bioware's level of quality in their polish on purely technical stuff has been consistent everywhere else.
 
C

coolasj19

Why are you reading my tag instead of the title of my post?
Really gonna need a source for this man. Some credits or a logo in the game. Don't make others do your research.
 
M

Moppeh

Banned
Kill3r7 said:
The studio behind one of the best new IPs this gen made Shellshock: Nam '67.
Click to expand...

Right, but there was this 10 year period where Guerilla Games created and worked on a multi-game AAA franchise.

They didn't directly go from Nam '67 to Horizon Zero Dawn.

If OP's allegations are even remotely right, then this that isn't a good comparison.
 
V

vincenth69

Member
singhr1 said:
You got some sources to back up these claims/timeline?
Click to expand...

EA Montreal opening in 2004
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/eas-montreal-studio-open-for-business/1100-6091643/

Bioware Montreal opening in 2009
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioware-mass-ing-montreal-devs/1100-6205477/

EA Montreal closing in 2013
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/ea-montreal-issues-walking-papers-to-two-thirds-of-its-workers-1.1234603

My bad, EA Montreal closed way closer to the Motive studio announcement than I thought
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
ReplacementPelican said:
Amateur? Really.

You take an interesting point about whether games companies should be more transparent in their approach to satellite studios and yet you wrap it up in some total hyperbolic bullshit. C'mon man.

Personally, I think there should be a level of transparency but there is absolutely no way to enforce it.
Click to expand...
The animation does look Garry's mod tier
 
G

Ghostmaster

Member
Croatoan said:
Well, EA Montreal was given the Bioware title so EA could cash in on a new Mass Effect and casual fans would not be the wiser.

Which is why after 5 years ME:A is an amateur level production that seems completely unpolished because EA finally said "Ship the damn thing, or else".
Click to expand...

This is my favorite part of the post, yes EA wanted to cash in by giving it to a new studio and tricking the fans, but then gave them 5 fucking years to finish it.

Really, what a cash grab by EA.
 
T

Triggerhappytel

Member
This topic feels needless and inflammatory. I couldn't find any evidence on EA Montreal (Army of Two) being renamed and relaunched as BioWare Montreal, so I think we're gonna need a citation on that.
 
B

Banjo-Kazooie

Member
K' Dash said:
Have you not seen the footage shown for the game? the faces, the animations, the Asari holding the gun backwards?
Click to expand...
Yay, you proved you read Neogaf!

So, have you actually played it? The whole game I mean? Or did you just watch funny gifs and sling some great zingers about a gun being backwards in one scene?
 
Z

Zemm

Member
Zaru said:
Also what the fuck is the actual Bioware working on then?
Click to expand...

A new IP.

EA farmed this Mass Effect out to a team that have produced some small DLC in the past and no experience making a game on this scale. They clearly don't care for quality and are confident the game will sell on name alone. Which it will of course.
 
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