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[dugdug]

Right, because everyone knows that whenever a sequel is made, every single person who worked on the previous game worked on the new one. No turnover ever.

Get a grip.

 

[John_Videogames]

EA has a habit of naming studios "Bioware" even when they have nothing to do with Bioware - look at Bioware Victory, who developed the now-cancelled C&C game, or Bioware Mythic

 

[benicillin]

That disrespect to development studio. Every studio have to start somewhere.

This is the damn truth. I'm still interested to see what they do, considering the monumental task (that they mentioned at PAX) of living up to the *entire* ME trilogy. People talk about how important writing and character development is, neglecting to mention that ME had several games to achieve what a lot of people are expecting from this teams first game.

Spoiler

There was no character development in ME1.

 

[Hero of Legend]

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

That, and didn't the old Wii team (who also made SSX Blur and NFS Nitro) mostly move to EA's mobile team?

EA Montreal was legit great. I think Nitro was their last major Wii game. I think they did Army of Two The 40th Day after that and then got overhauled right?

 

[Xando]

Isn't that obvious speculation? I thought it was.

Pretty dumb speculation though. Why would EA hire hundreds of people for 5 years and then make it a quick cash grab?


They even said they're open to delay it again
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-says-it-would-delay-mass-effect-andromeda-again/1100-6445017/

 

[Kill3r7]

Yeah, there's no sources for the claim.



Good point.



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

My point is that it does not matter. Everyone has to start somewhere. The game industry if full of studios who made junk games who then went on to make brilliant games. Also, Bioware is not what it once was because the original team has long left gaming and moved on to other interest. That is not to say that Bioware does not still make great games but the glory days many folks remember are basically gone.

 

[diaspora]

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".

the only thing remotely realistic

 

[JeremyEtcetera]

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.

Thankyou.gif

People don't understand how this works. You don't jump from D/C quality to A quality overnight. They had years to improve and they did. Also not every studio improves that well in 10 years. The people who made Mass Effect Andromeda were simply not ready. Their combat animations are actually really good and fluid, however their story and character animations are very amateur level stuff.

This is the damn truth. I'm still interested to see what they do, considering the monumental task (that they mentioned at PAX) of living up to the *entire* ME trilogy. People talk about how important writing and character development is, neglecting to mention that ME had several games to achieve what a lot of people are expecting from this teams first game.

Spoiler

There was no character development in ME1.

Casual audiences are not aware of this and they will simply look at the game as trash. You make B-teams work on smaller projects first until they are ready, or simply bring in the A-team to help, like what Sony Santa Monica does with smaller studios that need the help.

 

[True Fire]

A/B/C Tier studios are a deflection tactic fanboys come up with to defend company missteps.

Andromeda is Bioware's fault, period. The Montreal studio didn't go rogue, they were working under Bioware's leadership and guidance and this is what that leadership created.

 

[Patryn]

Well that's really easy to do.


All the important staff of EA Montreal is now occupying similar jobs in bioware montreal...

That's not a source. Can you please point to some LinkedIns or something that backs up this claim?

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I get the joke, but it doesn't work when he used "who" correctly.

Can't you see I'm trying to make fun of Bioware, breh? Have you seen the OP? Have you seen the news?

Facts don't matter anymore.

LET ME LIVE

 

[Conkerkid11]

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?

I played it for 10 hours. Do I have to play the rest of the game to find out if it's good or not?

A game shouldn't take anywhere near 10 hours to sell itself.

Also, how are you gonna defend all the gifs popping up all over GAF from the early release? They show a shitty game. Don't really need to play the game yourself to see what all the fuss is about.

 

[ReplacementPelican]

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.

Yeah, I've sunk a good five hours into it. Feels a good 8/10 kind of game thus far. Animations are shit and controls are janky but this is a Mass Effect game.

I'm not saying its 'amazing' or 'great' or even as good as the older games but using the word 'amateur' is absolutely ludicrous.

 

[Risk Breaker]

Not the same team made every single ME and DA, either, you know?

Gamers, Jesus.

 

[akileese]

Isn't that obvious speculation? I thought it was.

What? You asked no questions in your OP and made a thread title as if it's a conspiracy. It doesn't sound like you're speculating at all. It sounds like you're making allegations against them. There's a very big difference between speculation and making claims. Your OP is making claims. If that is not the case and you meant it as speculation, you should change the way it's formatted and written.

Additionally, your claim that Bioware Montreal is EA Montreal in disguise has already been debunked. As a final note, calling something "amateur" implies that any non professional can do it. I do not think many people here on GAF could make a game this large so that's a real backhanded shot at the dev team regardless of how you feel about the wonky animations.

 

[jxN3]

This thread is embarrassing, hopefully it gets locked.

 

[Roberto Larcos]

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

Star Wars KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect 2, Baldur's Gate I / II, Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age: Origins are all undeniably fantastic.

I'm not a fan of list wars, but come the fuck on.

 

[darth_infamous]

BioWare Austin also worked on MEA. This thread is a lot of wanting to point fingers at someone but the OP doesn't even know who he's pointing fingers at.

 

[GSG Flash]

All Bioware studios are D tier

This

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

Let's not get too crazy here, BioWare were definitely up there in terms of developers prior to the EA acquisition.

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

All this over character models and animations. This is pathetic.

 

[saskuatch]

This is good information, was no one from the originals involved at all in this?

 

[Gaz_RB]

Damn, the Mass Effect/Bioware hate has reached critical levels.

 

[outunderthestars]

In what alternate reality do casual gamers research the development team behind a video game?

 

[panty]

Whom!

And your goddamn father!

😂

 

[SunBroDave]

All this over character models and animations. This is pathetic.

And writing and gameplay. Don't pretend that there haven't been negative impressions about many aspects of the game.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

A/B/C Tier studios are a deflection tactic fanboys come up with to defend company missteps.

Andromeda is Bioware's fault, period. The Montreal studio didn't go rogue, they were working under Bioware's leadership and guidance and this is what that leadership created.

This is also true. Regardless of the specific development team, the original creative team at BioWare will have had some sort of oversight throughout development, and they also have some accountability.

 

[Venfayth]

People are overreacting. The animations in ME:A are hilarious and amateurish, you'll hear no argument from me, but largely the rest of impressions regarding the game including combat mechanics, exploration, scanning, etc are all mostly positive.

They don't deserve the accusations somehow insinuating they are a "C-tier" studio, or that people are somehow being scammed. Especially since the full product isn't available yet.

 

[HarryDemeanor]

Thread is pretty pathetic.

 

[family_guy]

I think calling a studio C tier is a bit insulting to the people who put in so much hard work into making the games. Just because someone else worked on it doesn't mean it can't be good. Heck, my favorite Batman game was Arkham Origin.

 

[ViviOggi]

A/B/C Tier studios are a deflection tactic fanboys come up with to defend company missteps.

Andromeda is Bioware's fault, period. The Montreal studio didn't go rogue, they were working under Bioware's leadership and guidance and this is what that leadership created.

Yup

 

[Harmen]

If true and if MEA is a bad product, EA is pulling one over to themselves by ruining the both the names of one of their developers and one of their (major) ip's.

I like Bioware and I really hope MEA sticks the landing. DAI, which I am playing now, is great despite some legitimate design flaws that stick out.

 

[Mexen]

OMG! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

 

[TheYanger]

Oh what do you know, another illogical Andromeda hate train thread.

 

[True Fire]

Damn, the Mass Effect/Bioware hate has reached critical levels.

People have been predicting this since NieR's reviews came out. This year has been too positive for video games, and the first game to make a mistake would be punished sevenfold.

It's starting to look like Mass Effect

 

[wapplew]

A/B/C Tier studios are a deflection tactic fanboys come up with to defend company missteps.

Andromeda is Bioware's fault, period. The Montreal studio didn't go rogue, they were working under Bioware's leadership and guidance and this is what that leadership created.

Fault? Why don't you let the game come out before jump into conclusion?

 

[Snkfanatic]

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.

I mean...digital preorders yes, you should be careful. But physical? Nah, you can just cancel it.

Oh what do you know, another illogical Andromeda hate train thread.

I really don't get the rush to defend this game.

 

[Conkerkid11]

Oh what do you know, another illogical Andromeda hate train thread.

What do you mean by "another illogical"? This is the first I've seen.

Fault? Why don't you let the game come out before jump into conclusion?

The game is out.

 

[Kill3r7]

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.

13 years ago. It also released 5 games after that, including one rated 84 and another rated 91 on Metacritic. Let's not pretend they're anywhere near equivalent, please.

Rocksteady went from making Urban Chaos to Arkham Asylum in 3 years. As I stated above, everyone has to start somewhere. Also, can we take a few minutes to confirm if this is true instead of running off with a conspiracy theory.

 

[Glass Shark]

No sources, arbitrary "tier" rankings, no logical connection between renaming a random studio and Mass Effect...

Yeah, I'm gonna call this salty conspiracy theory bullshit.

 

[xeroborn55]

Yeah, I've sunk a good five hours into it. Feels a good 8/10 kind of game thus far. Animations are shit and controls are janky but this is a Mass Effect game.

I'm not saying its 'amazing' or 'great' or even as good as the older games but using the word 'amateur' is absolutely ludicrous.

agreed. i had fun with what I played in origin access. It is in no way a 'bad' game. People take everything bioware does so personally. I don't get it. The faux-outrage on gaf over this game is embarrassing.

 

[Namegoes_Here]

I wouldn't call it a way to trick casual purchasers, more of a recruiting move to help elevate a c tier to an a/aaa studio. There's an expectation with bioware the brand that can draw better (if unproven) talent.

 

[Unaha-Closp]

All the average consumer has to do is not pre-order and wait for reviews. EA can name anything they own anything they want and they can have anyone they employ make anything they want. If you are really upset at the state of ME:A don't buy it. Money is the only thing that anyone in Business wants. That's not a bad thing its just the reality of the thing. I was looking forward to a new ME but had reservations about the premise let alone anything else so I am not buying it day one. There are lots of games out there. Persona 5 is soooooooooo close.

 

[DerZuhälter]

That title....

 

[Conkerkid11]

agreed. i had fun with what I played in origin access. It is in no way a 'bad' game. People take everything bioware does so personally. I don't get it. The faux-outrage on gaf over this game is embarrassing.

People dislike the game regardless of whether or not you like it. This isn't faux-outrage.

 

[Acinixys]

The last good ME was ME2

Publishers keep trying to push games along the same lines as movies, where a 1 minute trailer is good enough to get people hooked

But most gamers, even the so called casuals, go on forums and youtube to see the community reaction

Initial negative reaction for a game is way more damaging than for a movie

 

[stuminus3]

Ever since Gamergate I can't take this gamer conspiracy nonsense seriously anymore. At best it's an insult to the hard work of people who put years of their life into game development, even if the results aren't the best.

 

[NHale]

With threads like this and others populating this forum and other websites, I'm sure EA deeply regrets giving out early access for games via EA/Origin access.

I'm not going surprised when they stop giving out this kind of access except for the sports titles...

Seriously even the games press have jumped out of the supposed NDA to defend EA/Bioware from the angry mob which is not their job to do (and it doesn't sit well with me too) but having this kind of access without an early reviews embargo is just asking for trouble. People get angry online, bad impressions start rolling to the point where it's cool to join in even without playing it and then the damage is done even if it reviews well (aka people will claim EA bought them...)

 

[Goron2000]

Or, Bioware wasn't Interested in making another Mass Effect and this team made a pitch and wanted to make an honest go of it.

 

[UnluckyKate]

That would explain the all around technical downgrade compared to DAI...

 

[Glass Shark]

Ever since Gamergate I can't take this gamer conspiracy nonsense seriously anymore. At best it's an insult to the hard work of people who put years of their life into game development, even if the results aren't the best.

Honestly the "Ubisoft is forcing the radio in Wildlands on players to stop streamers from playing their game" was just as bad but everyone took that one hook, line, and sinker