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Is BioWare on its death bed?

Croatoan

Croatoan

They/Them A-10 Warthog
Mass Effect is effectively dead after Andromeda, Anthem is bleeding senior talent, and the loot box model is in a bad spot after the Battlefront fiasco. Will BioWare join their old buddies Pandemic in Game Studio Heaven? Video game theorist say yes, and they believe further evidence can be found by investigating the troubles affecting EA as a whole.

Been seeing a lot of fire about Anthem, what do yall think?

BTW, the last time Drew Karpyshyn left a BioWare project he did so in the same exact manner and the Mass Effect 3 ending happened. Its pretty telling that he is leaving for a different studio this time though. I don't believe for a minute that Anthem is fine losing Karpyshyn, EA's corporate spin machine is in full effect though. Losing the Lead Animator is pretty bad as well.

http://www.businessinsider.com/bioware-anthem-reportedly-delayed-to-2019-2018-1





 
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Seems like Anthem really is their final chance. After ME: Andromeda it's only a matter of time if Bioware gets downscaled massively or killed entirely. Granted Anthem flops, in my opinion, it's highly possible
 
EA buying a great development studio then strangling the life out of them? Never!

Anyway yeah, it's looking like a sinking ship.
 
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I think Anthem's performance will dictate this. If it bombs, I could see it being the end for BioWare.

My concern is that Anthem might end up in perpetual development hell due to this pressure. I'm personally excited to see more of the game though and it certainly has the potential to be a huge success so long as EA doesn't do...the things that EA does...which it probably will do anyways.
 
cucuchu said:
I think Anthem's performance will dictate this. If it bombs, I could see it being the end for BioWare.

My concern is that Anthem might end up in perpetual development hell due to this pressure. I'm personally excited to see more of the game though and it certainly has the potential to be a huge success so long as EA doesn't do...the things that EA does...which it probably will do anyways.
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I echo that concern. From what I have read there is a ton of pressure on the devs of Anthem. LegacyKilla has a source at Edmonton and apparently they are afraid for their jobs if the game isn't a Destiny like success. Pressure isn't always bad, but that kind of pressure may be the downfall of the game.
 
nirolak on resetera mentioned that the crew working on the next dragon age has been transferred to work on anthem iirc. EA is really putting all their eggs in the basket in regards to anthem
 
Lmao at thinking losing those 2 people is trouble for the game.
Hundreds of people are working on it and EA is so massive they can easily shuffle around talent when needed.

Heck amongst those hundreds working on it, there could be plenty with ideas just as good or better.
 
It's pretty clear that EA wants Anthem to be their Destiny, a single game that can be kept alive for years through paid updates and microtransactions. EA will give Bioware that chance to make Anthem happen and I think the short-term success will ultimately decide Bioware's fate.
 
Were the Doctors the mind and eyes of the company? It seems like their departure to the health field and brewing beer made the culture and style of BioWare evaporate from what it use to be.

The iOS game was the last game I remember the Doctors showing off at E3. Which the game isn't even playable anymore. It has been delisted from the store.
 
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Yeah, and in coma. Andromeda showed a complete lack of fresh ideas and an overall attempt for final milk of a much beloved franchise before sending it to oblivion. Bioware may not be officially dead, but they are nowhere near where they used to be and I see no signs of any chance they bounce back, unless they somehow manage to free themselves from EA's crushing grip.

I don't hold much hope for Anthem, it is supposed to be Microtransactions: The Game. Would be really, REALLY surprised if this game delivers even half as much as the fans expect it to.
 
To me, it's almost dying. I have zero interest in Anthem - just a personal preference, but nothing I've seen of it so far appeals to me, at all. I mostly care about single-player, and Anthem... yeah, but no.

Still, the idealist in me likes to think there could be something in DA4 that could revitalize the series. Sure, while DA:I rectified many issues of DA2, it introduced a boatload of its own. And yet, Trespasser set up a great premise for the next entry. It could be so good... but with so many staff departures, I'm not sure if it can be. More to the point, I'm not sure it will be, if Anthem fails. So my hope is that Anthem does OK-ish, enough for EA not to kill the studio. And then DA4, that could actually be great (disclaimer: I didn't hate DA:I, I actually quite liked it, but I do admit that if you want to do everything it's a chore, definitely not for the OCDs out there).

But more likely, Anthem fails, BioWare dies.
 
bioware is now without soul. corporate line has been towed for many years now.

Honestly i dont need social justice or forced social opinions in my games. Its a game not a fucking editorial.

Bioware is dead to me.
 
They are dead to me... DA:I ok game liked the previous versions more. Andromeda is a piece of crap. I will never play that and Anthem i don't care unless is good. They died after KOTOR and the trilogy of ME.
 
Who knows. These generic AAA games like Anthem have a tendency to sell pretty well despite the mediocrity so chances are Bioware will pull through. I am however disappointed that we likely won't see any more games like Mass Effect (series) from them.
 
I think EA has struggled to work out what to do with BioWare, and that if Anthem fails, they'll be at a complete loss. At that point, shuttering them is inevitable. The sprawling RPGs BioWare built its brand on take a long time to make, often split their audiences, and never do as well as Bethesda's output. So EA set them to chasing trends, and they've been in decline ever since.

I won't be sad to see them go - I think most of the talent there would do better elsewhere.
 
bati said:
Who knows. These generic AAA games like Anthem have a tendency to sell pretty well despite the mediocrity so chances are Bioware will pull through. I am however disappointed that we likely won't see any more games like Mass Effect (series) from them.
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IMO, I don't see it like a generic AAA, in a matter of fact , it was the game that hyped me most from E3 2017
 
Well, Dragon Age is still alive

Maybe Anthem will not drown them, but a eventual failure on Dragon Age 4 will put the nail on the coffin
 
bati said:
Who knows. These generic AAA games like Anthem have a tendency to sell pretty well despite the mediocrity so chances are Bioware will pull through. I am however disappointed that we likely won't see any more games like Mass Effect (series) from them.
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Anthem doesn't look generic. Looks very good and different in action. How many Iron Man games are out there?
 
The future of the studio seems to be directly tied to how well Anthem does.
But I think the Bioware that I liked, the Bioware that only needed to put a logo on a game announcement to get me excited is gone.

From how Anthem was shown and how EA has been doing AAA games for the past few years I only see 2 futures and neither of them is good:
- Anthem does badly: Bioware eventually gets closed by EA.
- Anthem is a success: Bioware is now in the business of making online focused Destiny-like games
 
I did like Dragon Age Inquisition. So I'm hopeful for the new Dragon Age.
Hopefully, Anthem won't kill them before as I don't care at all for Anthem.
 
RevenantX said:
Anthem doesn't look generic. Looks very good and different in action. How many Iron Man games are out there?
Click to expand...

Stop looking at the setting (space suits) and instead observe the moment to moment gameplay, or how the game flow is structured (encounter, mission design, hubs, etc). Fwiw, people were hyped for the jetpack in Mass Effect: Andromeda too and it ended up adding very little to the overall formula.
 
Even though Mass Effect 3 had the "controversial ending" that damage was nothing compared to what Andromeda did/has done....I'm hopeful we may get a new instalment some point over the next 5 years...a reboot as it were...
 
Bioware doesn't exist and hasn't since EA bought them...They died ages ago.

Thought I'd repeat this...my tenets for a happier gaming life:
1. Never buy new except under very rare exemptions (Halo 2, new Mario, Zelda release, etc).
2. Wait for the "game of the year" release before buying except (again...) under very rare exemptions.
3. Never buy anything from EA. Ever.

Point 3 may seem like a personal attack but it is not..it is actually the realization of many years of gaming under my belt. Every one of EA's releases, no matter how high a profile it has, always suffer from the same things: short campaign, by-the-numbers level design, and (lately) enough microtransactions to make you vomit. At best, the only compliment I've ever managed after playing one of their games is simply that "it's pretty good" which is a real shame considering the power they wield.
 
Still don't get the Andromeda hate. It's way overblown. But whatever ... I think the trend towards gaming as a service is what has hurt Bioware the most. They're best at telling stories, not gaming you for $5 every day. Maybe the best case is, Bioware closes and the core talent (if any remains, there has been an attrition for a long time) goes to Kickstarter to fund a throwback game in the KOTOR style. Kickstarter has done wonders for bringing back the isometric CRPG, for example.
 
3rdman said:
Bioware doesn't exist and hasn't since EA bought them...They died ages ago.

Thought I'd repeat this...my tenets for a happier gaming life:
1. Never buy new except under very rare exemptions (Halo 2, new Mario, Zelda release, etc).
2. Wait for the "game of the year" release before buying except (again...) under very rare exemptions.
3. Never buy anything from EA. Ever.

Point 3 may seem like a personal attack but it is not..it is actually the realization of many years of gaming under my belt. Every one of EA's releases, no matter how high a profile it has, always suffer from the same things: short campaign, by-the-numbers level design, and (lately) enough microtransactions to make you vomit. At best, the only compliment I've ever managed after playing one of their games is simply that "it's pretty good" which is a real shame considering the power they wield.
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Basically what I'd say. I knew the end was near when ME1 got pushed out the door for 360 with its framerate issues.
 
If Anthem fails then yes. But I think both EA and Bioware are fully aware of that and will give them enough resouces and money to make sure Anthem is a success. If they keep it storybased it will be. If it's just a sandbox loot shooter it will fail.
 
Bioware killed Dragon Age with Inquisition, it was a total bore and I was left unimpressed. Dragon age: Origins was amazing and really focused, Inqusition wanted to be the new Skyrim and I hated it.

Mass Effect Andromeda was garbage, they should have released a Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster.

Yeah Bioware is done.
 
If Anthem flops(which everything seems to be indicating it will), then yes, Bioware will shut down.

Frankly, I don't mind, the studio took a turn for the worse in 2011 after the Star Wars MMO fiasco, and has been increasingly disappointing ever since.
 
One can only hope.

To Hell with EA and Bioware. If anyone's left with any talent in Bioware when it crumbles, may they find a better place.
 
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levyjl1988 said:
Bioware killed Dragon Age with Inquisition, it was a total bore and I was left unimpressed. Dragon age: Origins was amazing and really focused, Inqusition wanted to be the new Skyrim and I hated it.

.
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Indeed, but they redeemed that game for me with the 10/10 expansions they released. They were fucking great, like they learned what went so wrong with the base game and tried to solve it on the expansions.

Andromeda was done by the B team. I have faith in Anthem (liked what they shown) but I want more "Bioware Storytelling" in the future, Bioware did the best bros I've ever had in a videogame. I miss you Wrex, Garrus, Grunt, Liara and Ta'li :_

(I miss you Shepard)
 
Far more interested in anthem than dragon age or another mass effect.

A bunch of youtubers hopping on some bandwagon of bullshit to slam something they haven't played is nothing new. The game should be ambitious and will have difficulties and that means nothing.
 
AnimalFather said:
If Anthem fails then yes. But I think both EA and Bioware are fully aware of that and will give them enough resouces and money to make sure Anthem is a success. If they keep it storybased it will be. If it's just a sandbox loot shooter it will fail.
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It's more likely to fail as a story based rpg than a coop shooter. It has potential to be bigger than mass effect ever was if they can pull it off.
 
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Definitely on the ER. If anthem isn't a mega hit (which I suspect it won't be) EA will relocate their resources, as EA says.
 
I liked andromeda it wasn't as bad as everyones always saying, not as good as the previous 3 I admit but I had fun with it. I'm a big mass effect fan aswell and the 3rd one was probably my most hyped game ever.

As a bioware fan since KOTOR I am afraid of there future now. They was once the number 1 western rpg developer in my eyes. Also, why the heck are they sitting on a mass effect trilogy remaster, get bluepoint on the case ea!
 
I didn't hate andromeda either. Gameplay felt like a "best of" for Mass Effect. They just dropped the ball with everything else.

In the end their shouldn't have been another mass effect sequel without shephard. They pushed themselves into a corner with the universe and endings of the trilogy.
 
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