Every single person that has participated in competitive CNC and has stuck by the IP over the years will tell you that EA-built CNC games are the epitome of the series.
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Rumor: BioWare Austin now EA Austin, Greg Leaves [Greg: I'm moving back BW Edmonton]
- Thread starter Floex
- Start date
I can't work out if it's weirder for Bioware to do a Sonic RPG or for Obsidian to do a South Park RPG.
Imagine if someone told you in 1998 that the developer of Baldur's Gate would make a Sonic RPG exclusively for a Nintendo handheld.
Huh, the part about Greg Zuschek leaving has been debunked by Gamersglobal themselves 3 Days ago, including an english translation. Here's the statement from EA they got:
http://www.gamersglobal.de/news/56545/verlassen-zeschukmuzyka-bioware-ea-auszeit-nein-3u
(English version at the bottom)
Edit:Ah, that statement is already in the OP my bad.
http://www.gamersglobal.de/news/56545/verlassen-zeschukmuzyka-bioware-ea-auszeit-nein-3u
(English version at the bottom)
Edit:Ah, that statement is already in the OP my bad.
This makes me laugh and cry.
Yeah i start to think that BG1 and 2 was fluke.
Imp the Dimp
Member
No kidding. Nothing they've ever done after BG2 was remotely as good.
More Fun To Compute
Member
Who cares what the sub contractors do as long as people like Interplay and Sir-Tech keep going.
I still think KOTOR, Dragon Age 1 and Mass Effect 1 are fantastic games, maybe one tier below BG/BG2.
ElRenoRaven
Member
Well at least now we can finally officially add them to the list. RIP Bioware. I knew this would happen too the day they were bought. 
Combine that with "GTFO, Sega would never put their characters in a Nintendo game!"
Meh it is obious that Bioware went to shit when EA got them. The drop in quality is obvious. Just compare the last games they released that were finnished or under development before EA with the ones that were developed under EA.
Its obvious that EA wanted to broaden the audience of their games and wanted shorter development cycles.
Its obvious that EA wanted to broaden the audience of their games and wanted shorter development cycles.
Throwing the platform factor into the fray is cheating!
...my mind would have been blown.
Agreed. I liked ME1 but it was clear that they really wanted to make ME2 and 3 with 1 but they didn't know how yet. But after BG2 it's been a continuous decline in gameplay and story complexity. I'd like to think DA2 and ME2/3 are rock bottom but knowing them they can still surprise me.
Shake Appeal
Member
Took a company brand that was once as bulletproof as 'Valve' and trashed it in a matter of years. Outstanding.
WickedCobra03
Member
Dragon Age II seemed like the tipping point, and Mass Effect 3 was basically a wreak considering how strong ME1 was with story and ambiance. None of that is present in ME3... feels totally sterile (not in the cool, futuristic way, just without emotion).
The actual Ea strategy is self destruction piece by piece.
SWTOR had high chances to fail.
they tried to enlarge the audience of ME with guns and a huge marketing campaign but the failed to create the new big AAA money maker.
These were very funny choices.
I told you that the future of bioware is at risk, and judging from their latest products it's already dead.
C'mon EA, ruin Sim city and the only game left I will think to buy will be Fifa, only once in a generation. lol
SWTOR had high chances to fail.
they tried to enlarge the audience of ME with guns and a huge marketing campaign but the failed to create the new big AAA money maker.
These were very funny choices.
I told you that the future of bioware is at risk, and judging from their latest products it's already dead.
C'mon EA, ruin Sim city and the only game left I will think to buy will be Fifa, only once in a generation. lol
Well, BioWare has been sliding down the slope for years now, so it's hard for me to get upset. Nothing new under the sun here. That said, I still always tried to believe and would give them the benefit of the doubt. But the ME3 debacle was where I finally just gave in and said, "whatever, it's not BioWare anymore."
a secret-boss
Banned
it was just a year ago that EA named everything Bioware
It seems like they made a decision that Bioware needs to retrench and go back to it's 'original' size focused on Edmonton. Sounds like the right decision if that's the case.
They can focus on single player RPGs which is not only their core competence but is a pretty damn hot genre at the moment.
They can focus on single player RPGs which is not only their core competence but is a pretty damn hot genre at the moment.
TouchMyBox
Member
Well, Microsoft's gaming efforts were generally really fantastic up until just after the 360 launch.
I don't think EA deserves the blame here. BG and BG2 two of the greatest games ever made, unrivaled in scope by any other rpg that I know of. After BG2 (and after their brief multiplayer focus on NWN) Bioware took on the goal of making "cinematic" games. In the process, nothing they have released since has come close to BG's greatness. Devs need to stop trying to make movies and get back to making games. Resources are not infinite.
Right after BG2 I would have put Bioware a notch above Valve tbh.
I don't think the Bioware brand was ever comparable to Valve in any way.
Right after BG2 I would have put Bioware a notch above Valve tbh.
Teletraan1
Banned
Perhaps he just took a medical leave for a Tattoo removal.
Blue Ninja
Member
The cycle has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. It is inevitable.
We are the vanguard of your destruction.
We are the vanguard of your destruction.
Just kidding, I know it's not this serious.
Future PhaZe
Member
Mass Effect 2 and 3 were still good enough products for me to believe in Bioware.
The direction of their next big title will show us the future of the team.
The direction of their next big title will show us the future of the team.
Developing a Ultima ios game and a lol rip off, I'd say that's dead alright.
Nah, as someone already pointed out, they were already declining around the time of Jade Empire.
Black Isle is why BG 1 and 2 were good.
Sentenza
Member
I'm not sure why you seem to think this would be of any comfort for me.
Westwood for me was Eye of the Beholder, Bladerunner, Nox, Legend of Kyrandia, Lands of Lore, Dune... And under EA they became essentially the Infinity Ward of RTS genre, making just reiterations of CNC.
Gaz Pwnage
Member
Oh well
Common misconception. BG1 was 100% Bioware, Black Isle helped with BG2 but it wasn't gamechanging help.
BG1 and BG2 is almost 100% child of Bioware.
Problem is it looks like they were good enginers creating rather good story from rich lore of D&D.
NWN was fuckup in therms of game-play, mainly because D&D3 was clausterfuck to recreate in a game and it was one of the first batch of full 3D games so there was no fluid and it was super clunky in comparition to BG2. Storywise it was alright with excellent second expansion.
When they dropped D&D, they started to write their own lore. Aaand that's when problems started.
Their writers SUCK. Period
ME has pot holes everywhere.
KOTOR1 evil characters have cartoon quality dialogs.
Jade Empire story wasn't exciting.
DA had some nice lore but actuall story and dialogs... were terribad.
In therm of gameplay it depends. ME3 and 2 had good gameplay few good set pieces but actual story in both games were... uhh.
EA is not a problem. Bioware writters mostly suck.
They have many good values like character design (Illusive Man) or level design (Mass Efect 3) but cores of RPG which is story, dialogs and actual rolaplaying is cringe worthy.
If i would be in Bioware i would do everything to buy Obsidian for their writters and designers.
edit:
Oh i forgot to mention. In time when they were developing Mass Efect someone probably hired some HArlequin writters to achieve those cringe worthy romances.
Mass Effect died when they took out the Mako as far as I'm concerned.
ME1: "Hey, we've got this great new concept. You'll be able to land on these planets, drive around, get out of the vehicle and take on missions. It will be awesome and immersive."
ME2: "Guys let's broaden the appeal here. Let's create more of a corridor shooter. People like shooting stuff right? Who cares about exploration and feeling like your in a real world. Let's blow off some heads, the kids will love it!"
ME1: "Hey, we've got this great new concept. You'll be able to land on these planets, drive around, get out of the vehicle and take on missions. It will be awesome and immersive."
ME2: "Guys let's broaden the appeal here. Let's create more of a corridor shooter. People like shooting stuff right? Who cares about exploration and feeling like your in a real world. Let's blow off some heads, the kids will love it!"