There's something poetic about this that I like for some reason. lol
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According to Jason Schreier, making Anthem was Bioware idea; EA actually gives the studios autonomy and more
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There's something poetic about this that I like for some reason. lol
EA corporate only putting resources behind something that will have a long "revenue tail" sounds like coercing a studio to make a specific kind of game, especially when you look at BioWare's catalog. Saying they have autonomy sounds inaccurate based on what's in the OP.
Though I haven't seen where DICE's "revenue tail" is for BFV yet, so maybe some studios get more slack than others?
Though I haven't seen where DICE's "revenue tail" is for BFV yet, so maybe some studios get more slack than others?
Might well be true now but I can't believe that Dragon Age 2 wasn't EA's doing
Shhhh! No one tell Yongyea about this, he might be able to wring at least three completely inaccurate/pointless videos from these these tweets.
Once again, delivering the message, told by the developers, which comes from the top.
It's obvious to me that the decision to make Frostbite the primary engine for current-gen was Aaryn Flynn's "choice" AFTER someone higher up maybe Patrick Söderlund or Andrew Wilson being all nudge-nudge on it, where really, it comes down to some reluctance to pay more money to license Unreal or other engines when you have something internal. Similarly, when I hear that "EA gives BioWare Autonomy; Anthem was BioWare's own idea" I only believe it insofar as "EA was pushing for live-service; the industry's competition is live-service" and then BioWare are basically hamstrung into making whatever progress they had on a new IP into "Live service". If not being forced it's at least Tone At The Top rearing its ugly head.
The only way it totally makes sense that BioWare went "YUP, MP-only, looter shooter is so us!", from the start, might be because ME3MP was such a huge hit while the single-player department of that game (their biggest game at the time) was so controversial. That might've led them to feel more confidence towards being focused on multiplayer and gameplay. It's just nuts when you know that the narrative designers, the writers and creative directors at the studio are basically the higher-ups there. That's the "2 and 2" I just cannot put together and I think Anthem's bipolar approach to story vs game-core proves something doesn't add up there.
It's obvious to me that the decision to make Frostbite the primary engine for current-gen was Aaryn Flynn's "choice" AFTER someone higher up maybe Patrick Söderlund or Andrew Wilson being all nudge-nudge on it, where really, it comes down to some reluctance to pay more money to license Unreal or other engines when you have something internal. Similarly, when I hear that "EA gives BioWare Autonomy; Anthem was BioWare's own idea" I only believe it insofar as "EA was pushing for live-service; the industry's competition is live-service" and then BioWare are basically hamstrung into making whatever progress they had on a new IP into "Live service". If not being forced it's at least Tone At The Top rearing its ugly head.
The only way it totally makes sense that BioWare went "YUP, MP-only, looter shooter is so us!", from the start, might be because ME3MP was such a huge hit while the single-player department of that game (their biggest game at the time) was so controversial. That might've led them to feel more confidence towards being focused on multiplayer and gameplay. It's just nuts when you know that the narrative designers, the writers and creative directors at the studio are basically the higher-ups there. That's the "2 and 2" I just cannot put together and I think Anthem's bipolar approach to story vs game-core proves something doesn't add up there.
This post on the other hand. Imagine being this mad that people are so mean to EA to the point of orgasmic validation.
I've always thought people blaming Anthem on EA was the equivalent to people blaming Destiny on Activision.
EA may not be telling their studios which games to make but they are also pretty clear on what games they don't want(traditional single player).
They want stuff they can heavily monetize.
They want stuff they can heavily monetize.
if anything, this only paints the picture that things do look dire for Bioware considering they were adamant about this game. and secondly, what is the "long term revenue stream" for this game? all the expansions are gonna be free and the cosmetics/javelins are the MTX. That's what they expected to support this game in its state?
also, EA may not have said "make anthem" but if they cant make games without long term revenue tails then that means they arent gonna make the games bioware *was* good at.
also, EA may not have said "make anthem" but if they cant make games without long term revenue tails then that means they arent gonna make the games bioware *was* good at.
Just like Bungie, Bioware was given all the rope to hang themselves.
I NEED to know what happened. God I hope press sneak has a post mortem in the works. Anthem had to have been andromeda'd and restarted or re-scoped sometime in the past 2 years. The bugs give the impression it was rushed, but the absolute baffling design decisions, missing features, and poorly implemented systems scream of scrapping together what they had.
I NEED to know what happened. God I hope press sneak has a post mortem in the works. Anthem had to have been andromeda'd and restarted or re-scoped sometime in the past 2 years. The bugs give the impression it was rushed, but the absolute baffling design decisions, missing features, and poorly implemented systems scream of scrapping together what they had.
I agree. For me Anthem is the end of a long road of Bioware compartmentalizing and disjoining the RPG parts of their RPGs that started with Mass Effect 2 splitting their missions into combat areas and talky, RPG areas.
So often the level of candor that people are allowed in those positions are severely restricted. So, it's a factor of not knowing if those people are allowed to tell the full truth. Taking talking heads at face value is a bad idea.
Ubisoft is literally doing the same thing with their Live services approach.
It's just the way the industry works at big publishers now.
The certainly could do much smaller projects if they wanted to.
Actually EA released a few indie sized games recently so it's not like there's no opportunities like that at EA.
You need to dial it back. I get the point you're trying to make but no need to escalate it (Even if it isn't directed at anyone in particular).
Heck we're having this conversation because something went really wrong with Anthem but otherwise if they didn't botch the release that badly, there would be very few of us having this discussion.
Heck I don't even play Bioware games and even I could see that Anthem made sense for them to make.
Yeah, this sounds right. I actually think that working at EA is probably one of the better places to work in the industry based on the accounts I've read, and also the way EA addresses their creative staff is insidious in a really subtle way. At least up until the point the firing starts.
If they wanted to make something expensive they have to make something that's gonna bring the cash.
Otherwise they could do this
Are any of those made by EA-owned studios, though, or have they just entered into a publishing relationship? I thought the teams that made A Way Out, Fe and Unravel were not part of the company.
I think the biggest take away is that you can't keep trying to see the dev studio as this victim chained in the basement. freeing them isn't going to instantly make them better. Bioware of old is simply gone
I don't think there's a ton of difference between pushing them to do a Destiny-like and asking them where their version of FIFA Ultimate Team is.
Same difference honestly.
And I'm not trying to vilify EA. There's no doubt that something went wrong at Bioware with Anthem and even some of their previous games. But yeah, the distinction being made in those tweets really doesn't mean much to me.
Also, what's wrong with flesh pit fuckhouses?
Sounds like fun.
Same difference honestly.
And I'm not trying to vilify EA. There's no doubt that something went wrong at Bioware with Anthem and even some of their previous games. But yeah, the distinction being made in those tweets really doesn't mean much to me.
Also, what's wrong with flesh pit fuckhouses?
Sounds like fun.
Thanks for this. I'm now adding "flesh pit fuckhouse" and "maggot mouths" to my daily vocabulary.
Amen. Both ways still boil down to EA creating the incentive their studios have to follow. That EA "came in and forced" their studio is the layman's reductive way of saying what is really happening: That being that EA are the ones laying down the business plan and obviously any subsidiary who can fit into that plan are hamstrung into doing so. I don't understand why Schreier wants to make a distinction there honestly. Last I heard the Star Wars Rag Tag game was also not shut down because it actually sucked, it was shut down because it wasn't far enough along... as a game "that did not fit EA's business plan" (quote Amy Hennig)
Further credence to BioWare having pitched Star Wars games and other things we never heard of, which ironically Jason himself also reported, so I don't get why this has to be up in the air.
What EA needs is a new PR Head, this cloud of 'EA is Terrible' has stayed on too long, maybe with Merit but they need to be more Open, Transparent, do Dev diaries and be more personable to the gaming community.
This gets worse everyday. And I thought the fact they didn't have to use Frostbite was bad enough.
I wish people would realize that not having an answer for 'What's your version of Ultimate Team' doesn't mean your game gets canceled, but it doesn't get the additional resources that a game with the potential for an evergreen future will get. If you have a plan for your game to continue to generate revenue post sale, then yeah...you'll get more resources than a title that's going to sell a copy and that's it.
The expense is coming from the size of the studio. You can't have a studio that size make Unravel 2.
I'm also sure that most people at Bioware could just go to EA and ask for a hundred million dollars to make an Infinity Engine RPG, with turn based, choice based gameplay. But they just really wanted to make a barebones GAAS shlooter, because that's their true passion. The pitches presented by Bioware's management to the money people will always take into account what the money people will fund. That's why Anthem exists.
This. They still have no choice. That's the best way to get long term revenue
Ugh. GaaS can work. We have plenty of examples of it working. For people to condemn EA for attempting to chase GaaS while lamenting Bioware's roots is to impart a sense of nostalgia to a entity that shouldn't deserve it. What matters is the people, not the name of the company, or the brand. Like I don't understand, its been what 10 years since Bioware was brought out by EA? Why are we still imparting hatred on EA while mourning Bioware? Its just a company, created to generate money. If you want to criticize EA, do so, but don't act as if Bioware is a child tied to a abusive parent, as if you rescue them, its just a freaking brand and name.
you might be right that they're more a partnership than EA internally.
But frankly if EA is able to publish these titles, there's no reason no one could possibly make an incubator-like structure inside EA to foster these types of development.
Problem being that big studios like Bioware or Dice have gigantic budget and they may not want to see their budget cut YoY either.
Oh I'm sure it was BioWare decision. I'm also sure that EA probably pressured them hard to make a game like Anthem.
I couldn't care less about EA, I just find it hilarious that despite multiple devs telling reporters that they have complete control over their products/development process the same people suggest otherwise.
Bioware shit the bed. I thought ME:A being bad was because of a different team... apparently not.