Is Bioware dead now?

[Cerveza mas fina]

I mean creativly they have been for a decade, but now sales seem shit too and ME has been put in the freezer...

[benjipwns]

This stuff has been the probably foolish Montreal expansion like everybody else was starting five years ago. (Especially since EA already did their own that they then cut back massively on. Before turning over the rest to act as support for Jade Raymond and Motive...and BioWare Montreal.)

BioWare Austin actually got saved because of The Old Republic turning around. The main Edmonton branch has been working on some other thing that would theoretically be being announced this E3.

Dragon Age Inquisition I think did better than expected? I forget.

edit:

According to Electronic Arts' fiscal 2015 third quarter earnings report, Dragon Age: Inquisition is the most successful launch in BioWare history based on units sold.

[Human Snorenado]

Yeah, they're not dead. They just suck and are uneven AF. DA:I was ok, and ME2 was one of the better games of its era.

It's just mind boggling to me that they're capable of putting out fundamentally sound games but... don't. For whatever reason. Is it EA influence? Knowing that there are legions of fanthings that will suck up whatever they shit out as long as they get to "romance" an alien/elf/whatever?

I mean, they're pretty much unnecessary in the scope of needing a wrpg fix these days, unless you just HAVE to have nicer graphics or the ability to fuck an alien I guess. I'd rather play pretty much any random ass kickstarter title than a Bioware game.

[Great Rumbler]

Bioware's in kind of weird spot right now, I think. Dragon Age: Inquisition, while a decent enough game [even a good game] when it first came out, got completely bodied by CD Projekt RED and Witcher 3, and what Bioware was originally going for with Dragon Age has been achieved and surpassed multiple times now by Larian, Obsidian, and inXile. Mass Effect has been killed off because they thought it would be a good idea to let a new studio staffed by new faces handle the next installment [and, probably, what they thought was the start of a new trilogy] in their most popular franchise, who produced, at best, what might be referred to as a "direct-to-video sequel."

So, they've really got to come up with something new and interesting and I just don't think they've got the talent left to do that.

[Rufus]

It's just mind boggling to me that they're capable of putting out fundamentally sound games but... don't. For whatever reason. Is it EA influence? Knowing that there are legions of fanthings that will suck up whatever they shit out as long as they get to "romance" an alien/elf/whatever?

All of the above. Also: design by survey. Inquisition was leaked through one such survey getting out, I believe.

Yup, remembered right:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-20-dragon-age-3-survey-leaks-inquisitor-hero-story-and-art

[Let's Cyber]

I don't think Andromeda was as bad as the community made it out to be but it was undeniably a disappointment.

I'm still on board for the next Dragon Age and I'm interested to see Edmonton's new game.  Unless EA decides to pull the plug (their games are still selling relatively well so why would they?), BioWare isn't going anyway for the time being. If however Edmonton's new IP is a dud then yeah we'll need to readdress this question in the future.

Dragon Age: Inquisition, while a decent enough game [even a good game] when it first came out, got completely bodied by CD Projekt RED and Witcher 3, and what Bioware was originally going for with Dragon Age has been achieved and surpassed multiple times now by Larian, Obsidian, and inXile.

This is true. It would be neat to see BioWare attempt to fire back but like you said, I don't know if the talent is there anymore OR if EA would allow them to break the mold and take some risks.  I liked Inquisition but it sure as hell felt focus-testy and dumbed down for a broader audience.

[Mr Gilhaney]

Nah, but their Montreal studio might be.

Dragon Age however still does well for them, and it's clearly their priority at this point.

[tiesto]

Didn't the founders move on to start a craft beer brewery or something?

[chronovore]

Didn't the founders move on to start a craft beer brewery or something?

That's "Dr. Craft Beer Brewer" to you, bub.

[thisismyusername]

Didn't the founders move on to start a craft beer brewery or something?

I don't think so. I think they opened it as a side-gig/hobby like Capcom Japan's president's winery? (The guy in the Capcom EAT SHIT image edit).

[toku]

It'd be cool to see Bioware scale down a bit and maybe tackle some quicker smaller projects.

[Positive Touch]

yeah like can we finally get a sequel to sonic chronicles I mean damn

[Great Rumbler]

Didn't the founders move on to start a craft beer brewery or something?

I don't think so. I think they opened it as a side-gig/hobby like Capcom Japan's president's winery? (The guy in the Capcom EAT SHIT image edit).

No, this is true. Both Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka bounced out after Mass Effect 3, with the former getting into craft brewing.

[MMaRsu]

Supposedly they are working on a Destiny like game

Roflmao

[Cerveza mas fina]

How can people say with a straight face that DAI was ok or good. Seriously garbage game ffs.

Maybe it can be good in the kind of way that shit movies are good?

The game is basically a ubisoft take on rpgs but with disastrous storytelling. Every 10 cm there is a new meaningless MMO fetch quest.

Youd be better of playing wow times 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

[Your Stalker]

yes it's good in the way a shit movie like the order 1886 is good

[Cerveza mas fina]

The problem with the Order 1886 is not that its not good, its that there isnt enough of it. DAI is shit, but also in the quantity of a post Sichuan dinner like diarrhea.

[Human Snorenado]

The problem with the Order 1886 is not that its not good, its that there isnt enough of it.

Oh that Sonyfeg lie is going to start peddling it's way here now?

Dude the PS4 has many fantastic exclusives now, this isn't the early PS4 life where you had to make excuses for shoddy first party attempts to defend your waifus honor.

Forget it, Wrath. It's Lagertown.

[chronovore]

The problem with the Order 1886 is not that its not good, its that there isnt enough of it.

Oh that Sonyfeg lie is going to start peddling it's way here now?

Dude the PS4 has many fantastic exclusives now, this isn't the early PS4 life where you had to make excuses for shoddy first party attempts to defend your waifus honor.

Forget it, Wrath. It's Lagertown.

(Image removed from quote.)

[Cerveza mas fina]

Id feel stupid but there is people itt saying DAI is good, so Im clearly not the mist retarted person around

[chronovore]

Id feel stupid but there is people itt saying DAI is good, so Im clearly not the mist retarted person around

Quoted for posterity. 

[Cerveza mas fina]

this is not my day

[Human Snorenado]

DAI is not a bad game. It's comfortingly, competently mediocre, and people probably give it more props than they should because it follows DA2, which is ACTIVELY HORRIBLE.

(Having said that, I never once had the urge to play DAI after Witcher 3 released.)

[thisismyusername]

Having played just the multiplayer demo EA put out: DA:I sucked hardcore. It was trying to do Mass Effect 3's multiplayer but badly.

[Positive Touch]

Having played just the multiplayer demo EA

[demi]

DAI wasn't bad

[Joe Molotov]

DAI was okay as long as you didn't try to do all the sidequests.

[toku]

DA:I was good with some of the best written stuff in a Bioware game in ages. Especially a certain epilogue dlc that centers around a certain party member.

[eleuin]

The order really needed to have 3 more hours of walking chapters

[Dickie Dee]

I asked in another thread but see it's come up here for some reason.

Is The Order 1886 worth the $3 PSN sale it's on for right now? Maybe the key to enjoying it is approaching it as the right value proposition. Or are the few hours you spend in it not even worth it and you'd be better off doing laundry or something

[TakingBackSunday]

it's 3 dollars, sure why not

[Let's Cyber]

DA:I was good with some of the best written stuff in a Bioware game in ages. Especially a certain epilogue dlc that centers around a certain party member.

Yup. Probably the best thing I can say about DA:I is that is added to the lore in interesting ways and made me excited for the next game.

I mean, the fact they hid so much of the true ending behind a paid DLC is super shitty but EA is gonna EA.

[Positive Touch]

i had the ultra-trash 360 version so I never got to see the real ending

i also thought it was weird how the character i picked had an  identity (female elf) that made a lot of the late-game choices directly affect her instead of being more abstract. I've heard that character type has the most conversation choices in the game and i thought that was a weird design decision.

[demi]

DA:I was good with some of the best written stuff in a Bioware game in ages. Especially a certain epilogue dlc that centers around a certain party member.

Yup. Probably the best thing I can say about DA:I is that is added to the lore in interesting ways and made me excited for the next game.

I mean, the fact they hid so much of the true ending behind a paid DLC is super shitty but EA is gonna EA.

Interesting, I had no idea. Did Knight Enchanter get nerfed? I would be interested in playing this post-game DLC.

[Let's Cyber]

i had the ultra-trash 360 version so I never got to see the real ending

i also thought it was weird how the character i picked had an  identity (female elf) that made a lot of the late-game choices directly affect her instead of being more abstract. I've heard that character type has the most conversation choices in the game and i thought that was a weird design decision.

Yeah, being a female elf and romancing a certain character will get you extra dialogue and have more of an impact on the story.

I don't think it was a case of the writers wanting the female elf to be "canon" or anything so much as they clearly had a plan for a specific squadmate and the nature of said squadmate means they just happen to have a greater connection to the series lore. If anything I give them credit for sticking to their guns and putting the story and characterization before anything else.

Interesting, I had no idea. Did Knight Enchanter get nerfed? I would be interested in playing this post-game DLC.

A quick google search shows they did nerf the knight enchanter. I have no idea how viable it is now.

I played the final DLC as a Reaver on hard and it wasn't too bad. One of the bosses was pretty tough and took me 6 or 7 tries but I imagine it wouldn't be a big deal on normal.

[Positive Touch]

there was that, and also 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

the pool near the end where you could take on some kind of power instead of Morrigan, and I think one or two other decisions in different levels.

[close]

[eleuin]

DA:I was good with some of the best written stuff in a Bioware game in ages. Especially a certain epilogue dlc that centers around a certain party member.

something potentially happening to another party member during that dlc was nuts too

[tiesto]

DA:I was as mediocre as mediocre gets, but it wasn't bad. The year it and Shadow Of Mordor had people fighting over them for GOTY was the strangest though. I've never seen so many outlets try to justify new consoles as hard as they did with those games. Then Witcher 3 came out and was what reviewers tried to make you think DA and Mordor were. Almost every high quality game that came out in 2015 was better than either of 2014's big two titles, it was pretty funny.

2014 had 3 potential GOTYs, all of them were on the WiiU.

Anyways, I think Bioware has kind of run its course. Not that I was ever much of a fan, but back in the day they were one of the first western RPG devs to embrace production values more like their Japanese brethren instead of making overhead isometric games with tons of text and clunky-ass interfaces (not that there's anything wrong with those types of games). Now, there's much more competition on that end, not to mention so many other quality RPGs on the market now, and games in other genres with "RPG elements" thrown in.

[I'm a Puppy!]

In my small circle of fellow consultants we have what we call the "GE" or "EA Principle"

The principle is this:
- Successful companies are bought by large companies
- Large companies take over and integrate the successful company into their corporate infrastructure
- After a few years the successful company becomes a liability instead of an asset
- Large company buys another company to make up for the liability and shutters the previously successful company

[Great Rumbler]

See: Maxis, Origin Systems, Bullfrog, Westwood Studios, Pandemic, ect.

[I'm a Puppy!]

Exactly.

Of course, one of my colleagues thinks that there is no "principle" it's just that gaming companies are akin to fads and they never effectively evolve. I can sorta see his point but that doesn't do away with the swathe of companies GE has cratered, etc.

[Purple Filth]

The "main" studio is working on that new IP so they are not dead yet.

If it bombs though


Also trying to defend The fucking Order 1866 

[a slime appears]

Bioware needs to put out a sequel to Sonic Dark Brotherhood, brehs.