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... I don't think sales are everything to look at. Budget vs. sales is the interesting number. If DA:O sold 4,5 mio. copies, but was in development for 5 years, but DA2 manages to sell 2 mio. but was in development for 18 month, what game made a higher profit? It's all speculation, since we don't know the budget behind DA:O or DA2, but still, while 2 mio. might not be the magic number they were shooting at, it might not be a desaster either.
If they made money with this, there will be a sequel. If not, then there won't be one. Given that they already talked about a possible Jade Empire 2, right after the DA2 release, maybe they leave the DA franchise for good, who knows?
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Yet, there in lies the problem of which game cost more to develop. Bioware being an independent company until 2007 and DAO being in development for since 2004, whilst the release was in 2009.
Now, whilst I can't determine if EA absorbed any of the costs associated with the first years of development without Bioware's cashflow data or EA's data, it might be appropriate to assume that Bioware paid for development from its own revenue stream in the first few years whilst EA would absorb costs only after Bioware became the subsidiary in 2007.
If this assumption is true then DAO could be considered to be more financially sucessful than DA 2, particularly if EA did not have to foot the bill for the initial stages of development and Bioware as a company was not overly leveraged.
It is likely that EA targeted Bioware to enter the RPG market following the success of ME1 and the potential for 2 new lucrative IP franchises, which makes it strange as to why Mr. Laidlaw has attempted to mainstream the genre by removing so many aspects which made DAO sell so well in attempt to appeal to the so called "CoD market"
Possibly a drive for increased sales revenue by EA, but publishers are unlikely to have any direct influence over the development direction of a game more concerned by income streams, sales figures and consumer perception of their products, which makes me think that the development team instead of building on the obvious strengths of the first game threw everything out in an attempt to appeal to a new larger player base, without understanding what actually attracts such players to genres such as FPS/ 3rd PS/ Action Adventure. The result alienating a sizable section of the existing consumer base without succesfully tapping into the much larger if more shifting mainstream base.
Case in point, ME2 stripped most of what people would call RPG mechanics, but as the original was a shooter hybrid it did not overtly damage sales figures for the game predecated on only this dimension. However, the polish of said game is undeniably better than the first and the DLC content is equally very well done without feeling as if it were obviously tacked on, thus i think measure of leway was given by fans of the original who were disappointed by some aspects that were changed, whilst the visuals themselves and the mechanics attracted more of a casual game crowd, but retained most of the original fanbase.
Yet, in comparison to games such as Halo, CoD, Assassin's Creed, Gears of War all undeniably heavily action orientated still sold more than ME2, I think the main point is that to appeal to the mainstream market one must go up against very well known IP giants who have carved out a share of the market, by agressively fighting off any encroaching opposition, by adhearing to a set criteria which defines them from competitors eg Gears of War 2 very graphic grim shooter, which expanded on the sucess of the first not by changing the ideology behind the franchise as DA2 tried to and, I think, failed to do so succesfully, but by expanding the scope of the appeal by creating a larger world whithout comprimising the principles which the core audience enjoyed.
p.s
Sorry I seem to have gone off on a tangent, but will ther be a DA 3? it is likely I don't think EA will let go of their foothold in the RPG market so easily the ability to expoilt new revenue streams can't be ignored. I think a better question is what form will DA 3 take?
If anything has been learnt from this experience it is to attempt to dominate a particular market thereby forcing out all other competition, By expanding on the strengths of DAO, rather than try to enter a new market were the brand name is not as well known and the appeal FPS and action etc is so drastically different. the new star wars MMO seems to be a better case inpoint, attempt to depose Wof Warcraft as the dominant MMO is within Bioware's ability via its experience with this kind of niche market.
I know some of this appears to be broad strokes, but just some the thoughts on the topic
Modifié par billy the squid, 27 mars 2011 - 10:12 .
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lol
. I have faith though
