152 réponses à ce sujet

[Ghurshog]

 I would find it interesting if they both have non-compete clauses in their contracts from the purchase by EA.

And I wonder how many of their old guard would jump ship immediately if they openned up an new game studio. (which is why management types have non-compete clauses to prevent defections when popular managers leave)

The ponderings...

[PeterG1]

No doubt about it, Greg and Ray are some of the best entrepreneurs in the industry and will be forever remembered for the teams and products they built. Kudos to the docs and best of luck.

Aaryn Flynn is awesome and I trust he will continue to lead the studios to new and great stuff.

While there's no doubt in my mind that Greg and Ray signed Non competes, I think it's apparent they're moving on because they want to move onto other industries, not interested in interactive entertainment at the moment.

Best of luck, Docs, and to you too Flynn (and the team). We'll be cheering and yelling and all that crazy stuff we do over here, but all in support and enthusiasm.

[Darth Garrus]

All the luck in the world to them. And thanks for all the great games.

But sadly, it's time to face it. BW is spread to thin with EA on the helm, and a company that just doesn't have what it had before: VISION! It lacks the vision it had, and the focus that comes with it. Now it has tentacles, trying to reach too much.

And with all the departures we have seen lately, I guess the "abandon ship" warning is sounding loudly. If not "abandon ship", at least a warning that "this is not the same company. Now it's a generic one".

I just hope they take their time to enjoy life, family and new adventures. And also maybe that "arrangement" not to be involved with the game industry for some time to preserve BW etc (we've seen that before). Then, after some time, they announce that "they suddenly realized that they can't keep away from the videogame industry". So they start another company. One that has a vision again, and that will learn and not get spread too thin over the years. All that without maligning BW and their previous legacy. Nothing wrong with all that. I'll be fine with it!

[ScoobyDooby84]

Baldur's Gate got me into western rpg's, heck it got me into western games. The sequel is personallymy favorite game ever made, and the expasion made it even better. I'm sad to see them go, but at thesame time, I'm happy for them and wish them the best in their future endeavors. 

[jds1bio]

It was refreshing to receive personal letters from the two of them for their departure. I remember a time when BioWare games (and believe it or not, EA games also) started their documentation with personal letters of sincerity from the game's creators. And, KOTOR is still the best Star Wars cinematic experience since Return Of The Jedi.

But sadly, it seemed clear that they grew weary of offering the "surprise and delight" sound bites in response to criticisms, and watching as "fans" launched personal attacks at their games' creators for some purpose or another, or for no purpose at all.

I am only left to ponder what would have happened if an actual KOTOR 3 was made with a ME3-style multiplayer environment. Perhaps DA3 will be able to keep the torch burning a bit longer.

[mikemike37]

ray and greg: thanks for making bioware, my favourite developer happen good luck in the future to you both!

[Leones Maneres]

Thanks for 10+ years of awesome games, fellas - from a fan since Icewind Dale.

You set the standard for RPGs in the commercial space.

Thank you.

[Blastback]

Thanks for all the memories. And best of luck.

[Atalanta]

Best of luck in your future endeavors, sorry to see you go.

Modifié par Atalanta, 20 septembre 2012 - 06:47 .

[Andarillo]

Thanks for all the great games Bioware created. These games are by far the best ones I've ever played.

I wish all the best for Ray and Greg. May all of their dreams come true.

[_isia_]

Thank you so much guys, your great games and stories made my life double, like most fantastic books and movies.

[SafetyShattered]

Wow, that's really sad. Good luck guys!

[Arthur Cousland]

Good luck in your future endeavors, doctors! Thanks for starting up the company that gave us all of these great rpg franchises, and hopefully the best is yet to come.

[Skurrow]

Thank you both for effectively keeping the single player, character-driven RPG genre alive on the PC and for providing some of the best games ever whilst doing so.

Enjoy your retirements!

[VoodooDrackus]

leferd wrote...

Well...something happened. Either the docs got fired or they both got fed up with EA. Looks like part of their severance includes a non-compete clause as they aren't coming back to the industry for atleast a few years.

Ray Muzyka can help you out on that one. In the first paragraph of his blog post he says that he thought about the decision for many months and gave EA 6 months notice of his retirement in early April. Spending another 6 months with EA doesn't seem like he was fed up with them. And since Ray and Greg are friends and the founders, Greg probably decided that he would do the same.

It might be a coincidence, but given what He wrote after the outrage over the endings on march 21, especially saying he felt Mass Effect 3 is the best work that they have created, his decision seems to have been fueled by that vocal group of fans who hated the ending. Early april would have been a few weeks after the controversy. That may have just helped his decision to retire.

[KennethAFTopp]

the endings wasn't really the worst thing about ME3

also there is this theory:

http://www.ign.com/a...nders-departure

odd how they don't mention the DAII negativity, for som reason I felt that was bigger. Maybe that was just in my head.

Modifié par KennethAFTopp, 28 septembre 2012 - 04:35 .

[RiptideX1090]

Re-posting in response to the article.


Pretty much this.

I do feel bad for the developers in a lot of ways. Making games is time consuming, difficult, demanding work. I'm sure the guys at Bioware slept at their desks more than once making ME3.

However, the original ending was a colossal slap to the face, the EC slapped us again with the Refusal ending, and then there were all the blatant lies, from no ABC endings all the way to us not needing MP to get the best ending, which is Shepard lives, which until the EC was a total falsehood. The PR has been a nightmare, especially whenever Silverman opens his mouth, Priestly's general attitude doesn't help, and now that ever feels like their heart has been ripped out of their chests or is otherwise busy bickering or fighting with the people who do, everytime a dev opens their mouth to say something that would otherwise garner the equivalent of a shrug, now people are hypersensitive and it's like throwing salt in the wound.

And in the end, no one is happy. Most people feel cheated out of their happy ending, or that the endings are otherwise a thematic mess, the devs feel like all their effort was a waste, and now with the future of the series, which thus far has been steller, is now on very shaky ground. The consumers are wondering whether they want to remain loyal when it feels like they're being ignored, (you can argue the EC was an attempt to show this was not the case, but the way Refusal was handled makes it feel more like a slap to the face than anything) and the resulting negativity makes the Devs feel like garbage.

It's a vicious cycle.

[underhill1990]

all that militant anger at bioware finally caught up with these forums.I hope you people are happy, this is what happens when you take something (like a video game, a good one at that) too seriously, all you ungrateful privileged fanboys pushed two dedicated craftsmen out of the game.shame

[Enhanced]

RiptideX1090 wrote...

Re-posting in response to the article.


Pretty much this.

I do feel bad for the developers in a lot of ways. Making games is time consuming, difficult, demanding work. I'm sure the guys at Bioware slept at their desks more than once making ME3.

However, the original ending was a colossal slap to the face, the EC slapped us again with the Refusal ending, and then there were all the blatant lies, from no ABC endings all the way to us not needing MP to get the best ending, which is Shepard lives, which until the EC was a total falsehood. The PR has been a nightmare, especially whenever Silverman opens his mouth, Priestly's general attitude doesn't help, and now that ever feels like their heart has been ripped out of their chests or is otherwise busy bickering or fighting with the people who do, everytime a dev opens their mouth to say something that would otherwise garner the equivalent of a shrug, now people are hypersensitive and it's like throwing salt in the wound.

And in the end, no one is happy. Most people feel cheated out of their happy ending, or that the endings are otherwise a thematic mess, the devs feel like all their effort was a waste, and now with the future of the series, which thus far has been steller, is now on very shaky ground. The consumers are wondering whether they want to remain loyal when it feels like they're being ignored, (you can argue the EC was an attempt to show this was not the case, but the way Refusal was handled makes it feel more like a slap to the face than anything) and the resulting negativity makes the Devs feel like garbage.

It's a vicious cycle.

Not everyone feels this way. I have never felt like been slapped in the face with the plot of ME3 or any video game. Some people shouldn't get so obessed and need to just realize that its just a video game .

[KennethAFTopp]

I couldn't get myself to finish ME3. And it was a tough fight to even finish Dragon Age II

also never expected that one of the doctors was an EA Lifer. though imagine EA with Ray behind it. Maaan!

Modifié par KennethAFTopp, 28 septembre 2012 - 05:08 .

[Jamie9]

So it turns out Ray was EA's only hope. Can't wait until they inevitably crumble.

[Blastback]

underhill1990 wrote...

all that militant anger at bioware finally caught up with these forums.I hope you people are happy, this is what happens when you take something (like a video game, a good one at that) too seriously, all you ungrateful privileged fanboys pushed two dedicated craftsmen out of the game.shame

If you read the article, Oyster only speculates that the backlash resulted in Greg leaving.  He thinks that Ray left because EA regarded SWTOR as a failure and he became the scapegoat. 

[Fast Jimmy]

KennethAFTopp wrote...

I couldn't get myself to finish ME3. And it was a tough fight to even finish Dragon Age II

also never expected that one of the doctors was an EA Lifer. though imagine EA with Ray behind it. Maaan!

Ah. The fact that you didn't finish ME3 explains your earlier statement about how you thought the backlash to DA2 was worse than ME3. The ME3 backlash was tectonic in nature. It made the DA2 reaction feel like a tremor, while ME3 was the earthquake that ripped the ground asunder.

[Blastback]

Fast Jimmy wrote...

KennethAFTopp wrote...

I couldn't get myself to finish ME3. And it was a tough fight to even finish Dragon Age II

also never expected that one of the doctors was an EA Lifer. though imagine EA with Ray behind it. Maaan!

Ah. The fact that you didn't finish ME3 explains your earlier statement about how you thought the backlash to DA2 was worse than ME3. The ME3 backlash was tectonic in nature. It made the DA2 reaction feel like a tremor, while ME3 was the earthquake that ripped the ground asunder.

Yeah, especially before the extended cut.  DA2 resulted in what seemed like more of a 50-50 spilt.  ME3's reaction was far more overwellmingly negative.

[N7 Shadow 90]

If the negative reactions really did play a part in Greg leaving, then I'm pretty annoyed with the people who endlessly complained. I'm sure Bioware got the idea after the first ten times! It's a shame that such a fantastic game gets ripped apart by silly 'fans'. It's quite depressing actually.