182 réponses à ce sujet

[AlanC9]

There's never been much reason to believe that an independent Bio would have wanted to keep making their old style of game anyway. When I look at their history -- or rather, as I've experienced their history, since I've been following them since BG1 -- all the cinematic, consoley, actiony stuff seems like the natural progression towards being the AAA developer they were always trying to be.

[Spooky81]

There's never been much reason to believe that an independent Bio would have wanted to keep making their old style of game anyway. When I look at their history -- or rather, as I've experienced their history, since I've been following them since BG1 -- all the cinematic, consoley, actiony stuff seems like the natural progression towards being the AAA developer they were always going to be.

 

As much as I hate the EA shadow that's casting over BioWare, I have to agree with this.  Jade Empire, KOTOR, ME series were all indications they were sailing the same tides and winds as UbiSoft and other major studios that shifted away from the PC market to 100% console focus.  Laidlaw and the dev team announcing they were they were revolving future design of the Dragon Age series around consoles starting with DA2 was the reality smack to the head, wake up call to many they're no longer the same BioWare.

 

I played all BioWare games on PC only and didn't mind the "PC is an afterthought" development designs, though.  Going more arcade like and watering down the RPG elements(especially with DA:I's combat) sunk the series for me.

 

Without the EA takeover, the only thing we may have seen different is no multiplayer in ME3 and DA:I.

[Kantr]

An Independent Bioware might survive today, but they'd probably have to rapidly downsize.

[Il Divo]

There's never been much reason to believe that an independent Bio would have wanted to keep making their old style of game anyway. When I look at their history -- or rather, as I've experienced their history, since I've been following them since BG1 -- all the cinematic, consoley, actiony stuff seems like the natural progression towards being the AAA developer they were always trying to be.

 

It does make me wonder what the Shattered Steel fans thought back in the day.

[AlanC9]

I played all BioWare games on PC only and didn't mind the "PC is an afterthought" development designs, though.  Going more arcade like and watering down the RPG elements(especially with DA:I's combat) sunk the series for me.

I'm a little luckier than you in this regard. The 2015 version of me is quite OK with ARPGs -- I didn't mind TW1's combat at all, for instance -- and the DAI Tac Cam works fine for me if I don't want to play in action mode. I'm not certain the 1998 version of me would have liked either game, but he's not here any more.

Without the EA takeover, the only thing we may have seen different is no multiplayer in ME3 and DA:I.

Hard to say. Bio's historically been pro-MP. The BG games had co-op MP for the main campaign, and NWN's OC was almost sunk because they didn't think enough about people soloing it. (That's why the companion system's so weak; there was no engine support for companions per se, so the companions are just regular NPCs with different AI scripts). Doing content explicitly for MP is new for them, though.

[Bioware-Critic]

Yes. But people tend to forget that part. 

 

I'd rather someone else had helped them. Someone who does not ... HATE GAMES and who does not HATE GAMERS!

BioWare made them some money since ... Time to let the bird free again!

[In Exile]

Oh, but we both know that the devs should all just quit their jobs and do a Kickstarter, right? I mean, EA isn't helping them or anything.

They were lazy and let things like "crowd funding as a source of game financing didn't exist at the time" get in the way of making good games.

[In Exile]

Thank you for clarifying, because I honestly didn't understand what I thought was a business contract. But it's entirely something else?

Think of it this way. You own a farm. You sell me that farm. Now it's my farm. I can farm the same things, use the same employees, etc. but you can't get it back unless I decide to sell it. The contract is for an absolute transfer of ownership.

Bioware could in theory split from EA if someone else bought up all the assets making up what we consider Bioware in including the brand name.

[DaemionMoadrin]

BioWare is nothing but a name. The company we remember is long gone. We are dealing with EA here, nothing else.

 

Yes, BioWare had financial troubles and it solved those in a way that allowed EA to acquire them.

 

The problem now is that EA is looking for maximum profit, not for quality. All that noise from the BioWare devs about making the game they always wanted to make? That's PR bullshit. Look at the games they made in the past, you'll notice a trend... and DA:I is the culmination of that.

 

Less quality, less complexity, less content... for more and more money.

[Fast Jimmy]

Ergo, I wonder if BioWare folks would ever break away and start a new company?

Many already have.

Stoic Studio, creators of Kickstarter RPG breakout "The Banner Saga," are comprised of some Bioware alumni.

And n-Space, developers for the soon-to-be-released Sword Coast Legends DnD game has many Bioware veterans on the writing, QA and programming teams. They even have Dan Tudge, the Producer of Dragon Age: Origins, as their company president.

[Fast Jimmy]

Think of it this way. You own a farm. You sell me that farm. Now it's my farm. I can farm the same things, use the same employees, etc. but you can't get it back unless I decide to sell it. The contract is for an absolute transfer of ownership.

Bioware could in theory split from EA if someone else bought up all the assets making up what we consider Bioware in including the brand name.

...but after investing hundreds of millions of dollars into Bioware products (especially the TOR MMO), they won't. Not for significantly more than the market would pay for Bioware, given its current book of business and revenue.

[Bioware-Critic]

An Independent Bioware might survive today, but they'd probably have to rapidly downsize.

 

I would be cool with that ...

 

And I would be very curious what they would do with their creative autonomy!

If CD PRoject Red can do it - why shouldn't they be able to do the same?

[Maconbar]

All I know is that I miss pre-EA Mythic more than I miss pre-EA Bioware.

[DaemionMoadrin]

Stop hoping for anything like that. BioWare is gone and won't come back. If the current EA division with the same name breaks away, it won't be what you dream of.

[Bioware-Critic]

BioWare is nothing but a name. The company we remember is long gone. We are dealing with EA here, nothing else.

 

Yes, BioWare had financial troubles and it solved those in a way that allowed EA to acquire them.

 

The problem now is that EA is looking for maximum profit, not for quality. All that noise from the BioWare devs about making the game they always wanted to make? That's PR bullshit. Look at the games they made in the past, you'll notice a trend... and DA:I is the culmination of that.

 

Less quality, less complexity, less content... for more and more money.

 

EXACTLY! Kudos!

[Bioware-Critic]

Stop hoping for anything like that. BioWare is gone and won't come back. If the current EA division with the same name breaks away, it won't be what you dream of.

 

BANG!

 

Now ... my head hurts!

[Fast Jimmy]

An Independent Bioware might survive today, but they'd probably have to rapidly downsize.

Probably? No, they'd DEFINTELY need to downsize. Maybe a 75% reduction in force.

I mean, a huge success for Bioware is 5 million units sold. Yet they have a development team the size of Rockstar, which make games that have revenue that exceeds a billion dollars for titles like GTA. The math doesn't add up unless you are a large publisher who can afford to invest $40 million dollars over four years to make $50 million dollars... except you do that over three dozen development studios, while also having mammoth franchises, like FIFA or Madden, that sells 20 million units or more every year like clockwork.



Like all those cinematic scenes, flashy combat and Multiplayer? Then you need to realize that dealing with EA's shenanigans is the toll you pay.

[Il Divo]

I would be cool with that ...

 

And I would be very curious what they would do with their creative autonomy!

If CD PRoject Red can do it - why shouldn't they be able to do the same?

 

Well, for one, CDPR owns Good Old Games, which (as I understand it) is a huge source of revenue for them. 

 

Downsizing isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you're far less likely to see AAA production costs associated with it. So all the ones talking about how much they love Bioware cinematics Mass Effect or DA:O style might be in for a shock if they go the old school top down approach. 

[luism]

One does not simply break away from EA. EA liquidates.

[DaemionMoadrin]

All I know is that I miss pre-EA Mythic more than I miss pre-EA Bioware.

 

Yep. DAoC was so awesome... if they only had run at least some advertisments. No one even knows about Dark Age of Camelot and Mythic these days.

It's still the best PvP MMORPG today. 13 years later games still haven't caught up to its brilliance.

[Bioware-Critic]

Well, for one, CDPR owns Good Old Games, which (as I understand it) is a huge source of revenue for them. 

 

Downsizing isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you're far less likely to see AAA production costs associated with it. So all the ones talking about how much they love Bioware cinematics Mass Effect or DA:O style might be in for a shock if they go the old school top down approach. 

 

Ofc! A lot of things would change significantly or rather will not be possible at all anymore ...

 

But I, myself ... I have to say that I often roleplay the whole game in my head and therefor my imagination makes up for the loss of graphics - sufficiantly! Well, if you give me a text-based game that is a completely different gameplay ... but the other stuff - it just has to be there and I am fine

All I need is the (complex) systems, certain gameplay elements and the story. The sum that is more than it's part's that creates the atmosphere is very much appreciated by me ... but I don't need the most fanciest graphics to get me involved. I want "RPG-goodness" - not a BlueRay-blockbuster-movie ...

 

And I have to say ...

Lots of kickstarter RPG's do look REALLY NICE! You can create atmosphere with a lot of very different graphical elements and in different engines as well. All you really need is passion, skill and talent!

[luism]

Yep. DAoC was so awesome... if they only had run at least some advertisments. No one even knows about Dark Age of Camelot and Mythic these days.
It's still the best PvP MMORPG today. 13 years later games still haven't caught up to its brilliance.

Probably the funnest mmorpg to this day. I have a rr11 hunter rotting currently. Many still play the game was saved from liquidation by those nice friendly suits at ea by broadsword . It's in maintenance mode and has a steady but low pop of die hard fans.

[Captain Wiseass]

This makes me wonder about stock options in the BioWare division of EA. What if all the fans were able to invest and suddenly rise to power?

Well, stock options are something that employees get, not members of the general public. As for buying ordinary stock, there's no separate Bioware stock to be purchased, just stock in EA. But if you've got enough money to purchase enough shares of EA to have a significant vote on the board, go for it.

[Shadow Fox]

Take a look at what happened to Origin, Westwood, Bullfrog, and other great companies EA bought. Makes it easy to hate them, really.

^Implying that every other gaming corporation isn't guilty of this.