Mass Effect Franchise Put on Ice, BioWare New IP Delayed, Montreal Studio Downsized

[ktchong]

 

 

Is anyone else here old enough to remember Origin Systems?  Origin made Ultima and Wing Commander. It was the "crowning jewel" of EA in the 1990s.  This is very reminiscence of what happened to Origin after Ultima IX.  Soon afterward, projects got delayed... and then quietly cancelled a few months later.  Then, over the next couple years, EA shut down Origin, part by part. 

 

I recognize the pattern here.  It seems that another EA-acquired studio is gonna bite the dust soon.

 

Well, good riddance.

Edited May 11, 2017 by ktchong

[Bartimaeus]

The "downsizing" has been misframed somewhat, here and elsewhere: nobody got laid off, people were just shifted to other projects/teams, which makes perfect sense, seeing as the game has been released and all they're going to do now is do patches and maybe some DLCs (unless the "Mass Effect put on ice" means no DLC, too, I guess).

[the_dog_days]

As I understand it, reducing the size of development teams after a project launches is pretty standard. And I wouldn't expect BioWare to commit to a MEA sequel just yet anyway because in all likelihood, with all the other projects they having in the works, it would be another five years or longer before it came out.

[Tale]

Bioware Montreal isn't EA-acquired.

[Bartimaeus]

Although half of the name is, .

 

...and also the franchise they were working on.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[Gorgon]

Well whoever is to blame the mantra seems to hold true. Everything EA acquires turns to ****. 

[Darkpriest]

Kind of being obvious for a long time.

 

First you close the forums, start moving people around, change priorities on projects, the book value of Bioware brand is going to fully clean in 10 year period.

 

The last step is left i.e. Time to rebrand various Bioware studios to EA studios and end it.

 

Not even caring. I was caring and upset when ME2 and DA2 came up. I was annoyed at ME3, indifferent at DA:I, where i bought it for complete trilogy only (and still can;t finish the damned thing).

 

Any other Bioware game after that simply does not exist for me. Bioware does not exist for me as a studio by now.

[Mamoulian War]

Some people never learn... When do people realize, that giving EA money means, that they soon have enough money, to buyout and kill another quality studio again?

[Oerwinde]

I hope Andromeda gets a sequel, I liked it and it sets the stage for some interesting sequels

[kirottu]

I hope Andromeda gets a sequel, I liked it and it sets the stage for some interesting sequels

We don't take kindly to your types around here.

[SonicMage117]

To be fair I think we all saw this coming.... Bioware is like the opposite of Obsidian in pretty much every way.

 

And yes, while I'm old enough to remember Origin Systems but I never cared to acknowledge them (Sorry).

 

The Know is a great news source btw. They are pretty much the only gaming news channel I watch frequently.

[Chilloutman]

Paradox is only decent publisher who cares about their dev studios. Don't know any other. EA is the worst, worse even than Ubisoft

[SonicMage117]

Hmm... I love my Ubisoft games. Rayman Legends is still the best platformer I've ever played. Far Cry 3, 4 and Blood Dragon are the only FPS to interest me. Beyomd Good and Evil was amazing. Watch Dogs had a better written campaign than GTA5 and Red Dead. uPlay is great for a free game every once and awhile and rewards players with dlc.

 

Edit: Also I don't think Ubisoft has ever "ruined" a franchise.

Edited May 15, 2017 by SonicMage117

[marelooke]

 

 

Funny video. They're working on a semi-MMO, kinda like DA:I?

 

Also EA being dedicated to "quality and innovation". Good lord, they're killing me. I mean, I'm willing to buy the first bit, maybe, but "innovation" and EA :lol: :lol:

[Darkpriest]

Paradox is only decent publisher who cares about their dev studios. Don't know any other. EA is the worst, worse even than Ubisoft

2K perhaps

[Darkpriest]

Hmm... I love my Ubisoft games. Rayman Legends is still the best platformer I've ever played. Far Cry 3, 4 and Blood Dragon are the only FPS to interest me. Beyomd Good and Evil was amazing. Watch Dogs had a better written campaign than GTA5 and Red Dead. uPlay is great for a free game every once and awhile and rewards players with dlc.

 

Edit: Also I don't think Ubisoft has ever "ruined" a franchise.

 

Heroes of Might and Magic.... Settlers and more than a few others

Edited May 15, 2017 by Darkpriest

[Chilloutman]

 

Paradox is only decent publisher who cares about their dev studios. Don't know any other. EA is the worst, worse even than Ubisoft

2K perhaps

 

 

they are... decent

[Chilloutman]

Hmm... I love my Ubisoft games. Rayman Legends is still the best platformer I've ever played. Far Cry 3, 4 and Blood Dragon are the only FPS to interest me. Beyomd Good and Evil was amazing. Watch Dogs had a better written campaign than GTA5 and Red Dead. uPlay is great for a free game every once and awhile and rewards players with dlc.

 

Edit: Also I don't think Ubisoft has ever "ruined" a franchise.

 

I am not saying they don't publish good games, I am saying they are ****ty publishers

Edited May 15, 2017 by Chilloutman

[Zoraptor]

 

Hmm... I love my Ubisoft games. Rayman Legends is still the best platformer I've ever played. Far Cry 3, 4 and Blood Dragon are the only FPS to interest me. Beyomd Good and Evil was amazing. Watch Dogs had a better written campaign than GTA5 and Red Dead. uPlay is great for a free game every once and awhile and rewards players with dlc.

 

Edit: Also I don't think Ubisoft has ever "ruined" a franchise.

 

Heroes of Might and Magic.... Settlers and more than a few others

 

 

For ruined franchises? Not really fair, no other large publisher would touch that type of game or something like Might & Magic X with a barge pole, with a few exceptions (eg 2k and XCOM). But then other niche Ubi titles like the Anno series haven't been mentioned on their balance ledger either.

 

As for Paradox, people have short memories. Their history is of dreadfully optimised published games usually with dreadful bugs which are then dreadfully supported, plus more than occasional fallings out with their sub developers and some truly Bethesda level shenanigans. Their record recently has been better, but frankly it could scarcely have been worse, and they still have... problems. War of the Roses? Their dlc policy? Either would have got a roasting were it EA or Actiblizz doing it. PoE and Cities are successes, sure, much as Magicka was back in the day, but that alone doesn't make them 'nice' publishers. They tend to get a pass because their core games have a high fanboy density- not undeservedly, their internally developed games have nearly all been quality, albeit sometimes delayed quality- and they strive to maintain a reputation as an underdog. But...

 

Gettysburg: Armored Warfare? SOTS2 release fiasco? Stealing the title Achtung Panzer, which they've since never used? Trying to steal asterisking Mount & Blade as well (ironically, for War of the Roses)? Ship Simulator Extreme? Leviathan? Stalin vs Martians (so bad they've tried to expunge every mention of it)? Defenders of Ardania? A Game of Dwarfs? Impire? They've had more turkeys than Christmas and Thanksgiving combined.

[GhostofAnakin]

Maybe this is obvious and I'm just not getting it, but why would EA buy/acquire existing developers only to then put them out of business?  If said developer is talented and worth purchasing in the first place, wouldn't it make more sense to keep them afloat?  And if they're not talented, why buy them in the first place?

 

I get that EA's done it in the past, so I'm not disputing it.  I'm more curious *why* they do it.

[SonicMage117]

Games like Might & Magic would have been ruined (changed from what audience percieved them) regardless of which publisher. I think it's safe to say that it would have been dissapointing in fan's eyes even if it was a crowdfunded indie just because it's hard to translate something like M&M for a modern gen.

 

As far as a indie publisher, I think they are leagues ahead of most other publishers which is why I will continue to support them.

 

When I look at the lost of indie titles published by Ubi, I can't help but be greatful as they are all decent titles, especially Children Of Anteria which is an awesome game regardless of people hating on it for not being a new Settlers game.

 

https://www.giantbomb.com/ubisoft-entertainment/3010-82/published/

 

My friends, do you concur?

[Zoraptor]

That's not quite right- the M&M mothership franchise via M&M X specifically was generally well liked by its target audience, its target audience just wasn't big enough for Ubi ie it didn't sell well enough. In that case the franchise was 'killed' mostly by 3DO anyway, since 8 and 9 were awful.

 

That's a bit different from the spin off HoMM (or Might&Magic: Heroes as it formally is now) where most regard most of the later iterations- and in some cases all games since 3- as being outright bad, and there have been several Ubi titles made. In that case Ubi can be said to have run it into the ground.

[SonicMage117]

I have to ask though - Were the games really that bad? Or was this more of something like the community saying "Wow... they changed the game to the point where it's no longer what it should have been?" Most of the time when it comes to franchises with a niche audience, it's usually the latter which drive the ratings down.

 

Sorry if it sounds like I'm defending Ubi, they're definitely not my favorite pub/dev but I do enjoy the games they put out.

[Chilloutman]

 

 

Hmm... I love my Ubisoft games. Rayman Legends is still the best platformer I've ever played. Far Cry 3, 4 and Blood Dragon are the only FPS to interest me. Beyomd Good and Evil was amazing. Watch Dogs had a better written campaign than GTA5 and Red Dead. uPlay is great for a free game every once and awhile and rewards players with dlc.

 

Edit: Also I don't think Ubisoft has ever "ruined" a franchise.

 

Heroes of Might and Magic.... Settlers and more than a few others

 

 

For ruined franchises? Not really fair, no other large publisher would touch that type of game or something like Might & Magic X with a barge pole, with a few exceptions (eg 2k and XCOM). But then other niche Ubi titles like the Anno series haven't been mentioned on their balance ledger either.

 

As for Paradox, people have short memories. Their history is of dreadfully optimised published games usually with dreadful bugs which are then dreadfully supported, plus more than occasional fallings out with their sub developers and some truly Bethesda level shenanigans. Their record recently has been better, but frankly it could scarcely have been worse, and they still have... problems. War of the Roses? Their dlc policy? Either would have got a roasting were it EA or Actiblizz doing it. PoE and Cities are successes, sure, much as Magicka was back in the day, but that alone doesn't make them 'nice' publishers. They tend to get a pass because their core games have a high fanboy density- not undeservedly, their internally developed games have nearly all been quality, albeit sometimes delayed quality- and they strive to maintain a reputation as an underdog. But...

 

Gettysburg: Armored Warfare? SOTS2 release fiasco? Stealing the title Achtung Panzer, which they've since never used? Trying to steal asterisking Mount & Blade as well (ironically, for War of the Roses)? Ship Simulator Extreme? Leviathan? Stalin vs Martians (so bad they've tried to expunge every mention of it)? Defenders of Ardania? A Game of Dwarfs? Impire? They've had more turkeys than Christmas and Thanksgiving combined.

 

 

well you forgetting CK and CK2, Stellaris, Europa Universalis...

[ShadySands]

I have to ask though - Were the games really that bad? Or was this more of something like the community saying "Wow... they changed the game to the point where it's no longer what it should have been?" Most of the time when it comes to franchises with a niche audience, it's usually the latter which drive the ratings down.

 

Sorry if it sounds like I'm defending Ubi, they're definitely not my favorite pub/dev but I do enjoy the games they put out.

They were pretty bad

 

I did end up liking one of the last 3 but can't remember if it was 5 or 6... I know it wasn't 7