You can't put it all on EA. Bioware was a highly mismanaged company and it was their own fault. Their development cycle was dick around for several years then try to churn out a game in one year.
EA forced Bioware to change Veilguard's development 2+ times:
When Veilguard was in early stages, the team wanted to do a heist game RPG, meaning a limited scope but highly specialized as such, but then EA wanted it to be a live service with a PG13 story and huge time sink quests so it could attract a large player base and was developed as such for a long time. EA then forced a change back to a single player RPG after Anthem's disaster. Bioware couldn't change the dialogue into a darker dragon age story since most of it was recorded by that time. EA also forced the studio to move staff around like headless chickens between other projects all through early to late development.
Those are some things I can remember at this moment, but there was far more issues directly caused by EA.
Bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit. Every time this happens, every time, some people come out and say "Oh, it's actually not EA's fault! See, they bought a great studio, but the next few games from that studio flopped. What did you expect EA to do? They're a business, after all!"
At some point you people should realize that if EA buys a studio and that studio starts producing horrible games, then the fault is with EA. One or two times I could believe it. But how many studio died under EA by now, while releasing bangers before that?
IDK if it's copium or some EA damage control or what, but it's bullshit. It's EA's fault, full stop.
I see EA as more of a catalyst for Bioware's demise and not the sole reason. Bioware was a fundamentally disfuntional company with how they operated. They needed tons of time to fuck around to make a good game. They also had some brilliant people that had some great ideas, but they all ended jumping ship. EA put them under actual deadlines, Bioware still fucked around as usual, but had to publish the shit sandwiches they were making. Ultimately I was think Bioware would be a dead studio regardless of EA acquisition, EA just sped it up a tiny bit.
I think a better example of what you're saying is Dead Space. That was 100% a franchise that was killed off by EA being stupid and greedy.
I honestly think just about every franchise and studio that died under EA died because of them being stupid and greedy. Maybe there are exceptions, but those just prove the rule, IMO.
Even then, if (in this example) Bioware liked to experiment and fuck around, but produced some great (and profitable) games because of that, wouldn't it be wiser to just let them do that? Instead of whatever they did with Anthem, Veilguard, etc.?
And who hired people writing dialogues, I wonder. Also, there's a reason people say the dialogue feels like HR is standing in the room.
the Bioware we knew and loved died a long time ago
And why do you think that is? Did the founders, the upper management, all the good developers left... just cause? Or maybe it's because EA is forcing developers to do shit they don't want to do, meddles in the production and hiring processes, pays less than they should, force horrible deadlines, etc.?
It's called cause-and-effect. If the same story happens with EVERY studio the publisher bought up for more than 5 times, surely you should realize SOMETHING is up.
And why do you think that is? Did the founders, the upper management, all the good developers left... just cause?
I'm not blaming the founders or old staff members, and their reasons for leaving are irrelevant to the central point: in the past 15 years, Bioware as a studio has proven itself incapable of making a good game. The fact that the current staff can't write is not the fault of the founders leaving after the EA acquisition. I agree with you that EA is a shit company that ruins everything, but they aren't to blame for every problem Bioware had.
their reasons for leaving are irrelevant to the central point
It's actually very relevant. All the good developers left in the following years after EA acquisition, but EA is not to blame?
in the past 15 years, Bioware as a studio has proven itself incapable of making a good game
EXACTLY! They were making great games, but as soon as EA bought them, the studio stopped making great games and core studio members left. And we've seen this like what, 7 times now with DIFFERENT studios? How can you not put 2 and 2 together?
The fact that the current staff can't write is not the fault of the founders
What? What are you talking about? Who even blaming the old developers for anything?
Wait, I'm starting to think you're not even actually reading what I'm typing and completely missing the point, huh... Are you, like... illiterate or what's going on?
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u/Great_White_Samurai 7h ago
You can't put it all on EA. Bioware was a highly mismanaged company and it was their own fault. Their development cycle was dick around for several years then try to churn out a game in one year.