Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

[Column] General: A BioWare Without 'The Doctors'

24

Comments

  • KuinnKuinn Member UncommonPosts: 2,072
    Ah finally they broke free from EA's disastrous grasp, which is founded on lies and greed. 6 months recovery and rest time for the doctors and they'll be back up and running a new studio re-igniting those original Bioware values :)
  • tawesstawess Member EpicPosts: 4,227

    On the other hand we do nor know how many studios that woudl have gone under without EA's financial support.

     

    Also, this might be a good thing... BioWare like every other company needs some fresh air every now adn then. Maybe this is the opening for some younger talent with a new drive and new visions. Holding on to dear to the past is not always a good thing.

     

    That being said... EA should really stick to making sportsgames, they understand those.

    This have been a good conversation

  • jmcdermottukjmcdermottuk Member RarePosts: 1,571

    EA wanted the name Bioware so they could profit from it. The Bioware of old is gone, dead and buried. We'll never see the same standard of games come out of that studio again, if they do indeed come from the rreal Bioware and not some 3rd rate dev that EA have shoved under the Bioware umbrella.

    Yet another great studio destroyed by the money grabbers at EA. Vote with your wallets people, stop paying EA to wreck our game developers.

  • erictlewiserictlewis Member UncommonPosts: 3,022

    Unfortunately I don't see it the way Mike does.  I see this as the final death of Bioware the way we new it.  This means it is a pure EA product, they might as well do away with the bioware Name.

    With the departure of the doctors, we can say that the quality they wanted in video games is gone,  this has now become strictly about proffit, and how much proffit that EA can reap.

    RIP Bioware, at one time you were great, but you were sold out to the evil soulless corporate entity knows as EA.  I believe the docs will be back in 3-5 years when the NDC Non Disclosure I am sure they had to sign and non compete agreements.  One is going to brew beer, I myself should like to check up on that project, as I have been know to make a few with the home brewing kit that I have.

    Oh well there goes the end of an era, that is what I think,  probably not a popular view of it but it is what I honestly believe has happened.   I had many good games with them. Kotor, Kotor II,  Dragon Age, Never Winter and so forth.  All of that is now ancient history.

     

  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Originally posted by laserit

    RIP Bioware

    It's not surprising that they are leaving. When you sell a company, you lose control of said company. You dont get to make the decision's any more. The company moves in a direction that you dont agree with. As time goes by you get tired and disenfranchised and then if your smart, you move on.

    Life is too short.

    Pretty much my thought exactly.

    It's very apparent that selling to EA changed their output.

    I'm sure they are just as unhappy at the issues bioware has been having as the fans. To them it's probably no longer fun or enjoyable and apparently they are soured on game develpment or maybe they just want to truly retire and do so while they are young enough to enjoy it.

     

    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • thexratedthexrated Member UncommonPosts: 1,368

    I am pretty sure they knew about this before they sold the company. Probably had a clause that stated that they must stay in the company a certain period after the sales.

    They cashed in. I would have done the same thing.

    "The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in."

  • BurntvetBurntvet Member RarePosts: 3,465

    Who cares?

    The real Bioware died years ago.

    These guys were just collecting the check. Very common for senior execs to stay on a while after their company gets bought out.

     

  • TarotMageTarotMage Member Posts: 126

    Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there rumors a few weeks back that EA was looking for a buyer?

     

    And going off on another tangent, I'm wondering if the success of the Kickstarter-funded "Project Eternity" somehow figures into the equation. The fact that the initial amount was publicly funded on its first day (some reports say 23 hours, some say 27) has had to have sent some sort of message to game publishers!

    Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. - Marie Curie

  • OmnifishOmnifish Member Posts: 616

    Well fair enough to the doctors, maybe signing on to EA had clauses that they had to stay for but as development heads they've had little input.  I wish them well in the next chapter of their careers.

     

    Bioware has had a bad two years, as a past fan of their games it's been disapointing.  I'd say this though about the community.

     

    The community aren't rabid lovesick puppies and won't swallow whatever's given to them.  Just check out the social forums and the complaints as well as the campaigns organised to protest against certain things, (ME3 and Cakegate).  People have backed up there outrage and made sure Bioware knew about it.  You know what's happened? Bioware seem to have reacted to it, giving away extra DLC and trying to address those issues.  It's all to still be delievered on of course, (with DA3), but at least there seems to be a dialogue and an acknowledgement.

     

    None of this may ever happen but can you imagine Blizzard or any other company trying their best to win back the goodwill Bioware once had? I think they deserve another chance and let's hope, for all our sakes, they make the most of it.

     

    This looks like a job for....The Riviera Kid!

  • ElikalElikal Member UncommonPosts: 7,912

    Wake up call? God, how many wake up calls does this industry need? They wouldn't wake up if the trumpeters of Jericho themselves would play Walzing Mathilda in front of them!

    How many times did some EA bonzo write "ohhh we have learned our lesson" by now?

    People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert

  • maplestonemaplestone Member UncommonPosts: 3,099

    "I’ve reached an unexpected point in my life where I no longer have the passion that I once did for the company, for the games, and for the challenge of creation."

    That's an incredibly painful line to see written by someone of such enthusiasm for the art.

  • SamhaelSamhael Member RarePosts: 1,495
    While I appreciate the work the doctors had done in the past, I'm glad to see they are out of this business now. They made some more money and provided some products that were outstanding. It's been a while since any of their more recent products has been as good so the timing is right for them to leave.  They knew what they were starting when they sold out to EA. And they confirmed that six months ago when they gave their internal notice.
  • BaselineBaseline Member Posts: 503
    Originally posted by Ozmodan

    What EA touches, EA turns to crap.  Amazing they manage to stay in business.

    McDonalds produces crap and they are one of the biggest companies in the world.

    Welcome to an era where quantity destroys quality.

  • JRRNeiklotJRRNeiklot Member UncommonPosts: 129
    Biloware has been dead for a long time.  BG2 was the last game they made worth a crap.
  • KniknaxKniknax Member UncommonPosts: 576
    This was a very interesting read, thank you.

    "When people don't know much about something, they tend to fill in the blanks the way they want them to be filled in. They are almost always disappointed." - Will Wright

  • SasamiSasami Member Posts: 326
    Originally posted by Baseline
    Originally posted by Ozmodan

    What EA touches, EA turns to crap.  Amazing they manage to stay in business.

    McDonalds produces crap and they are one of the biggest companies in the world.

    Welcome to an era where quantity destroys quality.

    Really bad comparison and only slightly true in one point. Firstly cost structure is totally different. Game industry is much like film industry. When you have to put 50 million dollars for product that will be ready in 2-5 years and has high risk of never returning that money. Majority of game studios fail because they are playing poker with all-in all time. They might win hand but it takes just one hit to go down. Only similiar thing with McDonalds and EA is that they can lose hand simply because they are so big.

    Game industry is less fun nowdays. Back in 90's you could make really good AAA grade game with just 20 people, not much management in that. Now you need hundreds and probaply 20 people just to manage that. Same time gamers are more demanding and less interested to spend time with your product.

  • bingbongbrosbingbongbros Member UncommonPosts: 689

    Bioware doesn't exist anymore, it's a zombie now.  Just wandering around the video game space puking out garbage games and devouring its customers without a thought.

     

    EA is patient zero, it finds good companies that make good games and then it infects them and takes them over making them part of its hive zombie collective.

     

    All the big time money suits at the top just sit in their ultra rich offices and mansions and think...

    "hmm.. what company isn't under our control that is making good games?" says asshole exec #1.

     

    "How about that Bioware company? My idiot kid is always playing their games." replies dumb fat bastard exec #2.

     

    "Excellent, lets buy them out for a shit ton of money so they can't refuse and then completely destroy it so we can pump out pile of shit games and just slap Bioware on them all so people like your idiot son will buy it!" exclaims soulless money whoring exec #1.

     

    :::Morale of the story::::  EA NEEDS TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!! if there is any hope for the video gaming future!! EA MUST BURN!!!!!

    Playing: Smite, Marvel Heroes
    Played: Nexus:Kingdom of the Winds, Everquest, DAoC, Everquest 2, WoW, Matrix Online, Vangaurd, SWG, DDO, EVE, Fallen Earth, LoTRo, CoX, Champions Online, WAR, Darkfall, Mortal Online, Guild Wars, Rift, Tera, Aion, AoC, Gods and Heroes, DCUO, FF14, TSW, SWTOR, GW2, Wildstar, ESO, ArcheAge
    Waiting On: Nothing. Mmorpg's are dead.

  • AG-VukAG-Vuk Member UncommonPosts: 823

    I see their departures as a definitive separation , with them planning to start up a new studio. I wish them good fortune.

    With that said, I not so sure they don't hold a good portion of the blame for how SWToR ended up. As corporations go this looks like they were forced out. The game itself holds a lot of cues from KoTOR I & II. EA threw it's entire backing on to this project ( financially ) and probably technical also . The choice of engine still leaves me scratching my head as do quite a few design choices. I find it curious that out of the three mentioned above , two are leaving. This sounds to me, that on a corporate level the failure , if you want to call it such , of SWToR is being laid at their feet. Since now nondisclosure agreements are in effect , we'll never know the truth. The truth will however be revealed on the basis of the next projects released by EA, and the new company that'll more then likely arise. I'll be interested to see what develops.

    image
  • logan400klogan400k Member UncommonPosts: 68

    Well the problem in the 2000s was money. A company like BioWare can only do so much before they reach a money cap. So in an effort to build bigger and more, which is demanded by the gaming audience (us), they "sell out". Now with Kickstarter it may not be necessary to do that.

     

    As for the good Drs, I doubt this is the last we see of them. Game design gets in your blood and even though you may have to take a voluntary or enforced break.  I imagine both men have a non-compete agreement and there is no way they can build a new indie studio while members of BioWare/EA.  In a few years I would not be surprised to see them and a bunch of former Bioware desperados making something new.

     

    Now my pet peeve - once again we forget the past. I understand that for the author personally, It was where the PC RPG started altogether.  I am guessing the author never played Wasteland, Bard's Tale, any of the Gold Box AD&D games? I get it,; the article is about BioWare. Fine. Just say "restarted" or was "reborn". That would be an accurate statement. /rant.

    Just My 2 Lunars

  • Mariner-80Mariner-80 Member Posts: 347

    I had some good times in Bioware games, and I haven't written Bioware off yet (still keeping my fingers crossed regarding DA3).

     

    But, imo, studios like Obsidian (Project Eternity) are the future of RPGs, and Bioware, sadly, is yesterday's news.

  • HrimnirHrimnir Member RarePosts: 2,415

    I wrote off bioware a long time ago.  Mass Effect 1 was really what did it for me.  I dont know if its because i went back and replayed KOTOR about a year before ME1 came out, but i couldnt NOT notice the glaringly huge similarities between ME1  and KOTOR.  I was willing to keep them in mind, then i watched my roommate at the time playing ME2 and it was such a joke of a game.

     

    None of any of this surprises me.

    "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

    - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • AeolronAeolron Member Posts: 648

    There goes another Canadian company going down the hole because of an American outlet, since Greg and Ray are gone, it probably won't be long till Bioware dies, pretty sad to be honest we Canadians loved Bioware and yet it is turning to crap because of my above statement.

  • HrimnirHrimnir Member RarePosts: 2,415
    Originally posted by Aeolron

    There goes another Canadian company going down the hole because of an American outlet, since Greg and Ray are gone, it probably won't be long till Bioware dies, pretty sad to be honest we Canadians loved Bioware and yet it is turning to crap because of my above statement.

     

    Well blame your Canadian cohorts for selling their company to americans.  Don't blame us.

    "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

    - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • KarahandrasKarahandras Member UncommonPosts: 1,703
    Originally posted by ZigZags
    This is GREAT news since Bioware hasn't made a good game since....since....I cant even remember the last good game they made. I may even remove them from my boycott list but we'll see.

    I agree wtith this.  But without the people that started it all with the likes of baldurs gate etc. am guessing all they'll make is more 'ea crap', until they close down the studio and move on to swallow the next piece of competition.

  • NobleNerdNobleNerd Member UncommonPosts: 759
    It is a sad day to see the 2 Docs leave, but will it matter in the long run? Two words... Electronic Arts (EA). That for me as a fan of Bioware was the saddest day I can think of. I wish the 2 great success at whatever they do and hope for the best at Bioware, but as a fan I retired the day it bacame EA/Bioware.


Sign In or Register to comment.