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BioWare Responds to Kotaku Article Criticizing Troubled Anthem Game Development - MMORPG.com

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited April 2019 in News & Features Discussion

imageBioWare Responds to Kotaku Article Criticizing Troubled Anthem Game Development - MMORPG.com

Earlier today, Kotaku put up a scathing article about the missteps in the development of BioWare's Anthem. Most notably, employees have reported crushing development cycles, mismanagement, trademark issues and much more that led up to its February 2019 released that "was panned by fans and critics". Moments after the article was published, BioWare published a response to the article citing its value of studio workplace culture and its appreciation of its staff.

Read the full story here



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Comments

  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    Reading the article just brings back memories of Mass Effect: Andromeda and really seems to show a studio in trouble. Pretty insightful and, honestly, I don't see any reason not to believe what is being reported. That BioWare responded almost immediately lends credence to what it says, IMO.
    JeroKaneTuor7[Deleted User]rojoArcueidGdemamiPanther2103Dhamon99ScottJeslisbartoni33Alomarand 15 others.


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • AlbatroesAlbatroes Member LegendaryPosts: 7,671
    edited April 2019
    I wish they put this much effort into the game's development as they do with PR. All these words yet still need to wait months on end for action. This is the main reason why I never buy games until months after launch.
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,838
    It just baffles me how a game can have such incredible combat and visuals, but manages to fail at everything else. 
    SBFordkoldmiserShodanasJeroKane3domrojoArcueidVrika[Deleted User]Panther2103Dhamon99and 15 others.
  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,015
    edited April 2019
    While that list is concerning, I don't really put much value on "this" being a huge issue:

    "the name was changed from Beyond to Anthem less than a week before its announcement"

    I've changed titles of pieces on the day the info was going to the printer for the programs. Not really a big deal. Though after reading part of the article I get why they wanted Beyond.

    The other stuff is concerning.

    After this I really won't be able to understand why any company would agree to be purchased by Electronic Arts "other than the money" as it isn't a good place to be.
    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

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    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • RobbgobbRobbgobb Member UncommonPosts: 674
    Seems like there is a problem in the upper ranks for sure. I lean towards the article over the pr release. Imagine if the game was in development for that long and the upper ranks just could have agreed on where to take the game on what we would have with all that development time.
    Gdemami
  • PyukPyuk Member UncommonPosts: 762
    Typical EA shenanigans, if you ask me. Every game EA (Bioware hasn't been Bioware for a long time post EA assimilation) pinches out has been on the weary backs of overworked, sleep deprived devs that are managed by sycophant, talentless managers that couldn't be bothered by input from the real devs in the trenches. The devs are treated like throw-away cogs, where the really talented devs jump the EA ship after one or two shipped games. They've been the worst publisher and dev house for decades. EA won't change, and it's the very definition of insanity to think that the next game will have more humane and talented game development.
    Tuor7Gdemami

    I make spreadsheets at work - I don't want to make them for the games I play.

  • alkarionlogalkarionlog Member EpicPosts: 3,584
    bioware answers looks more like, don't be mean to our workers, they did they best, something like something someone is afraid to hurt people feeling.. patetic

    and serious inquisition a sucess? was at the best better then dragon age 2 and that is not hard to achieve, lot of the game was boring as hell and combat was meh at the best, wining a game awrd means little, only that year we had a lot of crap games, and making something less crap then other is not something to be proud of


    what kotaku says here just mean what most people already see since dragon age 2 and Mass effect, bioware tossed all the regard and prestige they had in the latrine and is not something we should support

    btw how many crap games streak they have now? I stoped counting after 4
    Gdemami
    FOR HONOR, FOR FREEDOM.... and for some money.
  • koldmiserkoldmiser Member RarePosts: 348

    Aeander said:

    It just baffles me how a game can have such incredible combat and visuals, but manages to fail at everything else. 



    Totally agree. The combat and visuals are amazing, but it's like they tried to build a game around that and fell flat.
    onelesslight
  • BloodaxesBloodaxes Member EpicPosts: 4,662
    Aeander said:
    It just baffles me how a game can have such incredible combat and visuals, but manages to fail at everything else. 
    Why should it baffle you? Nowadays all everyone wants is pretty visuals apparently.
    Tuor7rojoArcueidinfomatzonelesslighttweedledumb99

  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    edited April 2019

    Bloodaxes said:


    Aeander said:

    It just baffles me how a game can have such incredible combat and visuals, but manages to fail at everything else. 


    Why should it baffle you? Nowadays all everyone wants is pretty visuals apparently.



    Not even ,people are spending money in drones to do nothing more than grab a gun and shoot stuff.BR's the Destiny's Anthem's,The Division ,all very shallow games,shoot stuff and pickup your loot,WHOA is that an amazing game design,so creative,so UNIQUE,never seen that design before !!.
    dragonlee66

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • 3dom3dom Member RarePosts: 889
    edited April 2019
    The worst part is the loot inscriptions weren't improved even a little bit after release. And these are simple numbers in database in a PvE game which basically does not need a lot of thoughts put into balancing. Yet the players get trash-tier "legendary" drop during 6+ weeks already.

    Makes me wonder if the game will turn into new Skyforge with its nice cosmetics, characters, huge world - but endless alpha state of the core gameplay and loot.
    Gdemami

    Thank you for your time!

  • alkarionlogalkarionlog Member EpicPosts: 3,584
    Pyuk said:
    Typical EA shenanigans, if you ask me. Every game EA (Bioware hasn't been Bioware for a long time post EA assimilation) pinches out has been on the weary backs of overworked, sleep deprived devs that are managed by sycophant, talentless managers that couldn't be bothered by input from the real devs in the trenches. The devs are treated like throw-away cogs, where the really talented devs jump the EA ship after one or two shipped games. They've been the worst publisher and dev house for decades. EA won't change, and it's the very definition of insanity to think that the next game will have more humane and talented game development.

    nope don't let the ones working out the hook that easily, nowadays everyone is over worked and stressed with work, but if I do use that as a excuse to make a crap job I will still lose my job, not everyone on this world is as forgiving as players are, in any place of teh world if a company start to be know for selling crap they will close shop, no one would buy from then, gamers are.... strange in a lot of ways and these are the most annoying one
    Wizardry said:

    Bloodaxes said:


    Aeander said:

    It just baffles me how a game can have such incredible combat and visuals, but manages to fail at everything else. 


    Why should it baffle you? Nowadays all everyone wants is pretty visuals apparently.



    Not even ,people are spending money in drones to do nothing more than grab a gun and shoot stuff.BR's the Destiny's Anthem's,The Division ,all very shallow games,shoot stuff and pickup your loot,WHOA is that an amazing game design,so creative,so UNIQUE,never seen that design before !!.
    there is a reason why most BR games are linked to kids playing it :p
    Gdemami
    FOR HONOR, FOR FREEDOM.... and for some money.
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,838
    koldmiser said:

    Aeander said:

    It just baffles me how a game can have such incredible combat and visuals, but manages to fail at everything else. 



    Totally agree. The combat and visuals are amazing, but it's like they tried to build a game around that and fell flat.
    It's more like they didn't try to build the game around that.

    I don't think they quite knew how to build content and stage design around the kind of mobility and verticality that Anthem offers. Thus why the game throws overheat and anti-flight zones at you at every opportunity.
  • XasapisXasapis Member RarePosts: 6,337
    I wonder how much of the following conspiracy theory holds truth in the case of Anthem.

    It certainly explains their inability to fix the loot system of their loot shooter game.


    Gdemami
  • winghaven1winghaven1 Member RarePosts: 737
    Bioware is a shell of what it once was.
    bartoni33alkarionlogTacticalZombehinfomatzSpottyGekkoPhry
  • momintimmomintim Member UncommonPosts: 108
    Sooo the announcement trailer in 2017 was just pre-production then since production didn't actually start all but 18 months ago or technically right after the announcement trailer!!! WTF glad i skipped the dumpster fire.
  • ShaighShaigh Member EpicPosts: 2,142
    It sounds like bioware never was capable of replacing Casey Hudson as the creative director and instead had a team that lacked a unified vision on the game they were making and kept wasting time and money. They also suffered from using frostbite, its a great engine for making battlefield games but when bioware has to make open world games in third person it makes everything a lot harder.

    Rushing a game to release sounds very typical of EA forgetting why people keep hating them.
    Gdemami
    Iselin: And the next person who says "but it's a business, they need to make money" can just go fuck yourself.
  • JeffSpicoliJeffSpicoli Member EpicPosts: 2,849
    All the big studio's seem to really be failing latetly, Bioware & Blizzard use to set the bar when it came to making video games now they are trash. So what has changed ? Perhaps they are not hiring talented people anymore ?
    SBFordGdemami

    • Aloha Mr Hand ! 

  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    edited April 2019
    Shaigh said:
    It sounds like bioware never was capable of replacing Casey Hudson as the creative director and instead had a team that lacked a unified vision on the game they were making and kept wasting time and money. They also suffered from using frostbite, its a great engine for making battlefield games but when bioware has to make open world games in third person it makes everything a lot harder.

    Rushing a game to release sounds very typical of EA forgetting why people keep hating them.
    I think the most crippling thing for BioWare is being forced to use an engine that simply isn't designed for the kinds of games they make. 

    It is further worrisome that Dragon Age 4 is being built on Anthem's code. :/

    https://www.pcgamesn.com/dragon-age-4/dragon-age-4-anthem

    NO Dragon Age game has any business....NO BUSINESS...being a "games as a service" title. 
    [Deleted User]Gdemami[Deleted User]klash2def[Deleted User]infomatzGobstopper3DEMoneyRexKushman


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • alkarionlogalkarionlog Member EpicPosts: 3,584
    SBFord said:
    Shaigh said:
    It sounds like bioware never was capable of replacing Casey Hudson as the creative director and instead had a team that lacked a unified vision on the game they were making and kept wasting time and money. They also suffered from using frostbite, its a great engine for making battlefield games but when bioware has to make open world games in third person it makes everything a lot harder.

    Rushing a game to release sounds very typical of EA forgetting why people keep hating them.
    I think the most crippling thing for BioWare is being forced to use an engine that simply isn't designed for the kinds of games they make. 

    It is further worrisome that Dragon Age 4 is being built on Anthem's code. :/

    https://www.pcgamesn.com/dragon-age-4/dragon-age-4-anthem

    NO Dragon Age game has any business....NO BUSINESS...being a "games as a service" title. 

    you really think the main problem is the engine?

    and another dragon age huh? I guess they though they didn't tossed enough dirty on this IP so they need to try harder
    FOR HONOR, FOR FREEDOM.... and for some money.
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  • ShaighShaigh Member EpicPosts: 2,142
    edited April 2019
    SBFord said:
    Shaigh said:
    It sounds like bioware never was capable of replacing Casey Hudson as the creative director and instead had a team that lacked a unified vision on the game they were making and kept wasting time and money. They also suffered from using frostbite, its a great engine for making battlefield games but when bioware has to make open world games in third person it makes everything a lot harder.

    Rushing a game to release sounds very typical of EA forgetting why people keep hating them.
    I think the most crippling thing for BioWare is being forced to use an engine that simply isn't designed for the kinds of games they make. 

    It is further worrisome that Dragon Age 4 is being built on Anthem's code. :/

    https://www.pcgamesn.com/dragon-age-4/dragon-age-4-anthem

    NO Dragon Age game has any business....NO BUSINESS...being a "games as a service" title. 
    Given that they are forced to utilize frostbite and they did a lot of work on the engine to use it for anthem it would be silly to scratch all work they have done on it.

    With EA being all about GAAS and they don't want to make singleplayer games anymore you are screwed on dragon age. Personally my sequels to da:O was pillars of eternity.
    Roin
    Iselin: And the next person who says "but it's a business, they need to make money" can just go fuck yourself.
  • MensurMensur Member EpicPosts: 1,515

    winghaven1 said:

    Bioware is a shell of what it once was.



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  • GdemamiGdemami Member EpicPosts: 12,342
    ...still waiting for that picture of a parking lot.
    [Deleted User]alkarionlog
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,838
    edited April 2019
    Gorwe said:
    Aeander said:
    It just baffles me how a game can have such incredible combat and visuals, but manages to fail at everything else. 
    There is more to a game than whistles and bells. Ethereal facts, you must take care of them. Otherwise you'll just faceplant.
    It's more like they got us the right Christmas present, but dropped it and then used a gift wrap made of barbed wire and sandpaper.
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