Is Bioware finished?

[rusty_shackleford]

It appears that SWTOR is now getting handed over to a third-party studio, what was a rumor seemingly now confirmed by a developer:
https://forums.swtor.com/topic/930077-f ... nt-9766042
I'm not exactly certain if it will be an existing studio or a new studio formed solely for SWTOR(and, perhaps, a KOTOR remake?)

For those unaware, SWTOR is very profitable:
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/huge- ... 0-6471011/

Publisher Elctronic Arts announced on an earnings call that The Old Republic is now closing in on $1 billion in lifetime revenue. "Believe it or not, we are close to $1 billion on Star Wars: The Old Republic revenue from the start of its history," EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said. "So it's a business that just keeps on going. We like those types of businesses."

This was before it launched on Steam becoming one of the consistently best-selling games in the RPG category. Additionally, Bioware's Anthem was most likely killed due to siphoning developers from SWTOR to try to fix Anthem. EA seems quite protective of SWTOR(Bioware Austin) from the main Bioware studio, therefore this shift isn't that much of a surprise to those paying attention.

One question remains however: What is the fate of Bioware? Is EA convinced the latest Dragon Age is going to be a faceplant after internal testing and making preemptive moves?

[Emphyrio]

What happened to TORtanic?

[rusty_shackleford]

What happened to TORtanic?

Money printer go brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Emphyrio]

I will never understand the people who enjoy MMORPGs.

[KnightoftheWind]

They were "finished" a decade and a half ago.

[rusty_shackleford]

Bioware issues statement confirming that SWTOR is now no longer owned by Bioware.
https://blog.bioware.com/2023/06/27/bri ... for-swtor/

SWTOR will now be a part of EA Broadsword, which also maintains Ultima Online & DAoC.

[rusty_shackleford]

Former design director at Bioware (Austin) seems to suggests this is probably it for Bioware, dead studio walking. SWTOR is just being salvaged from the wreckage. Confirms what I stated prior, Bioware Austin didn't have a good relationship with Bioware. Despite being Bioware's big moneymaker, Bioware didn't seem to give a **** about it.


(full thread of tweets)

Checking lead devs of SWTOR, they mostly seem very positive of the move.

[rusty_shackleford]

I will never understand the people who enjoy MMORPGs.

SWTOR's success is probably tied to it being a Star Wars product more than anything.

Surprisingly decent singleplayer content — enough so that if it was an offline game it would be a decent enough "kotor 3" — not a good MMO at all.
Also, despite being an EA game it has arguably the best monetization model on the market. $15 once for all content released up to that point forever* is much better than pretty much any competition.

[MadPreacher]

BioWaste died the moment it was sold to EA the publisher where studios go to die.

SWTOR has severely over monetized itself to the point that it literally costs a lot of money to have the storage needed to hold onto all your stuff. I remember when you had plenty of room when it was still pay to play and that ended up going away. I logged in about 6 months ago only to have 90% of the stuff I had in my open inventory in an overflow. **** that ****.

[The_Mask]

I'm pretty sure what happened was that when Bioware upper management sold Bioware to EA, they had to deal with EA's corporate more-money-making policy, which meant going MMO, but also having to deal with the trenches than had to cooperate with Austin trenches.

Because when you train someone in what you do, you feel you become a person that can be easily replaced.

Now... MMO lifecycles... trends... stuff like that... that's just PR talk. WoW, for example, is a bunch of ****, but *some* people still pay money for that overpriced furry-fest, so... it keeps going, despite trends, and cycles.



This guy, Schmidt, is talking like this, because someone else else sold him that he should talk like this. Useful tool, basically.

[rusty_shackleford]

I'm pretty sure what happened was that when Bioware upper management sold Bioware to EA, they had to deal with EA's corporate more-money-making policy, which meant going MMO, but also having to deal with the trenches than had to cooperate with Austin trenches.

Because when you train someone in what you do, you feel you become a person that can be easily replaced.

Now... MMO lifecycles... trends... stuff like that... that's just PR talk. WoW, for example, is a bunch of ****, but *some* people still pay money for that overpriced furry-fest, so... it keeps going, despite trends, and cycles.



This guy, Schmidt, is talking like this, because someone else else sold him that he should talk like this. Useful tool, basically.

Yes, well, that's an interesting point.

This is my counterpoint:


SWTOR is currently selling more via microtransactions/subscriptions than any single player RPG on Steam.

[The_Mask]

Perhaps true. But there are two currencies in this world. There is money. And then there is reputation.

And, unfortunately, EA seems to think that you can buy reputation.

Maybe they're right, but... personally... I've bought only the Mass Effect series from EA. That's it. So... I don't know. I feel like a grandpa now. I don't understand this world anymore.

[Emphyrio]

would rather have money than reputation tbqh

[wndrbr]

Bioware been doing those gay romances way before getting acquired by EA. They were doomed from the start.

[KnightoftheWind]

Bioware been doing those gay romances way before getting acquired by EA. They were doomed from the start.

Games have always had subversive elements in them, some less than others. And so did movies, for a very long time. People like to think that the degeneracy only started in the 2010s but they're incredibly naive.

[Roguey]

I'm pretty sure what happened was that when Bioware upper management sold Bioware to EA, they had to deal with EA's corporate more-money-making policy, which meant going MMO, but also having to deal with the trenches than had to cooperate with Austin trenches.

The Biodocs sold out to EA because they were already doing the Star Wars MMO but didn't actually have the resources to complete it.

[KnightoftheWind]

So I guess the success of World of Warcraft killed two renowned developers, go figure.

[General Reign]

Bioware will one day transform into a studio that is just a name with 0 employees. Before that happens they need at least one more massive failure.

[rusty_shackleford]

Bioware will one day transform into a studio that is just a name with 0 employees. Before that happens they need at least one more massive failure.

I suspect, but have no proof of, internal testing of dragon age deadname is not going well. Would be hard to guess what else would cause something like this.

[Atlantico]

I'm pretty sure what happened was that when Bioware upper management sold Bioware to EA, they had to deal with EA's corporate more-money-making policy, which meant going MMO, but also having to deal with the trenches than had to cooperate with Austin trenches.

The Biodocs sold out to EA because they were already doing the Star Wars MMO but didn't actually have the resources to complete it.

They had sold out to Elevation Partners in 2005, creating VG Holdings which also owned Pandemic Studios — VG Holdings then sold the company out to EA in 2007.

Elevation Partners are/were a private equity firm so their intention was never to hold ownership for too long. Note that some EP partners were well connected with EA already and VG Holdings also included Pandemic Studios, which were the remains of Westwood. Selling VG Holdings to EA was probably always on their radar, it just made sense.

idk about resources, but there's never too much of them!

[rusty_shackleford]

If any part of the current bioware problem could be attributed to EA, it's that they've been far too hands-off in handling the main bioware studio. Going on a decade now without a serious release other than the Anthem catastrophe.

[Roguey]

The Biodocs sold out to EA because they were already doing the Star Wars MMO but didn't actually have the resources to complete it.

They had sold out to Elevation Partners in 2005, creating VG Holdings which also owned Pandemic Studios — VG Holdings then sold the company out to EA in 2007.

Elevation Partners are/were a private equity firm so their intention was never to hold ownership for too long. Note that some EP partners were well connected with EA already and VG Holdings also included Pandemic Studios, which were the remains of Westwood. Selling VG Holdings to EA was probably always on their radar, it just made sense.

idk about resources, but there's never too much of them!

Yeah the Elevation buy-out gave them the funding to start the branch in 2006 https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/biowar ... evelopment

Then over a year later EA wrote them the big check to finish the work. Bioware was delusionally optimistic enough to think it would ship in 2009 https://www.gamespot.com/articles/biowa ... 0-6172473/

That it got delayed so much screwed over Edmonton quite severely, hence the Dragon Age II fiasco.

[J1M]

If any part of the current bioware problem could be attributed to EA, it's that they've been far too hands-off in handling the main bioware studio. Going on a decade now without a serious release other than the Anthem catastrophe.

No surprise that the EA execs don't want to travel to or live in Edmonton.

[rusty_shackleford]

https://blog.bioware.com/2023/08/23/an- ... f-bioware/

As part of this transition, we are eliminating approximately 50 roles at BioWare.

Bioware is going to be shut down once they manage to force the aborted fetus that is the next dragon age out the door.

[Emphyrio]

https://blog.bioware.com/2023/08/23/an- ... f-bioware/

As part of this transition, we are eliminating approximately 50 roles at BioWare.

Bioware is going to be shut down once they manage to force the aborted fetus that is the next dragon age out the door.

Maybe it will be good

[Atlantico]

https://blog.bioware.com/2023/08/23/an- ... f-bioware/

As part of this transition, we are eliminating approximately 50 roles at BioWare.

Bioware is going to be shut down once they manage to force the aborted fetus that is the next dragon age out the door.

Maybe it will be good

Whatever makes you so hopeful as to even suggest such a thing

[Emphyrio]

Maybe it will be good

Whatever makes you so hopeful as to even suggest such a thing

the art looks cool

[Atlantico]

Maybe it will be good

Whatever makes you so hopeful as to even suggest such a thing

the art looks cool

Yes, isn't it the same style as Dragon Age Keep and the DA3 icon style?

https://www.behance.net/gallery/5672048 ... n-Age-Keep

[Emphyrio]

Yes, isn't it the same style as Dragon Age Keep and the DA3 icon style?

i didn't play those games but the art from them looked great. i hope the artists who made these get to work on a good game.

[Emphyrio]

The last two game directors for Dreadwolf left. This is the new guy.

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