http://www.gamersglobal.de/news/56545/haben-bioware-gruender-muzyka-zeschuk-bioware-verlassen

If this turns out to be true, sigh

AFter the debacle of Star Wars: TOR (which is going free to play, sub base is already lower then expected) and the DA2 DLC being cancelled, I already see  Bioware becoming just like Bullfrog, Westwood, Origin, Maxis, etc.

To me it seemed that Bioware used to make games ...to make games, they made games THEY themselves liked/enjoyed and put a lot of themselves into it, selling it to people and hoping tihey'd buy it because...well it was good.

This was true for Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter nights, KOTOR, and Mass Effect 1.

It seemed when EA bought them it was doing ok, they made the great Dragon Age: Origins post-ea purchase and it was an excellent game that seemed to go back to the older crpg days and many people loved it for that and assumed EA might finally figure otu to let studios they buy just "run the show" like they had been doing.

Then bioware seemed to turn to one of the biggest DLC studios, putting out a ton of dlc for newer games, even tot he point where you would be missing out on MAJOR storylines/plot points between a game if you did not play the dlc (IE ME2>ME3, you'll be wondering what happened and how Shepard got there/why even if you had played and beat ME2). It seemed they started to develop around dlc schedules to maximize profits instead of just making staright up good well containted games, on top of making them more and more "casual/easy."

I find it hard to believe that EA had 0 doing in any of it, and if the rumor is true that the bioware founders have/are leaving, I just don't see Bioware making good games like Bioware has done in the past.

It almost felt like EA expected this to happen. They have been plastering the Bioware name on plenty of different design studios, and they have to know that this will, long term, devalue the brand name. Short term though, it will drive up sales for the games that they are about to release (like Command & Conquer: Generals 2), because people still associate bioware with a certain degree of quality. EA don't really have the best track record with buying studios, they tend to die after a few years, the most recent (major) example I can think of is Pandemic Studios, and it is quite possible that the stockholders expects EA to "milk" the Bioware brand for as much as they can right now, instead of just let it slowly die. 

That is sad news, Bioware was indeed a great company Jade Empire and the KoTOR title that they did (they only did one of them), and other fine games is proof of that.

but frankly the Star Wars MMORPG was total junk, a washout of the same old level up, too strong bosses forcing you to focus on getting better and better gear and learning strange and arcane moves, and making you join a guild to get associates to help you advance, it was really really really bad, they deserve to fail because of that absolute piece of awful design. It was a money trap ....and it sounds like they have indeed become driven by the profit motive.

When you buy a game it should be self contained and copmlete, forcing you to buy add ons is just cirminal and i have no sypmathy for them if they fail because of it.

They did finaly listen to the fans about Sheppard after the ridiculous ending they tried to pass off, but that should never have happpened.   they moved a lot of their suport offshore so i have little sympathy for them anymore.

Last update says it may be a false rumour.

Anyhow I still agree with you all, Bioware is being murdered slowly by EA.

Regardless, it's a sad situation . ..but i guess everyone around here knows how i feel about EA, and this was only to be expected.  I saw Bioware die the day EA bought them.

One immediately saw the effect in the products that Bioware put out.  (Obviously they were allowed to finish the DA: O they had started, at least, and thank heaven for that.)

. 

I agree.

There is a world of difference between the original, independent BioWare (that teamed with Black Isle on the Baldur's Gate / Icewind Dale / Planescape titles and made its own great RPGs from scratch) and the post-buyout, watered-down EA BioWare that has made very few quality games since being acquired. 

Consequently, I finished mourning their loss to the CRPG market long ago.

But thankfully, we still have Bethesda and a few other terrific RPG specialists to rely on for high-quality, PC-worthy offerings in the genre. 

Cheers, Terry 

Originally Posted By Terry Penrod (6 AUG 2012 5:17pm)

But thankfully, we still have Bethesda and a few other terrific RPG specialists to rely on for high-quality, PC-worthy offerings in the genre. 

 

Cheers, Terry 

http://www.divinityoriginalsin.com/

Turnbased combat, isometric perspective, experienced devs. Something to look forward for all of us CRPG lovers.

. 

Originally Posted By Fnord (6 AUG 2012 5:35pm)

Originally Posted By Terry Penrod (6 AUG 2012 5:17pm)

But thankfully, we still have Bethesda and a few other terrific RPG specialists to rely on for high-quality, PC-worthy offerings in the genre. 

 

Cheers, Terry 

 

http://www.divinityoriginalsin.com/

Turnbased combat, isometric perspective, experienced devs. Something to look forward for all of us CRPG lovers.

Thanks for the timely and relevant link, Fnord. 

I'm playing Divinity II: Ego Draconis by Larian Studios for the first time as we speak and am enjoying it very much. 

Also really liked the first two (isometric) titles in the series and now it seems we have Divinity: Original Sin to look forward to. 

Next up for me is Deus Ex: Human Revolution and The Witcher 2: Enhanced, which I hear are excellent - to be eventually followed by Mass Effect 3 and Risen 2. 

So the stream of quality SP RPGs continues even without the once-great BioWare. 

Cheers, Terry 

Originally Posted By Terry Penrod (6 AUG 2012 6:04pm)

.

 

I'm playing Divinity II: Ego Draconis by Larian Studios for the first time as we speak and am enjoying it very much. 

 

 

Oh, i'm so glad to hear you're enjoying that, Terry!

Thanks for the link, Fnord.  Heh, seems the Germans really love them their Orcs, and will stick to them, come what may.  At least Ego Draconis didn't have orcs.

Chris Priestly, community manager at Bioware said in a comment on Twitter that:

Totally false. Greg was in the office on Thursday. His room is across from mine.

They also published EA's answer to the unconfirmed rumour:

When Greg Zeschuk announced the reorganization of BWA in May, he outlined his plan to return to his family in Edmonton for a much deserved vacation.  Greg also announced the new GM of BioWare Austin and SWTOR, Matt Bromberg.  Greg is still with EA. He’s now back in Canada, taking time off and thinking about new projects. No change with Ray Muzyka."

Just because Greg Z. left Bioware Austin (SW: TOR) in May does not mean that has left Bioware; his plate has probably been full for the last 6-12 months working 12 or more hours a day....

I hate loath and detest iosmetric, it removes us from direct contact with the game world and makes it a sandbox affair, basically hands off, which i will never support.

re Bioware, please make Jade Empre 2 finally and just get back to making real games.

Star Wars MMO RIP, and move on. You cant dress up an old dog (grinding and Boss Riddled hacked MMOS) and expect new tricks.

the same old rule of a few super players and everyone else gets repeatedly stuck at overly strong bosses. No fun at all.