EA Delays New BioWare IP to FY 2019

[Steven Bogos]

EA Delays New BioWare IP to FY 2019

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/649/649732.jpg
EA CEO Andrew Wilson announced that the new, original IP from BioWare won't launch until financial year 2019.

The new, original IP from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood developer BioWare has been pushed back to financial year 2019, which begins from March/April 2018. EA CEO Andrew Wilson made the announcement at an EA earnings call today, stating that while the game is developing well, an intricate "live service" is what has caused the delay.

"The design is stunning. Gameplay mechanics are excellent, and the action will be exhilarating. The game is built around a live service, and through our creative process, we decided to add more to the disruptive new social design for our players. To accommodate that, we are moving the launch date for this project into fiscal year '19" explained Wilson.

Previously, the game was slated to launch "before March 2018", but the push back into FY 2019 means we may not see it until March 2019.

While the new BioWare title hasn't been officially announced yet, the game is described by EA and Wilson as more of an action-adventure game than a RPG. Now that we know that a "live service" is so crucial to the game, it hints towards it being an MMO. Perhaps something like Destiny.

Source: US Gamer [http://www.usgamer.net/articles/ea-delays-new-bioware-ip-could-arrive-as-late-as-2019]

Permalink

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Spoiler: Uhhhhmmmmmm...

Whyyyy is this?

 

[Saelune]

I see what you did there. I'd point it out but I want to see if others see it too.

 

[Zhukov]

Do we give a shit at this point?

A "live service" game from the people who put their name on Mass Effect Andromeda. Whoop-de-fuckin'-doo.

 

[Hawki]

The new, original IP from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood developer BioWare

That's an...um, interesting point of reference.

Course I really dislike Sonic Chronicles, ranging from its story/lore (I don't know how you can break Sonic canon, but somehow Bioware managed it), to its gameplay (simplistic), to its ending (cliffhanger, followed by Sonic and Tails discussing how great Bioware is), to the fact that my headcanon dictates that Sonic Forces is the sequel to Chronicles (makes sense, shadup), but, well, okay.

"The design is stunning. Gameplay mechanics are excellent, and the action will be exhilarating. The game is built around a live service, and through our creative process, we decided to add more to the disruptive new social design for our players. To accommodate that, we are moving the launch date for this project into fiscal year '19" explained Wilson.

Why do I have a feeling it's going to be an MMO/MMO-lite/thing? I mean:

While the new BioWare title hasn't been officially announced yet, the game is described by EA and Wilson as more of an action-adventure game than a RPG. Now that we know that a "live service" is so crucial to the game, it hints towards it being an MMO. Perhaps something like Destiny.

You took the words right out of my mouth with the Destiny reference.

Haven't played Destiny, so can't comment, but it's...interesting, I guess. Bioware seems to be stepping out of their comfort zone either way.

Do we give a shit at this point?

A "live service" game from the people who put their name on Mass Effect Andromeda. Whoop-de-fuckin'-doo.

In Bioware's defence, the term "Bioware" is more a brand than a single development studio (there's actually multiple Bioware branches). The people behind Andromeda are unlikely to be the same ones behind the new IP.

 

[The Raw Shark]

So they're dropping the pretenses and finally making the MMO they've desperately been wanting to make now? (Making my Revan and Exile save games non-canon for the sake of an OKAY-ish Star Wars game doesn't count)

 

[Diablo2000]

So they're dropping the pretenses and finally making the MMO they've desperately been wanting to make now? (Making my Revan and Exile save games non-canon for the sake of an OKAY-ish Star Wars game doesn't count)

To be fair. It wasn't Bioware who made the canon for KOTOR, that was Lucasfilms. Keep in mind that in no way excuses SWTOR terrible writing 90% of the time. (at best)

As for the new IP. Meh, if they released info on it then maybe I would care.

 

[Wrex Brogan]

...2019? That's a hell of a delay, though at least they might avoid going toe-to-toe with World of Warcraft and Destiny 2's expansions. But still, jesus christ, something must've either broken horribly or they took a hard look at the response to ME:A and went 'you know, maybe we should polish this thing up a little more, make sure people can actually play this damn thing on day 1'.

Do we give a shit at this point?

A "live service" game from the people who put their name on Mass Effect Andromeda. Whoop-de-fuckin'-doo.

I think this is actually why Mass Effect Andromeda was such a... well, mess - from everything I heard all the experienced devs were pulled off ME:A to work on whatever this will be, leaving ME:A with the Bioware B-team.

...which means this game will still probably be a mess, but at least it'll be slightly less buggy than ME:A. And probably will have slightly better dialogue than 'sorry my face is tired'.

 

[Zhukov]

I think this is actually why Mass Effect Andromeda was such a... well, mess - from everything I heard all the experienced devs were pulled off ME:A to work on whatever this will be, leaving ME:A with the Bioware B-team.

...which means this game will still probably be a mess, but at least it'll be slightly less buggy than ME:A. And probably will have slightly better dialogue than 'sorry my face is tired'.

Nah, that's not how it worked.

MEA was made by a new team entirely with the Bioware name slapped on them. Their only previous project was the ME3 co-op multiplayer. They weren't even the B-team, they were the C-Team.

And they still managed to make a substantially better game than Dragon Age Inquisition, which was made by either the A or B teams, depending on how much talent TOR was slurping into its black hole of MMO irrelevance at the time.

 

[Jamcie Kerbizz]

Lets translate this from corporate:

"The design is stunning.

Stunningly bad but who cares, customers will just bicker with eachother over it as usual. Free marketing!

Gameplay mechanics are excellent,

we have brutal in your face 'incentives' for microtransactions that are sure to rake in tons of cash

and the action will be exhilarating.

we're making a shooter cause we can't cope with RPGs anymore.

The game is built around a live service,

Game will be relient on our servers so once new project hits shelves we pull the plug and shmucks have no choice but to pull out their wallets and line up. Money!

and through our creative process, we decided to add more to the disruptive new social design for our players. To accommodate that, we are moving the launch date for this project into fiscal year '19" explained Wilson.

we need more money on marketing and time to actually start creating the game.

 

[Quellist]

Who the fuck cares? EA Bioware is to original Bioware what the Collectors were to the Protheans with EA in the role of the Reapers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJIQfmWx3dI

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

SP or GTFO, BioWare, at least as far as I'm concerned. It rather sounds like I won't care for this to see the light of day at all.

 

[Dragonlayer]

The new, original IP from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood developer BioWare

Isn't this like referring to a new original IP as being produced by DICE, most famous for developing Pinball Dreams? Well either way, could be interesting....as long as they keep the Andromeda team firmly in the corner.

I think this is actually why Mass Effect Andromeda was such a... well, mess - from everything I heard all the experienced devs were pulled off ME:A to work on whatever this will be, leaving ME:A with the Bioware B-team.

...which means this game will still probably be a mess, but at least it'll be slightly less buggy than ME:A. And probably will have slightly better dialogue than 'sorry my face is tired'.

Nah, that's not how it worked.

MEA was made by a new team entirely with the Bioware name slapped on them. Their only previous project was the ME3 co-op multiplayer. They weren't even the B-team, they were the C-Team.

And they still managed to make a substantially better game than Dragon Age Inquisition, which was made by either the A or B teams, depending on how much talent TOR was slurping into its black hole of MMO irrelevance at the time.

And yet ME3's multiplayer was surprisingly awesome, so what the fuck happened!? Then again, I suppose they didn't have to practise much dialogue writing or facial animations for last stand combat scenarios....

 

[Sol_HSA]

At this point I'm not sure if bioware will be around in 2019..

 

[Dalisclock]

At this point I'm not sure if bioware will be around in 2019..

I'm glad I'm not the only one expecting them to be taken back behind the shed before too long.

Or maybe Vader force choking one of his officers who disappoints him too many times is a better comparison.

VaderEA:Apology Accepted, Bioware.

 

[pearcinator]

I tried to like Mass Effect: Andromeda. I really did. I've played about 15 hours of the single-player but it's just not gripping me like the OT did. It's not even the facial animations (I don't really care about that). It's the story and the 'open-world' design that I don't like. The story has potential but the Remnants are just...boring (don't spoil please, I might eventually try it again later - perhaps it does get more interesting?). Almost every single AAA game now has these open worlds, most of which are boring and I've played so many open-world games over the past few years that I'm really sick of them now. The only ones I really enjoyed recently were Zelda:Breath of the Wild and The Witcher 3.

Mass Effect trilogy wasn't open-world and it didn't need to be. One of the worst parts of ME1 were the exploration on the empty, habitless planets and Andromeda just decided that was the right decision. Maybe it was, I don't know.

Hopefully, Bioware releases a Mass Effect OT remaster with all the DLC and the combat system from ME3 used in ME1 and ME2. That, I think would make me love Mass Effect again.

Please, don't make a 'Destiny' or another MMO. The fans yearn for KOTOR 3 or Jade Empire 2 but that will probably never happen. It's a shame, Bioware were my favourite devs and I defended them with vigour when ME3 came out (the game was great, not as great as ME2 but still awesome, endings aside) but now I look to other devs to deliver the RPG goods (CD Projekt Red). Maybe EA has gutted you or maybe you've lost all the devs who cared the most. In any case, Bioware are now a shell of their former self and it pains me to admit that.

?If it wasn?t difficult it wouldn?t be worth while. Our best work is still ahead of us,? - Ray Muzyka, Feb 2010.

KOTOR will likely remain one of my favourite games ever (same with ME2) but their best is definitely behind them.

 

[Zhukov]

And yet ME3's multiplayer was surprisingly awesome, so what the fuck happened!? Then again, I suppose they didn't have to practise much dialogue writing or facial animations for last stand combat scenarios....

Pretty much. Making a complete single player game from scratch, especially a story-driven one, is a whole different kettle of fish to making a self-contained co-op mode.

They just plain weren't ready for the big leagues.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

Bioware continues to chase industry trends that are old hat by the time they manage to bring a product to market. Its sad to see a company that used to set trends reduced to desperately chasing them.

 

[saluraropicrusa]

And yet ME3's multiplayer was surprisingly awesome, so what the fuck happened!? Then again, I suppose they didn't have to practise much dialogue writing or facial animations for last stand combat scenarios....

Pretty much. Making a complete single player game from scratch, especially a story-driven one, is a whole different kettle of fish to making a self-contained co-op mode.

They just plain weren't ready for the big leagues.

i'm honestly surprised it's made by a completely new team... my issues with the game add up to "it feels way too much like the first game." in the way it feels to control (minus the jumping/jetpack), the deluge of side-quests and things to collect and skills to put your points into, inventory management (eeeuuugh), even the exploration... it gives me Mass Effect 1 flashbacks--and while that game has, in my opinion, the best story in the series, it's the one that (also in my opinion) has the worst gameplay.

i do think the complaints i've seen about Andromeda are way overblown (the animations aren't that bad and no more goofy than previous games, and the writing is fine so far besides the boring plot), but man... it's hard to go back to it when it feels like it's got all the same baggage of the original game(s) and not enough steps forward.

as for this new ip... it's obviously too early to judge one way or another. i love the lore of the Mass Effect universe, but who knows what genre this thing even is, so... we'll see, i guess.