Rumor: Bioware being dissolved into EA

[lacktheknack]

If this is true I will have to finally give up on Bioware.

What?

Why?

If they aren't dissolved, then they'll keep on making games of medium-to-high quality. If they ARE dissolved, they'll cease to exist.

The only people who would "give up on Bioware" over this are extremist cultists who think EA is God.

 

[Spartan212]

So it would be the same as Mythic Games, and Maxis? Just merged into the company.

I'm going to call bullshit on this one, as BioWare Austin isn't it's own company. Zeschuck and Muzyka are probably still up in BioWare's head office in Edmonton, and no merge of a BioWare office would be made without the approval of BioWare Edmonton.

Remember guys, BioWare and it's owners are Canadian.

Well, technically, Bioware isn't Canadian anymore. They're owned by EA

I wish our resident German, SmashLovesTitanQuest, would comment. Curious if he's ever heard of the site mentioned in my OP

 

[lacktheknack]

Lol but it's only Bioware Austin... For that matter, how many different Bioware are there? Is it like Ubisoft (there's too many to count) Or Bioware Austin is the one and only?

There's six, Bioware Edmonton (the first) (city pride initiated!), Austin, Mythic, Montreal, Ireland, and San Francisco.

 

[Alandoril]

Given EA's history it really wouldn't surprise me if this were accurate.

If it happens then it will be a tragedy, Bioware have been one of my favourite studios.

 

[Misho-]

Lol but it's only Bioware Austin... For that matter, how many different Bioware are there? Is it like Ubisoft (there's too many to count) Or Bioware Austin is the one and only?

There's six, Bioware Edmonton (the first) (city pride initiated!), Austin, Mythic, Montreal, Ireland, and San Francisco.

Thank you! So yeah, it could be that just THAT studio (in charge of SW:TOR) will be merged with EA but everything else will keep being as it is. Meaning More Dragon Age from Bioware, More Mass Effect (if they continue the franchise outside of Shepard's point of view)from Bio, more of the same from Bioware.

 

[lacktheknack]

Lol but it's only Bioware Austin... For that matter, how many different Bioware are there? Is it like Ubisoft (there's too many to count) Or Bioware Austin is the one and only?

There's six, Bioware Edmonton (the first) (city pride initiated!), Austin, Mythic, Montreal, Ireland, and San Francisco.

Thank you! So yeah, it could be that just THAT studio (in charge of SW:TOR) will be merged with EA but everything else will keep being as it is. Meaning More Dragon Age from Bioware, More Mass Effect (if they continue the franchise outside of Shepard's point of view)from Bio, more of the same from Bioware.

Plus new stuff. I don't think Ireland and San Francisco studios have released anything yet.

 

[lacktheknack]

Oh for the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster please please please let this be true. I'd love for Bioware to finally cease to exist.

It won't happen, all the signs point other directions. Deal with it, person-who-cannot-ignore-studios-they-dislike.

 

[shrekfan246]

I'm going to wait until there is at least some kind of source. Especially considering that, you know, Mass Effect 3 has sold almost 4 million copies. That's not exactly the "cause a studio to close down" sales figures. And according to EA's Q4 sales figures, made the company $200 million. Even with the problems of TOR, I doubt that that one game could cause every single branch of Bioware to shut down.

'Bioware Austin' =/= "Every single branch of Bioware".

The rumor states that two of the founders of Bioware may be leaving the company, and that Bioware Austin may be changed to EA Austin (much like how they've changed DICE over the years). 'Bioware' has five other studios aside from Austin. Austin is the team who worked on The Old Republic, other teams worked on Dragon Age II and Mass Effect 3.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

Um. It's BioWare Austin. Guys, BioWare is primarily a Canadian company. If BioWare Austin gets eliminated, the main BioWare company is still in Edmonton. If I'm not mistaken, BioWare Austin isn't behind either Mass Effect or Dragon Age, so both of those are safe.

This. It could be that Bioware Austin simply has been supporting SWTOR development, and with its failure that single studio is being dissolved. Not really a huge deal.

 

[Doom972]

EA got Bioware, who was, at the time, the best RPG developer out there. EA let Bioware make the games that Bioware really wanted to make but couldn't before: Mass Effect and Dragon Age. After each game released, it seems EA had more control over the product, which gave the games more mainstream appeal, using known formulas and taking less risks.

Would EA dissolve Bioware instead admitting fault? Seems likely.

 

[Mikeyfell]

This is a good thing ya know.

If Bioware has proven ANYTHING it's that given all the money and toys in the world (Or at least all that EA can offer) the best they can do is crap and the worst they can do is ruin their last two good games while practically fucking up the entire future of player controlled narrative based games. It will be a boon to everyone involved if EA breaks up their writing team and have them focus on "Turd Polishing" for all of EA's other games (Because every game EA releases is a Turd) instead of just making their own games which they have proven get worse and worse as time goes by.

So yeah Dragon Age 2 sucked, but what if Battle Field 4 had Bioware's writing? It would be cool.
It would definitely put it miles above Call of Duty (What does Oscar Mike even mean?)

That's the best thing I could think to do with a bunch of talented writers who can't make a game to save their life.

Either that or you know, give them enough time to complete work on the game they're trying to make before releasing it. Just a thought. But having an entire development wing not release anything for 5 or so years while they're working on the best game ever just isn't EA's style... So yeah dissolve 'em and make 'em do some good in the world

 

[Lightspeaker]

Those saying about "it might be just the Austin studio" seem to be overlooking the whole "Zeschuck and Muzyka might leave" aspect of this. Thats pretty huge for the whole of Bioware.

Honestly wouldn't be surprised though. Look at their past three big releases, focussing on how people have reacted to each:

DA2 - Was criticised heavily by many people for being a disappointment. The general feeling was that it was unimpressive compared to Origins and wasn't what many people wanted. Possible EA influence into making it more action-based being part of that. Consumer backlash and disappointment. Didn't live up to expectations.

ME3 - Do I even need to mention the car crash of an ending here? Everyone should know by now the criticism levelled at it but in short the general feeling was that it was poorly written, poorly thought out and felt rushed. Rumours abound of EA influence again there in rushing the deadline. Again, consumer backlash and disappointment (on a comparatively massive scale this time). And again, didn't live up to expectations.

SW:TOR - The alleged WoW killer that is now going F2P and haemorrhaging players. Hardly a disaster, but still massively underperforming from what was predicted. In short, overhyped. A third time, didn't live up to expectations.


I mean...looked at objectively there have been problems with all three of their last three major releases. Regardless of what any individual person felt about them there were huge numbers of people disappointed and/or unimpressed with each. One has to wonder if perhaps the masters at EA have decided they need to do something about it to try and "fix the problem"; not realising that the biggest part of the problem is arguably EA itself.

 

[EvilMaggot]

NEEEEEIIIINNNN!!!... let them make C&C Generals 2 first.. then i dont care what happens with them...

 

[marcooos]

Those saying about "it might be just the Austin studio" seem to be overlooking the whole "Zeschuck and Muzyka might leave" aspect of this. Thats pretty huge for the whole of Bioware.

Honestly wouldn't be surprised though. Look at their past three big releases, focussing on how people have reacted to each:

DA2 - Was criticised heavily by many people for being a disappointment. The general feeling was that it was unimpressive compared to Origins and wasn't what many people wanted. Possible EA influence into making it more action-based being part of that. Consumer backlash and disappointment. Didn't live up to expectations.

ME3 - Do I even need to mention the car crash of an ending here? Everyone should know by now the criticism levelled at it but in short the general feeling was that it was poorly written, poorly thought out and felt rushed. Rumours abound of EA influence again there in rushing the deadline. Again, consumer backlash and disappointment (on a comparatively massive scale this time). And again, didn't live up to expectations.

SW:TOR - The alleged WoW killer that is now going F2P and haemorrhaging players. Hardly a disaster, but still massively underperforming from what was predicted. In short, overhyped. A third time, didn't live up to expectations.


I mean...looked at objectively there have been problems with all three of their last three major releases. Regardless of what any individual person felt about them there were huge numbers of people disappointed and/or unimpressed with each. One has to wonder if perhaps the masters at EA have decided they need to do something about it to try and "fix the problem"; not realising that the biggest part of the problem is arguably EA itself.

I'm pretty sure Oscar Mike just means on the move.

Anyhoo I take these rumours with a massive grain of salt as suggested but I would not be surprised if Bioware was dissolved within EA. I mean yes the name has brand potential as it were but the EA are more likely to focus on the fact that TOR is a failure and the Mass Effect 3 ending debacle, plus this is a publisher that is also going to kill Visceral by demanding Dead Space 3 sells 5 million copies.

 

[Imbechile]

.... i'm sorry that's really quiet a retarded statement.

Please tell my why?
Okay, I will give you Dragon Age Origins as a quite flawed but ok game.

Where exactly have I commited a retarded statement??????

 

[chainguns]

EA let Bioware make the games that Bioware really wanted to make but couldn't before: Mass Effect and Dragon Age.

Dragon Age development start: 2004
Dragon Age PC development finish: 2008
Mass Effect start: 2005
Mass Effect finish: 2007

EA purchases VG Holdings from Elevation Partners: 2007

How exactly did EA let BioWare make DA and ME which they "couldn't before"?

 

[Doom972]

EA let Bioware make the games that Bioware really wanted to make but couldn't before: Mass Effect and Dragon Age.

Dragon Age development start: 2004
Dragon Age PC development finish: 2008
Mass Effect start: 2005
Mass Effect finish: 2007

EA purchases VG Holdings from Elevation Partners: 2007

How exactly did EA let BioWare make DA and ME which they "couldn't before"?

First of all, I'd appreciate it if you'll quote my whole post, I don't like things that I say get out of context.

I guess I was wrong about that point, thanks. I guess joining EA was just a bad business decision.

 

[Durgiun]

Greg Zeschuk being devastated over his WoW killer going F2P makes sense. He was really involved in development, even got a SWTOR tattoo.

An honest-to-god-we-need-to-laser-burn-it-off kind of tattoo?