Originally posted by Kaelano1
Incidentally, the forum link on the Ultima Forever page of mmorpg.com is broken. It re-directs to the game list in a seemingly sublimal message to "look for another game".

Thanks, we'll fix!

Originally posted by WhiteLantern

Originally posted by mmoDAD

BioWare makes single-player games.

This again?!?

Retort: Blizzard made single-player games before making WoW. The guys that made UO made single-player games before UO.

BW attempted to branch out and made an MMO they thought everyone would love. They were wrong, but not because "they make single-player games".

 

SWTOR feels too much like their SINGLE PLAYER KOTOR GAMES.

The game is so linear and story-driven that it gives no room for depth or complexity. It's SINGLE PLAYER... from a company that makes SINGLE PLAYER ROLE PLAYING GAMES.

On the other hand we do nor know how many studios that woudl have gone under without EA's financial support.

Also, this might be a good thing... BioWare like every other company needs some fresh air every now adn then. Maybe this is the opening for some younger talent with a new drive and new visions. Holding on to dear to the past is not always a good thing.

That being said... EA should really stick to making sportsgames, they understand those.

EA wanted the name Bioware so they could profit from it. The Bioware of old is gone, dead and buried. We'll never see the same standard of games come out of that studio again, if they do indeed come from the rreal Bioware and not some 3rd rate dev that EA have shoved under the Bioware umbrella.

Yet another great studio destroyed by the money grabbers at EA. Vote with your wallets people, stop paying EA to wreck our game developers.

Unfortunately I don't see it the way Mike does.  I see this as the final death of Bioware the way we new it.  This means it is a pure EA product, they might as well do away with the bioware Name.

With the departure of the doctors, we can say that the quality they wanted in video games is gone,  this has now become strictly about proffit, and how much proffit that EA can reap.

RIP Bioware, at one time you were great, but you were sold out to the evil soulless corporate entity knows as EA.  I believe the docs will be back in 3-5 years when the NDC Non Disclosure I am sure they had to sign and non compete agreements.  One is going to brew beer, I myself should like to check up on that project, as I have been know to make a few with the home brewing kit that I have.

Oh well there goes the end of an era, that is what I think,  probably not a popular view of it but it is what I honestly believe has happened.   I had many good games with them. Kotor, Kotor II,  Dragon Age, Never Winter and so forth.  All of that is now ancient history.

Originally posted by laserit

RIP Bioware

It's not surprising that they are leaving. When you sell a company, you lose control of said company. You dont get to make the decision's any more. The company moves in a direction that you dont agree with. As time goes by you get tired and disenfranchised and then if your smart, you move on.

Life is too short.

Pretty much my thought exactly.

It's very apparent that selling to EA changed their output.

I'm sure they are just as unhappy at the issues bioware has been having as the fans. To them it's probably no longer fun or enjoyable and apparently they are soured on game develpment or maybe they just want to truly retire and do so while they are young enough to enjoy it.

I am pretty sure they knew about this before they sold the company. Probably had a clause that stated that they must stay in the company a certain period after the sales.

They cashed in. I would have done the same thing.

Who cares?

The real Bioware died years ago.

These guys were just collecting the check. Very common for senior execs to stay on a while after their company gets bought out.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there rumors a few weeks back that EA was looking for a buyer?

And going off on another tangent, I'm wondering if the success of the Kickstarter-funded "Project Eternity" somehow figures into the equation. The fact that the initial amount was publicly funded on its first day (some reports say 23 hours, some say 27) has had to have sent some sort of message to game publishers!

Well fair enough to the doctors, maybe signing on to EA had clauses that they had to stay for but as development heads they've had little input.  I wish them well in the next chapter of their careers.

Bioware has had a bad two years, as a past fan of their games it's been disapointing.  I'd say this though about the community.

The community aren't rabid lovesick puppies and won't swallow whatever's given to them.  Just check out the social forums and the complaints as well as the campaigns organised to protest against certain things, (ME3 and Cakegate).  People have backed up there outrage and made sure Bioware knew about it.  You know what's happened? Bioware seem to have reacted to it, giving away extra DLC and trying to address those issues.  It's all to still be delievered on of course, (with DA3), but at least there seems to be a dialogue and an acknowledgement.

None of this may ever happen but can you imagine Blizzard or any other company trying their best to win back the goodwill Bioware once had? I think they deserve another chance and let's hope, for all our sakes, they make the most of it.

Wake up call? God, how many wake up calls does this industry need? They wouldn't wake up if the trumpeters of Jericho themselves would play Walzing Mathilda in front of them!

How many times did some EA bonzo write "ohhh we have learned our lesson" by now?

"I’ve reached an unexpected point in my life where I no longer have the passion that I once did for the company, for the games, and for the challenge of creation."

That's an incredibly painful line to see written by someone of such enthusiasm for the art.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

What EA touches, EA turns to crap.  Amazing they manage to stay in business.

McDonalds produces crap and they are one of the biggest companies in the world.

Welcome to an era where quantity destroys quality.