Originally posted by Uhwop

Originally posted by smh_alot

Originally posted by Uhwop

I'd now like to draw your attention to Mythic, WAR, and the exodus of developers after the release of WAR.  Yeah, it's perfectly normal for a bunch of developers who made an MMO that underachieved to leave after the project is done.  When you work for a studio purchased by EA, that didn't live up to expectation.   

 

Of course the lack of big success of SWTOR and leaving of the Doctors has an impact, and an effect on others leaving. It isn't as if it's never happened before with other companies, game related or otherwise. Also, it isn't as if a couple of key figures leaving has only 1 outcome. In the period of 2003-2005, a majority of the key figures that were behind Diablo's success, Battle.net, Starcraft and WC3 left Blizzard bc of differences of opinion and vision among others. 30-40 of them. They went to found Flagship, Arena Net, went to NC Soft and ended up making games like Hellgate London, Guild Wars and Torchlight. Yet Blizzard continued up till now, even if it didn't had that top quality of games it had in the 1998-2004 era anymore.

 

The most important loss is the 2 Doctors. I compare it with Steve Jobs leaving Apple the first time. Even if Apple continued and kept existing, it was less than it was under Steve Jobs. Something that became apparent when he returned and they achieved mega success again. The others, well, not everyone's equally important to the success or high quality of a game, some are easier replaceable than others. Sort of like how in a major league football team some players are more key to the success of a team than others who're easier to find replacements for.

 That's the point I was making. 

40 developers didn't leave Blizzard because they were done on a project, they left because of internal issues with the company. 

What's happening at Bioware isn't normal, in-so-far as people have finished a project and it's time to move on.  These are Bioware employees, not contracted workers.  It isn't normal for a large group of employees to just up and leave because they finished the immediate job they were working on, unless something is wrong. 

They're either unhappy, or in my opinion being asked to leave. 

I do not believe for one second that EA, who will soon own the most expensive F2P mmo on the market, isn't cleaning house of everyone they feel is responsible.  Right down to the doctores themselves, who were likely informed that there would be some drastic restructuring in Bioware. 

If I was the doctors, I know I wouldn't want to stick around to watch my company get dismantled and people I hired and worked with for several years let go.  I'd sign an NDA and simply retire. 

Yeah I'm getting the same vibes too.  Something was up with the doctors leaving, and it wasn't the fans negativity, as claimed by Trent Oster (http://www.cinemablend.com/games/BioWare-Co-Founder-Ray-Muzyka-Defends-Passionate-Fans-Blasts-Gaming-Journalists-47573.html).  Ray Muzyka shot down rumors and speculation and chastized the press for putting words in his mouth over why he left, although he didn't clarify exactly why he did leave.

It could be the doctors were asked to leave, or be fired.  Voluntarily leaving would save face if they wanted to start a new business (after non-compete expires), and would be more cost effective for EA, in the short term at least.  If they go back into video games, it could end up being costly to EA for losing them.

Richard Garriott likely had a similar experience when EA bought and dismantled his company, Origin Systems, Inc, in 1992.  He had resigned as well.  Years later, NCSoft may have tried the same approach of quit or be fired, but ended up firing Richard Garriott, after one of his hiatus's to the International Space Station.

Richard Garriott had the last laugh I suppose and went out with a bang, sueing NCSoft for wrongful termination and lost stock options, for a total of 28 million $$ and winning (http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/30/richard-garriott-wins-lawsuit-against-ncsoft/).  A year later NCSoft lost their appeal and Garriott received around 32 million $$ in compensation and damages (http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/appeals-court-affirms-richard-garriotts-lawsuit-win-against-ncs/).  Way more impressive than just resigning eh? lol .. at some point I guess game developer leaders just say, "ah screw it all".

But then again the doctors could have just been so disgusted with EA that they were counting the minutes until their 5 year post-BioWare-sale employment obligation would expire.  They didn't leave single file .. they were both running for the door at the same time ...  that part is suspicious.

If he letf of his own accord then that probably indicates low morale and/or people seeing what s coming. If his position was cut then the writing is well and truly on the wall.

How much work can a story writer have? Well as a F2P game SWTOR is gong to have even more content every 6 weeks .... obviously not story! (Red dye week 1, blue dye, week 7, the fix for what the introduction of what the blue dye broke, green dye week 13 ... they have lots of great things we are just dying to tell everyone about I am sure - when they get the OK to finish them.

As to people not wanting story I thought it was people wanted either more than just story or a lot more story; an awful lot more story. Clearly they are going to have to wait. 

Originally posted by erictlewis

Every day it gest worse and worse you got to wonder who is left now.

 

Jeff Hickman ;)