EA Shuts Down Visceral

[XX]

Anthem is their all-in. If it gets savaged and sells poorly, BioWare is done. Doesn't help that it appears to be designed as an obvious Destiny clone.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Anthem is their all-in. If it gets savaged and sells poorly, BioWare is done. Doesn't help that it appears to be designed as an obvious Destiny clone.

That is what I feel as well. It could be very well their swan song. I will say, if Bioware goes under, pretty much the only other company they have left that they own that has any weight is DICE and that's not a good thing. Respawn just has a contract with them and not actually owned by them. In all seriousness, I hope that before they get shut down is that they go fully independent. I think it would be good for Bioware.

 

[KingBran]

I kind of agree with XX here. However I do think Anthem will be great. May be a Destiny clone but Bioware will find a way to make Destiny-esque game more fun (I am not a fan)

 

[Bjorn Le]

I'm a huge BioWare fanboy.

I think there's a very good chance they get shut down if the value of their brand continues to drop. It'd take years, but it's still very possible IMO.

Problem is, BioWare is losing what made them special. Trying to mold their games from rich adventures into generic crowd pleasers is what, ironically enough, is souring the opinions of their fan base. Well that and the myriad of other problems with Andromeda didn't help.

I hope Anthem is a return to form, but I'm pessimistic.

And years could be a very long time. People keep forgetting that Andromeda was made by an almost entirely new team in a new location by a new division of the company. Dragon Age 2 is the closest the main office has to a flop and I’m sure EA recognizes that that was their fault. If I’m a shareholder of EA, I’m very wary if Anthem fails but I don’t necessarily sell. If I’m a shareholder and EA closes Bioware I hope to god I can sell before it becomes well known because the stock value is going to plummet. EA can’t operate on the same policy they have with other studios. It’s far more likely that if they ever planned on closing the studio that it would happen very slowly. People would be moved, projects would be vague and be delayed, etc.

Honestly, no one is giving a good reason for EA to close Bioware after Anthem. It makes no sense business wise. Actually, it makes negative sense. The internet loves wonton speculation but in this case there is literally nothing to this other than saying “they could at some point.” Which can be said about everything, ever.

 

[Ceremony]

I'm okay with wonton speculation as long as nothing affects the prawn crackers.

 

[Commander Clueless]

And years could be a very long time. People keep forgetting that Andromeda was made by an almost entirely new team in a new location by a new division of the company. Dragon Age 2 is the closest the main office has to a flop and I’m sure EA recognizes that that was their fault. If I’m a shareholder of EA, I’m very wary if Anthem fails but I don’t necessarily sell. If I’m a shareholder and EA closes Bioware I hope to god I can sell before it becomes well known because the stock value is going to plummet. EA can’t operate on the same policy they have with other studios. It’s far more likely that if they ever planned on closing the studio that it would happen very slowly. People would be moved, projects would be vague and be delayed, etc.

Andromeda being made by the B team still hurts the BioWare brand.

Also, let's be honest: the shareholders care about the money, not who within the company is making it.

Honestly, no one is giving a good reason for EA to close Bioware after Anthem. It makes no sense business wise. Actually, it makes negative sense. The internet loves wonton speculation but in this case there is literally nothing to this other than saying “they could at some point.” Which can be said about everything, ever.

I don't think this is crazy speculation after the same thing has happened to many of EA's big name studios. I'm not saying it's for sure or anything, but this is following a pattern.

The problem I foresee is that EA (like all the major publishers) is pushing for cash cows and, in doing so, they've slowly chipped away at what made people like developers like BioWare in the first place - the attention to details (like story, characters, and world building) and their ability to give you more than just game play. They don't need the BioWare name to pump out generic money makers with their IPs slapped on them like Andromeda was (okay a bit harsh - still liked the game but yikes what a jarring shift).

 

[Bjorn Le]

Andromeda being made by the B team still hurts the BioWare brand.

Also, let's be honest: the shareholders care about the money, not who within the company is making it.

I don't think this is crazy speculation after the same thing has happened to many of EA's big name studios. I'm not saying it's for sure or anything, but this is following a pattern.

The problem I foresee is that EA (like all the major publishers) is pushing for cash cows and, in doing so, they've slowly chipped away at what made people like developers like BioWare in the first place - the attention to details (like story, characters, and world building) and their ability to give you more than just game play. They don't need the BioWare name to pump out generic money makers with their IPs slapped on them like Andromeda was (okay a bit harsh - still liked the game but yikes what a jarring shift).

It hurts the brand but it doesn’t make it likely that the company is on the chopping block. And yes, shareholders care about money, but it’s not raw money. If that was the case, GM would be worth more than Teala. Closing a company with 1,000 employees that has been one of your most successful subsidiaries would shake considerably the confidence of shareholders.

It is speculation because EA, and really nobody, has ever shut down a studio like Bioware. There is no comparable. Bioware has been a cash cow for them. Mass Effect was very successful, Dragon Age is as well. SWTOR makes enough money that Disney allowed it to be the only piece of the EU to keep making new content. And right now, EA doesn’t have many studios they can rely on. EA Sports with FIFA and Madden, and Dice with Battlefield are their only consistent properties. They need a major, experienced studio like Bioware and they can’t really afford to start making new ones from scratch.

 

[Commander Clueless]

It hurts the brand but it doesn’t make it likely that the company is on the chopping block. And yes, shareholders care about money, but it’s not raw money. If that was the case, GM would be worth more than Teala. Closing a company with 1,000 employees that has been one of your most successful subsidiaries would shake considerably the confidence of shareholders.

It is speculation because EA, and really nobody, has ever shut down a studio like Bioware. There is no comparable. Bioware has been a cash cow for them. Mass Effect was very successful, Dragon Age is as well. SWTOR makes enough money that Disney allowed it to be the only piece of the EU to keep making new content. And right now, EA doesn’t have many studios they can rely on. EA Sports with FIFA and Madden, and Dice with Battlefield are their only consistent properties. They need a major, experienced studio like Bioware and they can’t really afford to start making new ones from scratch.

I'm by no means saying they will be shut down out of the blue, I'm just afraid of the slow march to the chopping block for them.

They can easily recover from recent bad karma, but the question in my mind is: will EA allow them, or will EA's demands push them into oblivion?

If you can't tell, I don't have the highest optimism for the current state of the AAA industry.

 

[Bjorn Le]

I'm by no means saying they will be shut down out of the blue, I'm just afraid of the slow march to the chopping block for them.

They can easily recover from recent bad karma, but the question in my mind is: will EA allow them, or will EA's demands push them into oblivion?

If you can't tell, I don't have the highest optimism for the current state of the AAA industry.

Sure, and I get the pessimism. Visceral shouldn’t have been shut down either, although I get the business logic behind it from EA. I just think Bioware is a different beast that is going to take a lot of blows to be really in danger. I’m deeply worried about Anthem, although what I’m afraid it might be isn’t necessarily a commercial unsuccessful game.

Think about it, EA exists to make money, and it’s not really conductive to that goal to create conditions in your developers that make bad games. Or close them. It’s not cheap to close a studio with 1,000 employees.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

f*** you EA... You only cared about f***ing dollar signs from MTX. f*** you you pieces of shit.
EA: Closing Visceral Games an "Economic Decision" as Players Don't Like Linear Games As Much Today

 

[Emperoreddy]

Anthem is their all-in. If it gets savaged and sells poorly, BioWare is done. Doesn't help that it appears to be designed as an obvious Destiny clone.

There is an opening with a Destiny clone as Destiny 2 is pissing it’s own fanbsde off.

I think a lot of consumers are going to be really wary after this Battlefront mess. Anthem looks ripe for loot box abuse

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

With the article I put up earlier, wouldn't that mean that they don't intend Anthem to be single player or to not have a boat load of MTX? It's going to be a shit show...

 

[Commander Clueless]

**** you EA... You only cared about ****ing dollar signs from MTX. **** you you pieces of ****.
EA: Closing Visceral Games an "Economic Decision" as Players Don't Like Linear Games As Much Today

I feel like this is just the next step on the never ending cycle of developers/publishers jumping on the latest trend and then being shocked when it falls apart.

Why is variety considered to be such a bad thing?

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I feel like this is just the next step on the never ending cycle of developers/publishers jumping on the latest trend and then being shocked when it falls apart.

Why is variety considered to be such a bad thing?

Because it doesn't make them money with MTX. It seems that EA is trying to make most of their money with as few IPs as possible with as many MTXs as possible. In this video, which is well worth the watch, it basically shows that half of the revenue for EA are MTX. So you can bet your ass that they are going to try to go at that harder and harder.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Because it doesn't make them money with MTX. It seems that EA is trying to make most of their money with as few IPs as possible with as many MTXs as possible. In this video, which is well worth the watch, it basically shows that half of the revenue for EA are MTX. So you can bet your ass that they are going to try to go at that harder and harder.

I mean, linear games could easily make money off of microtransactions, especially with multiplayer.

But yes, EA will continue to squeeze as much money as they can until there's nothing left, I agree....and I think they'll be surprised at how badly it turns out for them, if they aren't already.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I mean, linear games could easily make money off of microtransactions, especially with multiplayer.

But yes, EA will continue to squeeze as much money as they can until there's nothing left, I agree....and I think they'll be surprised at how badly it turns out for them, if they aren't already.

With their lack of IPs and general lack of standing on the IPs that they have, if MTXs fail for the company, you can bet EA will be quite f***ed because they wouldn't have enough to fall back on.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Because it doesn't make them money with MTX. It seems that EA is trying to make most of their money with as few IPs as possible with as many MTXs as possible. In this video, which is well worth the watch, it basically shows that half of the revenue for EA are MTX. So you can bet your ass that they are going to try to go at that harder and harder.

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bjorn Le]

With the article I put up earlier, wouldn't that mean that they don't intend Anthem to be single player or to not have a boat load of MTX? It's going to be a **** show...

Anthem appears to be an open-world or something similar. Even if it can be played entirely single player (arguably something Destiny never really did), it doesn't appear it was ever linear. I'm worried about Anthem but I don't think this has any bearing on it directly. It likely will have microtransactions however.

It's disappointing to hear that but it aligns closely with what we know about video game sales. The most recent big mostly single player games that have sold really well are all open-world games. Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed, Fallout 4, GTA V (GTA Online might be what's writing the million dollar cheques every week for the Houser's but GTA V's single player is what sold copies), all non-linear open world. Even DA:I and ME:A are non-linear. Games like Uncharted and Last of Us while strong sellers don't come close to being the best selling games on the PS4, and likely only did as well as they did because of the critical reception and status as flagship exclusives. Then there's a laundry list of average or worse commercially performing games. Quantum Break, Order 1866, Mirror's Edge 2, etc. Critical reception is also much harsher on linear games, which probably plays a role as well. The market is changing, for better or for worse, and the big publishers are unfortunately keeping games like those on a very short lease.

 

[RandV]

Yeah that was a good video, and I like the term "Wilson Loot Box". Shows what's really at the root of this problem, and also how quickly it can crumble for EA if government regulation steps in. Really though the problem with EA isn't just that they're making these loot boxes, but rather they're Borg-like nature. If they just stuck to their sports game with these, where they've already had them for years, then who cares. But they use the profits to buy up other studios and then force them into the same mold.

I mean, linear games could easily make money off of microtransactions, especially with multiplayer.

But yes, EA will continue to squeeze as much money as they can until there's nothing left, I agree....and I think they'll be surprised at how badly it turns out for them, if they aren't already.

For example, I'm not sure how much money it actually makes them but even a single player JRPG like Tales of Berseria has $101.91 CAD worth of DLC, and it's pretty much all costume packs. That's the sort of thing that's very easily ignored.