Bioware titles I played:
Hated:
Baldur’s Gate
Didn’t Like:
MDK 2
Neverwinter Nights campaign (though the fans created some cool stuff with their tools)
Liked:
Dragon Age: Origins
Jade Empire
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Loved:
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 3
Didn’t play yet:
Baldur’s Gate 2
Dragon Age 2
Dragon Age: Inquisition
I asked because I think Destiny had a really compelling structure that they frequently botched the details of. Matchmaking, amount of content, balance, all things that could also go horribly wrong with Anthem of course, but at its core I loved the integration of single player and cooperative content, and the raids were some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a world you interact with via a gun.
So when I see people dismissing Anthem because it’s like Destiny, I’m curious if they’re just remembering the mistakes Destiny made—or worse, just thinking of what they heard someone else say about Destiny’s mistakes—or if they really don’t like the fundamental combination of MMORPG structures combined with some of the best FPS mechanics around.
Not to single @antediluvianark out, for example, but when they say they didn’t like running the same missions and grinding loot, I’m not saying that’s not a valid criticism. But do they mean “…because Destiny didn’t have enough missions and the loot wasn’t interesting”? Would they say the same thing about Diablo 3? Because that’s okay, a loot grind isn’t for everyone, but some people—I’d venture to say a lot of people—love that sort of thing when it’s well done.
And yet The Division is one of the most profitable things Ubi has ever made.
No it’s because I only have room for one game like that, and it will be Destiny 2. Unless Bungie totally botches it and Bioware aces Anthem, but I think that’s unlikely.
I loved a number of Bioware games, was disappointed by others while not playing some others. I don’t know why that would mean I should hate or like the idea of this game though. I like what i see so far. I am certainly not going to pre-order it, but i am hopeful.
I am not basing that hope on anything they’ve done in the past though, strictly on what I’ve seen of this game so far.
[TRIGGERED]
I know. I… know.
Follow the owners in your example.
People have to stop treating video games like they’re car companies and start treating them more like what they are closer to: bands.
Do you scoop up a new album because it’s produced by Sony? Or do you get that album because it’s fronted by a singer you like? Same for movies. You don’t go to a movie because it’s a Universal picture. You go for directors or actors.
Bioware/Black Isle is gone. All that is left is the name. The people who made it what it is are still out there at places like InXile and Obsidian. Maybe they don’t have a twenty million to throw at a project, but they’re still out there for the most part trying to improve on what they did back in the day. There are new people coming up that are influenced by the Bioware of old and trying their own take on it, places like Owlcat, to some extents Larian.
Art isn’t made by companies. It’s made by people. If you want the next mass produced wide market appeal thing (the pop music) then they’ll happily churn it out for you. If you want the next Bob Dylan you’re going to have to look elsewhere most of the time. If you lament how a company doesn’t make music like Dylan anymore, even though Dylan left the company and is still recording someplace else… well, maybe keep an eye on where Dylan went to or look for people that he’s influenced.
Good point. Someone should do a map. Or a family tree.
You could start at the credits and then narrow in on which aspects of the game you liked in particular.
For example, the two lead designers were Brent Knowles and James Ohlen. Brent Knowles is currently a designer at Beamdog, and James Ohlen is the studio creative director of Bioware Austin (which primarily develops The Old Republic MMO and the cancelled Shadow Realms).
Unlike more recent titles, the credits for NWN did not separately credit the game’s writers. However, a google search shows that Drew Karpyshyn was one of the writers (which is confirmed by his own blog). Karpyshyn is mostly known these days for having been the Lead Writer/Co-Lead Writer on Mass Effect 1 and 2. He then left BioWare, but later returned to work on The Old Republic expansions. He is currently contributing his writing to Anthem.
I’m 100% on board with this position. For better or worse, best results are usually achieved by succeeding and then leveraging that success for a better position elsewhere. Bioware circa 2000 is long gone and good for them. The industry would be far better off if fans followed the individuals that make the games and not the companies they work for.
Well, that was already the case with Black Isle Studios, where people followed them to Obsidian, and now Chris Avellone to other studios and gigs. But for some reason, the writers, designers, and teammembers of Bioware were never out front and center on things. The public face of the company back in the old days were the two doctors.
I remember someone on Qt3 mentioned that following the companies rather than the individuals is more prevalent when concerning games from the West compared to Japan. Since then, I’ve noticed that the director’s name (e.g. Aonuma, Tabata, Nomura, Kojima, Miyazaki, Taro) tends to be more commonly referenced when people discuss Japanese games than when people discuss Western games.
looks fun with coop and PC
I guess this is one way to make a point.
“Do you want me to say that working with Bioware is fun now?”
Lol.
A few miles from my house, don’t see myself making the drive :)
That was really cute. I loved that they had that in the video.
I feel bad that the lead designer was not able to see his game released. Very sad.
I hope the game ends being good. In more than one way hard working people pours parts of their soul in their work.