Anthem might be one of the most anticipated games that we saw at E3 2018 but it is a very different game from what we have seen from Bioware. Having that said, there are a couple of people that are saying that EA forced Bioware into making a multiplayer online game. Other than that there are those that think that EA might pull the plug on Bioware if Anthem is not a success.
BioWare veteran James Ohlen talked about the matter and the following is what he had to say in this regard:
No. The more success that a studio has, the more freedom and resources that it has, so obviously BioWare wants to have success with Anthem because that will be good for the studio as a whole. However, I think EA is looking for BioWare to be a long-term part of the company. I think EA really respects what BioWare brings to it. BioWare is a lot different than all the other aspects of its business, so, even if Anthem doesn’t do as well – and I think it’s going to be great – but if it doesn’t do gangbusters I don’t think that’s the end of BioWare. I think it will simply be a chance for BioWare to learn some lessons and apply it to the next game that comes out.
EA has been pulling a couple of plugs recently, so I am not shocked that this question came up in the first place. People are concerned for the right reasons and keeping in mind the kind of classic games that Bioware has brought to the table, I doubt that fans would like the studio to close down all of a sudden. Many people have already left to work on different things and at other studios, which is bad as it is.
Ohlen also talked about how EA did not force the company to make Anthem and while I am sure that EA did have some kind of part to play, it is nice to know that Bioware did have some degree of creative freedom for the project. Anthem seems to be an impressive game and I for one am interested in checking it out when it comes out in February next year.
If you are interested in finding out more about the game then you can check out our articles on Javelin skills, Personalization, Friendly Fire and more.
Let us know what you think about the matter and whether or not you think EA would shut down Bioware if Anthem did not turn out to be a big hit.
