'Could You Tell at the Time?': Ex-Producer Defends BioWare's Decision to Make ANTHEM

"Could you tell at the time?" Uhm, yes.

"Could you tell?" yes, feedback from the community was VERY vocal from the beginning in its discontent.

The thing is they tried to just force their way into the market with a completely new IP.

All everyone wanted ANTHEM to be was either an Iron Man game, a Titanfall Game or in an ideal world a Mass Effect spin off..

They wasted the goodwill and fanbase they had from Mass Effect with a bland generic new IP that had nothing going for it beyond some mech suits and some nice jungle environments..

In fairness, the upgrade they were about to deliver cataclysm, or something along those lines, sounded like a redemption arc and it probably would have lasted longer. I could have done a no man's sky and become a new destiny/division game that people would sink hours into. It wasn't that bad of a game, it was just limited but those were almost going to be ironed out with the upgrade it's a shame really, as it was fun to play of what was there

@themightyant Plus by the time they revealed it to the public it's likely way too late to turn around and cancel the game.

If they would have agreed to make it - at most - a co-op RPG experience and not a live service title, it could have succeeded. Their RPGs have always been SO CLOSE to co-op experiences what with so much squad management and the narratively always working in squads. That was the logical next step. I think it's the jump to the online looter shooter junk that truly derailed it.

@JamesLimited5990 Bit of an L take because the market wasn't bloated when this game would have been conceived and launched.

“But could you tell at the time? I I don’t know. I don’t know that you could."

He must’ve been smoking too much of that BioWare MAGIC 👀😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Anthem's initial reveal and the way they described the project left me excited and interested - I think it had a LOT of potential and even when it released, there were certain aspects that came close to realising that potential.

However I do think it was perhaps too ambitious and/or needed a LOT more time and resources to reach the full potential. The Story, Hub and looting system were so weak that it was obvious the game was never going to reach its full potential without massive investment and a lot of time - something I could never see EA giving Bioware. Therefore it was destined to be shut down rather than become the game we anticipated, reach that potential it promised!

You can always argue that developers should try new things (that’s how innovation happens) the problem for me is how how many developers are pushed by publishers into making games then have no experience in building to chase the latest fad. Games made with no passion from the actual creatives is always doomed to fail! Live service is probably the easiest way from a studio to go bust!!

Will publishers learn that lesson? I very much doubt it because they see the success of games like arc raiders and feel like the need that constant flow of revenue.

The market isn’t big enough for more than handful of super successful live service games imo. They certainly won’t come from teams that are being forced to make this type of content. The successful ones come from the most unexpected sources and this must drive the suits absolutely insane.

@themightyant destiny (1&2) overwatch, pubg and Fortnite all released before anthem! Only apex released afterwards. The qualifying statement of conceived means nothing tbh.

Can't say I agree with him at all. The example he used doesn't really hold any water. Anthem was a big sidestep away from anything Bioware has ever been known for. Heck the marketing pitch for Dragon Age The Veilguard was "Bioware is going back to what they do best!"(didn't stick the landing there but that's a different topic for another day) You don't use that as your marketing pitch if the thing you did prior was in line with your studios identity.

Anthem was as far away from what people like about Bioware games as it gets.

@themightyant without a doubt the had some bad timing with the release. A bad game is a bad game though no matter when it comes out.

Would could you not? Have they not seen how Star wars the old republic turned out at launch?
I know EA is very responsible for this as well, but doing a multiplayer online game without an established IP has been folly even back then. When chasing trends execs forget to see market saturation. They just see dream money.

The comment on the original VGC article from someone who claims to have worked at EA at the time has a different opinion than what Darrah thinks https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-bioware-exec-hits-out-at-suggestions-that-it-should-never-have-made-anthem-in-the-first-place/#comment-96116

No matter what they thought at what stage, it's not only about how it turned out, but how, as a team from a humanitarian perspective, they handled it. Crunch, people suffering to the point where they would break down in isolated rooms, lack of direction, etc. Anyone who was involved with the team at this time is equally responsible as the higher-ups. No excuse for the suffering they caused. Damn Bioware.

I honestly think it could have been an pretty good single player game.

Seems like everyone but BioWare could tell. Knowing what goes into a successful live service game, which they’ve never done before and is a huge undertaking, may have provided a clue. I really enjoy Anthem, but it definitely had major problems, from uninspiring loot to inadequate content to the weird design schism of “we’re out in the world playing together, but then I go back to the hub and I’m alone”.

Yeah man, you are right. Gamers are so clueless about telling these things from the start. Just look at Avengers/Babylon's Fall/Concord/Suicide Squad etc. Totally clueless/s

The only thing I agree with him about is EA is not the only one to blame. Developer is also responsible for the stinky they release.

its like most studios if you dont make the thing your known for people automatically hate it. even if they didnt even buy the thing your known for

lets not forget Anthem sold 5 million copies so not a financial failure

@Dalamar what is weird is that we know from other developers that worked on the game who have explicitly said that EA was very hands off either the game. The only note they gave the developers is to keep the flying mechanic as it was scrapped after the initial pitch and then put back in. This whole interview feels like this guy is trying to deny making a poor game

Anthem was made due to the radical changes in the industry we've been seeing since the start of the 8th generation. Triple A games and their studios are no longer as interested in creating a unique vision as they are about making money. During the 7th generation and before, there was a balance where the devs created games with a unique and pleasing vision and that made money, now it's about exploiting trends and perpetuating ideas that sell-an approach which does indeed work, but it's sterile. This is why I'm personally dismayed and critical of the industry now, there just aren't enough bold ideas. The reason Clair Obscur won GOTY last year is because it dared to push the boat out in a very unique, and all other contenders were either sequels or something glaringly familiar.

This is ultimately an issue beyond PlayStation and far above the games industry, it's our culture and that's why Anthem exists because it represents what our culture and what the games industry is obsessed with. Ok, Anthem failed where many succeeded, but EA don't tend to learn their lessons due to the formula they've adopted with publishing games. Bioware simply make these games, and I don't think it's right to blame them for Anthem's failure.