A returning (again) player here, just a gut feel question for general discussion...

What's the feeling and future of SWTOR and Bioware Austin after the tangible issues and likely fallout from Anthems flop? I'm finding myself.. 'compelled' by SWTOR again, and was thinking about spending more money in game, but it would be great to hear the pulse from bioware that all is well and at least stable for the future of the game.

Please don't think im dooming or anything.. the in game community seems vibrant and amazing full of people, the game (apart from pet fave issues) is an a great state at the moment. I'm playing more passionately than I want to be

I'm also fully aware that SWTOR has been running on a skeleton crew for many years now. I don't at all expect this to change, but what I wouldn't like is for me to spend more in game and have it all just chopped off one day randomly because EA. They've already sent support to a different support centre thats noticeably worse, enough to mention anyway.. and yeah EA. Though.. I have to say relative to other games as a service games I'm following, the quality of what said skeleton team produces is a strong positive surprise.

Im also guessing that the uncharted / dark souls Star Wars game coming is also going to flop.. but thats not bioware.

Am I safe buying stuff now?? or should I hedge my bets and not scratch the itch?

I don't know whose answer did You expect here, head of EA?

BUT given the announced expansion in September (read: October) You should be safe for at least half a year?

A returning (again) player here, just a gut feel question for general discussion...

 

What's the feeling and future of SWTOR and Bioware Austin after the tangible issues and likely fallout from Anthems flop? I'm finding myself.. 'compelled' by SWTOR again, and was thinking about spending more money in game, but it would be great to hear the pulse from bioware that all is well and at least stable for the future of the game.

 

Please don't think im dooming or anything.. the in game community seems vibrant and amazing full of people, the game (apart from pet fave issues) is an a great state at the moment. I'm playing more passionately than I want to be

 

I'm also fully aware that SWTOR has been running on a skeleton crew for many years now. I don't at all expect this to change, but what I wouldn't like is for me to spend more in game and have it all just chopped off one day randomly because EA. They've already sent support to a different support centre thats noticeably worse, enough to mention anyway.. and yeah EA. Though.. I have to say relative to other games as a service games I'm following, the quality of what said skeleton team produces is a strong positive surprise.

 

Im also guessing that the uncharted / dark souls Star Wars game coming is also going to flop.. but thats not bioware.

 

Am I safe buying stuff now?? or should I hedge my bets and not scratch the itch?

Anthem wasnt as successful as it was "supposed" to be so, im guessing they are giving attention back to SWTOR

Its fine to spend on the game now. Ever since Keith took over as producer the game went up! Sure it has its limits, but its definitely way better than it was before Anthem launch. We are getting new stuff, updates etc. 6.0 is coming also this year so there should be plenty to do.

Of course keep in mind that there will be quite a few hickups. Everythime a new area is launched the game has issues with all players overaloading the servers for example. The servers are also experiencing issues and downtimes so its not all so awesome.

Nevertheless the decisions like server merges etc have been great for the game and there really is enough people for anything, since there are only 5 servers now

Game population is fine, and no evidence that BW is on the ropes. If nothing else good comes of Anthem, it does seem to have finally gotten the attention of BW higher ups to take a good hard look at how they do things.

Odds are this game has years of life left in it (including eventual maintenance mode)

BioWare has multiple projects they are developing as well, and last I read most of the SW:TOR team that was put on Anthem has now returned to SW:TOR. I think overall they will be fine, Anthem wasn't really a flop, but it certainly didn't meet their expectations.

As others have said, SW:TOR is getting updated and has an expansion coming in September so all signs seem to indicate that the game is doing well and still has a pretty solid future ahead of it. A lot of the things the last expansion added that really alienated and upset a lot of players are being dealt with in the expansion as well and they are going in a really good direction.

and no evidence that BW is on the ropes

Cynical: Many of the studios closed down by EA showed no such signs.

Think of it this way:

If EA ever decides any of it's live service Star Wars games is being effected by brand cannibalism, they'll shut games like SWTOR down regardless of population. They haven't mentioned SWTOR in a quarterly report years, hence it's always a phone call away from the chopping block.

On the plus side: Bioware Austin is kinda like a purgatory for staff, they wander the grey stillness until they are needed elsewhere, and deposited here again when their true work is done.

I don't know whose answer did You expect here, head of EA?

BUT given the announced expansion in September (read: October) You should be safe for at least half a year?

I think this is a reasonable question for the head of EA to answer. Who is the head of EA, anyway?

I think this is a reasonable question for the head of EA to answer. Who is the head of EA, anyway?

It's the villian from Lazy Town, I forget his name though.

Anthem wasn't a flop?

Anthem was and is a dumpster fire. BW/EA destroyed any good faith many gamers had.

Good news is it doesn't seem to be an issue with SWTOR, This coming xpack looks to be the largest ever content/mechanics update to SWTOR since the game launched. I am pretty excited for it.

This coming xpack looks to be the largest ever content/mechanics update to SWTOR since the game launched. I am pretty excited for it.

So, you expect them to deliver the biggest content drop they've ever done, with the smallest team they've ever had and there not be any major problems.

1) If 6.0 actually launches within 30 days of the announced date I'll be shocked.

2) If patch day is anything less than a total fuster-cluck I'll be shocked.

3) If the patch is actually playable (as in no game breaking bugs) within 60 days of launch I'll be shocked.

4) If the "largest content drop ever" actually has more than 3 hours of non-repeatable content I'll be shocked.

In fact based on the last few months I am so expecting 6.0 to be a total disaster (on a similar scale to Anthem) I've already cancelled my Sub, just waiting for time already paid for to run out.

All The Best

BioWare has multiple projects they are developing as well, and last I read most of the SW:TOR team that was put on Anthem has now returned to SW:TOR. I think overall they will be fine, Anthem wasn't really a flop, but it certainly didn't meet their expectations.

 

As others have said, SW:TOR is getting updated and has an expansion coming in September so all signs seem to indicate that the game is doing well and still has a pretty solid future ahead of it. A lot of the things the last expansion added that really alienated and upset a lot of players are being dealt with in the expansion as well and they are going in a really good direction.

I don't know what reality your living on, but Anthem, is worse than a Flop, it's a dead on a rival product. And if EA had any intelligence they would have fired that Ben Irving, that fragged up this game a few years ago as well.

EA, also would not allow, people to cancel their pre-orders of the game, i couldn't cancel mine, and if i was the one who would have flipped the bill, i would put a a Charge of Fraud on EA for their bs.

Yes, Anthem did so well, that's why they claim it's still in Testing on a PTS server, never been launched, which they did. Broken.

I don't know what reality your living on, but Anthem, is worse than a Flop, it's a dead on a rival product. And if EA had any intelligence they would have fired that Ben Irving, that fragged up this game a few years ago as well.

 

EA, also would not allow, people to cancel their pre-orders of the game, i couldn't cancel mine, and if i was the one who would have flipped the bill, i would put a a Charge of Fraud on EA for their bs.

 

Yes, Anthem did so well, that's why they claim it's still in Testing on a PTS server, never been launched, which they did. Broken.

Lol you really do not need to be so hostile, people like you are so aggressive because your personal experience was so bad you live in denial and people who say something that doesn't reflect your personal opinion must be delusional.. I'm living in reality, where a flop is generally not a game that sold over 7 million copies right out of the gate, and the second best selling game of the year. I don't play Anthem, I didn't like Anthem, I am not defending how they managed Anthem. But the game was not a flop and it also certainly was not what BioWare/EA had hoped and dreamed it would be, either.

Now, for the guy and anyone else who wants to know about BioWare's future with EA. The CEO literally said in this interview yesterday that BioWare still very much has his and the companies full support, and explains things here: https://gamedaily.biz/article/969/exclusive-a-candid-conversation-with-eas-andrew-wilson-at-e3-2019

Lol you really do not need to be so hostile, people like you are so aggressive because your personal experience was so bad you live in denial and people who say something that doesn't reflect your personal opinion must be delusional.. I'm living in reality, where a flop is generally not a game that sold over 7 million copies right out of the gate, and the second best selling game of the year. I don't play Anthem, I didn't like Anthem, I am not defending how they managed Anthem. But the game was not a flop and it also certainly was not what BioWare/EA had hoped and dreamed it would be, either.

 

Now, for the guy and anyone else who wants to know about BioWare's future with EA. The CEO literally said in this interview yesterday that BioWare still very much has his and the companies full support, and explains things here: https://gamedaily.biz/article/969/exclusive-a-candid-conversation-with-eas-andrew-wilson-at-e3-2019

Glad you attacked me, instead of some1 else. I was stating what was going on around the great gaming world, wasn't trying to attack you personally. But facts are a good Million or so people couldn't cancel their pre-orders, do you know how many people just want to go to their lawyers, and how many Banks get Po'd from people that frauded from companies like EA nowadays. It's not just loot boxes that's getting Senators and Congressmans up in arms, but how twisted so many gaming companies have become in putting out a game not even halfway finished.

Btw, EA top Execs were expecting 7+ million copies think, which obviously they didn't get. I don't remember the exact figure but a lot of internet sites can tell you how poorly it is. When the gamer debuted, they only sole 42,000 copies. Only 10% of what Destiny had sold, that's bad.

Not attacking you personally, just stating facts.

Lol you really do not need to be so hostile, people like you are so aggressive because your personal experience was so bad you live in denial and people who say something that doesn't reflect your personal opinion must be delusional.. I'm living in reality, where a flop is generally not a game that sold over 7 million copies right out of the gate, and the second best selling game of the year. I don't play Anthem, I didn't like Anthem, I am not defending how they managed Anthem. But the game was not a flop and it also certainly was not what BioWare/EA had hoped and dreamed it would be, either.

 

Now, for the guy and anyone else who wants to know about BioWare's future with EA. The CEO literally said in this interview yesterday that BioWare still very much has his and the companies full support, and explains things here: https://gamedaily.biz/article/969/exclusive-a-candid-conversation-with-eas-andrew-wilson-at-e3-2019

Not to be a downer, but Andrew Wilson's statements there mean little concerning the future of Bioware. The real customers of EA (shareholders) are the ones who he has to watch out for and part of that means portraying EA's assets in such a way that shareholders don't want to run the hell away. So of course he's going to talk up confidence in the brand and blah blah blah.

If he shut down a Bioware studio, he would probably come up with some similarly talking-it-up statement about how they needed to "consolidate their resources to better deliver branded content to an evolving market" or something.

It's a lot of BS. Take it with a grain of salt.

And if EA had any intelligence they would have fired that Ben Irving, that fragged up this game a few years ago as well.

Is that the guy who was responsible for the great dumbification patch of swtor (overpowered companions, no role flashpoints and inflating preferred players out of the game)? For the record, that's what caused me from playing every day for years to quit.

Well, I think SWTOR is safe in that regard. No-one is going to try and make a wow clone game again, let alone in the Star Wars universe, so swtor will be safe in that regard.

Is that the guy who was responsible for the great dumbification patch of swtor (overpowered companions, no role flashpoints and inflating preferred players out of the game)? For the record, that's what caused me from playing every day for years to quit.

 

Well, I think SWTOR is safe in that regard. No-one is going to try and make a wow clone game again, let alone in the Star Wars universe, so swtor will be safe in that regard.

Yep, that's the one indeed, he almost cap-sized, or deep sixed this game. He started Galactic Command, and made it impossible to to get good gear, or get any command ranks. I mean Irving really fragged this game. I hope he can get a job and a life some where else, but please keep him away from games. With Ben Irving the Producer on Anthem, i knew we were in trouble.

So, apparently, Anthem’s devs got told to go to the SWTOR devs to learn how to make a game, but they didn’t really apply what they learned, so there’s that. I think we’re fine.

Also, I get this gut feeling that, since the Battlefront 2 fiasco, Disney pretty much immunized their Star Wars games, whether or not they’re under EA, so their dev teams are kinda left to do their own things because EA thinks of them as failures they can’t shut them down. I mean, SWTOR has been going on for longer than I could ever think it would, and that’s not because I’m not addicted to the game, I am, it’s just that it dropped so hard, so quickly after release that it worried me deeply. Turns out, there wasn’t much reason to worry (though I did lose the continuation of my freaking class stories, which still sucks).

So, you expect them to deliver the biggest content drop they've ever done, with the smallest team they've ever had and there not be any major problems.

 

1) If 6.0 actually launches within 30 days of the announced date I'll be shocked.

2) If patch day is anything less than a total fuster-cluck I'll be shocked.

3) If the patch is actually playable (as in no game breaking bugs) within 60 days of launch I'll be shocked.

4) If the "largest content drop ever" actually has more than 3 hours of non-repeatable content I'll be shocked.

 

In fact based on the last few months I am so expecting 6.0 to be a total disaster (on a similar scale to Anthem) I've already cancelled my Sub, just waiting for time already paid for to run out.

 

All The Best

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

So, you expect them to deliver the biggest content drop they've ever done, with the smallest team they've ever had and there not be any major problems.

 

1) If 6.0 actually launches within 30 days of the announced date I'll be shocked.

2) If patch day is anything less than a total fuster-cluck I'll be shocked.

3) If the patch is actually playable (as in no game breaking bugs) within 60 days of launch I'll be shocked.

4) If the "largest content drop ever" actually has more than 3 hours of non-repeatable content I'll be shocked.

 

In fact based on the last few months I am so expecting 6.0 to be a total disaster (on a similar scale to Anthem) I've already cancelled my Sub, just waiting for time already paid for to run out.

 

All The Best

I can understand your frustration. I think we all share a degree of that anxiety. Someone has said that they anticipate that this new drop will be at or about the size of the Rise of the Hutt Cartel. I hope that report is wrong. IMO .. that one was too short lived and lacked in several ways. Don't misunderstand .. it was a welcomed relief from much of the other "stuff" we were getting at that point.

IMO .... this new release needs to blow Rise of the Hutt Cartel away !

1. We are still missing at least two major players in the companions department ! ( Apparently on an extended vacation somewhere near Monaco ) ..

2. PvP is getting some much needed attention.

3. Companions in general are in need of a complete overhaul ... with MORE interactions ... NOT LESS.

4. Content ... more content ...a LOT more ... fresh new fun stuff... content

5. The new gear system hopefully will be one that is FUN too !

Remember fun ? I thought that is one of the reasons we do this .. and from time to time we invest (strike that) SPEND a lot of cash in order to insure we are able to keep up with the PC gaming designs.

Bottom line:

Hang in there !! We are ALL waiting to see what happens. BUT... IMO .. from this old mans stand point of view I'd hang on before jumping ship right now !

On the other hand: BW / EA ... be advised we are ALL watching you too ! be sure to take care of those who are doing the work as well as your clientele. YES BOTH ! Your company will not survive without BOTH !

Dev team: you hang in there. you'd be surprised just how much this old man understands where you are at and what you go through everyday. I wasn't in charge of inventory control and a purchasing director (both simultaneously) for over 15 years without understanding a LOT about business. Sometimes things can just flat wear on you ! I'm quite certain that several of us really do understand.

So, apparently, Anthem’s devs got told to go to the SWTOR devs to learn how to make a game, but they didn’t really apply what they learned, so there’s that. I think we’re fine.

 

Also, I get this gut feeling that, since the Battlefront 2 fiasco, Disney pretty much immunized their Star Wars games, whether or not they’re under EA, so their dev teams are kinda left to do their own things because EA thinks of them as failures they can’t shut them down. I mean, SWTOR has been going on for longer than I could ever think it would, and that’s not because I’m not addicted to the game, I am, it’s just that it dropped so hard, so quickly after release that it worried me deeply. Turns out, there wasn’t much reason to worry (though I did lose the continuation of my freaking class stories, which still sucks).

Yeah, i wish to god we could have more class story lines, and i never knew that Swtor could last this lone the way things have been. To be truthful, Star Wars games for me can be addicting, because of the fantasy that i associate being with them, from all stories and classes.