Please, everyone bow your heads in sorrow [Archive]

TB666

10-11-2007, 22:55

Yes it's with great sadness to inform you that EA has bought Bioware and Pandemic studios.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071011/20071011006083.html?.v=1
2 good developers that will be sadly missed :shame:

Edit: thanks to Ace_combat over at TWC for bring this awful news to us.

drone

10-11-2007, 23:01

I just saw this on Slashdot. RIP BioWare. :no:
http://kotaku.com/gaming/ea/ea-buys-bioware-pandemic-309937.php

Tratorix

10-11-2007, 23:14

~:eek: ~:pissed: ~:pissed: ~:angry: :soapbox: :gah:

This sucks. Hopefully EA won't do anything stupid, like fire everyone at Pandemic and Bioware and bring in new people. The thought of Bioware helping to churn out mediocre sports games is horrible. I'm hoping EA pretty much leaves the 2 studios the way they are and takes a cut of their profits.

TB666

10-11-2007, 23:17

Hopefully EA won't do anything stupid, like fire everyone at Pandemic and Bioware and bring in new people..
*looks at EA's history* sorry dude :shame:
EA has never left a bought developer studio alone and has always put their own guys in.

FactionHeir

10-11-2007, 23:20

I think this summarizes it best: :gah2:

AntiochusIII

10-11-2007, 23:24

****

Bioware doesn't deserve an end like this.

Whacker

10-11-2007, 23:33

Yeah, I agree, we need to recognize what Wizkids and MS did to Battletec........

err..

oh.

Yet another good publisher bites the dust. RIP Bioware this time.

:skull:

Tratorix

10-11-2007, 23:36

*looks at EA's history* sorry dude :shame:
EA has never left a bought developer studio alone and has always put their own guys in.

:shame: ****
Well, at least I still have Mass Effect to look forward too. I don't think EA will mess with it (too much) in the month before it ships(that might cut into their profits). It's 2 planned sequels will probably suck though. :furious3:

****

Bioware doesn't deserve an end like this.

I completely agree with that statement.

Xiahou

10-12-2007, 00:49

Wow, this really is horrible news. :shame:

AggonyDuck

10-12-2007, 01:05

Not worried personally. Bioware is a studio strong enough to stop any bad influence of EA and if EA has any sense they won't interfere with the development of games.

TB666

10-12-2007, 01:13

Not worried personally. Bioware is a studio strong enough to stop any bad influence of EA and if EA has any sense they won't interfere with the development of games.
A look at EA's history says otherwise.
EA has only money in their sense and fully intend to milk the name of Bioware to the fullest.
When they can't milk it anymore then they will shut it down.
The guys and gals at Bioware have to play ball or be out of a job.
I can only hope that the guys at Bioware quits and joins a studio where they are welcome, far away from the hands of EA.

RabidGibbon

10-12-2007, 01:25

Whacker

10-12-2007, 01:28

A look at EA's history says otherwise.
EA has only money in their sense and fully intend to milk the name of Bioware to the fullest.
When they can't milk it anymore then they will shut it down.
The guys and gals at Bioware have to play ball or be out of a job.
I can only hope that the guys at Bioware quits and joins a studio where they are welcome, far away from the hands of EA.

Indeed, can we say "Bullfrog" and "Westwood"?

TB666

10-12-2007, 01:32

On the other hand, if EA does fire all the current crew at these two admittedly rather nifty game studios what will the reaction of the actual (now fired) programers be?

I Imagine they will start up their own games companies, perhaps called Chemoware or Hyperthermic. Or go to other game companies that appreciate them. Whilst the EA's and Microsofts will alaways be around bigging themselves up, experienced nerds will always know where to go for the real games.

I think. Maybe.
Well most of them join other companies or start a new one.
Lionhead Studios(Black & White, Fable etc) was formed from the once Bullfrog(Theme hospital, Dungeon Keeper etc) after EA shut them down.
Westwood went on to form Petroglyph Games(Star Wars: Empire at War ).
However Origin suffered a worse fate where the staff is scattered all over the place.

ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88

10-12-2007, 02:21

Dear god...

RoadKill

10-12-2007, 03:21

*Hides his Madden NFL 08, that he loves so much*

Crazed Rabbit

10-12-2007, 03:37

Oh...crap. This is terrible.

:embarassed:
CR

Zenicetus

10-12-2007, 06:40

From a purely selfish perspective, I can't shed many tears for Bioware being bought out. I play PC games exclusively, no console, and I'm a market that Bioware has made a second class citizen with recent titles. So I just don't care anymore. BG was great, NWN was great (at least with the user content)... maybe I'll pick up NWN2 at some point. Dragon Age is taking forever to bring out.

Meh. If Bioware starts targeting PC gamers again in a serious way, for first release status, then I'll start caring again. If 2K can do it with Bioshock, then I don't see why Bioware can't. Maybe with EA's cash infusion they can manage it.

Husar

10-12-2007, 06:46

econ21

10-12-2007, 07:56

Seems like I don't have a single game from either of these companies. :sweatdrop:

Oh man, you must immediately walk - no, run - towards your nearest computer game shop and buy up the entire back catalogue of Bioware CRPGs. I promise you, you will not reject it.

Husar

10-12-2007, 08:22

I found out Full Spectrum Warrior is from Pandemic, got that as a budget title.
I'm not sure about Bioware titles, they're roundbased fantasy, a combination that doesn't sound like fun to me. ~D

sapi

10-12-2007, 08:27

RIP ~:(

Fragony

10-12-2007, 09:12

Great can't wait to see Malak drink coca cola

pevergreen

10-12-2007, 10:01

From Diablo 2 to Hellgate London.

They generally keep together.

People dont know what the new ones are, then they see "From the makers of:..."

Then they love them.

Mikeus Caesar

10-12-2007, 15:54

*looks at his games compilation*

Seems like I don't have a single game from either of these companies. :sweatdrop:

Something that makes me wonder is, when EA says they bought them, doesn't that mean that someone else sold them? :inquisitive:

I read that they became majority shareholders or something.

And apparently Bioware was an independent company, same with Pandemic.

I'm probably completely wrong.

lars573

10-12-2007, 16:44

Indeed, can we say "Bullfrog" and "Westwood"?
I don't know from Bullfrog but Westwood had exactly one successful franchise, CnC. Every other game they released was crap. What happened to them was equal parts their own incompetence and EA greed.

Westwood went on to form Petroglyph Games(Star Wars: Empire at War ).
Some of them did. Some of them didn't. Of the original CnC team something like 2/3 work for Petroglyph. The rest (including Westwood co-founder and CnC co-creator) still work for EALA.

Geoffrey S

10-12-2007, 18:05

I hope this won't lead to ludicrous copy-protecting and adverts. Unfortunately, I'm sure it will.

Spino

10-12-2007, 18:15

Depressing news. Bioware seemed to have a free hand in the development of their games with their previous owner so I'll wager EA will still be contractually obligated to follow the same rules... I hope.

The most shocking thing was reading that Bioware was already owned by another company, VG Holding Corp. I was always under the impression that Bioware was an independently owned and operated developer.

Man, first Mythic now Bioware. I sincerely hope they have ironclad contracts with EA that help to prevent as much meddling as possible. :sweatdrop:

Warmaster Horus

10-12-2007, 18:54

A tragedy surely. But, perhaps, since EA (I presume) has some idea of Bioware's and Pandemic's worth, they won't make too many changes.

Lemur

10-12-2007, 19:29

Warmaster Horus, you're assuming EA will behave in a rational manner and maximize long-term value. Why would you think they would behave this way?

Warmaster Horus

10-12-2007, 19:33

Call it blind hope? Meh, I don't know. I appreciate both Bioware and Pandemic games, and am aware that they are (were?) profitable companies. I just hope that EA won't be that stupid.

Geoffrey S

10-12-2007, 21:00

Profitable companies, ergo: buy them, their brandnames, stick them full of adverts, and cannabalise the staff for EA when things go belly up...

Bellum

10-12-2007, 22:14

Didn't EA get a new exec recently? Lets wait it out and see what happens.

Caius

10-12-2007, 22:24

Rest in Peace, Lady Liberty. Poor guys, they should start a new company.

Tiberius of the Drake

10-13-2007, 03:40

Bioware, I knew thee well. RIP and lets hope that Ea doesnt pilfer/cannabalize your name and products.

Husar

10-13-2007, 06:05

Did they even have anything interesting in their lineups?
The days when they made Baldur's Gate etc were over anyway if I'm not mistaken.

Also read the following on your own risk:
It's cannibalize or cannibalise, I don't care about AE or BE but there's definitely an i there! ~:angry:

doc_bean

10-13-2007, 10:44

Call it blind hope? Meh, I don't know. I appreciate both Bioware and Pandemic games, and am aware that they are (were?) profitable companies. I just hope that EA won't be that stupid.

I think EAs business model works something like a reverse pyramid, they buy a succesful compnay, squezze out all the money they can in as short a time as they can and use that money to buy new companies where they do the same, when the first compnay dies they're already on a wider part of the pyramid. I don't think they care about long term IP outside of their big series.

lars573

10-13-2007, 15:28

Did they even have anything interesting in their lineups?
The days when they made Baldur's Gate etc were over anyway if I'm not mistaken.
If you only play PC games then no they don't. Pandemics Destroy All Humans!! series is awesome (one of the weapons is an anal probe that makes the victims head explode :laugh4: ). I haven't goten the second one yet but the first is great. Pandemic also made Star Wars: Battlefront (1 and 2). Mass Effect is also interesting. 70% of the people crying about the purchase are weeping for Mass Effect 2 and 3. And the first one isn't even out yet.

frogbeastegg

10-13-2007, 18:06

:gah2:

:Has nightmares of KOTOR Kart Racer IX, Medal of Honour: Assault on Amn, and Jade Empire XXXIV (now with added gore!):

Phatose

10-14-2007, 00:44

Meh. Much like Zenicetus, I'm a pc gamer, and avoid consoles, so Bioware's been more or less dead to me for some time anyway.

Oleander Ardens

10-15-2007, 16:50

..............

RIP ~:(

Ramses II CP

10-15-2007, 22:17

There was a pretty reliable story going around about 2 months ago that EA was looking to get into the MMORPG market. I bet these purchases have something to do with that desire. Talk about late to the friggin' party though. :wall:

I'm not sure what properties Bioware or Pandemic owns that would give them a break in the MMO market though. Jade Empire? Seems unlikely. Star Wars and D&D are already out there in their unimpressive and less than successful forms.

:egypt:

AggonyDuck

10-15-2007, 23:13

screwtype

10-17-2007, 14:51

I'm not sure about Bioware titles, they're roundbased fantasy, a combination that doesn't sound like fun to me. ~D

Roundbased games can be fun, but not IMO the way Bioware implemented them. What's worse, Bioware roundbased games are based on DnD rules, which is a totally overrated system that translates very poorly to PC - especially the way Bioware translated them.

But then, most people seem to think they're great games, so I guess it's different strokes for different folks...

Bellum

10-17-2007, 20:41

D&D is superior to most rpg stat systems.

econ21

10-18-2007, 12:17

Meh. Much like Zenicetus, I'm a pc gamer, and avoid consoles, so Bioware's been more or less dead to me for some time anyway.

Well, Bioware to me is like an institution. It's one of the few game companies I could rely on to make games I really like since BG, which was what - 1997 or something? I'll admit BG2 was their peak, IMO. But KotoR was superb and NWN a very substantial title, given the massive mod scene. NWN2 and KotoR2 were outsourced, but still would not exist without Bioware creating the originals.

The console titles will eventually make it to the PC. I enjoyed Jade Empire a lot and Mass Effect would have me drooling if only the wait for the PC release is not so interminable. Dragon Age might be very good. The delays might make me worry if it was anyone other than Bioware.

I admit their work on consoles and MMORGs is much less interesting to me, but still think Bioware produce more and more consistently good CRPGs than any other designer. I can't think of a game design company I'd be more sad to lose than Bioware - except possibly CA.

screwtype

10-18-2007, 16:03

I can't think of a game design company I'd be more sad to lose than Bioware - except possibly CA.

I couldn't care less about CA. Why should I? They couldn't care less about me, as they've shown from the constant dumbing down of their games since Shogun/MI.

Bioware's games I didn't like much either, but I will concede that they did at least produce quality.

alman7272

10-18-2007, 16:11

oops, nevermind didnt read completely

Praxil

10-18-2007, 23:28

Oh man, I feel old. Pandemics best games are Battlezone and Battlezone II. There is good possibility that EA will make C&C FPS-strategy online game now with them, though I don't know how many people who made Battlezones are still in Pandemic.

Bellum

10-19-2007, 02:47

I played the first Battlezone. Awesome game.

Motep

10-21-2007, 05:14

What! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Bioware, Pandemic...I shall miss you both...

:cry:

Btw, Thank you Pandemic for your beautiful war games. (Such as mercenaries, although they collaborated with LucasArts on that one...not that I would know.......)*whistles* *looks around* *walks away*

Productivity

10-21-2007, 06:53

I can't think of a game design company I'd be more sad to lose than Bioware - except possibly CA.

I think CA in it's current form is a perfect fit for EA to be honest. Completely sold out, mass marketing for the hordes.

CA of the MTW era is another matter entirely...

Motep

10-21-2007, 07:31

I think CA in it's current form is a perfect fit for EA to be honest. Completely sold out, mass marketing for the hordes.

CA of the MTW era is another matter entirely...

Ah, the good ol' days...

Husar

10-21-2007, 11:22

Everything was better in the good old days, like 1939-1945. :sweatdrop:

I can't believe this turned into a CA bashing thread now, things develop and there are people who actually like that and who still see a difference between C&C and Medieval 2.