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Fallout From the BioWare/Pandemic Buyout

Posted by Zonk on from the if-they're-okay-with-it-i'm-okay-with-it dept.

Yesterday's announcement of EA's purchase of BioWare and Pandemic took a lot of people by surprise. Today, there's some more information, reactions, and assurances from the people involved in the move. First and foremost: Mass Effect should not be affected by this purchase. The future of the series is still up in the air, but the game we've all be waiting for is still slated for a November 20th release exclusive to the Xbox 360. EA held a conference call about the buyout soon after it was announced, and answers a number of questions about specifics. FiringSquad has a feature on the reaction from the developers, and that piece has some assurances that EA's CEO John Riccitiello has the best interests of the new acquisitions at heart. Gamasutra has a Q&A with Pandemic's management team, which wants to point out that Pandemic/BioWare and their parent company drove this deal forward; this was not a hostile acquisition. Likewise Gamespot has a chat with the BioWare co-founders, who are equally excited about the deal. This may have been surprising, but if the two companies were onboard with this move it can hardly be dire, right?

9 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. game over by Aurisor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anyone else feel like you're in a zombie movie and your best friend just got bitten?

    Me: Bioware? Bioware!?
    Bioware: BRAAIIIIINNNSSSSSSS
    Me: Nooooooo!

    *cocks shotgun*

  2. You never know - look at Will Wright by dtolman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The fact that they have pampered Will Wright, and pretty much let him do whatever he wants (on two projects now - the Sims and Spore, is a good sign they know how in theory how to not destroy a creative development team. If they can extend that good practice to the entire Bioware group... maybe this won't end up being a disaster like Origin's buyout...

    1. Re:You never know - look at Will Wright by dtolman · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yeah cause if there's one thing "he wants" it's to push out a new crapspansion pack for the sims every 6 months. Too many people forget the Origins, the Westwoods, the Bullfrogs. But as long as we can shovel out another crapspansion for the sims they are all too happy.

      But that IS the whole point. Will Wright gets the freedom to create new original ideas and implement them (you think he's spent a second of his time on the Sims since publishing the original?), as long as EA gets to inherit the IP and turn it into a franchise (aka - pump out endless expansion packs). And who exactly loses in this deal? Wright gets creative freedom, EA gets new IP, and users get content shoveled at them. No one is forcing anyone to buy more expansions. Personally, I think its a good thing that a years old title is getting regular updates. Those Sims expansions are the closest thing out there to a working episodic gaming model...
  3. Hardly by CaseyB · · Score: 4, Funny

    This may have been surprising, but if the two companies were onboard with being given stacks of cash so large they require heavy machinery to move it can hardly be dire, right?

    Fixed that for you.
    1. Re:Hardly by Miltazar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That is exactly why this went forward. What just because a company went along with it, somehow it changes the fact? EA still is EA, whether this is a hostile take-over or them dumping piles of cash on Bioware. Origin Systems went willingly as well, what happened to them? Oh yeah, their founders eventually realized it was a bad idea and left. Now the company that had some great franchises, such as Wing Commander, Ultima, etc, now only makes Ultima Online expansions. The truth is that they did it for the money. After a few bombed games we'll hear how the bioware staff/founders are leaving, etc.

      --
      "Hold! What you are doing to us is wrong! Why do you do this thing?"
  4. Re:EA vs Atari vs Microsoft by BarneyL · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The difference between Microsoft and EA is that Microsoft wants to destroy the competition. EA seem out to destroy the industry.

  5. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  6. Re:the MMO? by Reapman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Does EA run any MMO's other then Ultima Online? Sims Online, NFS MOtorcity or w/e it was called, died horrible deaths last I heard. UO2 and UO:X was cancelled. I agree that they may have cringed when looking at the realities of running an MMO, but I don't think EA would be at the top of my list of companies that can run an MMO well. Hell I'd pick SoE over em, and that is NOT saying much considering I've despised most of their games.

    All the assurances in the world still don't get the bad taste that Westwood and Origin's deaths created. I hope I'm wrong.

  7. Re:the MMO? by Pandur77 · · Score: 3, Informative

    EA bought Mythic some time ago (and renamed them to EA Mythic) which is the developer of Dark Age of Camelot. EA Mythic is also developing the new Warhammer MMO.