BioWare Gets a New Boss

[Camaranth]

I'm willing to wait and see before biting the guys head off. I mean he's in charge of the BioWare group so basically all the studios EA named "BioWare" for the name recognition. BioWare Canada (ie the BioWare we like) is still under Aaryn Flynn so maybe Bromberg will be a decent boss and listen to the advice of his minions who see the day-to-day ops.

Of course this could also be the eternal optimist speaking....

 

[RaNDM G]

Tonight, however, EA revealed that the studio has a new shot-caller: Matthew Bromberg, formerly the CEO of Major League Gaming, who joined EA in 2012 as general manager of BioWare Austin following Zeschuk's departure [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118997-BioWare-Co-Founder-Hasnt-Quit].

And a flurry of shooters and sports games shall ensue. Dragon Age will morph from RPG to turn-based strategy, and Mass Effect 4 will entirely be played in first-person.

No, I am not looking forward to this.

 

[Andy Chalk]

given your avatar, i can't believe you didn't make "i am assuming direct control of this form" joke in there!

That's my cat.

 

[neppakyo]

Bioware as been dead since ME2/DA2 came out. Shitty (normal for EA) games. EA has kept the name to milk it for all its worth before finally killing it like they did with the dozens of other studios.

I'm surprised the Bioware has lasted this long in EA.

 

[Dragonbums]

Be right back.

About to prepare popcorn for the biggest hilarity that is the upcoming failure of Mass Effect 4 and all subsequent Bioware games.

Good Night sweet prince. It was nice knowing you as a great company.

 

[Nurb]

He is Matthew Bromberg, of EA. Resistance is Futile. From this time forward, your games, as you know it, have ended.

They ended the moment Bioware became an EA owned whore.

 

[Psychobabble]

I think it's painfully apparent that no matter who EA sews into the lead position, their company is still just one long human centipede and is only capable of expelling one kind of product regardless of the quality if nourishment it's given.

 

[Callate]

It's not a job I'd want right now. Talk about seating yourself right in the middle of the bullseye.

Honestly, what I've seen of the latest Dragon's Age looks pretty promising, but I'm genuinely wondering if the founders departed Bioware because they saw wounds that were just going to fester. I guess time will tell.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

This guy's got experience running a tournament organization (which doesn't line up with running a game dev company)and is responsible for a f2p model so restrictive you have to sub just to function (unless you enjoy constantly being under-leveled and having to pay RL money to buy end-game gear).

I have a bad feeling about this...

One might argue that maybe his experience gives him just the right skill set. Being a game dev is always beneficial since you know the business you are supposed to manage, but coming from the MGL he's no doubt got loads of experience handling external pressure vs internal ambition which is undoubtedly the kind of skill that fits right into the position of GM of a publisher-owned development studio.

As for the TOR f2p-model, I don't think we can blame him for it. Whatever one might say about it (and it isn't good), at least the transition was pretty smooth and that's saying something about his ability to manage a development team.

For now I'll just wait and see. Bioware has been in decline for years and I am not sure a new GM, good or bad, will have much impact at all.

 

[Strazdas]

When EA bought Bioware people advocated the end of bioware.
I didint believe them.
When Mass effect 3 was released people advocated the end of bioware.
I didnt believe them.
This, however, made me believe it. It was a fun ride while it lasted, so long.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

He is Matthew Bromberg, of EA. Resistance is Futile. From this time forward, your games, as you know it, have ended.

They ended the moment Bioware became an EA owned whore.

To be fair the games that were in development before Bioware was bought out but were released by EA (the first Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins) were good.

It was only later projects which were started under EA did Bioware's quality take a nosedive.

Captcha: Dollar signs

 

[Nimcha]

I hope for his sanity he keeps as far away from the 'fans' as possible!

 

[Sushewakka]

Dragon Age will morph from RPG to turn-based strategy.

You say this as if it was a bad thing. Turn-based strategy is pretty awesome, and a strategy spinoff of the first Qunari war against the Tevinter Imperium would be pretty fun to play.

 

[Blachman201_v1legacy]

Oh come on guys, don't be all negative like that. The CEO =/= the entire development team of designers, artists & writers. He's at the very top call the big decisions, but I don't see why he would stop Bioware games from being Bioware games.

Short version: "Tone at the top." The CEO's management style will influence the creative process in some way, be it subtle or overt, regardless of whether he want to or not. But maybe the long version explains it best:

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

I wish Bioware had died instantly the moment they were bought by EA, then we wouldn't have to watch this drawn out suffering and torture until they're dead.

 

[Fdzzaigl]

Seems like a choice based on connections to the rest of the "evil hierarchy". As for TOR, that game was dying due to mismanagement before he came. I didn't continue to play after the F2P, but it's still around, so he did that right at least.

We'll see, a studio isn't made by the one guy at the top alone.

 

[Caiphus]

I thought that the EA hate might have died down a bit recently.

Guess you guys are, uh, still pretty mad huh?