EA is NOW THE OWNER OF MASS EFFECT

[QUOTE="ironcreed"][QUOTE="Zenkuso"]

R.I.P Bioware

You watch people leave and the decline of bioware, how many rpg dev houses has EA killed now...

They try to fill a void in there game lineup but they just end up killing the companies they buy, damn one of the best dev houses and they are now on track to become another zombie corparation :(

STUFF YOU EA! BURN IT HELL!

Zenkuso

That is the worst case scenario here....let's just hope that Bioware does not end up with an internal mutiny over this, as that will lead to the inevitable demise of what Bioware once was....with only the name remaining. But the team a shadow of their former selves.

However, if they stay intact internally, and EA gives them breathing room to develop, then expect EA to have higher quality games that appeal to core audiences. That would be the best case scenario for us gamers. But, if EA wants to take control over Bioware's developmental decisions, then indeed, the future of Bioware games looks bleak to say the least. Mass Effect just may be the real Bioware's last epic hoorah.

Once the acquistion is complete "ALL" development decisions will run through EA management, thats just how EA works.

You make it, we break it!

That should be EAs motto, I can see a few key employees leaving after this cause creative freedom has just gone right out the window. I had total respect for bioware cause they always tried to avoid things like this, but instead of acquiring them directly EA found the loop hole and bought the holdings company that already had them thus acquiring not only bioware but pandemic as well. The whole fanbase for bioware is very disturb about this so much so many are going to simple boycott bioware future games cause we know there games in the future won't be aimed at the key players that bioware has always developed for, instead EA will make sure they shift focus to more casual friendly games which in itself will kill there games in general.

EA has acquired many companies over the years and many in the end folded an had to be incorparated into the EA dev houses, I wouldn't be surprised if this happens again once key employee's inside bioware start the exodus. It always happens in buyouts, vivendi + blizzard = blizzard north team leaving, Dice + EA = 2 head designers leaving & many of the programming staff, westwood + EA = doesn't even have the original team left at all, EA + bullfrog = bullfrogs death completely, EA + richard garriots old dev house = death.

Theres so much evidence to prove that bioware will become a shell of itself that people that think otherwise are kidding themselves, EA doesn't care about the dev houses they just want the IPs its that simple, bioware has just entered...

"The sh|t zone"

Good post, and I actually think that you are more than likely speaking a rather unfortunate truth. I think that Mass Effect 1 will end up being speicial in more ways then one, as it will probably end up being Bioware's last true epic on a console that was made with blood, sweat and tears while they were still the real Bioware.:(

MS may have publishing rights, and they may have the right to put out the 360 version, but that doesn't necessarily prohibit EA from releasing PS3 and PC versions.

this is really too bad. ME is going multiplat. i don't see how MS can stop EA from publishing the game for systems other than the 360

MS may have publishing rights, and they may have the right to put out the 360 version, but that doesn't necessarily prohibit EA from releasing PS3 and PC versions.

this is really too bad. ME is going multiplat. i don't see how MS can stop EA from publishing the game for systems other than the 360

mwa

So if EA owns Mass Effect, there are high chances of it going multiplatform :?haris12121212

[QUOTE="mwa"]

MS may have publishing rights, and they may have the right to put out the 360 version, but that doesn't necessarily prohibit EA from releasing PS3 and PC versions.

this is really too bad. ME is going multiplat. i don't see how MS can stop EA from publishing the game for systems other than the 360

Squall_Griver

i'm not sure if it's official, but that definitely sounds like a possibility. remember when sony had the rights to GTA3 and vice city locked up contracutally, but rockstar found a way out of it by bundling the games and releasing both on the original xbox? or when konami released MGS2 on the orginial xbox by adding a couple new features and adding "substance" to the title? there's ways to get around these contracts, and publishers have done it in the past, so i definitely see it happening with ME.

but but.....ME is the boring overrated rpg..........cows dont want itDante2710

[QUOTE="mwa"]

MS may have publishing rights, and they may have the right to put out the 360 version, but that doesn't necessarily prohibit EA from releasing PS3 and PC versions.

this is really too bad. ME is going multiplat. i don't see how MS can stop EA from publishing the game for systems other than the 360

Squall_Griver

Microsoft holds the right to publish mass effect (the first one) but therefore after EA can do whatever they want unless microsoft wants to acquire the mass effect ip from bioware/EA in which they could subcontract it out to another company to make cause now that bioware is owned (or will be completely as of jan 2008) by EA they can't subcontract them to make a game for the system cause EA owns them and will forfit the rights to publisher earnings (which EA won't do).

So basically biowares whole focus will shift cause of EA's pulling the strings, bioware can't be asked to make games by other firms like sega is doing with the sonic IP now or microsoft, nintendo or sony can't ask (pay basically) bioware to make a game on there system and let them hold the publishing rights (what many companies do to acquire exclusives).

Bioware has officially become a staple pawn of EA, they have no say in where there ips go after the ones they are in the midst of developing (contracts, something they can't break unless EA reworks them with the other contract bearer), period.

This sucks, not only that EA turns every dev into mindless zombies, making tons of crappy games just to satisfy there incisive greed, but also I was thinking about aplying for a job as a Game Artist next year. Well at least there's Valve and Bungie.

As soon as EA announced it had acquired BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios, the Xbox community wondered what would happen to the Mass Effect trilogy, which BioWare intended to begin and end on the Xbox 360 platform.

First, Microsoft Game Studios has confirmed that EA's acquisition of the developer of "Jade Empire" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" won't at all affect next month's release of Mass Effect. However, future games in this franchise are facing a dark horizon:

Microsoft has not yet announced specifics regarding sequels to "Mass Effect" but we'll be talking to EA and BioWare in the weeks to come. "Mass Effect" is the most anticipated role-playing game of the season, on any platform, and we are committed to the franchise's long term success.

When we asked about the ownership of the intellectual property, Microsoft confirmed that--unlike the Halo and Project Gotham Racing IPs, which are owned by Microsoft and not the respective developers--BioWare Corp. owns the Mass Effect IP.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/14791/Microsoft-Provides-Update-on-Mass-Effect/

uh oh Bioware own it and EA own them plus the IP uh oh

Tnasty11

really sums it up nicely.

Could MS get Mass Effect 2 and 3 exclusively on their platform? Well...they'll have to give an arm and a leg for it now. And even if offering their 1st born children, EA may be convinced that Mass Effect on 3 platforms will make more money than Microsoft would be willing to offer them.