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Anthem The Game

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EA is looking to cut hard into Activisions Destiny with its new 3rd person RPG shooter.

The game has been in development for a while and was delayed once but the devs says its on track and will be released in Feb 19. With an closed alpha stress test this weekend and an open demo in late Jan for preorders (non-preorders wait until early Feb). This game is starting to pick up steam.

Official Story reveal trailer.

This game will be good. I know EA has dropped the ball many times but the "real" Biowear is behind this one.

Who else is excited for this one?
 

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Bah humbug, thanks for sharing.
 

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I'm about as excited for Anthem as I would be excited to get cancer.
 
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This attitudes on this site have become cancer.
 
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I'm rubbing my hands in glee, hoping this will be the final nail in coffin of Bioware.

I'm rubbing my hands in glee, hoping this will be the final nail in coffin of Bioware.
 
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I got invited for the closed alpha. I figured I might as well check it out. I wouldn't say I'm excited. Doesn't really look/sound like my cup of tea. But I'm trying to keep an open mind. We'll see how it goes...
 

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With how bad Destiny 2 is doing already, It wont actually be that difficult for EA to 'Cut hard' into it. One questions if EA even needs to make an effort to muscle in on the competition when there is really is nothing to worry about. Infact, Anthem is probably going to be just as bad and EA are going to do an Activision by pumping it full of more glorious microtransactions because that seems to be the answer to every game that didnt meet the shareholders and investors expectations these days.

Not to mention the game has already been tainted by Anita Sarkeesian but more so than that, its an EA title so thats a no from me. I never played the first Anthem game anyway so its not like Im missing anything at all. (there was no Anthem 1)

R.I.P Bioware. I really did enjoy Mass Effect one and two.
 
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Anthem's biggest threat is probably Division 2. Yup, has glorious microtransactions.
 
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With how bad Destiny 2 is doing already, It wont actually be that difficult for EA to 'Cut hard' into it. One questions if EA even needs to make an effort to muscle in on the competition when there is really is nothing to worry about. Infact, Anthem is probably going to be just as bad and EA are going to do an Activision by pumping it full of more glorious microtransactions because that seems to be the answer to every game that didnt meet the shareholders and investors expectations these days.

Not to mention the game has already been tainted by Anita Sarkeesian but more so than that, its an EA title so thats a no from me. I never played the first Anthem game anyway so its not like Im missing anything at all.

R.I.P Bioware. I really did enjoy Mass Effect one and two.

There wasn't a first Anthem game... I thought? It's been hyped as a new Bioware original IP for years now.
 

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There wasn't a first Anthem game... I thought? It's been hyped as a new Bioware original IP for years now.

Oh my bad, i was probably thinking of Destiny 2 or Mass Effect 2
 
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Oh my bad, i was probably thinking of Destiny 2 or Mass Effect 2

Speaking of, ME2 was when I was an actual Bioware fanatic. One of the greatest games ever. But also the beginning of the end. Some of their best team members were leaving midway through or as the ME2 release came. And while it was EA "branded", it wasn't an actual EA game during development.
 

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Mass Effect was the last game Bioware made as an independent studio (released 2007, Bioware acquired in 2007). Dragon Age: Origins was too far into production (released 2009) to have much impact from EA's influence. Mass Effect 2 was the first game Bioware released that was completely under EA's influence and it shows in so many ways (DLC via Bioware Points, Cerberus account proving it's not pirated, lethal dose of consolitis, realtively cheap production value compared to the first game, extremely compartmentalized, virtually devoid of risk, etc.).

On topic: if Bioware is a co-op take on Mass Effect, it might be worth looking in to. If it falls in the vein of Division and Destiny, I don't know why EA thinks it is worth wasting their resources on.
 
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Mass Effect was the last game Bioware made as an independent studio (released 2007, Bioware acquired in 2007). Dragon Age: Origins was too far into production (released 2009) to have much impact from EA's influence. Mass Effect 2 was the first game Bioware released that was completely under EA's influence and it shows in so many ways (DLC via Bioware Points, Cerberus account proving it's not pirated, lethal dose of consolitis, realtively cheap production value compared to the first game, extremely compartmentalized, virtually devoid of risk, etc.).

On topic: if Bioware is a co-op take on Mass Effect, it might be worth looking in to. If it falls in the vein of Division and Destiny, I don't know why EA thinks it is worth wasting their resources on.

Not during the development of ME2's main game. It was already well under development (and needed more funding towards the end), which is why they were shopping the company around. They originally wanted to sell to MS...which should have happened in retrospect. The whole DAO/ME2 era was the last of old Bioware. DA2 could properly be called their first true EA game (and it shows.. just in how rushed and sparse it was).
 
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Anyone with alpha key, that doesnt want to play, want to give it away to me?
 

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Not during the development of ME2's main game. It was already well under development (and needed more funding towards the end), which is why they were shopping the company around. They originally wanted to sell to MS...which should have happened in retrospect. The whole DAO/ME2 era was the last of old Bioware. DA2 could properly be called their first true EA game (and it shows.. just in how rushed and sparse it was).
The narrative was mostly laid out prior to EA acquisition but the game was made under the direction of EA corporate, even adding part of EA Montreal to Mass Effect 2 production in 2009. EA really doesn't like putting all of its fish in one barrel due to risk management.

EA announced intent to aquire on Bioware on October 11, 2007. Purchased was completed within two weeks.
Mass Effect launched November 20, 2007.
There may have been some pre-production work on Mass Effect 2 but the game was produced under EA's direction.
 
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The narrative was mostly laid out prior to EA acquisition but the game was made under the direction of EA corporate, even adding part of EA Montreal to Mass Effect 2 production in 2009. EA really doesn't like putting all of its fish in one barrel due to risk management.

It started at Edmonton (Bioware's original HQ.. which only later became EA Edmonton). Just like that article says, it added EA Montreal (30 new hires). The game came out a year later... but these games take 3-4 years average (well, they used to. EA rushes titles in half the time now).

But I digress.
 

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You can't start production on a sequel before the current game is pushed out the door. All hands are on deck during crunch which is often six months prior to launch. Like I said, EA's taint is all over Mass Effect 2 (especially Bioware Points, the plethora of DLCs, and Cerberus Network).

Let me put it this way: is Mass Effect 2 more like Mass Effect or more like Mass Effect 3? Hint: there are no cosmetic DLCs nor Bioware Points for Mass Effect.
 
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This is being developed in Bioware's Edmonton studio. Where it all started before selling out to EA. Where the great games came from. I sure hope this one holds up to the previous games from here.
 
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You can't start production on a sequel before the current game is pushed out the door. All hands are on deck during crunch which is often six months prior to launch. Like I said, EA's taint is all over Mass Effect 2 (especially Bioware Points, the plethora of DLCs, and Cerberus Network).

Let me put it this way: is Mass Effect 2 more like Mass Effect or more like Mass Effect 3? Hint: there are no cosmetic DLCs nor Bioware Points for Mass Effect.

Dude, I was watching it all happen in real time.

I swear, in any given topic, you seem to be contrarian for no reason. Even when you gain nothing from it. I don't have time to engage you anymore. Merry Christmas :)
 

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Dude, I was watching it all happen in real time.
As was I. I'd argue everyone reading this today did.

I swear, in any given topic, you seem to be contrarian for no reason.
I have great disdain for the perpetuation of myths. The internet is rife with it.


The fact is Bioware, as we knew it, died in 2008-2009. Anthem is being produced by Electronic Arts. Lootboxes/microtransactions are guaranteed (not unlike Division's model most likely). The only two big Bioware names tied to Anthem are Drew Karpyshyn (left earlier this year) and Casey Hudson (left in 2014). Unless the game proves otherwise, it's Bioware in name only. Much like reviving the Maxis brand for the comedy known as SimCity.
 
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As was I. I'd argue everyone reading this today did.

If you know that, then you'd know that the devs were already getting into ME2, as parts of it were originally envisioned as DLC for ME1. And EA didn't change anything about them right away (no acquisition works like that). People were even under the impression they'd carry on independently, but that was naïve.

Anyways, I don't want to be part of another derail.
 

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If you know that, then you'd know that the devs were already getting into ME2, as parts of it were originally envisioned as DLC for ME1.
I said:
There may have been some pre-production work on Mass Effect 2 but the game was produced under EA's direction.
Drew Karpyshyn on Mass Effect: “We Spent Six to Nine Months on Pre-Production”

You should be familiar with what pre-production is. Every successful game studio does it. Pre-production does often overlap with crunch because people like writers have little to do during crunch other than fixing the odd typo that comes up. Mass Effect 2 was scoped and the main narratives put together in late 2007 and early 2008. Electronic Arts likely dictated spinning off parts into DLC (especially Kasumi Gato and Zaeed Massani characters) to increase monetization during this process. During this same period, BioWare developers were learning how to use blueprints in Unreal Engine 3 so they could make Mass Effect 2 efficient where Mass Effect was brute forced using old methods (contributed to its long development cycle). Production started on Mass Effect 2 sometime in 2008 (perhaps March, coinciding with the release of Bring Down the Sky for Mass Effect).

TL;DR: EA's traits are all over Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect was the last completely independent game Bioware made. Dragon Age: Origins was on the fence but because it was so far in to production at the time of acquisition, all EA could do is fork off minor characters like Shale. Mass Effect 2 was 90%+ under Electronic Arts influence.
 
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I said:

Drew Karpyshyn on Mass Effect: “We Spent Six to Nine Months on Pre-Production”

You should be familiar with what pre-production is. Every successful game studio does it. Pre-production does often overlap with crunch because people like writers have little to do during crunch other than fixing the odd typo that comes up. Mass Effect 2 was scoped and the main narratives put together in late 2007 and early 2008. Electronic Arts likely dictated spinning off parts into DLC (especially Kasumi Gato and Zaeed Massani characters) to increase monetization during this process. During this same period, BioWare developers were learning how to use blueprints in Unreal Engine 3 so they could make Mass Effect 2 efficient where Mass Effect was brute forced using old methods (contributed to its long development cycle). Production started on Mass Effect 2 sometime in 2008 (perhaps March, coinciding with the release of Bring Down the Sky for Mass Effect).

TL;DR: EA's traits are all over Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect was the last completely independent game Bioware made. Dragon Age: Origins was on the fence but because it was so far in to production at the time of acquisition, all EA could do is fork off minor characters like Shale. Mass Effect 2 was 90%+ under Electronic Arts influence.

I know what pre-production is. Come on. But the original vision for ME1 itself was huge in scope. If you find any early Casey Hudson interviews, you'll hear him talk about ME1 in a completely different way than we got it. They also planned the Collectors reveal in that game's DLC. They had some of ME2's assets ready, but they only used the Batarians.

As for ME2's preproduction, that changed significantly itself. It was supposed to be more open ended in recruitment (where you could fly anywhere and pick up anyone at any time), and the Geth were the ones who rescued Shepard (and Miranda snuck in on your team as a Cerberus plant.. rather than the one who genetically rebuilt you). You still pissed off Ashley and the Alliance, because Legion was meant to be in the game early on, and the Illusive Man didn't extend his friendship until later. Some of the original story points linger where Shep wonders if he's actually a Cyborg or not (it makes less sense from Cerberus perspective, but made more sense from the Geth perspective).

But anyways.. things change. And it's sad that I'm still stoked talking about setting. Anthem doesn't interest me in the slightest.
 
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