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Bad day for gaming: EA buys Bioware!

kotaku.com — To quote the comments in the story: Neverwinter Nights: STREET confirmed!

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  • DanteDefiance, on 10/28/2007, -15/+264This is the worse gaming news I've heard in a LONG time. Prepare to see a sharp decline in the quality of Biowear products.

    Oh and probably a multiplatform Mass Effect. ;___; how could you Biowear?
    • Tactis, on 10/15/2007, -8/+21well probably not i mean gears of war was 360 exclusive even though midway is primary publisher for Epic Games, it could be that Mass Effect IP is owned by Microsoft.

      But regardless this sucks really really bad for gaming.
      • Spoomeister, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13"it could be that Mass Effect IP is owned by Microsoft"
        It isn't. Bioware owns Mass Effect IP. It's not like Halo.
        • frygar, on 10/12/2007, -8/+7So theoretically.... Mass Effect could go multi-plat.

          Well,look at the bright side - maybe PS3 owners can get in on the action. More people playing your game is a good thing, right?
          • geartype2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5yes it is, any who says different need only look at EA's massive money pit where swimming in gold coins is almost the exclusive hobby of it's CEO.
          • AwesomeMonster, on 10/15/2007, -9/+7cept EA openly doesn't like the ps3. sorry mate.
      • incubusnb, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Bioware has gone on record and officially stated in the past that it will not ever develop another game(after KOTOR) for which the IP is not their own.

        I hope this EA thing doesn't change that personally, and I really hope EA stays the ***** away from the internal operations of Bioware and leaves it up to the geniouses that ran it till now
        • fkr3, on 10/13/2007, -2/+2Hope all you want, you know they're going to reduce it to a quick-to-market franchise they'll milk and milk.
        • Megaten, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Well, they might say one thing - but that doesn't easily explain away them working on the Sonic RPG for the DS.
    • TRUEPATRIOT, on 10/13/2007, -5/+60theres nothing wrong with mass effect going multi platform the problem comes from EA doing a maxis on bioware.
      /cry
    • stainlessjack, on 10/12/2007, -15/+4Bioware is still the same, on the inside. And I for one would really look forward to Neverwinter Nights: STREET, can't you imagine your lvl 5 Rogue playing with his balls right in front of some orc chieftain, teasing him before pwning his sorry orc ass.

      Long live corporate buyouts and mergers.
    • Dvs.Ctns.Hvrms, on 10/13/2007, -1/+25What about westwood?
      • AQUANETA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It turns into Petroglyph and makes games I dont like.
    • ZenMojo, on 10/13/2007, -15/+4Bioware? The guys who dumbed down their RPG style to make KOTOR (an excellent game, nonetheless) and Jade Empire? Yeah, the worst EA could do is...I don't know...make a multiplatform Action RPG version of a Bioware game.
      (Wait...what...what do you mean Dark Alliance?)
      • JigoroKano, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Bioware's NWN and that other game are only related by their common D&D IP. Neverwinter is a city in Faerun.
      • Aiwanei, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Umm... Dark Alliance, you mean Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance that was made by Snowblind Studios that Dark Alliance? I mean you probably thought that Bioware's Baldur's Gate I & II were somewhat related to Dark Alliance, but they are not other then the fact that they take place in Baulders Gate, on the continent of Faerun, on the planet Abeir-Toril, in the Forgotten Realms Setting. But I mean to compare a masterwork like Baldur's Gate I (or II) to Dark Alliance, and think the same company spewed out both (or all 3) is just sadly mistaken.
    • daxmedflax, on 10/14/2007, -4/+37Biowear?
    • incubusnb, on 10/13/2007, -6/+3ah shaddap and go back to playing Madden 08
    • Asianwaste, on 10/13/2007, -9/+4I hate Macs, but I'll look at it from a Mac gamer's point of view. This is actually a potential good thing. EA has been trying to port their stuff to both Macs and PCs... so there might be Bioware games out on the Mac at the same time they are out on PC... that said being a PC gamer... I'm not sure if they will have a better home in EA than with what they had with the failing Atari.
      • turpenine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Anyone can port things to play native on a mac pretty easily now that transgaming made that porting tool thingy...
      • jpt62089, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Except that either EA sucks at using the software or the software sucks. Probably both :(
    • iChainsaw, on 10/13/2007, -9/+1yay! more games for the mac!
    • Schaefer33, on 10/13/2007, -2/+27http://i24.tinypic.com/20g0gf5.gif

      Picture of what I first saw on the front page...
    • ch33sehead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Ya know, when Black Isle went under with Interplay, the prominent developers just left and formed Obsidian Entertainment. It's pretty much the same company, different name. It's not like the main Bioware people couldn't just up and form their own company (again).
    • Rikka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i just died a little inside; i was proud that bioware was based in my city. but now....shame.
    • strifeprime, on 10/16/2007, -2/+1I've already been seeing a sharp decline in the quality of Bioware's games.
    • ipodman715, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Haha, I love the first comment here: http://tinyurl.com/2rsmbn
    • BestJaxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Don't blame Bioware, blame the company that owns it.
  • ahintoflime, on 10/28/2007, -2/+184This sucks. Bioware is a great studio. EA better not ***** that up.
    • shinythingy, on 10/13/2007, -1/+74Oh they will :(
      • Chassit, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11Yeah :(
      • JonAce, on 10/13/2007, -0/+7Just look at Maxis. ;_;
        • ICSU, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Actually, The Sims, one of the most popular franchises in history, got made only because EA respected Will Wright.
    • FrostRaven, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2My thoughts exactly.
    • norman619, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7It is in their nature. Might as well ask a fish not to swim.
    • Hermitwise, on 10/12/2007, -1/+47The Scary thing is I would much rather have Microsoft buy Bioware.
    • darkNiGHTS, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22Let's hope they don't turn out like Westwood Studios :(
    • flipmeat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12'A vicious shark tank of a company that consumes talent and spits it out'
      Anyone remember Origin? See, EA thinks the games are successful because of their marketing, not the code or the art. Since they believe this to be true, it makes sense to them to jettison the talent of acquired companies.
      "I could sell dog ***** in the right box" - Bing Gordon. "And you have"- anon.
    • Asianwaste, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Mark my words: Since Bungie is out on their own now, EA is preying on them now that they don't have MS protecting them anymore.
    • gr0ss, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I just hope that if Bioware makes another KOTOR game that EA doesn't add dumb stuff and wreck the game.
      • psychdream, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4like someone above said, its in their nature
        they rush games out half finished and then shove a ton of expansions up the player's bums
        their desire for money supersedes their desire to ship out a properly finished product
        • RxDaniel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Well KOTOR 2 was rushed out half finished so that wouldn't really be a big difference.
        • spatulacity, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It also wasn't made by Bioware.

          It was developed by Obsidian using a Bioware engine, and published by LucasArts.
        • ch33sehead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Like spatulacity said, KOTOR 2 was an Obsidian game. Obsidian is pretty much Black Isle w/ a different name, same developers. Totally different group from Bioware, though they often make the sequels to Bioware games.
    • dukeochutney, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1most the games that ea releases are for the fuktard masses. hopefully but not probably this will mean they will have some games from the bioware side that will be better. most likely though this means the end of KotOR
  • Takran, on 10/28/2007, -4/+195This calls for a Darth Vader style NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    I think my brain is going to implode.
    • muka3d, on 10/12/2007, -0/+20DO NOT WANT!!!
    • Kazbaeden, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9When I saw this story I literally yelled exactly that. At least Bethesda is safe..... for now....
    • sebek, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Explains the disturbance in the force I felt...like the sound of a millions gamers crying out in pain
    • contradictator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I actually felt like I was gonna throw a hissy-fit, this is just.. terrible news.
    • shredswithpiks, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
      • Malfactor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        As well
    • format, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!
    • digitalarcanum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2you have GOT to be kidding me! anything EA touches they turn to *****. Why god why?? So long good RPGs.
  • Intangible360, on 10/12/2007, -2/+105EA is getting so large no one will be able to compete, which will lead us down a slippery slope where EA both publishes and develops 95% of the games for sale. A sad, sad day! :'(
    • DanteDefiance, on 10/23/2007, -4/+31One company can compete: Nintendo

      They took top publisher this year. This was the first time in 5 years EA was bumped to the number 2 spot.
    • evilesttoast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Yea, now everybody flip off EA together.
    • slimscane, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Activision surpassed EA as the #1 publisher this year.
    • ComedyTree, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0 lol that probably wont happen because halo will take over the world watch this video all about. h t t p: //w w w . albinoblacksheep . com/video/halo go there but dont put the spaces inbetween when u type the website
    • HBNDonut, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If only there was a way to reach out to all the gamers in the world and convince them to STOP buying EA games... and on the small occasion where EA put out an interesting or half decent looking game, we should rent it, not buy it.
  • someguy9, on 10/28/2007, -3/+111EA needs to be stopped, they make NO good games, some one needs to stop this.
    ya a new madden!!
    • shinythingy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+45Here's an idea stop buying their amn sports games people. Its the same ***** thing year in year out. All they change is team line-ups. Fifa '08 sold over 1 million copies in europe! WTF is wrong with people?
      • Cyber_Akuma, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18People not buying EA games is just not going to happen. As long as they keep making sports titles the majority of sheeple will buy them.
      • dyreschlock, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3EA was the first company to capitalize on the casual gamer's stupidity.. way before nintendo.
        • sekhui, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5so... you're saying nintendo didn't exploit mario? i know they made at least a few games with that guy in them.
      • jefferygomer, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2But I like NCAA 2012!
        I actually was upset that 2k bought the rights to MLB, because, in my opinion, EA makes better sports games. I'm willing to try other companies, but I know I'll enjoy the EA title.
      • Cam_86, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Don't the shut down the servers to the older sports games? So if you want to play on-line, you kinda HAVE to buy a new title at least once every 2 years. Could'a swore this was why they refused to sign onto Xbox live at first, and ended up forcing microsoft to allow them to host their own games.
        • chronichyjinx, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3They cut them off when there 2yrs old
          • IndigoMoss, on 10/18/2007, -1/+5Just like any good parent should.
      • Djchicken, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think we should boycott EA... after Mass Effect. Of course, knowing EA they'll delay it so they can "fix" it, or royaly ***** it up the ass. This also means we're likely to have that rumored additional contend downloads cost us a fortune, as well being fed useless downloads a la the infamous horse armor. Ugh. I'm honestly disgusted by EA. Right now gamers have the power to stop a monopoly from taking over the gaming industry. Although there are plenty of sheeple and and mindless 12 year olds who can't wait to play the newest Madden because they're more physically inept than a handicapped person, the majority of gamers are actually college grads, and might actually have enough intelligence to do something. I think we should boycott anything made by EA , until Ea is dead and buryed, and not a moment before. Sure, this means giving up Assassin's Creed and Army of Two, but Orange Box, Halo 3, Two Human, MGS 4, Little Big Planet, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Metroid Prime 3, and Mass Effect, being largely untouched by EA, are all very suitable alternatives for the fourth and first quarter. So please, everyone, bit the bullet now and stop an endless wave of developers being turned to *****, like Westwood, Maxis, and now Bioware.
    • Slyer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23Crysis is pretty fun..
      I think I like EA better when they act solely as publishers and not owners.
    • shredswithpiks, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2debatable. I kinda really like MOH: Airborne
      • DIAF, on 10/15/2007, -1/+6same *****, but with parachutes. whoop de ***** doo
    • MrFisty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Lisa Simpson said it best: "You'll never go broke appealing to the lowest common denominator". Droves of people will continue to buy Madden and Need for Speed in the same way they'll continue to watch Scary Movie and Saw flicks.

      As much as I'd like to suggest it, a boycott by even the Digg community wouldn't even register on their sales charts. Not as long as Mr and Mrs Fried Chicken are cashing paychecks.
    • Zephkiel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Valve's games are published by EA. EA isn't a good developer, but as a publisher they can be quite helpful.
    • tjordan83, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3What about Skate and the Battlefield series?!
    • digitalarcanum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2debateable. burnout series or revenge at least kicked ass. battlefield series is awesome (although I don't like their expansion pack-esque way of doing things these days i.e. would be 2142's northern strike booster set.)
    • raeanin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't agree, EA Sports and their games is just a money maker geared towards idiots who will pay for the same game with updated stats and a couple lame features each year. They have made some excellent games. Skate is one of the best games to come out in years, no more putting up with lousy Tony Hawk *****.
  • zdiddy85, on 10/12/2007, -1/+33Goddammit.
  • Joeshie, on 10/14/2007, -1/+161RIP Bioware. You had a good run.
    • TheVirus, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1http://bayimg.com/OahmjaABI

      That pretty much sums it up.
      • Fitness03, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1But EA are good at sports so they will catch it.
      • InsomniacAgent, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0Which explains the Madden series?

        They are NOT good at sports. They are good at running a ball into a ***** tree.
    • dysonlu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Let's hope the real creators at Bioware leave EA and start another company.
  • Cam_86, on 10/13/2007, -2/+118I look forward to the DOZENS of expansions(a la 'The Sims') for all future kotor games... Cause dammit, I think its MORE then fair to sell me a half finished game, and then go on and charge me an additional $20-$80 for something that SHOULD be a free download. Oh, and lets not forget the in-game advertising in 2142... Cause me simply paying them $60(plus, lets assume another $40 for the min. 2 expansions that will be required) isn't enough for them to make a profit. Especially when they are known to over-work and under-pay their employers.

    Seriously, EA is the epitome of EVERYTHING that is wrong in the gaming industry.
    • air805ronin, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2They never implemented the in game advertising, listening to the outcry from the gaming community who were pissed because they wanted to play the game but refused to because of the advertising. Instead they hosted contests for the 2142 community to make billboards of thier own and you got to see creative recruitment billboards many of which seemed to be destroyed by the fighting. Obviously you didn't know this so I thought I should enlighten you since I did play the game and you apparently did not. Your pricing figures seem a bit off since I got my copy of the game for $40 and the first expansion was slated to be $20. I used to buy expansions for Warcraft and Starcraft, and don't regard spending a single bill on something that will provide me with hours of entertainment to be a waste of money.

      Also I tend to buy the FIFA games because I enjoy them. I don't but them every year, instead I usually buy one per console I have owned unless they release one that will revolutionize a particular aspect. I bought this year because what i read in the reviews showed a departure from the arcade-like high scoring matches to more realistic tactical games. Just because people don't like sports games they shouldn't knock those of us who do, because some years show remarkable improvements in the representation of a sport.. Most people would kill for yearly releases of games they enjoy, especially if the company kept tweaking things to make the game seem better or more realistic.

      I tend to agree with the EA hate machine about a great many of thier games. After some of the girlfriends I have had I hate the Sims, mainly because I'd rather go out dirnking than hang out playing Gran Turismo 3 while my girlfriend decorates a digital house. I dislike anything marketed to a street aspect of a sport. I can't stand the Need for Speed series. I could give long drawn out reasons but mainly the games don't appeal to me. I would caution people instead of blindly hating instead to realize it might just be the games EA puts out don't appeal to them.

      I'm not digging you either way though because I understand that its your opinion.
      • vtnerd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22142 is a good game. Granted it's not as good as BF2 (which 10k+ people are playing at most times of the day) but 2142 is a good game.
        EA does put too much pressure on developers to release unfinished games and 2142 and BF2 are both examples of this (numerous patches, nerfs, bug fixes, server stability issues, etc etc). However, the games are so good that people play despite all of these problems. Just because YOU don't like the game doesn't mean the game is bad.
    • MagicCake, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hey, what's wrong with in-game advertising? I'm sure people are still loving their Core2Duos in the year 2142... :)
    • SpicyViper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Gonna love advertising in KOTOR.... Tarn's Discount Lightsabers!!
  • Lixie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+75EA got a little insecure dropping to the number 2 publisher behind Nintendo, so they went on a shopping spree.
  • airwalkery2k, on 10/28/2007, -2/+160I cry a little on the inside each time EA gobbles up a good studio.
    • shadowmoose, on 10/15/2007, -1/+7When they bought out Westwood studios I died a little inside. There have been no good RTS's released since.
      • kevisazombie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Agreed and now we will never see a Nox sequel either...
    • OblivionMage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You cry only a little? What the ***** is wrong with you...
  • LongShlong, on 10/12/2007, -1/+41This unfortunate news hurts the very essence of my being.
  • spaceninja, on 10/15/2007, -1/+96Another great company dead. Assimilated by the Borg that is EA. I will miss you Bioware.
  • shinythingy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+37*****
  • Bob042, on 10/12/2007, -20/+10I'm looking forward to Bioshock '08 and the first Mass Effect expansion. =/
    • Kinsbane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+28EA bought up 2K Games as well?

      Weird, I didn't see that in the press release.
    • iChainsaw, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13rofl dont you know? BIOwear obviously made BIOshock...just like BIOlogy is the study of bioshock.
      • incubusnb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The BIOnic man plays games by BIOware, as well as BIOshock while studying BIOlogy and eating BIOhazardous waste
    • Asianwaste, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Then I would guess MASSive made Mass Effect?
  • Chassit, on 10/15/2007, -2/+39EA blows ass, and always has...this is seriously ***** up!
  • Carg0, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Highly unfortunate for BioWare. I couldn't give a rat's ass about Pandemic, though.

    *sigh* Oh well, just one more developer to avoid buying from. I won't be purchasing Mass Effect now. This is precisely why I have a GameFly account.
    • Cam_86, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Why? Pandemic made some great games... Mercenaries was one of the few AAA titles on the Xbox.
    • CaptFreedom, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5The deal doesn't go into effect unit Jan '08. Microsoft was the publisher on Mass Effect and I can't image that changing in 1 1/2 months time. Besides that, Mass Effect will still be good, regardless of the publisher (at this point).
      • incubusnb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3true, its too far gone, it was cost EA more money to ruin the game than if they just let them finish the debugging cycle... of course, they could just cut development and release it now... with a bug in every corner
      • SharkyTech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The Sequels. The second and third mass effect games will be released under the interference of EA.
    • SharkyTech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Why? To give EA a reason to say that Bioware's creative direction and management aren't profitable so they can substitute their own?
    • frimple, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You may not buy 'Mass Effect'... but what about 'Mass Effect 2k8'?! MUAHAHAHAHAHA

      yes... it's in the game....
  • bluenullity, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Oh Shi-
    I hate this to the nth degree.
    • shredswithpiks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3lim as n approaches infinity?
  • aznhomig, on 10/12/2007, -3/+22*****.
  • totorototoro, on 10/14/2007, -0/+20Wow. That's pretty huge. Bioware AND Pandemic?
    Looking forward to all those yearly full-price "roster updates" to Mass Effect and KOTOR :p
  • felidaeus, on 10/28/2007, -3/+45so when do KOTOR II, III, IV, V, VI and VII come out?
    • Phreez, on 10/12/2007, -2/+41You're in luck, KoToR II has already been released back in 2005.
      • felidaeus, on 10/14/2007, -9/+3I have a mac, I'm still waiting....
        • jefferygomer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13So are the rest of us that played it.
          • incubusnb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8You can blame that on Obsidian. contrary to popular belief, KOTOR 2 was _NOT_ made by Bioware.
    • dyreschlock, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1KOTOR II already came out a couple years ago on the Xbox 1.
      • TheGreger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Lucas Arts, not Bioware, owns the rights to Star Wars and probably KOTOR.
    • shredswithpiks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4lol how are people digging up this massive fail? (diggs you up)
    • Asianwaste, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2 felidaeus: I have a mac, I'm still waiting....
      I must say... that is the best thing I've heard in years....
    • Shambla, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0No need for sequels when you can just do what I did-purchase KoToR II : Hot Date.

      "..Hmm, she's under 18...I had to come to the dark side sooner or later"
  • HCviolence, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18New for Star Wars Battlefront, Lowrider cars and racist Mexican stereotypes, and servers that will be 20% *****. HOORAY
    • melonhedd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Battlefront already sucked
    • MrFisty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Urggh. That what really gets my goat. Their damned servers. Seriously, Carbon wasn't a terrible game, but the pathetic server support makes it virtually unplayable online. Serves me right for buying it I suppose.
  • Spoomeister, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Why hasn't a boycott of EA titles happened, to let them know how much their business practices blow? Or is EA's main revenue from casual / sports titles that don't have a massive and/or informed internet fanbase?
    • Chassit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I haven't bought anything from EA in like a decade and will continue my non support of their crap!
    • incubusnb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Boycotting doesn't work anymore, they don't care about your business because they know that there are millions of gamers that don't give a ***** who made the game, they just want to dress their sims in pretty colors.

      Boycotting used to work great, before multi-national conglomerate corporations, before a group of people sitting in a boardroom had enough money to buy the souls of you and everyone you have ever been in contact with. It would take an event of epic proportions to cause a boycotting spree large enough to take down EA, a large group of people would have to go on record in saying that EA boils children to create the materials needed to have demonic rituals for every game released, and they had to do this while trying to reserrect Hitler.

      even then some stoned teenager walking through EB games will still say "Hey, NHL 2020 is out, I'm gonna get it"
      • p0ss, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2But if we make torrents of their games easiler to get they the actual game, then their sales drop. Thats an effective boycott.
        • incubusnb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1that works for PC games, but what about the tens of thousands who have unmodded consoles?
    • RxDaniel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think you answered your own question there.
    • BuckyDent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1people like battlefield
  • blindwisdom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12... *****.
  • miglo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23I died a little today. RIP Bioware + Pandemic studios.
  • cultist667, on 10/15/2007, -1/+32***** EA
  • Fox318, on 10/15/2007, -0/+51Just like Westwood Studios... another great developer dies by the hands of EA.
    • aznhomig, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9*crie* I'm still saddened by Westwood's death, they made ***** awesome games. Even with all the graphics and shininess and new "features" in games today, I still catch myself playing Red Alert 2 from time to time, even today.

      D;
    • mitchlourens, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I played Red Alert 2 today, i still find it a lot more fun that 3....
    • kevisazombie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Westwood made Nox and if you ever played it you know it is a one of a kind game that deserves a sequel
  • emomakesmecry, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19Do not want!
  • jefferygomer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13And I quote myself,
    "Damnit!"
  • LutherMac, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Time to mourn the loss... I've yet to see success from any decent developers that have been engulfed by EA, slight exception to Maxis, though SimCitiy: Communities or whatever it's called is definately a disaster waiting to happen. (Yes, I know this is a 3rd party, and not Maxis. Just the end of a great franchise).

    Origin.... Maxis... and now Bioware... truly sad times.
  • RyanBlueThunder, on 10/12/2007, -2/+26Peter Moore (ex-360 guy who left MS to work for EA) had a hand in this...I just know it. I hate to say it, but I think the industry would have been better off with Microsoft buying Bioware than EA.
    • SiNN4R, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6Back before Microsoft bought Bungie it was going to be far more revolutionary but they lowered the quality so it would run on the Xbox.
      • CaptFreedom, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Source?
        • SiNN4R, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Its hard to find all the old prerelease stuff from Bungie but originally the game was going to feature a dynamically shifting war that would take place across the entire halo map. So basically the game would be far more dynamic than it is today.
        • AwesomeMonster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5No, it was going to be an rts... Bungie found that this wasn't really all that fun so they made it an fps.
        • Djchicken, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yes, Halo was going to be "way more awesome" than it was, but considering how good it was anyway, the fact that it was impossible to live up to their hopes anyway is excusable.
        • adoggz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1well, here's a video from E3 2000 showing Halo when it was a 3rd person shooter http://www.ifilm.com/video/2711190

          I personally think Microsoft didn't ***** Halo up much at all.
    • cnldelta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4What would happen if MS were to buy EA?
  • myranttoyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Great, the best games in the industry (KOTOR, NWN, etc. etc.) now open by the company making the *****, hack regurgitated games i.e. Madden 2007, Madden 2008, ... Madden 2393
    • ryllharu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You know, I'd actually be tempted to play Madden 2393. Would it be more like Blernsball than football? Mandatory steroid injections, exploding touchdown zones, giant spiders, and maybe even a multiball period?
      • Tokkii, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Call the freakin' NFL and get this made into reality. I'd watch the Super Bowl if it had giant spiders.
  • heepajunk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Who knows, maybe they'll let bioware continue to make good games.
    Not likely though, EA's business model trades quality for quantity.
  • dyreschlock, on 10/15/2007, -1/+29God, I hope my copy of Mass Effect doesn't have the EA label on it :/

    Otherwise, I might just have to photoshop new cover art for my copy.
    • ryanwarnersteel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1*****, if they lay a finger on Mass Effect...grrrrrr
  • TheZorch, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1Not all games from EA are bad but some are really really bad. I mean some really stink like the turd my cat just dropped in her ***** box. Damn that reeks!!!

    One game EA put out that was great was Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. Too bad they can't put out more games like that.
    • Niallgriff, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Dude that was the worst medal of honor game they made. (well i haven't played Airborne, so maybe that takes it)
      • valkyries, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1the Airborne demo was pretty good much better then pacific assault
  • adenansu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14origin, dice, mythic, now bioware... destroy EA before they own everything
  • ThorAx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Goodnight Sweet Prince
  • Spoomeister, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I'm STILL pissed, a decade later, that Sierra Entertainment killed off the Babylon 5 game. I can only hope there's other people with that kind of long memory, who'd be happy to shun EA indefinitely when they find that EA has screwed up their favorite game.
  • hasahugedig, on 10/15/2007, -1/+19I find it kinda strange how when EA buys a company they, for a lack of better words, go to *****. But when Nintendo buys a company, they turn out some amazing stuff under their wings. Yet both are the #1 and #2 videogame publishers.
    • ThorAx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5All the bro's buy EA's sports game en masse
    • RxDaniel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Nintendo knows how to make games. EA knows how to sell games. Both are perfectly good strategies for making money.
  • dend, on 10/15/2007, -5/+6It could turn out better than we all think - If EA just lets them continue with projects they want to do, and funds these projects. But hey its EA, so thats not going to happen. *****.
    • SpongeJim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It will be the same old story. Bioware will pitch project "X", you know, the next great story-driven game, and EA execs will say "Mehhhhh but another Neverwinter mod will cost 80% less. Let's do that. Oh, and you're all fired."
  • MechaZain, on 10/12/2007, -16/+11I know everyone is jumping on the EA hatewagon at the moment, but I really don't see where it's warranted. Gamers seem to have this fascination with turning the industry into this Good Guys vs. Bad Guys thing, when it is and always been just an industry. Not to mention the fact that no matter how many IPs EA may announce (Skate, Army of Two, Spielburg's secret titles), the best the majority of the gullible gaming community can say is "LOL MADDEN".

    If you think the the gaming industry is like some kind of comic book with heroes and villains, and that EA is going to walk into the offices of Bioware or Pandemic and say "Ok guys, start making your games *****" then maybe it's time for you to get a grip back on reality.
    • flipmeat, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Sounds like you've been to a few of EA's meetings.
      • MechaZain, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Because if I don't hate something, I'm obviously a fanboy...
        • Tokkii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2In my mind it's not Good Guys v. Bad Guys, it's Good Games v Bad Games.
          If EA didn't actually turn everything they touched into *****, then I wouldn't care. KOTOR and NWN are two of my favorite games of all time, and I may weep if EA ***** them up.
          And that's just my personal opinion on the games. I'm not fond of the $60 roster updates for Madden (my husband is a fanatical football fan and has to have every new Madden) and the endless expansion packs that had so little content they should have been free, or at least less than $20.
          EA isn't evil, they are just buying up my favorite gaming studios and I'm afraid for the quality of games.
    • adenansu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Its not a hate wagon that everyone's jumping on, we're pointing out history to people like you who open your mouth and say "hey, EA isn't that bad!". Yes, EA is terrible. Everything they've bought out how been turned into a cheap, low grade, low quality product. Sim-City was turned into The Sims, the Ultima games were crapped out and shoved on to store shelves with no want or desire of quality control. Mythic's Dark Age of Camelot hemorrhaging of players turned into a flood (so much to the point that they're working on directly copying WoW at this point). DICE's BF games are being churned out as fast as they can, each buggier than the last.

      History has yet to show one example of EA buying a game studio and that game studio putting out an improved product. So far, all history has only shown us worse products, and the death of many great studios. This isn't a bandwagon. EA needs to be stopped.
    • SiNN4R, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1EA actually have a lot of the best ideas among the larger companies in the industries. Only they tend to also have the poorest execution of those ideas.
    • gamemaker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5EA games 99.9% of the time have:
      - great looking menus
      - great production quality
      - pablum-plain gameplay; competently implemented, but without one iota of imagination

      They are institutionally incapable of making great games.
      • weeman43302, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Skate. is a really good game.
      • Djchicken, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yes, but considering the percentage of ***** EA games made before skate, and considering the amount of time Bioware will spend on a game, we're not likely to see another good Bioware game for another 10+ years.
  • DeadTorrent, on 10/15/2007, -1/+7Today is a sad sad day, Bioware is/was my favorate studio, located just a city away I have always had dreams of working for them
    • incubusnb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I live in the City they're in, and am taking a 4 year College program just to work for them, I don't really want to work for EA though, this is disasterous news to me, perhaps on a more personal level then other diggers because my future goals involved Bioware
  • Ghostsfp, on 10/15/2007, -1/+9I'm going to go kill myself.
    • RxDaniel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Take some of the people at EA with you at least.(Don't really do this...unless you wanna be cool, then do it. Seriously though don't do it)
      • p0ss, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1make sure its not just some. I reckon with well executed plan you could take out a fair hunk of the global leadership.
        Pirate Terrorists.
        It begins.
  • myranttoyou, on 10/15/2007, -0/+12For $620m (or less) MSFT should have bought Bioware at least.
  • Kyvv42, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Say goodbye to any widescreen resolution in Bioware games.
  • reed311, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Well, it's capitalism at it's worst (for consumers).
    • Soothsayer1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hell this ain't capitalism. Its world domination (i.e. dictatorship style)..with no lube.
  • nicht, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Damn! Goodbye Bioware. We hardly knew ye? Hope EA doesn't screw you up too bad.
    • KaiUno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Hardly knew ye? I've been playing Bioware games for at least a decade!
  • gnasherdog, on 10/15/2007, -0/+7fantastic, now I can look forward to seeing thousands mark ecko billboards while I explore the outer reaches of the milky way. Great. Just ***** great.
  • tastethevenom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18I'd like to watch someone punch EA's Mr. Deep Voice in the nuts, once for each syllable in "E. A. SPORTS."

    It's in the game. ®
    • MrFisty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2But only if the guy can say into the mic as he's punching the announcer: "Testes, testes, one, two, three"
  • kalrhael, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1This has got to be a dream... yea thats it... a really bad dream.. I'm going to wake up any moment now and things will be as they used to...
  • norman619, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1This truly sux major ass. I hope another small studio rises and takes their place. BIOWARE made great games. They even did the radical thing and released finished games. :-(
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