There is a lot resting on the shoulders of BioWare’s Destiny-like third-person MMO, Anthem. With the massive production and subsequent marketing budget sitting behind Anthem, (this and EA’s reputation for scrapping studios that underperform) one can’t help but think about the future of BioWare if the game ends up being a flop.
According to former Bioware designer James Ohlen, who worked at the company for 22 years before retiring, this may not be the case.
“I think EA is looking for BioWare to be a long-term part of the company. I think EA really respects what BioWare brings to it. BioWare is a lot different than all the other aspects of its business, so even if Anthem doesn’t do as well – and I think it’s going to be great – but if it doesn’t do gangbusters I don’t think that’s the end of BioWare. I think it will simply be a chance for BioWare to learn some lessons and apply it to the next game that comes out.”
Anthem releases next year for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.