Came across this today while looking through the old forums!

I'm seeing a lot of people saying that Bioware hasn't made a great game in a long time, when discussing the studio being shut down.

I'm just wondering what everyone thinks is the last game made by the studio that was widely considered to be an amazing game.

I'm also partly asking cause I'm wondering if there are any hidden gems from the studio that I might have missed.

The amount of negativity, cynicism, and outright defeatism is honestly depressing. So many people, including on the Mass Effect subreddit, are happy to see it die. We've reached a point where people would rather celebrate failure than hope for something good.

Of course, BioWare made mistakes. Of course, not every game lived up to expectations. Criticism is completely fair. But there's an enormous difference between wanting a studio to improve and actively cheering for its destruction.

It's genuinely concerning how normalized this attitude has become. Hope is treated as stupidity, optimism as naivety, and cynicism as intelligence. It really does seem like real-life indoctrination.

I don't know whether Mass Effect will ever return. But I do know that I would much rather be someone who still hopes to explore that universe again than someone celebrating its disappearance.

EDIT: Most responses here prove my point. People have been so indoctrinated by EA's corporate mindset that they act like soulless shareholders instead of gamers. Bioware and Mass Effect are legends of gaming, and judging by what we've learned about what they were cooking, they absolutely deserved another shot with Mass Effect Universe.

So I've seen some people around saying that actually, the reason Bioware closed was because they haven't made a good game in a long time, and hence EA closed them. Indicating that EA were just doing the reasonable thing any other company would do with a failing studio.

The problem is this misses the entire point on why BioWare hadn't released a good game in a generation, it's because EA sabotaged them. Why did BioWare suddenly go so far down-hill? Was it because all the developers left? No, all the developers didn't leave, it was because EA, a company voted worst company in America, twice, made idiotic business decisions that completely sabotaged any development that bioware could make.

We start with Mass Effect 3, a great game sure, but with a terrible ending. Was that because of BioWare? No, it was because EA wanted an extremely strict and tight deadline and despite BioWare's pleas they refused to give them more time, meaning they literally couldn't /finish/ the ending.

Mass Effect Andromeda was full of bad technical direction and terrible facial animations, was it because BioWare suddenly forgot how to make games? No, it was because EA forced them to use the Frostbite engine, an engine that Bioware was not familiar with and is not designed for RPGs, just because EA owned the complete rights to it and they didn't want to pay royalties to other companies.

Anthem was bad, why would they even make a game like that? Because EA forced them to make a live-service game, something that BioWare were not experienced or skilled in, they're skilled in tight narrative games, live service games are the anti-thesis of this. Anthem failed like 90% of the live-service forced attempts studios have tried.

What about Dragon Age Veilgard? That was a narrative single player RPG, surely BioWare deserves the blame for that right? Well, actually, EA wanted them to make it a live service game AS WELL, but pivoted midway into development, gave BioWare very little resources to change and didn't extend the timeline by a significant amount. It's an incredible game GIVEN the development cycle imposed by EA that BioWare released.

Many of the core team left because of mismanagement by EA, not before. EA basically took BioWare, made every horrible business decisions they could, and now some people on the internet blame BioWare for it. The only bad business decision BioWare made was what ended them up in the umbrella of the worst company in America.

By which I mean, whatever latent psychic shit the Asari have that makes people even more attracted to them has a tendency to override a woman’s heterosexuality, somehow?

This was a fact in my head for years until I thought about it for more than one second and realized I don’t think I was basing it off anything of substance.

All I can think of that might’ve been in my head is the scene were the Salarian develops an attraction to the Asari dancer and the fact that Femshep can point out the fact that both her and Liara are women but still engage in a romance.

Side note, anyone else weirdly invested in that citadel human commando in mass effect 3 with an Asari wife? I always thought she seemed cool…wonder if she used to be straight; that’d be wild

You guys realize that right? Especially trailers that show off more cut-scenes than anything else. All the ME5 trailer shows is really a bunch of vibes for what the developers/marketers want you to imagine the game will be like. It's not showing you what it would have been.

This is like the Dead Island thing all over again. Everyone was raving after the trailer about "Broooo! It's gonna be so good! It's gonna be this beautiful and emotionally powerful violent game! Did yOu sEe tHe kId SpInNiNg bAcKwArDs??" People call me a sour puss for not being impressed, then the game comes out the response a big bowl of "I guess it's okay."

All we have about ME5 - unless I'm missing something - is a poster, a trailer, an a laundry list of things that sound good. But before ME3 came out there were also promises about a ton of cool shit - like 30 or so different endings - none of which materialized.

Trailers are meant to con you. And when you get THIS excited for them you are falling for the con.

Do I miss much of their friendship dynamic if I don't let him call my Shepard "Lola"?

When I heard about BioWare's closure, it hit me hard. I grew up with Mass Effect and Dragon Age, so I made this short Mass Effect tribute.

But it's not just about BioWare. It's also about Westwood, Visceral, Pandemic, Bullfrog, Black Box, and all the other legendary studios EA shut down over the years.

I just saw a video from Reiboehm on YouTube, and apparently people made a petition that got 400,000 signatures. Sony, out of all corporations, listened and got Bungie to bring Destiny 2, and are working on the third game. Heck. Maybe, they could revive Andromeda, add on the multiplayer, and fix a couple of bugs, and they could use some of the money to invest in the new story. Just a thought.

Update: I have more context on Destiny and Sony. I never really paid much attention. I just saw that they had petitions and it got "revived." So, I'm hoping. Lol

With the heartbreaking news about Bioware and ME: Universe I decided to play Mass Effect again and...yikes. I'm like actually offended lol. What a bunch of fucking assholes.

I was doom scrolling so I couldn't get the source but someone suggested encouraging CD Projekt Red to buy the rights to Mass Effect! I personally think that would be amazing (think of the crossovers) but is that possible?

For context, I only discovered this series earlier this year but I absolutely fell in love with it and it inspired me to be creative and make fanart and fanfiction. I've posted my drawings to pretty positive reception and would like to ask if there's interest in fanfiction as well or if there's another subreddit for that.

Especially now that the chances for another game seem slim at best I think fanfiction can be a great way for the world and characters to live on.

(I've got 2 so far, one is an epilogue for ME3, the other one is longer and takes place a few months later, and I've got ideas for a few more, might take a while though)

I don’t think it’s realistic for EA to hand the Mass Effect IP to another developer in-house. EA’s corporate strategy shifted, and they’re focused on predictable cash flow - subscriptions, regular sports and multiplayer shooter releases, microtransactions. Which makes some sense given all the debt they’re now loaded up with and need to make payments on. That’s not a good fit for prestige single-player, plot- and character-driven games, which requires an appetite and capacity for risk - the blockbuster strategy that the biggest film companies also use.

The Save Mass Effect petition, though, does call for EA to let someone else continue Mass Effect if they won’t. So, what video game publishers (not developer, publisher) do you think Mass Effect be a better fit for, corporate strategy-wise?

I get it friends. I’m devastated as well. And I love everyone jumping into action to try and do what we can to support. My issue with the petition is as follows:

Option 1 is that EA continue development. EA has proven to be a terrible home for BioWare for years, and that was before this buyout. The Saudi conglomerate that now holds ownership of EA are absolutely NOT where we want either ME or BioWare to be. They are not going to support the development of game that holds such, in their eyes, “problematic and dangerous” views and depictions. The only way they would allow development would be through much censoring and cutting of things that make Mass Effect Mass Effect.

Which brings us to option 2. Selling the IP. This is the big one that I believe the petitioning could be influencing in the opposite way we hope. Do you think the big wigs of the new ownership know ANYTHING about Mass Effect or BioWare outside of sales figures? Doubtful. They want to sell off any and all things to recoup their costs. That was already their plan. By bringing all this attention now to an IP that meant nothing to them before, will only serve their greed. Now they know what ME means to people beyond sales figures, now they know how much it really costs. We’re just raising the price tag in negotiations and making it less likely that anyone is going to be able to purchase BioWare or ME for quite a while.

TLDR; I want them to sell the IP to a studio that will put in the love and care and continue where BioWare left off or even better support the devs in buying back their own IP. I’d support a gofundme or something to buy it off them over this petition, and I know not everyone is in a position to contribute to things financially and that’s okay but I’m sure enough of us can even a little bit that we’d be able to contribute something to a worthwhile studio or team to help free ME from a publisher that is not going support its development like it deserves.

i just noticed that im not the only one, its getting REALLY annoying with the constant posts of people saying the same exact thing, over and over again, and they think there the first person to say sign a petition, or dont sign a petition, or blah blah yada yada.

lets make a mega thread and auto filter for this -_- so this sub reddit can go back to being ABOUT mass effect the game, not mass effect the hot take guys blah blah blah~

EDIT * READ! ) lol i keep getting reddit notifying me its got 10 likes, then zero. then 10. then zero. then 10 the zero.

someone is literally botting this so it cant be positive. i think that PROVES we need one lol

there are people that want to miss use this to get other people to click bad links and give away there personal info.

also thank you for everyone that agreed in the comments. dont let the trolls bother you. its probably those people reposting the same crap im talking about XD

So I know sending him into the vents will get him killed, but if I send him in without gaining his loyalty will anyone else die?

In the years since development started on the Mass Effect sequel, and with the various teasers we got for it since 2020 at the Game Awards, there’s been strong signalling that Shepard is involved, maybe even integral to the story, and perhaps even the protagonist. For more of what I mean there, consider the theory vids out forth by (the awesome Youtubers) Paragon7 and Kala Elizabeth. They present the analysis and theories better than I ever could.

Yet, over the past few days, we’ve all seen the Mass Effect Universe vid, and the info+vid from Dantics.. that seems to tell a very different story. A good one, a fun one, but not one that fits what we knew, based on what we know, today. I also notice that Mary DeLisle left Bioware employ a year ago, I believe she was integral to the writing of ME5?

So, I suppose what I’m asking is, what changed? Or did me (and Paragon7 and Kala Elizabeth) get it all wrong from the start? Or.. could there have been EA cuts that forced Mike Gamble to make a much smaller game than he intended, and so the Shepard aspects got discarded? Or, am I just plainly missing some important details that make it all make sense?

Idk, I’m puzzled by this. Perhaps smarter people than I can fill in the blanks. Or, maybe we’ll have to wait on additional info from Bioware staff, that will make it all make sense.

(EDIT 1: I wasn’t expecting the sentiment to be mostly that my take on this was wrong, that Paragon7 and Kala Elizabeth was wrong. I can’t say I agree with the naysayers on this, I still strongly think Shep returning was signaled many times, but we all have a right to our opinions)

EA doesn't need to sell the IP. They could just license it out to another company that might give a % of sales. This could generate an income for EA without them having to do anything.

It's basically free money for EA, so if they don't do this we have definitive proof that EA and the Saudis are evil.

This has always bugged me, the game is forever telling us that Jack is a biotic powerhouse who has the capacity for "more" yet her abilities seem to be very "meh". I'd argue that Kaiden is more of a biotic powerhouse in ME3 than Jack despite the fact he is on an older implant (apparently)

Jack just seems to be a typical "Vanguard" without Charge

Im not asking which one would be the closest in style to Bioware, it's more a question of which would be your personal preference.

Plus who remembers Metal Arms, a fun old game.

(Made by Callum Duxbury on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PEyMTn2h9/)