Dragon Age Creator Slams EA, Advises to Follow Baldur's Gate 3 Creators' Example
The so-so launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has clearly shaken up the gaming industry. While the head of EA justifies the failure by the lack of online mechanics, a veteran of the series decided to share his point of view.
According to David Gaider, who worked on several parts of Dragon Age from Origins to Inquisition, the publisher should not have chased hypothetical numbers and the success of games with a live service, but should have turned to the core audience of the role-playing game. In parallel, he discussed the recent report of Electronic Arts and said that the company should clearly learn from its mistakes and follow the example of the creators of Larian Studios, who gave fans of Baldur's Gate what they wanted:
My advice to EA (not that they care): you have an IP that a lot of people love. Deeply. At its height, it sold well enough to make you happy, right? Look at what it did best at the point where it sold the most. Follow Larian's lead and double down on that. The audience is still there. And waiting.
Recall that at the start of development, Dragon Age: The Veilguard was conceived as a game-as-service. Later, this concept was abandoned, but recently EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that online functions could contribute to the success of the project.
Meanwhile, BioWare was hit by massive layoffs and lost half its staff. Several Dragon Age: The Veilguard developers left the studio at once, including veterans of the series. Now a small team is working on the new Mass Effect.