David Gaider, one of the co-creators of the Dragon Age series, has once again shared his experience working with Electronic Arts. According to him, the company held a dismissive attitude toward role-playing games and viewed their fanbase as not worth focusing on.
The writer explained that mechanics used in games like Dragon Age: Origins were referred to by EA leadership as "cave mechanics," resulting in RPGs receiving significantly less attention and support compared to other projects. EA allegedly considered RPG fans to be "cave-dwelling nerds" who would play any RPG simply because it existed.
You made an RPG and the nerds in the cave would always show up for an RPG, because it was an RPG. You didn't have to try and appeal to them. You had to worry about the people who weren't in the cave, which was the audience we actually wanted, which was much larger.
Gaider has criticized EA before — earlier this year, he advised the company to take notes from the creators of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Notably, last year’s RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed to meet EA’s expectations, and support for the game was reportedly scaled back. In February, it was revealed that BioWare had undergone major staff cuts, with several veteran developers leaving the studio. You can read our review of their most recent RPG here.
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