For many years, when developers released a game and it wasn't a hit, there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Developers simply had to learn from the experience, lick their wounds, and move on to the next project. In the digital age, the opposite is often true. Developers can consider releasing many ways of patches and slowly make the game more up to players' standards. There's some successful examples of that kind of strategy; No Man's Sky has reinvented itself to much acclaim. However, Anthem hasn't succeeded in this area. Although BioWare spent a long time trying to figure out a way to rebuild this game from the bottom up, it's since decided to scrap plans to salvage it.
While it's hard to abandon any project, BioWare wasn't counting on Anthem's success to stay afloat. It's responsible for franchises like Mass Effect and Dragon Age that remain hugely popular. Fans are waiting eagerly to hear about next installments in these franchises, and BioWare seems determined to meet expectations. Although BioWare Austin's executive producer Christian Dailey has confirmed that Anthem NEXT has been abandoned, he hints at a renewed focus on Mass Effect and Dragon Age. That makes it sounds like BioWare already has plans to recoup Anthem's losses, which should buoy BioWare fans.
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BioWare has proven time and time again that it can deliver on the Dragon Age franchise. Its entries consistently rank in the 80s on Metacritic, showing BioWare's consistency and the franchise's ongoing popularity. There hasn't been a Dragon Age game since 2014, but fans do know that BioWare is coming back to Dragon Age, ever since Dragon Age 4 got announced in 2018. It sounds like resources initially dedicated toward Anthem NEXT will be moved to work on Dragon Age instead. That's a good sign for Dragon Age fans. BioWare is aware of its own achievements with this franchise. Putting more resources towards it and ensuring its success is a good way to bounce back from Anthem's disappointing reception.
Acknowledging Mass Effect should be exciting for a lot of fans too. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is only a few months away now, so any extra resources devoted to Mass Effect now might help the compilation of games sail smoothly toward success. However, Dailey's post implies that BioWare will have a renewed focus on Mass Effect in the long term. There's no new Mass Effect games on the horizon, as far as fans are aware, but that might be changing soon. If BioWare is focusing on its established franchises, then Anthem's loss is Mass Effect's gain, much like Dragon Age.
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It's too bad that Anthem didn't quite hit the mark. On the bright side, though, it sounds like BioWare is taking Anthem's rough road as a learning experience. The plan is apparently to let go of Anthem's flaws and accept the game as it is, rather than spending months or years trying to make it live up to initial expectations. There's lots of things that BioWare can learn from Anthem about experimenting with new formulas and how a confusing development can impact a game. BioWare is surely taking the time to focus on what's important and figure out how it can handle its other projects with care.
Anthem fans can't be blamed for being disappointed that the game isn't getting as much support as blamed. Still, it's ultimately a good thing that BioWare has apparently figured out what's important to it in the wake of this new IP. It wants to ensure that the franchises that have carried it so far -- Dragon Age and Mass Effect -- continue to flourish and grow. Expectations are high for Dragon Age 4, since its the first return to the franchise in so many years. BioWare is wise to ensure that that game does well, rather than spreading itself thin and fussing over Anthem.
Anthem 2.0 has been cancelled.
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