The internet has been going crazy the last 24 hours with reports that BioWare Montreal in the middle of restructuring, and since they were the new “Mass Effect” studio, the second Mass Effect: Andromeda game is on hold, but is it really? Now I can see restructuring, finding a new lead dev team and bringing in some better writers, but even after Mass Effect: Andromeda’s “failure” (it has already sold way over a million copies) it is still one of the most popular gaming franchises out there. If I see people wearing game related clothing out and about, 50% of it is Nintendo, 30% is Minecraft, but most of the rest bears a large N7 and the BioWare logo, and coming in third to Nintendo and Minecraft is nothing to upset about. If you are EA you don’t just toss that kind of brand awareness away.
I am guessing the next game is delayed a year or so. Just enough time to clear out some games that BioWare is currently working on so they can shuffle teams around. Is this bad news for the people that lost their jobs? Yes (though apparently most of them didn’t), but there will be a Mass Effect game out before we know it. EA likes to make money, and a good Mass Effect game makes them tons of cash. We will see how things go, but I am guessing we will hear about a new Mass Effect game around E3 2019. A long time to be sure, but considering all the games in BioWare’s pipeline, it will just take a little longer to come around again. Now to things that aren’t okay…
IO Interactive is being sold off by Square Enix. In some regards this understandable since Hitman is not one of Square’s major franchises, but on the other hand Hitman sold very well and won several game of the year awards. It isn’t clear yet if the sale will include IO’s IP (Hitman, Freedom Fighters and Kane and Lynch), or if they are just selling the physical assets. Though like most things in life, I am guessing that is negotiable. Unlike BioWare Montreal, IO should be hard at work on its next game and reveling in its success. I hope they find a buyer soon, so they can continue making games and avoid being shutdown. If IO doesn’t find a buyer and I don’t get my second season of Hitman, Square Enix will enter my World of Assassination!