10 Major Missteps By Video Game Companies
4. From Development Hell To The Executioner's Block - Anthem
Having been in development for 7 years and the subject of several impressive trailers, Anthem was riding a wave of hype similar to Biowares previous titles. Even with the teams divided between Mass Effect: Andromeda and Dragon Age Inquisition, many believed Anthem would be the start of an exciting new franchise.
On release Anthem was praised for the flight and combat mechanics, however it was brutally criticised for its repetitive and tedious game play. Described as bland and hard to enjoy, many players gave up before realising that the majority of content included for the game was held out of reach in the endgame.
The issue obvious with hindsight. Without Director Casey Hudson of Mass Effect fame manning the helm, Bioware began showing noticeable signs that they were not up to the task of developing the game. EA seems to have ignored these early signs and pushed ahead with development, even as experienced Bioware staff began leaving the company in waves.
What we were eventually left with feels like a game that was half developed, and rather than cancelling or delaying the game, EA simply pushed it out the door to die, hoping it would recoup some of their costs as it did so.