Mass Effect 4 Andromeda: 8 Big Risks Bioware Must Take

3. Ship A Complete Game On The First Try

This shouldn't be a risk. This shouldn't even be a consideration. But unfortunately, it is - especially since EA's acquisition of Bioware. To be fair, Bioware has managed to avoid shipping an incomplete product so far. All of its games are largely fully functional, and any DLC seems fair and substantial. There haven't been any launch crises on the scale of say, Battlefield 4 or Empire: Total War. But when your competitors are releasing games much faster than you are, shareholders can get restless. It comes down to whether EA's might is being used to protect Mass Effect 4, or to corrupt it. On the one hand, it can remove the pressure attached to releasing it way too fast, because EA can absorb costs. On the other, EA are notorious got getting their money's worth in other ways, like less-than-ethical DLC that holds parts of the game for ransom. I don't believe that any company - yes, even EA - are indifferent to making great games. Great games make an absolute bomb: just look at Skyrim. But they're also incredibly risky, with dodgy tactics being ways of mitigating such risks. It makes sense... kinda. But they also erode the reputation of any company that employs them. If Mass Effect 4 goes the safe option of launch-day DLC, it may well be the beginning of the end for Bioware's reputation.