Interview Bioware acquisition Q&A

[fastpunk]

... while the last one will likely not be licensed by EA going forward.

Well of course it's not likely, Star Wars = LucasArts. At least now we know that the MMO they're making is not KotOR.

 

[aries202]

... while the last one will likely not be licensed by EA going forward.

Well of course it's not likely, Star Wars = LucasArts. At least now we know that the MMO they're making is not KotOR.

Actually it could be I remember seeing a link on the Bioware forums, either on the news discussion on the off topic forums to the EA buys Bioware deal which only had a chechmark next to Jade Empire, Mass Effect and Jade Empire for bought IPs. This could well mean that MMO IP belongs to someone else, say Lucasarts for instance :

edit:

I've tried doing a quick search for the deal but so far, I've had no luck in this. However, I did find this:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=29522

EA apparently expects Bioware and Pandemic to bring 300 mill. US dollars for both fiscal years of 2009 and 2010. I don't know where they get these figures. This will mean that Mass Effect will need to sell at least 2½ million units of this game. I have no doubt that Pandemic will easily sell maybe 4½-5½ million of Pandemics Merc 2 and Saboteur for each game, so maybe Bioware only will need to sell 1½-2 million units for Mass Effect and Dragon Age as well - for each game that is.

It is interesting, though, that EA first & firemost underlines and stresses how much revenue (or income) they will earn from having bought BIoware and Pandemic, not how talented the teams are. Of course, EA does this, too, but only after telling the public how much money they will make on this deal. Just at EA's CEO stands to gain about 5 million US dollars on this deal, since he has a personal investment profile? in Elevation Partners, the company from which EA aquired Bioware and Pandemic. I'm not totally sure that this is even legit? especially if mr. Ritticiello also owns EA stock and shares.

/aries202

 

[Oarfish]

Wouldn't EA need the D&D and forgotten realms licenses to do an MMO in either setting? Didn't the D&D MMO bomb pretty hard too?

 

[aries202]

OK, I have found the link I was looking for here:

http://forums.bioware.com/forums/viewto ... =22&sp=105

Here's the direct link:

http://library.corporate-ir.net/library ... EAPres.pdf

The checked IPs belong to Bioware (EA). However, I still have my doubt about whether or not EA have purchased these IPs in the deal when they bought BIoware. I mean, they still belong to Bioware legally and technically, the settings, characters and such.

I think what EA was interested in from the IPs propbably would the Bioware's game engines, the
dialogue system for Mass Effect and the cinematic unreal? engine made for Mass Effect as EA will be able to use this in some of their other published or developed games.

/aries202

 

[fastpunk]

Actually it could be I remember seeing a link on the Bioware forums, either on the news discussion on the off topic forums to the EA buys Bioware deal which only had a chechmark next to Jade Empire, Mass Effect and Jade Empire for bought IPs. This could well mean that MMO IP belongs to someone else, say Lucasarts for instance Question

Yeah, that means that the MMO belongs to an IP that isn't Bioware's... so it could be KotOR. God, I hope not!

The checked IPs belong to Bioware (EA). However, I still have my doubt about whether or not EA have purchased these IPs in the deal when they bought BIoware. I mean, they still belong to Bioware legally and technically, the settings, characters and such.

Yes, they belong to Bioware... but legally, Bioware doesn't exist anymore, it's EA Edmonton now (or whatever they'll call it), so I think that these IPs are now EA property anyway. A company that no longer exists legally can't own IPs. The sum of money they paid for Bioware covered the IPs too.

I think what EA was interested in from the IPs propbably would the Bioware's game engines...

That's true, that new next-gen engine they're developing for Dragon Age could prove a valuable asset.

...and the cinematic unreal? engine made for Mass Effect as EA will be able to use this in some of their other published or developed games.

If they get the license from Epic maybe, Unreal Engine 3 is not Bioware property.

 

[Azaka]

This was the line EA fed us before they bought the company I used to work for:

EA recognizes a culture at a studio and strives to maintain that, it's the culture that creates great games, it's the culture we're buying.

Now, out of fear of EA's lawyers I'm not going to say what I think of that line. But I can say that I chose to leave the company in question a few months after the buyout.

 

[kris]

This was the line EA fed us before they bought the company I used to work for:

EA recognizes a culture at a studio and strives to maintain that, it's the culture that creates great games, it's the culture we're buying.

Now, out of fear of EA's lawyers I'm not going to say what I think of that line. But I can say that I chose to leave the company in question a few months after the buyout.

You got some not-so-subtle clues about which company you use to work for?

 

[Volourn]

"Didn't the D&D MMO bomb pretty hard too?"

Nah. It didn't sell WOW like numbers; but it's doing reasonably well. I think they expecteed more sales so it udnerperformed; but I don't think it 'bombed'.