Anthem has not been the game BioWare and Electronic Arts initially envisioned. The title failed to meet sales goals, and has not been the critical success either company hoped it would be. BioWare has not given up on the title, however. In a blog post released today on the developer’s website, BioWare confirmed the rumors about an overhaul of the game’s experience, from making goals clearer, to creating a more enjoyable game overall. The company did not lay out a particular time table for the overhaul, but they did reveal their intention to keep the elements that have proven most enjoyable for fans.
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“Over the coming months we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting. And to do that properly we’ll be doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around – giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first.”
All in all, the openness from the game’s developer is rather surprising. By their very nature, MMO titles require developers to be more open regarding development compared to other games. After all, MMO games tend to require more significant investments for players, as far as time and money go, and building up a strong fan base is pivotal to the survival of these games. Despite this, it’s still surprising to hear BioWare talk so freely about the issues that Anthem players have had with the game since launch. It certainly shows an awareness on BioWare’s part, and that will be pivotal, moving forward.
It will be interesting to see if BioWare can turn things around for Anthem. Lots of MMO games have issues within the first year, and go on to become much more enjoyable experiences. Openness about the game’s problems is a strong step in the right direction, but getting things fixed in a timely fashion will be just as important. Gamers can be patient, but with several other loot games offering superior experiences, BioWare will have to work hard to win back fans.
Are you a fan of Anthem? What do you think of BioWare’s plans to overhaul the gameplay experience? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
