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BioWare addresses 'Anthem' VIP demo glitches
The Anthem VIP demo didn't exactly launch according to plan between flaky connections and neverending loads, assuming you can even log in. However, BioWare has at least heard players' cries. In an update, the studio's Chad Robertson said the company was addressing the chronic issues with this first wave of public previews. It's continuing to "apply fixes" to connection problems (some of which might wait for the open demo), and believes it has addressed most issues where a "specific combination" of pre-order perks and demo access prevented people from getting in. Robertson warned that it was "difficult" to resolve the infinite loading screen issue and that it might not be fixed before the VIP weekend was over.
'Anthem' VIP demo gets off to a rough start
The "VIP" demo period for EA's Destiny-like online shooter Anthem started at noon ET today and almost immediately ran into gamestopping issues. Despite being limited to invited users and those who had pre-ordered, it faced severe capacity issues and connection problems that eventually impacted all of EA's online services this afternoon. Login issues across EA's services have been mostly resolved, and according to the company, players on PC and PS4 should be able to access the demo now without any issue -- if you can't try restarting the game and logging in again. However, a spokesperson tells Engadget "Our team is still working on fixes for some of the issues we're seeing on Xbox One," where many players are getting stuck at the loading screen above. For those who did get in, the problems didn't start there, with disconnections and crashes. However, many people are playing right now, and streams of the demo currently make it the third-most viewed game on Twitch. An open demo is supposed to be available on February 1st -- we'll see if the servers hold up better then. Update: A new EA support page covering the Day 1 issues said that connectivity on Xbox One should be improved, and advises anyone still seeing issues to restart their console. Update 2 (1/26): If you were hoping EA would give players something for their trouble, then congratulations, there will be an additional new vinyl available at launch for those who played this weekend. And that's it. Otherwise, BioWare's Head of Live Service Chad Robertson acknowledged that the launch of this demo "did not go exactly as we planned," while offering some explanations and talking about fixes that could roll out now or may wait until next weekend's open demo.
'Anthem' demo is available to pre-load on all platforms
BioWare's Anthem is less than a month away, but before then players will get a taste of the shared-world shooter thanks to a pre-release demo. This being EA, however, the timings are a tad complicated.
'Anthem' demo will be open to everyone on February 1st
No, you won't have to plunk down some cash to play the Anthem demo before the game's February 22nd debut. BioWare and EA have announced that the sneak peek on February 1st through February 3rd is an open demo that will be accessible to anyone on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. If you've either pre-ordered the game or subscribe to Origin Access, you'll just play earlier -- a "VIP" demo will run between January 25th and January 27th. You'll also receive an in-game item to flaunt your early adopter status.
BioWare's long-awaited 'Dragon Age' teaser still disappoints
The rumors were true: despite departures from the original team, BioWare has confirmed that it's working on a new Dragon Age game. Only... there's not much to say about it. Apart from promoting a curious #TheDreadWolfRises hashtag, the developer is saying virtually nothing about what the new title entails, when it will ship or even its name. You're going to be disappointed if you were planning your gaming calendar around another fantasy RPG from the studio.
'Mass Effect: Andromeda' looks to the future with an Xbox One X upgrade
After a launch troubled enough that it caused Bioware to rethink how it makes games, there's some new news for Mass Effect: Andromeda. No, it's not a single-player story addition addressing the fate of the Quarians, but for this year's N7 day (a reference to the military rank held by the player's in-game character) a 1.68GB patch on Xbox One has arrived. It adds support for higher resolution and HDR on the Xbox One X for anyone ready to try playing through again, or for the first time. Clearly Bioware and EA are reminding fans that the franchise isn't gone for good, and have a "What does N7 mean to you?" campaign going on social media, plus new merch from a partnership with J!NX. Even as the developer prepares to launch its multiplayer-focused game Anthem, general manager Casey Hudson recently wrote that teams are working on "secret stuff" for fans of ME and Dragon Age. Has enough time passed to wash the taste of a glitch-ridden and uneven release from gamer's mouths and get them ready to try again? We'll see.
BioWare will offer a full 'Anthem' demo on February 1st
Full demos for games aren't very common these days, especially for online-focused games where you're more likely to see alpha and beta tests. BioWare is promising something different for Anthem, however. The studio plans to release an honest-to-goodness demo for the shared-world shooter on February 1st for PS4, Xbox One and PC players. You'll likely have to be a "VIP" (that is, either a pre-order customer or an EA Access subscriber) to try it, but this should offer a proper taste of the game rather than a technical preview like Destiny's alpha tests.
How 'Anthem' balances story and shared-world action
BioWare's next blockbuster RPG, Anthem, comes out in less than six months. We know little about the project, though, despite its extensive showing at E3. The studio has explained the basics; it's a sci-fi epic that combines BioWare storytelling with the cooperative action and shared world structure of games like Destiny and The Division. We've seen a mission that takes place in the harsh, monster-riddled wilderness, and how all the different exo-suits -- known as javelins -- provide different tactical advantages. The team has also teased a town called Fort Tarsis that acts as a single-player story hub. But how does it all fit together?
'Baldur's Gate' designer James Ohlen leaves BioWare after 22 years
James Ohlen might not be a household name, but if you love video games, you might have played some of the titles he helped create. He became a full-time designer to work on the original Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II back in the '90s, and he has since worked as lead designer and creative director for various projects, including Star Wars: The Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic. Now, the industry veteran has announced that he's leaving BioWare after 22 years of working for the company. In fact, he's taking a break from video games altogether to embark on "something smaller and more personal" -- a publishing company focused on creating Dungeons & Dragons adventures, in particular.
Watch 20 minutes of 'Anthem' gameplay in 4K
Open-world action RPG Anthem is finally set to arrive in February on PS4, PC and Xbox One. Bioware is getting gamers pumped by releasing a video of the gameplay demo it showcased at E3, including almost 20 minutes of footage. Better yet, the video is in 4K resolution, so you can see just how rich those visuals are.
BioWare's 'Anthem' arrives February 22nd, 2019
The shared-world shooter Anthem finally has a release date following a delay early in the year. BioWare's Destiny-style game is now slated to arrive February 22nd, 2019 on PS4, PC and Xbox One (February 15th for Origin Access Premier subscribers). The fantasy-tinged sci-fi title has you battling for humanity's survival alongside your fellow players using one of four Javelin exosuits (essentially, class-based armor) as you soar, walk and swim. It's a not so subtle riff on Destiny's theme, although BioWare noted that it's avoiding the lootbox controversy that soured Bungie's game for some players.
‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ fans will have to read a book for closure
Fans of Mass Effect who have been waiting for the conclusion of the Quarian ark storyline in Andromeda, we have a good news/bad news situation for you. The good news is that we'll finally find out what happened aboard the ark, called the Keelah Si'yah, and get some closure for that storyline. The bad news is that it's happening in novel form, rather than as a playable DLC. The plot point will be resolved in the book Mass Effect: Annihilation, which will be written by sci-fi author Catherynne M. Valente. It releases in the US, UK and Canada on June 26, 2018, and in Australia on August 28, 2018.
'Dragon Age' director Mike Laidlaw leaves BioWare after 14 years
Today Mike Laidlaw announced his departure from Bioware, where he's been involved with games including Jade Empire, Mass Effect and the entire Dragon Age series. He served as creative director on Dragon Age: Inquisition, and mentioned in a note about the team that "I have every confidence that the world we've created together is in good hands and I'm excited for the road ahead." He didn't mention a reason for leaving other than that it is time to move on, even as his exit follows DA:I lead writer David Gaider, who left the company early last year.
'Mass Effect: Andromeda' won't get more single-player content
BioWare vowed to fix Mass Effect: Andromeda's numerous teething troubles shortly after launch, but there's apparently only so much it can do. The studio has revealed that its 1.10 patch is the last single-player update for the game -- in a confirmation of rumors, there won't be any solo-focused patches or (more importantly) downloadable content. The game was meant to expand on the Pathfinder story though multiplayer missions, BioWare says, and other stories will be told through comics and novels.
Former 'Mass Effect' creative director returns to the franchise
Strange things are afoot at Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio BioWare. Mass Effect's former creative director, Casey Hudson, is leaving his spot at Microsoft and will return to Edmonton to lead the studio, as general manager Aaryn Flynn has announced he's stepping down. "I have been contemplating changes in my own life for some time, but when I heard that Casey had confirmed he was up for the task, I realized the opportunities before us," Flynn writes. "I will be working with him over the next couple of weeks to catch him up and do my part to set him up for success to be the best GM he can be."
BioWare’s ‘Anthem’ trailer shows off shared-world sci-fi mayhem
Ready for another look at Anthem? The upcoming BioWare title was formally announced at EA's press conference yesterday with a short CG trailer. But beyond the setting, a futuristic planet filled with mountains and tropical forests, and the heroes, some armor-clad space soldiers, there was little to glean from the video. Today, at Microsoft's E3 press conference, we were shown a whole lot more. The first gameplay reveal has the player venturing into the wilderness in search of some workers who have landed themselves in a bit of trouble. It's a breathtaking tour of the game's expansive world, highlighting exploration and cooperative combat.
What EA learned from 'Mass Effect' will shape its future
When I spoke to Electronic Arts Executive Vice President Patrick Soderlund last week, Kotaku's report about why Mass Effect: Andromeda turned out so poorly hadn't been published yet. Nonetheless, when I asked him about the flawed game's development cycle, he was incredibly candid -- just as he had been in 2013 when I'd interviewed him about his company's move from myriad game-design toolkits to just two. Here are his thoughts on several key topics.
Bioware will address more 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' issues soon
Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in rough shape, with issues affecting everything from character creation to in-game animations and facial expressions. In April Bioware laid out some of the issues it planned to fix and while some have already been addressed via updates, the next patch will also attempt to untangle some stickier problems like LGBT representation. According to the changelog, v1.08 will update the game so that a male Ryder player will have a same-sex romance option available within the squad. Beyond making Jaal available as a companion, it also means that someone using Scott Ryder can earn the game's achievement for completing three romances while sticking to same-sex partners.
Twitch toys with the idea of chat-controlled TV shows
It sounds like Twitch doesn't want its new sneaker show to be its only stab at interactive programming. In the eyes of chief operating officer Kevin Lin, the ideal TV experience on the platform would be one where the story changes from one episode to the next depending on user feedback. "We'd want to identify really progressive studios that are willing to take a gamble and not release something in a big dump like most digital platforms these days," Lin told Recode. "[Someone who] will work with us and say, 'week to week, we're going to change this thing. We're going to somehow make it a little more interactive.'"
How BioWare will fix 'Mass Effect: Andromeda'
The internet's reaction to Mass Effect: Andromeda has been overwhelmingly negative. Whether the game's pitiful user ratings on review sites are actually representative of what most players think is a question for another day, but it's fair to say that the game had more than a few technical issues at launch.
