Dragon Age: The Veilguard Has Shipped. Now What??

[@davidnorton573]

The one thing that stands out to me from your discussion is that projects need champions, those people who are passionate about the project. It is the passion those folks bring to the project that shows though and resonates, the art if you will. The difficulty I see with the recent structure is the people who would bring that passion are being pulled in multiple directions, impeding that passion. Perhaps being focused on a single project will help this issue, the difficulty is that in my experience the C-suite thinks they are the only non-dispensable ones, whereas the passion has to come from champions at all levels.

[@MarkDarrah]

Yeah that's basically dead on

[@davidnorton573]

@@MarkDarrah Is it OK if I admit that I'm hearing that reply in Aethyta's voice?

[@RockoEstalon]

From the BTS info we have about Veilguard it looks like Corinne Busche was the only one at the helm with any passion about the project. Everything I liked about the game was something she pushed for. Don't want to throw people under the bus but one of the other people in charge did nothing but lie in interviews.

[@mrmasky9783]

​@@RockoEstalonEpler?

[@Knight1029]

@ I think its more about someone with passion and the political capital to push for it. A lot of people are passionate but only a few can make it happen within an org as big as EA's.

[@SupportCrow]

I liked your perspective on DLC. It being a chance for inner developer growth and not just product #45.

[@MarkDarrah]

indeed

[@MultiStendhal]

Veilguard kicked me out of the Dragon age completely , loved those games so much, now it all seems pointless. Makes me afraid for Mass effect's future. Andromeda was rough to say the least, but it happening in a galaxy far far away means I can just ignore its existence.

[@MarkDarrah]

Hopefully they can bring you back in the future

[@connernickerson5509]

Nothing short of a complete reset and rewrite of the solas storyline could bring the legions of fans who didn't buy the game back.

[@thestitchwithsami]

@@connernickerson5509 literally nothing would make those fans happy. Even when the things they're spewing are blatant lies, and they're shown that, they just double down or make up more things with no proof.

[@benlee9409]

@@thestitchwithsami Keep lying to yourself about the fact that majority people don't buy VG because we don't like it, In the end of day, it's people like you who are truly toxic and drive all other fans and customers away although I doubt you can ever face such harsh truth.

[@thestitchwithsami]

@benlee9409 In a comment section full of people actively wishing for the collapse and dissolution of a studio they claim to love, I'm not sure I'm capable of the mental gymnastics it takes to call the people who enjoyed the game the toxic ones.

[@bjarnitryggvason7866]

Your channel is excellent in describing how game development is this gigantic logistics operation with a truly hair-greying amount of moving parts. 👍

[@MarkDarrah]

indeed

[@lilathrone]

I kind of believed the Mass Effect project was running in pre-production since the 2020 announcement with figuring out story, playing around UE5, creating assets, concept arts, pivoting combat, producing design documents and now that Veilguard has shipped the whole team could shift focus and Mass Effect could possibly hit full production. I am surprised the project hasn't even started until Veilguard has shipped.

[@MarkDarrah]

They started. But there is a long way between start and ready to scale

[@lilathrone]

@@MarkDarrah I guess I believed the project would be in a more advanced state after 4 years. Also, maybe this is why CDPR & Larian keep updating their existing titles, because they cannot pull all their employees into their new projects yet and it makes sense to keep them occupied with something.

[@SunderMount]

Are they moving to UE5 tho? From my experience with DAV, they seem to be pretty proficient with Frost Byte already(The game runs really well with next to zero bugs). Switching engine means they are gonna throw away all that experience again.

[@pixelmafiaxbl]

@@SunderMountThe Veilguard definitely showed that BioWare have become extremely proficient with Frostbite, but I think the issue arises with hiring new talent. Developers outside of EA aren’t familiar with the engine, so it’s better in the long run to use UE5 since so many developers across the board are familiar with how to use it and won’t need to be trained up. Also if any current BioWare devs wanted to leave and join a new studio outside of EA, they might have a harder time finding work immediately if Frostbite is the only engine they’re familiar with.

[@sanctun-3782]

I agree... It seems the project is moving slugishly.

[@DerpyDash]

I was pretty optimistic about the Veilguard. The team was focused on one game. The game is relatively smaller in scope, hub based open world, less active companions, almost no connection with the decisions made by players in the previous games. And even after all major challenges were removed the team still gave us thin on lore weird stories with no evil choices. Elven slavery was not really mentioned even tho it was pretty big and relevant thing to the main story and Tevinter over all.

[@Kleineganz]

I'll give you that there are no evil choices, but it was hardly thin on lore. We got a lot of really mind-blowing lore drops (all confirmed from David Gaider to have followed his original concep that he'd been foreshadowing in the previous games and DLCs). They did mention slavery in the party banter, but the reason we didn't see it is because we were restricted to Dock Town. It's a poor area with mostly soporati (citizens with no magic ability) and liberati (freed slaves). You might find some Laetans, like Neve Gallus, in Dock Town, but very few Altus mages or Magisters would visit the area (Dorian and Maevaris being exceptions due to their work with the Shadow Dragons). However, if you paid any attention during the mission to free the Dalish elves that were kidnapped for whatever ritual Elgar'nan was doing in Arlathan, there were many Venatori who had slaves. Many were using their slaves as furniture, sitting on them. There were quite a few so not sure how you missed that.

[@Dorgrin]

@@KleineganzAlso the massive lore reveals/resolutions about elves and dwarves and further development of the Qunari. It might not have resonated with everyone, but I think some people are just gonna hate even to the point of not realising they’re doing so poorly. Lore is definitely not one of the game’s weak points and there’s plenty of social commentary going around.

[@Matthew-ij3zm]

​@@Dorgrinsomething about the story telling was off in comparison to the previous games. It certainly shouldn't be a subject of heated discussions that the previous games did a better job at showing the discrimination suffered by the elves and that people would expect to see the same effort (or more) put in The Veilguard. I don't think that's a huge deal, personally, but pointing it out as one of the game's many faults is completely valid. A lot of the people who are complaining about the lore, story and writing overall are Dragon Age fans. Pretending like there's a hate bandwagon and that that's all there is isn't productive. If a big chunk of the actual player base was left with the feeling that the game was lacking in a certain department, this should be taken into account.

[@zhivik]

​@@Kleineganz Sure, there were some mentions, as well as background conversations in the Shadow Dragons HQ (provided you chose to aid Minrathous) about breaking down slave rings. Yet, you didn't get the _feeling_ that there is any slavery in Tevinter, outside the Venatori, that is, which sounded a bit odd from what we have been told in the previous games. I would argue that you got to deal more with slavery and elven prejudice in Kirkwall (i.e. in Dragon Age 2) than in Minrathous itself, where things were supposedly worse. To the very least, I would expect most servants to be elves, even in a poor neighbourhood, and there to be snide remarks about them. And just to be clear about it - slavery and racial prejudice are very bad things, and they should never be glorified, which I am happy to say no Dragon Age game did. However, extricating that almost entirely lowers the stakes in the story and setting. It is far more difficult to feel you are the good guy when there is no obvious evil except your main antagonist. To put it even simpler, there is no real good without evil. I would say the first "Inside Out" animation motion picture explains it very well, showing there is no joy without sadness. You should not avoid seeing bad things happen, as it puts more meaning into your actions when you are trying to be good. Otherwise, it feels very abstract. I can also write pages of how the lack of almost any nuance and ambiguity makes the story and characters feel dull and two-dimensional. It is this "goods guys good, bad guys bad" approach that puts me off the most. Yes, there is nothing inherently wrong with that, but you are lowering the bar too much, especially when compared to the previous Dragon Age games. There is no narrative risk here, the only place in the story where you can feel real doubt whether your decision is the right one is when you have to pick which city to aid. I give them that, it was really good and impactful. The rest, however, feels like you are not making any decision at all, until the very final act (i.e. after the point of no return). And to wrap up, as I am rambling too much, I don't consider Veilguard a bad game on its own. However, I consider it the worst Dragon Age entry, and a huge letdown. It is pretty obvious that this development team (or at least its leaders) didn't really want to make a fourth game in the series. Yet, there are ways they could have gone around it. Mass Effect: Andromeda, despite all its faults, was at least honest enough to place the game in an entirely different place and time, leaving the original trilogy on its own. I wish they had done the same with Veilguard, it would have been better for everyone.

[@MarkDarrah]

To be discussed at a later time

[@SIXminWHISTLE]

The second half of this video is NOT instilling confidence in Mass Effect 5 (4?). I wonder how much of a priority Bioware and ME are to EA compared to their many other projects.

[@MarkDarrah]

I guess we will see soon

[@christopherr.561]

I use to absolutely love BioWare and the amazing games they created. I have zero faith in them to create a game I would enjoy now. No idea how this happened but for me it has. What they apparently want to make and what I want in a game isn’t even close. Appreciate the video.

[@MarkDarrah]

Fair enough. Tastes change as do studios

[@jackgaler2844]

Why did Bioware decide to use ME's design in DAV? If they had just iterated on what was already built with DAI, they would have had a large portion of the players back.

[@MarkDarrah]

Short answer is “live service”

[@jackgaler2844]

@@MarkDarrah What a shame, I would have liked to have seen your true sequel proposal come to fruition (we would have been heroes, but the records are sealed).

[@marcogiordanella7795]

@@MarkDarrah It's wild...you guys won GOTY...I think the 2 major points that needed to be addressed were smaller maps/more content, more than 8 abilities and to a lesser extent, fixing the hit boxes for melee...and then DA:V just came out and it basically Dragon Effect...love Mass Effect as a franchise but you just want to get some differentiating factors between the 2 franchises. I would be going nuts running the Veil Guard project....

[@Henry-lv4uu]

I am a huge DA fan but was disappointed in the Marvel-like writing of Veilguard. I'm hoping that they don't repeat the mistake with ME4.

[@MarkDarrah]

We shall see

[@MarkDarrah]

@ your 70$ doesn’t buy you a cruelty pass.

[@Em-qp8qg]

this is sooo interesting, i've always been interested in how these inner workings of shipping something like a big game works it puts so much into perspective!

[@MarkDarrah]

Glad to give a peek behind the curtain

[@lChrissy79l]

I absolutely love DA Inquisition, the open World, the Characters are so wonderfull writen, they felt real. Thats why i bought all DLC. I cannot understand how the Romance in Veilguard goes so downward, its so "prude". I wanted to ride the Bull in Inquisition, now im looking at my Romancepartner to see how he make coffee 😕 i never felt so alone in a Game like i did with Veilguard. It costed me 70 hours of Gameplay for one Companion to show he or she cared about Rook. And i critisize the way you made the Interactions with your Companions in the Lighthouse. The are talking and after they finished both are looking at Rook like he or she disturbeds them. This are Things good Testers would declare cringe and to work on. Also, i found it very interesting to hear how the Studio is working. Im now very heartbroken over Veilguard, but i have hope for Mass Effect.

[@MarkDarrah]

There are side effects from DAVe journey

[@mightyn8]

My main concern is not that Bioware is only focusing on one game at a time, because indeed that could be a very positive thing instead of moving people in emergency mode between projects. But I *am* concerned at the fact that many senior/veteran Bioware people have left or been laid off in the past years. And I do think that these departures have caused some huge differences in BW's projects, which I personally can't say I've been a fan of. I also don't know how much writers are still respected and valued at BW, as I've always played BW games for their writing quality first and foremost. The company in my eyes is in an uncertain spot right now. I'm hoping they'll be able to come out the other side stronger, with a really great ME game, but it remains to be seen.

[@quintyss1290]

Well said.

[@MarkDarrah]

The current structure runs the risk of making this worse

[@lordofgingers]

I agree. Sometimes the current status of writing in games makes me have the thought, sincerely, "I could do a better job." As a consumer, I don't think I'm supposed to be having that thought.

[@blazypika2]

while i love veilguard, i do think there's something to your overall point. first of, the firing in 2023 of so many atuff some of which were seniors for almost or over two decades was unacceptable. putting that aside, the fact bioware working on a single project put a lot of the developers of veilguard in a position where they want to keep challenging themselves creatively but can no longer do it within bioware since its working on a single project so they might look for new creative opportunities outside of bioware and even outside of EA. as a result that will make it difficult to keep consistent teams of projects of the same franchise.

[@albadelgadosantos]

Dreadwolf, that was joplin, my gut says it was going to be more rpg than the veilguard could ever be. We didn't deserve veilguard, not after 10years and a good chunk of them waiting for Dragon Age Dreadwolf. Also I almost have a feeling that no one wants to mention that name... Is it our collective memory that bad? There is a teaser here in youtube called Dragon Age Dreadwolf btw.

[@dodgethis1986]

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but we absolutely deserved Veilguard. Have you seen the Dragon Age fanbase since DA2? People writing romance fanfiction about their favorite companions, drawing portraits of them, theorizing which companions should be in relationships with each other, trading screenshots of their "omg giggle squee so cute" player characters and in general obsessing over them in ways that would put those airport romance novels to shame. Jesus Christ, we absolutely did deserve writers that would serve exactly that kind of fanbase. Veilguard absolutely is on us.

[@MarkDarrah]

There are 4 different games in there

[@dodgethis1986]

@ Veilguard, Dreadwolf, Joplin and the live service?

[@Kira11259]

⁠@@dodgethis1986buddy, same writers wrote Mordin, Garrus and other amazing characters what are you talking about. Writers do whatever they are ordered to, blame the leadership that wants to simplify everything to kindergarten level. Plus romances in Veilguard are not even good.

[@dodgethis1986]

@@Kira11259 I have no concrete proof for this, it's just my impression but i think that the writers that made those games back then don't exist anymore. People change, their sensibilities change, their work evolves, their opinions on all aspects of life change. And i'm 1000% certain that Bioware, or any of the writers that were involved in Origins/ME1-3, would not make those games today with that same tone and those same characters today. I would love to know just how much creative freedom a mega publisher like EA gives their studios. I remember one of the Doctors saying something like "EA gives you enough rope to hang yourself" in a post-retirement interview but that might have changed. It's possible that they hand the writers a laundry list of changes in every milestone meeting, it's possible that they are completely hands off. I just don't know.

[@blaize2638]

I think the things that worries me is bioware making a game that IS mass effect. They've shown with Andromeda and veilguard that the loss of so much talent that made the past games has affected them a ton and the games we have gotten recently lack the tone, feel, and soul of the past games of these series. Adding to the potential that the next game is set like 700 years later its easy to see that this next game could potentially have the same failings as veilguards criticisms of being too detached from the past games and very little choices mattering in peoples choice based game series. I hope the entire team having a singular focus allows bioware to make a mass effect game that can stand toe to toe with the games of the original trilogy especially if its a continuation like they advertised.

[@MarkDarrah]

We shall see

[@vaevictis2789]

I dont believe its actually set 700 years in future. It would mean new ME designers are incredibly bad at their job because look at the ship from the poster "mass effect will continue", it doesn't look much more advanced than normandy sr2, also name SFX in latin script with kinda same font suggests some continuity with SR series and not a large time gap

[@Plax123]

I actually hope that it's as detached as possible from the old games so that if it is as terrible as Veilguard was for DA I can just ignore it and keep pretending that the series ended at ME:3. I'm more than satisfied with the Legendary Edition of the original trilogy and I have no faith in Zoomer/Millenial activist writers/devs.

[@SatieGnossienne]

@@vaevictis2789 There could be a technological dark age for centuries following the destruction of the mass relays (assuming Destroy is the canon ending, as most people seem to believe), leading to a lack of innovation in all kinds of things, including ship design, while civilization claws its way back.

[@vaevictis2789]

@@SatieGnossienne technological dark age would lead to regression and reinvention of old tech with different design and different paths of development. No way they didnt change a god damn *font* in 700 years and ship design still looking like its straight up from MEA game

[@lordofgingers]

As many have pointed out, I think a big part of the reason why resources aren't what they used to be is also due to the lack of reliable winners being produced since 2014. Andromeda was okay. Anthem and Veilguard were not received well. Sure it could be poor management, but I think more importantly it's that the people who currently work at Bioware don't know what fan like about Bioware games: the writing. In all aspects. The exposition, the world building, the dialogue, etc. I recently played KOTOR and Jade Empire and the difference is clear. But the writers of these games are gone. Admiral Hackett said it best. "You can pay a soldier to fire a gun. You can pay him to charge the enemy and take a hill. But you can't pay him to believe" If the people don't believe in what Bioware stands for anymore, they leave. It's clear the writers felt a certain kind of way but could not speak freely about it. You can't pay them to believe in the project. You have to create an atmosphere that MAKES them want to show up and give it their all. And when you don't have that, that lack of atmosphere and passion is what shines through in the product. Yes, it's serviceable. It's a game. But it isn't KOTOR, Jade Empire, Origins, or Mass Effect 2 where you feel the love permeate throughout the game. The market has a large swathe of older people who have been gaming for a very long time and they like deep rich storytelling with player agency. That's what they used to come to Bioware for. Now they're looking to other places to get that experience. Losing that market has a cost that I'm not sure the studio can afford to lose long-term.

[@MarkDarrah]

Not sure I agree with that

[@lordofgingers]

@MarkDarrah I know. I wasn't there. You were. So you have more insight than I do. But names like David Gaider and Drew Karpyshyn (and other writers as well) just up and leaving? It's hard to believe that it didn't boil down to creative differences in their inner thoughts. The core point is. Why did people buy Bioware games? Because they made RPGs like we've never seen. Somewhere along the way, that's diminished. Yea, there are still glimmers of it here and there, but simple concepts like player agency and quality writing seem to be taking a backseat to broadening the audience. That can be done while still sticking to the roots of what made Bioware what it is. An RPG studio that wasn't afraid to take risks and tackle tough topics and really make players think long after the credits roll. I dunno. Maybe I'm just getting old and am out of touch with what gamers want these days, but Veilguard's reaction seems to indicate players want SOMETHING akin to what I'm talking about. And yet the writers who possessed the skillset to deliver that consistently left the company. It's just depressing. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst is my outlook these days.

[@gamingstoriestheater]

I think in terms of the older gamers there is a bit of a nostalgia situation where the reality is, newer games of an IP will never manage to recapture the magic you felt with that IP for the first time. Is impossible for any future mass effect to make you feel again what you felt with the trilogy, no matter how good it is because is a once in a moment feeling of getting to know that world and diving into it. Newer writers can write great things, but they will be more and more inspired by more current times where storytelling might not be the type of storytelling your used to, there's just many factors involved in that. Not to mention a 4th installment of a franchise has it more difficult to add new lore that doesn't clash with existing one from 3 other games. Veilguard was received well for what it is, the problem is that after a 10 year wait people expected a lot more, despite the reality that the game we got was not at all built on those 10 years as explained in the video. No matter how many times fans were told this game had changed so much before release through various media, people still expected a 10 year made game.

[@lordofgingers]

@gamingstoriestheater For me there was no nostalgia goggles. I played KOTOR and JE for the first time this past month. That being said, there is so much untapped stuff in Andromeda they could explore and if they make intergalactic relays a things, the local group of galaxies, including Triangulum and the Magellanic clouds are also a thing. There is plenty of opportunity to create wonder. But creating that wonder requires good writing. Andromeda was received far better than Veilguard. Critics aside, if Google reviews are to be a decent pulse to take, about 75% of people liked Andromeda while only about 30% of people liked Veilguard. That is a fairly stark contrast that should not be ignored if your goal is to make money. What fans hope for (because I think expectations are pointless) is good writing and player agency. That's what Bioware is known for. And we'll pay for a game with excellent writing that immerses us in the world. Without that, this market will go elsewhere to seek that scratch for their RPG itch. And it doesn't have to be that way.

[@Kross415]

@@gamingstoriestheater The 3 previous dragon age games sold more in their first month (and it's pretty clear they also sold more on their lifetime) than Veilguard, please explain why.

[@MaxPowerCaulfield]

I'm loving this discussion. Can I just say, I adored Origins through Inquisition. Inquisition actually became my favorite with the rich lore, and the companion interactions. It felt fresh, but not out of place or time. So many amazing things were introduced in the third installment. Dragon Age will always be close to my heart, even if Veilguard didn't hit for me. I love Mass Effect, too. I'm not sure what I feel about the prospects of a new title. I don't know if I trust it, which makes me sad to realize. Thank you for this video. Subbing right now to this channel.

[@MarkDarrah]

I guess we will see

[@etesansfin1327]

DA Joplin concept art looks so cool! I hope EA releases DA Joplin one day 🙏

[@MarkDarrah]

Unlikely

[@etesansfin1327]

@MarkDarrah 😭

[@DarthKrytie]

Hopefully, things go well. I get that it was easier to have multiple projects way back when than it is now with scope and budget, etc. But! not having a constant revenue stream between games can make the risk-averse ready to be quick with the axe. I'm mixed on the DLC stuff. I like it sometimes, but overall I don't mind if the industry veers away from it, either. Some DLC is fantastic. Most of it mediocre and rarely adds more to an experience that's worth the price of it. TBF, most of the DLC from BW has been great, especially post-Origins.

[@MarkDarrah]

Yeah I do worry that EA will get itchy...

[@cartermoth6447]

The only way to make Mass Effect properly is to make 3 games at once, i.e. with a two year release interval - all on the same platform. It's the only way. The entire appeal of Mass Effect was being a vast trilogy like Star Wars. Making decisions that carried over to the next game. Stand alone Mass Effect games won't work.

[@MarkDarrah]

I actually pitched a dev structure like this back in 2016/2017 3 fast follow games then a period or retooling

[@reve_rse]

@@MarkDarrah it’s almost revolutionary seeming now in a time where 5+ year waits are the new standard. Seems like it would be a positive disruptor for the industry

[@YoRouable]

A lot of the marketing around Dragon Age The Veilguard is baffling to me, and I wonder if it says anything about how companies like EA feel about their games. I thought it was insane that BioWare would release Dragon Age 4 only a couple of months and 1 cinematic trailer for the game. That seemed like they weren't even trying to generate hype--there was almost no real time for that. Inquisition had a year of marketing hype going into the release and multiple cinematic trailers. Then, their decision to preemtively announce that the game would have no DLC. At all. Even if it generated bonkers revenue? It's just a series of very baffling marketing decisions. DLC are still popular and not passe, so I don't understand the decision to outright announce that none will be made, even before anyone had the chance to play the game!

[@MarkDarrah]

Marketing with BioWare has been interesting for sure

[@ControllerLyfe]

Always enjoy the details into these videos. I think Veilguard should've been a direct sequel for once.

[@MarkDarrah]

An unlikely path

[@Lonnloven]

Thank you for a good and thorough discussion about how company structure can develop problems over time. As a fan who loves all BW games, even the ones that are/were heavily criticised, somewhere around Andromeda/Anthem, I started noticing a pattern of BioWare sort of pushing what seemed like inherent problems in front of themselves. And it's clear that the problems became impossible to ignore during the Veilguard dev process. You describe this process very clearly so that it's easy to parse for us outsiders looking in. Seeing how exhausted the DA devs were after shipping Veilguard, I felt almost guilty for loving the game so much. I feel in particularly sad now for the devs who were laid off or ended up permanently in other teams after you released this video explainer. They gave their all and yet fans punished them with venomous words and harassment, and even worse, they were thrown out by the employer who should have taken care of them and had their back. As a fan, I feel so helpless. But I am grateful to your careful explanation of how game dev works, the good and the bad. Looking forward to your upcoming videos!

[@MarkDarrah]

Thank you

[@นกสีฟ้าในบ้านใหญ่]

> Maybe this is a good thing A graveyard of death studio under EA would like to have a talk 🤣

[@MarkDarrah]

You aren’t wrong

[@kreol1q1q]

I assume it's not a topic you can or want to discuss, but Veilguard and the way it was built is a pretty big elephant in the room. My impression is that Veilguard's development and release also mark a pretty clear cut in what the studio focuses on in its games, and how it wants its games to look, feel and play. In some ways those are just the ends of natural evolutions (like how the games look or play), while in others there seems to be a clear departure from old priorities (how the game works technically, and the overall approach to story, characters and lore). My impression is that Dragon Age games, while always somewhat inconsistent and different from each other from entry to entry, have always maintained a darker, more grounded narrative that enabled them to convincingly tell difficult, tragic and impactful stories in a complex, nuanced and morally grey setting that took great care to remain realistic. Regardless of how the game looked or played, I feel like that was the core of the franchises' appeal - alongside the ability to import choices from game to game and a focus on RPG gameplay. But somewhere in DA4/Veilguard's long and troubled production, the focus seems to have shifted significantly, and we are now left with a game that is likely objectively technically the best built, with the most dynamic and fun combat system any DA ever had, and which looks absolutely amazing - a weird propensity to dress/design some factions up in silly costumes aside (I'm looking at you, Crows and Darkspawn). However, we also have a game that has willingly abandoned most if not all of its focus on constructing/maintaining a complex, nuanced and morally grey setting, and has with it lost the ability to tell difficult, dark and impactful stories with anywhere near the previous level of authenticity and persuasiveness. That seems to be a consequence of the leadership discontinuity that you discussed in the video, and perhaps a reshuffling of talent and priorities away from storytelling and towards gameplay. The problem with that is the Bioware has built a brand around storytelling, and a specific kind of it to boot. While the change has no doubt been gradual in Bioware itself, the effect on Dragon Age as one of its two main franchises has been severe and abrupt in the eyes of the public, given the 10 year gap in releases. Which I believe accounts for a majority of the mixed responses the game has gotten. On my own end, and I know that's not very relevant, but while I enjoy Veilguard and can appreciate its strengths, I can say it really does not feel like a Dragon Age game any more, and the shift is in a direction I am not interested in.

[@davidnorton573]

I would concur with most of what you said, my only point of divergence is that I found the combat to be repetitive after about 20 to 30 hours. Between that lack of enemy variation, they seemed like reskins of the same small set, and limited skill choice I got bored and didn't enjoy the experience. I strongly agree with VG not feeling like DA, somewhere the DA DNA got lost. The first 3 games of the series were consistent in their lack of consistency, but they all shared a rich narrative, were companion driven, had choices that affected those companions, and gave the player a feeling of personal agency. This most recent entry felt like I was playing someone else's story, I felt no agency, I might as well go read a book, the plot would be more complex and thought provoking, and at least I don't have to put up with the drudgery of the combat.

[@zhivik]

@@davidnorton573 I would add to combat being repetitive - it is also unbalanced among classes. I did two playthroughs, the second because I started to doubt that my poor impressions of the game were because I had inadvertently entered an echo chamber full of hate. Well, I found out there is a huge difference between mage (my first playthrough) and warrior (my second). In short, Veilguard is the first Dragon Age game where I didn't enjoy playing a mage for the larger part of the game. The worst part of it was that it wasn't more difficult playing a mage, just more tedious, as the game expects you to outlast enemies, not _outplay_ them. Until about 60% of my level progression, my mage felt like just another companion. Meanwhile, my warrior felt pretty well balanced throughout the game, even a bit overpowered towards the end. I attribute this to all these changes in leadership and staff, and likely the very short time for actual development left after all this. I strongly suspect it was something similar with the writing, as there are good ideas in the game, but plenty of it feels like a first draft, not a finished product. There was obviously intent to do more, which you can see in the Grey Warden background, as it is the only one that is moderately reactive, likely because it was the first one written. TLDR: a Grey Warden Rook will occasionaly drop relevant comments, like "We are done with the darkspawn in this area, I would know, I am a Grey Warden" and such. I didn't see much of this in the other backgrounds, probably because of not enough time. Oh well, let's hope BioWare staff are not those who pay for it, as I fear EA may decide that redundancies now may look good to investors ...

[@MarkDarrah]

I expect that the next DA will (once again) be pretty different

[@Keladrie]

​@@MarkDarrah I understand and acknowledge that each dragon age game is different, but it just feels like a lot of the depth of the world building were set aside for this dragon age. It felt as though they had a general storyline that they did decent on, but the best part of dragon age for a big portion of the fan base is the depth of the lore and player choice. They had ONE major decision before the end game, and I didn't feel the tension from making that choice. It was more, do you want this bad thing to happen or the other bad thing to happen, and honestly that choice was done so much better in dragon age awakening for me. I felt no attachment to a lot of the game. I had fun, I don't regret playing it, but my expectations are at zero now for the dragon age games to come back to the depth and the player choice that I love. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised, because dragon age has always been my #1 game series.

[@Kross415]

@@MarkDarrah Do you really think there will be a next DA? Honest question. I don't EA is going to give BioWare the green light to make another one after Veilguard. If ME5 it's a success I would assume they would just focus on ME6 and if it's not a success I think BioWare will be in deep trouble. Either way I don't see any future for DA, specially taking into account most fans consider the franchise to be destroyed in terms of lore and narrative with a horrible end to a story that didn't include any of the choices people made along the way.

[@BossAttack]

It seems the contraction you noted is not purely a BioWare problem, but an industry wide problem. It seemed, for a time, that goal of every AAA studio was to have at least two project running simultaneously. And, for a time, a few studios managed to achieve this like BioWare. Naughty Dog, for example, managed to release Uncharted 1-3 plus TLOU1 on a single console generation. But now, it seems most AAA studios have contracted to a single project at a time. Gone are the 2 year wait times, at max, between new title releases. Is this the result of higher fidelity expected in developing games requiring more labor and thus killing the idea of a separate, independent team? Or is there some other reason for this seeming industry wide contraction? And is there any way that studios can return to the release schedules seen in the past, beyond insane crunching?

[@MarkDarrah]

Fidelity is part of it for sure

[@HacknSlashMonster]

Thanks for helping us all understand. I also feel like this help us understand as fans of the series what has happened over time with the games that have come out. Seeing how the last few games that have come out that weren't as popular or successful are the ones that simultaneously didn't have a consistent group and leadership on those games. I hope that Mass Effect 5 has the support it needs when the time comes.

[@MarkDarrah]

Hopefully

[@moogsiepr6975]

I am so thankful to you, Mark, and to all of the team who truly did/do care about Dragon Age and have been put through the ringer by all that's happened. I hope the people who worked on the games know that there are so very many of us who love this world and are deeply grateful. Origins, 2, and especially Inquisition mean so much to me - Solas has been my desktop picture for years now! Veilguard broke my heart a little and I'm struggling to process how different the things that mattered to me from the other games felt in it and where Bioware's storytelling priorities seem to be now, but it does not change how special the first 3 games are to me. I'm sure there are those within the company who might say the same. For what it's worth, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to you all.

[@MarkDarrah]

Thank you

[@SupportCrow]

*subbed! It's really cool seeing all of this broken down like this.

[@MarkDarrah]

welcome aboard!

[@16Vagabond]

only 3 dragon age keep choices mattering in possibly the FINAL dragon age game completely killed the hype for me even a damn codex entry on things woulda been enough, why bring back cameos if they've forgotten their past?

[@MarkDarrah]

That's a question for another day...

[@MysticTroll]

Find out next time on Dragon Age Z!

[@JoeyFTL]

This was very interesting to me, thank you for making this video

[@MarkDarrah]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hannahpetie]

9:27 jumps from "All hands meeting" hair to "come to my computer so I can show you real quick" hair.

[@MarkDarrah]

lol

[@christopherwilliams2630]

I also forgot to ask Mark, but how are you doing and do you have plans for 2025? I would love to know if you plan to work on any new video game IP'S and new videos about your time as a game dev.

[@MarkDarrah]

All of those things

[@Srefanius]

To be honest I don't understand why BioWare is moving away from DLCs if they have the problem of ME5 not being ready to scale. They could use the established stuff they have for Veilguard to produce 1 or 2 story DLCs and then move them over to ME5.

[@ChrisDeebo]

I feel that the decision to focus entirely on ME5 is the right move. Bioware has always had a problem shuffling multiple projects and K doubt EA is really as patient with Bioware as some may believe. Bioware need a big solid win and in my opinion Veilguard was not based on the very split reception it's gotten

[@xILLxChronic]

they aren't doing it because the game is dead, ea isn't gonna foot the bill for development of a dead on release game and dead on release dlc

[@r.e.z9428]

The game flopped thats why and the media surrounding it was justifiably negative. Why waste money on a corpse?

[@MarkDarrah]

Pretty sure this is coming from EA

[@proteuswest1084]

Dragon Age was pretty notorious for having DLC that was critical to understanding the overall lore or setting up future antagonists, so there was always this disconnect with people who didn’t get the DLC when you got to the next game and your big narrative moment doesn’t hit quite as well because that game expects you to have consumed all the extra paid content. People love Legacy, Descent and Trespasser, but the game and series don’t feel complete without them, and from a consumer and creative perspective, it’s a double edged sword.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Thank you for candid presentation. I led a technical project that was quite complex (Establishing SAP ERP for fruits/vegetables exports department). Learnt it because there was no teach leadership and actual project manager didn't delve in the tech at all. Health got WORSE after it finished, so I'm in a career break. If any one of the stackholder/support backed out during that time (like you mentioned for Bioware), I would've probably been hospitalized.

[@MarkDarrah]

Thank you for watching.

[@codyhouse2446]

Thanks for the insight as always! As a Mass Effect obsessed person (who also enjoys Dragon Age) this is great insight. I loved Andromeda even with its shortcomings at launch and loved Veilguard too. I hope they are given all the resources and time they need for the next Mass Effect and deliver a truly great game. The thought of another 5 year wait or so for Mass Effect does pain me tho lol

[@MarkDarrah]

I start the clock from now

[@serpenthuntr5230]

Still sad Jade Empire 2 did not get made. But thank you for everything. When I was first disabled out of the Army your games truly helped. I am beyond grateful to yall for those early games.

[@MarkDarrah]

Yeah I don't think we'll ever get a Jade 2

[@serpenthuntr5230]

@ Sadly I think you are right. Which is sad Master Li being the....&&&* was better than the Revan reveal. So wanted to see more of that story.

[@AnimeLover-xr6mc]

If I were in a key strategic role at BioWare in the years leading up to Veilguard’s release, my ideal scenario for maximizing engagement and franchise momentum would involve developing a next-gen upgrade for Dragon Age: Inquisition. This would include all DLC, optimized performance, and quality-of-life improvements, bundled at an accessible price point-around $20-30. The goal would be to launch it roughly a year before Veilguard( choose another name for the game too ) to re-engage the fanbase and attract new players. From a narrative and gameplay perspective for the new game I’d build directly on Trespasser’s foundation, essentially crafting an ‘Inquisition 2.0,’ but with the ambition to evolve it into what feels like a true 3.0 experience-refining systems, enhancing combat fluidity, and deepening character arcs to align with modern RPG expectations and competition. Inquisition is peak Dragon Age. Having an online narrative of the new game:" It feels like Inquisition but 2-3 times better" would do only good sale wise IMO. On the marketing front, I'd partner with prominent gaming content creators to sponsor a ‘Dragon Age Marathon,’ where they’d play through Origins to Trespasser, timed strategically to coincide with the ramp-up of the "New Name" game's actual promotional campaign starts This would be my "win" scenario.

[@MarkDarrah]

Not sure if we will see a DAI remaster. Mass was easier because you could find partners because of Unreal

[@AnimeLover-xr6mc]

@MarkDarrah in today's aftermath i am afraid we won't see Dragon Age anymore as a whole.. at least not in the next 10 years

[@gamingstoriestheater]

Thank you for all the detailed insights on this, I suspect this video will sky rocket even more now with the recent EA article. I think ultimately it is a good thing they are focusing on one project, but it is a shame that DLC isn't worked on in the meantime for Veilguard to keep those other team members from leaving that do want to keep working on bioware projects. I think ultimately showing a bit of long term support for a game, even with some small content patches like an epilogue or things like ME3 extended cut help keep the conversation going for the game and make the game not fall off the radar quick for sales until the next one drops. I personally really enjoyed Veilguard and given the roller coaster it went through in development it really surprised me in the end how it came out.

[@MarkDarrah]

Pretty sure there was no DLC plan even before launch

[@toogreytogame]

As a product owner from outside the game industry this is fascinating. It feels like the complexity trend is exponential in AAA titles. The more complex a game is, the more time and resource it needs but if sales drop to longtail too quickly then it's hard to understand how it's sustainable unless it has a SaaS model. This feels like a vicious cycle of driving to ship the next product to make up the shortfall.

[@MarkDarrah]

There is truth there for sure

[@ladycedthia]

I think one game at a time is a good step. However I’d be concerned about motivation since the people working on the games most likely won’t be equally interested in sci-fi/fantasy. We’ve already seen what happens when people feel ‘forced’ to work on a game they don’t like.

[@MarkDarrah]

certainly it can / does happen

[@jamiezhou5049]

Hi, just let you know. I just started my 2nd DAI run(play non-stopped for several days!). Somehow, I even enjoy every fetch quest in the hinterland. I guess i kept my interes higgh as I know it tells a great story.

[@MarkDarrah]

cool

[@BleachO]

I was 14 in 2009 when I saw this weird unknown game in the xbox section at Wal-Mart. I had just gotten back from a field trip and i saved the money my Nana had given me for the trip and asked her to take me to Wal-Mart on tbe way home, it was around 11 p.m. ... Wal-Mart was still open 24/7 back then.... little did i know that game with the cool looking cover art would open me up the wonderful and deep world of Dragon Age. And not just DA, but fantasy and rpgs in general.... i spent hours upon hours and eventually years upon years exploring this world and its two sequels... it might sound silly but Dragon Age was a huge part of my life between 2009 and 2015... formative years for a 14-20 year old.... I have not played Veilgaurd but Ive watched over 80hrs of KZbin content surrounding the game including several let's plays... it may sound childish and silly, especially coming from an almost 30 year old man.... but my heart aches for my favorite fantasy series/IP... it seems every fantasy series I love ends with a whimper these days.... I loved DA like some people love Star Wars or Star Trek or Dr. Who...i knew the world and lore and history inside out...ive read every book and comic and seem the little side animated movies....this was THE fictional world for me.... and its just gone.... wiped off the map (literally when considering southern Thedas)... I cant believe i waited a decade, from age 19-29... for this tepid travesty... Veilgaurd is an utter disrespect to thise of us who invested so many hours, days, years into the series... and I...I...I'm just sad. Its like losing an old friend. Here's to the times we had...Warden, Hawke and Inquisitor....I'm sorry that its over. I will truly miss you, but I am thankfuk that I shared some of the best years of my life exploring and defending Southern Thedas with you. Here's to the stories left untold and unfinished. .... when you think about it, stories are what make us human...whether its religion or folktales or hearing about grandma's life... stories are what make us who we are, they are what instill in us our values and beliefs. Here's to the stories we had, and Here's to whatever may come next even if its a completely different world than Thedas and DA. Goodbye old friend.

[@MarkDarrah]

I guess we shall see…

[@Derively]

How does ME Legendary Edition and Shadow Realms come in the picture here? Were these the results of finding a place for teams between projects?

[@MarkDarrah]

Shadow Realms was Austin. It is partially places for people, partially a desire for Austin to get something new. MELE involved a lot of external dev.

[@MR67UToob]

Thanks for the insights. Interesting that the 2 blue text boxes below Anthem on that chart appear to be blurred out, I guess because of NDA reasons etc. The first one I guess is most likely the next Mass Effect but I wonder what the one right at the bottom is.....

[@MarkDarrah]

indeed

[@TriNity-GER]

Perhaps they changed direction with Next Mass Effect? Like with Joplin, Morrison and Dreadwolf... maybe not THAT much but who knows...

[@Dorgrin]

Oh god the cycle of hiring and firing if they don’t manage the slow ramp up well is a looming terror. I guess that’s the benefit of being part of a large publisher which can take the load. But it definitely costs the studio in terms of identity and character, I think.

[@MarkDarrah]

We'll see if they can take the load...

[@Dorgrin]

I guess we have our answer. Super sorry for those who are looking for work.

[@Melcolloien]

I always love hearing your imput but I am so heartbroken over the state of Bioware. I am an Origins girl; 36 Wardens to date. But also 20+ Hawkes and currently 3 400+ hours in Inquisition. I had to force myself through Veilguard. Bought it on release (the only Dragon Age game I have not preordered or bought a collectors edition of) and finished it thursday. I have followed the production of DA4 very closely. The red book, project Joplin, project Morrison... My heart broke last fall when I heard of the layoffs. It's so telling when playing that Veilguard are the previous projects smooshed into one game to have something to put out there. And I get it - eventually something needs to be put out. But man I wish we could have gotten Joplin.... To me it felt like the people making decisions just doesn't want to make a Dragon Age game anymore. So I hope they want to make a Mass Effect at least. I am just desperately hoping that Bioware survives - even though they honestly have gotten more chances than most by now - and that BW and EA realises that the IP is still very much loved and profitable if treated with respect so that we get a good Dragon Age 5 (whenever that would be possible), that they learn from Larian and other studios OR that they sell the IP to someone who loves the franchise. And that they don't make the same mistakes with ME5. They need to stop chasing trends and to what they do - or at least DID - best.

[@MarkDarrah]

The seams are definitely visible

[@MidratsSnack]

Exodus looks good, but the Mass Effect universe is much more interesting to me. I've read all the books and lore material from these ip's so far. You got this Bioware! Early days i know. You need Shepard!

[@MarkDarrah]

I guess we’ll see soon-ish

[@ddmaster08]

I do failed to understand how a team Who has People Who worked on some of Bioware',s best characters could come up with The veilguard cast and proudly say its "their best companions yet", when most of then are pretty one note, or bland. And i'm not saying this to mock the writters, i am really curious to know what changed in all these years, in their minds or hearts, because you can see a very different mentality in writing with these companions compared to others.

[@MarkDarrah]

A story for another time. But not what you are thinking.

[@ddmaster08]

@@MarkDarrah so there is a story...i guess its better to know this than to start to think they just fell out of touch

[@tanzderritter2201]

​@@ddmaster08No, not for the public!!!

[@dodgethis1986]

I have a theory that i would love your input on. Following the AAA industry casually i keep hearing the same thing in interviews and post mortems "we didn't know what the game was supposed to be until alpha." Which gives me the impression that developers(catch all term) spend years trying to figure out what works because even the higher-ups don't have a clear and concrete vision for the game. Most famous example i can think of is that GTA started out as a racing game, or a more recent example Todd Howard himself said that Starfield "didn't come together" until the last 2 years. People working on systems, mechanics, assets in general for weeks or months(if not years) until the producers finally realize that they just "can't make it work" and scrap everything they can't recycle some other way. To me that seems an unbelievable waste of money and especially time.

[@MarkDarrah]

In a lot of ways, game dev is like shipping concept cars.

[@saffral]

Another famous example was Fortnite not starting life as a battle royale game, but rather a co-op zombie survival crafting game. Or Dwarf Fortress' adventure mode being the original intended game. Unless you're trying to copy something that already exists there's a huge world of possibilities and not a lot of guidance. Sometimes it's best to be open to change because it can result in something more enjoyable in practice than what was intended. Think about if you were drawing a picture. If you're drawing something that already exists you can see what it looks like, but if you're drawing something from your imagination it will need to be adjusted and may end up not working as a drawing, so you scrap it and try something else. It is throwing out something that was produced, but it is something to learn and grow from, and perhaps will serve a purpose in future. For example the Mona Lisa was painted onto an already used canvas that had another portrait on it.

[@dodgethis1986]

@@saffral "Sometimes it's best to be open to change because it can result in something more enjoyable in practice than what was intended." The issue with that is simply time. That is exactly how you end up with games that take the better part of a decade to get into alpha where they spend the rest of that decade and ship in a broken and unfinished state and if we're lucky the devs will patch/update it for two years if they don't abandon it. For example Witcher 4 is supposed to be the start of a new trilogy but considering the all too common decade long development cycle we'll be playing Ciris third game on a neural link in the nursing home.

[@saffral]

@ That is often related to things like feature creep as well, where there's no scope management and developers keep trying to keep up with the latest technology and making something revolutionary even if it means tossing out or remaking what they already have. There are also devs who opt for more consistency and can be exceptionally reliable with their output. There's large franchises like Call of Duty down to single-dev indie studios like Spiderweb Sofware that know the scope and style of the game before they even start production, but regardless of the quality of the output, it's going to be more of what the developer is already known for. Many devs split the difference, they have a smaller scale pre-production period that may involve doing demos and tech tests just using programmer art to see how different aspects work together and make sure everything functions before they bring in the level designers and artists and writers to create the game. Once it scales up aspects of the game become locked in or more difficult to change. You don't want to have an entire team right there the moment development starts, different roles come in at different times of the project. There's many different ways to approach changes during development, but the most important part is to keep a handle on them so they don't derail the entire project.

[@Corgi_Saurus]

​​​@@MarkDarrah yeah but you have to have a captain who has the vision and the ability to communicate that vision and get buy in from others. Great games are passion projects. I worked at a game company where leadership didn't have a vision they wanted to create. The alternative is design by committee and that never works. Predictably the company folded. What can Bioware do to get the leader with a vision problem taken care of?

[@CanadianMoose272]

I just feel like the next Dragon Age needs more input from fans. It's hard to believe any DA fans would support the lack of DA Keep/decisions importing over. That's like the #1 thing people love about Dragon Age. The story continuity makes the world feel real and it's exciting to see how previous decisions affect the next game. New players can just use a default state, but let returning players enjoy seeing how their decisions have shaped Thedas. I just don't understand the decision to scrap that. Even small flavour text and cameos make a huge difference! Also, there was a change in the writing tone and art direction from mature fantasy to something more childish that put a lot of people off. It was like the game seemed scared to tackle mature themes. I enjoyed the game, but if those things were fixed, it would have been a lot better. It felt like there was a dash of Dragon Age goodness missing from the recipe.

[@MarkDarrah]

the keep... yeah.

[@Kross415]

Seems like having a community council only to reinforce a toxic possitivity echo chamber and making a game for a new audience of non-fans doesn't pay... Veilguard a Dragon Age game in name only.

[@CroGamer002]

@@Kross415 okay timeout, the Council members were not thrilled about lack of choice imports and they also disliked Alpha Rook that was described as "Starchild but without the charm" as they were making jokes non-stop regardless of situation. BioWare rewrote Rook to be more grounded and mature for the final product. Blaming things on them is utterly absurd!

[@Kross415]

@@CroGamer002 All they did was marketing for the game knowing the game was horrible and hand waving criticism. Point me to someone who didn't, please, and if you say Kala I'll burst out laughing.

[@hotflakestom]

Fascinating video. Thanks Mark was very enjoyable to watch

[@MarkDarrah]

Thanks for watching

[@writteninstars]

your replies are so blunt, it’s funny

[@MarkDarrah]

Thank you?

[@ShiruTayu]

I'm not a game dev, but this is pretty much the conclusions I came too. It's nice to get missing pieces brought up, so thanks for this video! If you still worked there, or at a company similar to this, would you have preferred to spread resources thin over several projects? Or would you have preferred to focus on one big project, most likely losing employees?

[@MarkDarrah]

I like there to be a place for people to BE. Project change the number of people they need. But if you have more than 1 thing, you need a better way to deal with conflict

[@Guntfarm]

I don't think any amount of focus and time can help with bad writers and storyboards. People will forgive a lot if the story is good and captivating which is what Bioware used to be the king at. (Mako driving in Mass Effect)

[@MarkDarrah]

alright

[@r.e.z9428]

@@Guntfarm Agreed wholeheartedly, Veilguard did more damage to the overall narrative than good and basically made all our decisions from Origins to Inquisition pointless. I thought Andromeda’s narrative was bad, but at least it was in its own universe and left the original trilogy unscathed.

[@ravenviolet8916]

Thank you mark.I would also like to ask, is there any relationship between the Bioware's official novels and your game development? Like how the novel (and comics) content is considered and integrated during DA development. Also can we hope to see more novels for DA and ME？I always love the story of DA novels.

[@MarkDarrah]

They are within the canon discussion AFAIK

[@thatonespaceflapper4033]

Thank you so much for the in-depth talk about the roadmap. This was such an interesting insight!

[@MarkDarrah]

You are very welcome!

[@wormskul]

This really puts things into perspective. Thanks for sharing!

[@MarkDarrah]

Thanks for watching!

[@gun2334trx]

In the Raising Kratos documentery SSM leadership talk about wanting to be a 1.5 team, where they work on 2 IPs at the same time where one team is in pre production while the other is in full production and then they just swap around. Is this something Bioware has done and is it a realistic vision?

[@MarkDarrah]

It is workable I think.

[@quintyss1290]

I'm hoping that past diversity from many projects translates to many stories within a story to keep them busy in ME5's world. Maybe you could speak about how well people getting shuffled to EA's Frostbite projects temporarily will integrate back into BioWare's UE5 projects. How long can we expect the learning curve to be and how much does that impact the development cycle?

[@MarkDarrah]

UE5 is moving onto other EA projects as well so MAYBE it helps.

[@quintyss1290]

@@MarkDarrah Interesting. Maybe it will. It never hurts to know more than one system.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

I quite like how Fromsoft led themselves to become two, later one project studio, after their success with Demon's Souls. Only time they deviated is when they released Armored Core 6 after Elden Ring. I would LOVE to know, what their management style is. 👾

[@MarkDarrah]

Yeah I don't know what their structure is

[@tanzderritter2201]

Asian games are mostly "James Cameron"- styled games. Like at japanese Manga artist they circle around the game author. This business concept can have advantages, but disadvantages too. If I would make a game, I would be the same kind of dev type ( I guess). I never played a From Software title however (because of lack of story and city hubs). My cousin is a huge fan. 😂 It has it's niche. BioWare should have hired some creative minds of From Software,Owlcat and Obsidian for their gameplay mechanics , but I fear that the 11% woke buyership would have ignored the game then.

[@Discovery2024-rn8kn]

Casey Hudson and Marc Walters may be free to work on ME, but seeing what became of Bioware blessing they left early

[@MarkDarrah]

Unfortunate what was been happening with the larger independent studios

[@modracihla5532]

I never understood why Bioware Austin wasn't brought to help make Anthem. They had the multiplayer expertise the project really needed but from the interviews it seems there was animosity between the Austin and Edmonton branch.

[@MarkDarrah]

They were brought in. What didn't happen (that should have) is that they should have had more directional control over the live service direction.

[@sonply]

Thanks for the video, it was very informative. I really like the game, just as much as any of the other games from the studio I played. It was fun looking at every piece of information I had for 9 years, the little teases always made me smile and the final product was satisfying for me. I feel the magic is still there and want to see what the next ME looks like... if EA allows it, of course.

[@MarkDarrah]

The clock starts now

[@LiPalm-n6y]

So, as I understand, the way game developing works is very different from how the gamers imagine it. - First: the previous instalments had much simpler graphics, gameplay, combat system. AAA games nowadays are very, very expensive and need lots of work. BioWare transitioned from an independent studio to an AAA one, and this changes tons of things. The whole game industry is going through a crisis because AAA games became very expensive and huge to produce. It's not just a BioWare thing (and not because of gender, you Elon Musk's fans. Sorry to disappoint you). The better faring studios may simply have more money and resources behind them. - Second: sometimes developers/writers leave the whole studio so they leave behind their big farewell: "Hello, after N years of a beautiful adventure, yadda yadda yadda, I have new projects, yadda yadda yadda" but sometimes they are simply transferred to other parts of EA, so they didn't really leave, but they could not be available for some project and just come back later. - Third: no, Bioware isn't a big family where developers work all together and if one leaves all his friends leave too, so the group isn't the same, new people come in and we feel abandoned and don't recognize the studio any more. No, at some point there were 3 studios in towns very distant from each other (even in 2 different Countries) so Darrah doesn't really know why Hudson left, he can just make assumptions basing on what he knew about the resources, having been one of the leaders. People in BioWare always come and go. We shouldn't get a trauma out of every departure. -In conclusion: I'm not sure if we know too little about what's going on behind the curtains, or if we know too much and we have too many details to speculate on. I just don't see the same level of morbid attention on other game studios, and I know it's in part for petty, childish and rudimentary political reasons, but I think we should just mind our own business and wait for the games to come out. If something serious is going on, we'll surely be informed about it at the right time. Only in the last half an hour, I ran into countless videos and articles hinting at BioWare shutting down, and all of them are just amateurs making wild assumptions (and wishful thinking), copying each others, and trying to make some money for their magazines/you tube channels. They induced me to think that Darrah on this video made shocking revelations on BioWare's future and after 25.21 min I'd say: nothing of the sort. Let's all calm down. On the contrary, he clearly explained that resources can run short and that focusing on one single project it's a better way to be sure it'll be more refined. On my opinion, Mass Effect it's too big of a money mine to shut BioWare down before even trying it. It'd be stupid to let go of the opportunity to blend together Mass Effect and Andromeda's worlds and all the possibilities that can come out of it

[@MarkDarrah]

Yeah pretty much

[@realizewave1513]

Given the somewhat elaborate teases by the ME team for Mass Effect day over the last couple of years, I would have thought the game already was in per-production phase.

[@MarkDarrah]

Very small team

[@Arauto_Kagnos]

Honestly this graph makes a lot of sense to me, I have been a Bioware fan for more than a decade now since playing ME1 for the first time in 2012. And the studio has changed so much over the years, and I believe that change is reflected in that graph at least as far as my perspective as a consumer. I too have hopes for the next Mass Effect. While I haven't played Veilguard yet and have relied on KZbin walkthroughs to see the story, I think it's a flawed game, however I also think it's a good game and the fact the studio managed to ship a good game in spite of all the development issues (there was a point a few years ago I gave up and was ready for the game to either be cancelled, or for me to end up disliking it or even hating it) gives me a lot of hope for the future because now the studio is free to focus all their strength without the same constraints caused by the troubles with DAV's development. Like the leadership changes, EA's obsession with live-service being supposedly a cause for Joplin being cancelled in favor of Morrison which itself got turned back into a single-player game. I only hope that in the next few years EA doesn't push games as a service back into every one of their games, I think live services can be great and have a place in the industry (I would still be playing SWTOR if it was getting properly supported) but not every game needs to be one. And that obsession from my perspective as someone who just plays games and doesn't make them was one of the major issues with Veilguard's development which ended up greatly hurting the game's ability to live up to its full potential.

[@MarkDarrah]

I THINK that EA is gun shy on new live service games. For now

[@ialeixo84]

I'm deeply saddened by DAV. Speaking obviously only through personal experience, every DA game released before DAV was a joy to play (yes, even 2, compared to DAV). I played them start to finish without even touching any other game in the middle. Usually I'd go straight for another playthrough. With DAV I haven't even finished one single playthrough yet, halfway through I was already looking into other games. I honestly don't care if there's gonna be DLC or not and I don't see DA coming back to its roots. Can't speak much about ME since I've never played those games, though. As far as Bioware, honestly it doesn't change much for me. I'm a fan of the products, not the companies. That's why I didn't feel "betrayed" by Cd projekt as many people were when Cyberpunk was a colossal disaster, I was a fan of the witcher games, not Cd projekt themselves. So if Bioware makes good products in the future, I'll still be a fan of the product.

[@MarkDarrah]

I would support "fan of games not companies"

[@ainternet239]

Bioware are now talking about being more agile, more focussed, with a core team working on ME = mass layoffs

[@MarkDarrah]

that's what the post says

[@JackGrim-u9o]

Playing DAV made me question why Bioware focuses primarily on consoles? I can't think of any other Western RPG studio that does the same.

[@MarkDarrah]

Sales numbers

[@JackGrim-u9o]

@@MarkDarrah Wouldn't that be a consequence of this focus? Just like Larian and CD Project have most of their sales on PC.

[@fozzes]

I wish we get a remastered version for DA 1& 2 😟 ... don't mind us sir but players always greedy..

[@MarkDarrah]

Hopefully someday

[@CroGamer002]

@@MarkDarrah would BioWare be willing to let some 3rd party studio do a remaster or remakes for DAO and DA2? Side question, would it be possible to rename DA2 to DA Exodus in case of a remaster/remake?

[@MarkDarrah]

@ it would be EA that would have to sign off.

[@CroGamer002]

@ I mean true, but if EA wanted to do it, would BioWare resist for some 3rd party studio to take their IP? I always had an impression that BioWare was very protective of their IPs. I know I know, BioWare is EA, so it's all EA's owned IPs. But with internal studio culture, I got such impression, at least over a decade ago.

[@fozzes]

@@MarkDarrah sir, Dragon age origins are a masterpiece, In fact all Dragon age games except honestly the last one. We grew with this franchise & becomes loyal to it & thus built a respect to the people behind it. I really feel sorry for what happened lately to latest product & I'm watching the media closely, But i also been fair and tested the game myself ( 378h), It's honestly not a beautiful thing I'd like to see more often ( that's what kept me playing DA Origins in 2025 it's beautiful). My humble opinion sir, Release a remastered version for DA origins with it's all DLCs ( 1080p resolution - improve auto saving - dialogue with companion only at camp and safe areas - manual of focus sold by bodhan at camp ). PC gangs already added those things and more, What about consoles players and they're the most!! I know it's a dream or at least something hard to happen, let's just hope & put faith in Mr.Darrah.

[@LordShrub]

Is this a re-upload? I don't remember the graph having blurred entries.

[@MarkDarrah]

It’s been edited

[@TriNity-GER]

Well what was written there before the blur? :D

[@ediskrad327]

I miss the day when games were not announced 5+ years before release when they barely have an idea on what they're going to make but that's the industry as a whole these days. Regardless, fingers crossed with Mass Effect whenever that one materializes and with focused development we'll get a stronger game.

[@MarkDarrah]

Partially early announces are defensive.

[@biowarechick]

I really enjoyed watching, thanks for making it easy to understand and laying it out so well! I wish the best for you and I wish the best for all who are beginning work on the next Mass Effect or are working on other things at EA. I too am curious to see how they manage moving people around, and I hope that Mass Effect gets the people they need, and the people that want to work on it. Since it seems we are a far far ways out from a next dragon age game, if it even is made, can you speak to other ways they might expand the lore of the game? Is it pointless to hope for another novel, graphic novel, or television series that might delve into more unanswered questions about the setting? Or is that something they wouldn't put money/people on unless promoting a new game? Plus, is it likely that they would keep secrets as hooks for another game, and not, say, put them in a World of Thedas Volume 3 situation? If, and I really dont hope for this, BioWare doesn't make another DA game, or the company is shut down, do you have any idea what would happen to the IP?

[@MarkDarrah]

They have done a lot with comics in recent years

[@LaloucheLapenoire]

kind of a wild idea cause i don’t know that much about the whole process , but would it be absurd to imagine that some of the team that aren’t needed for the early prod of mass effect 5 could be working on a remaster / legendary edition of the first dragon age games ?

[@MarkDarrah]

Not really transferable skill sets

[@rochesen]

Thanks for making this video. I disliked The Veilguard, especially the writing. I could tell VG wasn't entirely designed to be a single-player RPG for my entire playthrough. I believe this reality goes hand in hand with my dissatisfaction with the writing. My biggest concern is that you'll lose talent regardless of this reality. We’ll see what happens. Good luck to the team.

[@MarkDarrah]

We shall see

[@Skuldrox]

Seeing Trick & Karin Weekes leave Bioware makes me nervous about Bioware not being able to get their writers back. I'm not sure if they left one their own or were laid off (I've seen most people assume the latter), but either way it's really hard to see them and so many of my other favorite writers on DA leave the franchise. I understand the structure you've lain out, and can see how it could be great for Bioware's focus, but to be honest for a lot of fans who don't watch your videos I think it looks like Bioware is falling apart. And I don't think Bioware's PR is doing a good job of dispelling those fears.

[@MarkDarrah]

no comment

[@oohforf6375]

Great vid with interesting perspectives. Thinking about all these projects and the rate at which you folks were pushing all this out makes even ME feel tired and burnt out - pretty dang herculean tbh.

[@MarkDarrah]

It was a crazy time

[@cmdr.jabozerstorer3968]

Mark, if BioWare are working on a single game at a time, does that mean both Edmonton and Austin will be working on it together? Having two studios in different countries working on one project can't be easy.

[@francisco646]

That’s exactly how Larian made Baldur’s Gate 3. Sun may be down one place, but it’s coming up in another, virtually cutting development time in half… but EA isn’t that smart.

[@dsan1138]

@@francisco646Edmonton and Austin are only 1 time zone away from each other

[@MarkDarrah]

Yes I expect so.

[@cmdr.jabozerstorer3968]

@ I know but it's still mostly virtual working. I know it worked for Larian. I also know some of the DA:TV devs didn't physically meet either because some were in Canada and some were in the US.

[@R4idenXS]

Would Activision's method of 3 dev teams work for Bioware? You'd get the multiple irons while also keeping teams siloed to allow product flow without loaning team members. Then use teams to see to tail end DLC while the rest move onto a new project? Or is EA doing this but as Bioware as one of the three? Would the next ME be a reset to where we see DLC and the team partially move onto the next project?

[@MarkDarrah]

I think it could work. I've thought about it. EVEN within a single location

[@CroGamer002]

I mean BioWare used to do that with BioWare Montreal, as they worked on Mass Effect 2 and 3 DLCs, as well as ME3's multiplayer. Loss of BW Montreal was a huge blow.

[@Joshuaraymalan]

How much of this has to do with the ballooning scale that seems to be affecting games of a certain size in the wider industry right now. It feels like we're getting to a point where you can't throw enough people at a project because requirements are getting so massive. 5-7 years feels like a minimum for big budget rpgs right now, and unless you hit like BG3 that feels untenable over the long haul.

[@MarkDarrah]

There has been scale inflation for sure

[@satsuhatake]

Veilguard had its flaws, but I loved it anyway! But it's so sad we're not getting DLCs... A DLC from the Hero of Ferelden would be amazing and people would LOVE it so much, or I would love a DLC on the Evanuris time on ancient Arlathan, just before the rebellion started... seeing how they interacted with each other in Veilguard was SO interesting to me, and it would be so cool to see. Or an epilogue on Solas and Lavellan in the Fade... I will never lose hope to one day hopefully see a DLC for this game... I NEED more!

[@MarkDarrah]

no plans.

[@DrGator420]

Thanks for yet another insightful video-makes me wish you’d return to BioWare someday.

[@MarkDarrah]

Unlikely

[@Knight1029]

Wonderful insight always. I think Bioware's future is hopeful. Veilguard could have been more but the fact that it came out as well as it did and that it turned from a live service game to a single player game shows that Bioware is on the right track. I am hopeful for Bioware and look forward to Mass Effect 5. And whatever new games are made.

[@MarkDarrah]

Hopefully

[@mjohnsen8606]

I don't know much about game development, but I don't think that ANY studio should be producing multiple games simultaneously. Especially if they have the same core gameplay loop. This prevents games from repeating the same mistakes across multiple titles. Andromeda should have learned from the quest design mistakes of Inquisition, and AC: Valhalla was a total step back from AC: Odyssey. Had they finished one before starting another, the customers' reception would have given devs an idea of what to pivot.

[@MarkDarrah]

There is truth to that. BioWare has had difficulty learning from previous games because at least one title was too far along TO learn. BUT a single game leads to staffing issues

[@hardrad2009]

Great and very informative video. I just sent link to this video to my team for educational purposes. Sad thing for me that BioWare didn’t won me back with Veilguard and I am not sure if I want to have ME 5. Nowadays I am more excited about Exodus.

[@MarkDarrah]

Interested to follow Exodus

[@dsan1138]

Very informative make thanks for the awesome video! Do you foresee any of the same development cycle hiccups for Mass Effect that a game like The Veilguard would have had?

[@MarkDarrah]

No. 1. No massive directional pivot (twice) 2. No leadership discontinuity (they STOPPED when they came to help DA) But I'd start counting from today.

[@squeezie_b8895]

As always, thank you for your insight, Mark! Unlike many DA players (who I think are just fair weather ME fans), I’m a DA loyalist, so hearing that the studio is fully turning away from the series to focus on ME once again is a little heartbreaking. I wonder if we will have to wait another decade before we see Thedas again. 😢

[@MarkDarrah]

It'll be a while

[@ImNoScarDotCom]

@@MarkDarrah That's a shame, but your video is a great explainer of why.

[@SteveDonev]

I strongly disagree that a lot of DA fans are fair weather fans. They wouldn’t be so mad about DAV if they didn’t care deeply. The simple truth is that DAV tried to appeal to a new audience which unfortunately had the effect of leaving the old audience behind. I wish BioWare all the success in the world as they made some of my all time favorite games in the past, but they simply no longer make the kind of games I like. Its CDPR and Larian that make those types of games today

[@SeventhheavenDK]

Such a narrow minded perspective if you think DA fans are mostly weather ME fans. I don't even play Mass Effect, I am a Dragon Age fan only (I can even call it my favorite franchise). But that doesn't make me blind to the terrible game and especially the terrible Dragon Age that Veilguard is. Period.

[@peteracs4357]

But it is interesting, that the game get announced way back in late 2020 and its 2025 and still wont release this year ? What is going on ?

[@MarkDarrah]

Announcements can be defensive

[@solicitr666]

How much of a change in studio culture resulted from Dr Greg and Dr Ray leaving? Because, to an outsider, that 2012-13 timeframe appears to be the period where Bioware became rudderless You talk about the prospect of EA as a larger organization "flowing people around." But people are not fungible like reams of copier paper. This is a creative business, not a widget factory, and it's individual talent and investment that make games succeed. We already have I think an object lesson in this sort of "personnel flow" without regard to background: Corinne Busche came over to Bioware from The Sims, having no background on Dragon Age, at Bioware, or even in RPGs. And, well, we've seen the results: character interactions that amounted to roommates squabbling over who ate the cookies, while combat was completely undercooked, "puzzles" were insulting, and level design was way too obviously repurposed multiplayer maps.

[@MarkDarrah]

There was an impact but I don't think that's when things REALLY changed

[@laureno4108]

I started playing BioWare games in 2016 so I'm not sure if that changes my perception of things but I've always felt like I could place BioWare games into like three categories chronologically? At least, based on my thoughts about the finished games :) I think the first category for me would be games released pre-ME2? I've only played KOTOR, Mass Effect 1, Dragon Age Origins and a small amount of Baldur's Gate 2 so idk if the games I haven't played fit into this category but I feel like games from this time were generally more heavily focused on the RPG elements? I love them but I'd also describe some elements as kinda janky or flawed. I feel like the flaws are less important for me, I don't notice them for the most part and they don't stop me from enjoying the games but I think some people might consider them deal-breakers especially if they are playing them today. My personal second category would be games released between 2010 and 2012, so ME2, DA2, ME3. I'm not sure if this is actually a thing, but I think they feel more refined? They kinda feel like someone looked at the previous games and asked what was good about them and what could be improved and then made the changes for the sequels. I think Mass Effect 2 was the game when Mass Effect "became" Mass Effect. I feel like some of the RPG focus was diluted and I prefer some elements from the older games but I think things overall changed in a positive way, especially the gameplay (though Mass Effect 3 is my favorite shooter game and DA2 has my favorite combat from any game so maybe I'm a liitttleee biased). But even when the changes were less positive, I feel like they only affected things on my "peripheral vision", like I knew DA2 reused environments but I didn't care? I also feel like maybe the character writing and storytelling became kinda more complex at this time? Idk. I think Inquisition started my third category and I think we're still kinda there today? I think the focus of the games felt to change kinda significantly and some things improved for sure and some things changed for me in ways I feel are less positive like before, but I think the things I'd consider less-positive were more noticeable for me as a player? Things I used, mechanics I liked, things like that, started to disappear and I think the "vibe" of the games and the worlds started to change. I hope this doesn't sound too critical but I feel like BioWare games post-2014 might also be more homogenized than before? When I first played Inquisition, it felt kinda new and fresh for the series, but I feel like so many of Inquisition's choices continued to Andromeda. Then Anthem. Then Veilguard. Or Inquisition might have started a trend that the next games continued and built on. I kinda feel like the number of differences between releases have started to shrink, but also the boundaries between Mass Effect and Dragon Age have started to blur? Maybe it's more of a vibe than anything real, but I'm kinda curious how the feeling might/might not change with "One Project" BioWare :)

[@MarkDarrah]

Definitely a pivot to more action and more streamlined starting with ME2

[@lucadev985]

After Andromeda came out in the state it did, I put a lot of blame on Anthem for it. It's interesting to have more insight to what was going on around that time but it does reinforce for me that Anthem should not have existed. It was just EA's wish to cash grab on the Live Service model and both Mass Effect and Dragon Age suffered for it. Could things have still gone wrong without Anthem being a factor? Sure, considering that Bioware is not in a state of working on multiple games at once. But I think they wouldn't have suffered as badly if Anthem had just never been made.

[@MarkDarrah]

Anthem should probably not have existed...

[@PulaskiSkater71]

Exodus is the next Mass Effect.

[@MarkDarrah]

Interested to see how Exodus turns out

[@BonusEggs4Sale]

Mass Effect 5 is the next Mass Effect

[@Roland1405]

@@PulaskiSkater71 I think Exodus would much rather be Exodus than a Mass Effect clone.

[@MidratsSnack]

Mass Effect 4. Andromeda doesn't count.

[@نونيم-ي4ح]

@@Roland1405 just give me the fantastic characters, worldbuildin and quests and il be happy whatever it turns into.

[@Raghav992]

Is this it for DA as a series or can we hope for a comeback in the future?

[@MarkDarrah]

I honestly don't know at this point

[@Raghav992]

@@MarkDarrah I see. It is sad. Dragon Age really helped me through some of my toughest times. Thanks Mark, for your contributions to it as well!!!

[@imnotmephisto]

DLC! WE WANT THE DLC for DATV tho.

[@MarkDarrah]

No plans, unfortunately

[@bafford7518]

I asked you this on a previous Dragon Age: The Veilguard and you couldn't answer since it was pre-launch so all the NDA in place and stuff. I still don't understand the purple coloring and theme behind The Veilguard marketing/art, is it because that sort of purple in combination with the art symbolizes more silly/playful/unserious theme?

[@MarkDarrah]

No.

[@Erikaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

As a huge Star Wars the Old Republic fan (The MMO made by the Austin team), do you know if there's any truth to the rumor that SWTOR was basically just seen as a cash cow to fund other projects and training place from which to poach actually talented developers? I heard from a former SWTOR dev that bioware losing SWTOR is much worse news for bioware than it is for swtor

[@MarkDarrah]

It did provide a consistent source of revenue for the studio.

[@Welter117]

I've played 95 hrs of Veilguard and not finished it. Got pulled off by Stalker but I will finish it. Pretty enjoyable game. Have some criticisms but I enjoyed it.

[@MarkDarrah]

It definitely isn't perfect

[@thedude882]

Couple of questions: 1. Given that the growth approach was not sustainable, have there been previous talks about a restructure of the org? Was Bioware blindsided by success to notice it/take action? 2. Instead of having few people work on a game in the initial stages, followed by the whole, what's wrong with a slower growth to the full team instead of all in one go?

[@MarkDarrah]

I wasn't really high enough in the org at that moment to see those talks if they occurred

[@zaxxon4]

They'd be better served by having one large programming team, a smaller art and audio team, and two writing teams.That would keep them all busy. The non writing teams finish working on an ME game, and by the time they are done the DA game is ready for them. While those teams make the next DA, the writers work on the next ME. Depending on worker quality this could result in a game every year or two. The problem is that DA has been mismanaged with each game changing art styles and having 3 different game engines. So DA may be dead unless AI can be used in a few years to remaster all 4 games into UE5, and they can then use that to make them lore consistent.

[@MarkDarrah]

your understanding of the balance of content disciplines is a little out of date