«A year ago, we were preparing to launch Anthem, a game that represented a great leap to a new territory for us as a study. It was an exciting and scary experience to go out into the world with something new and different, and we are grateful to all the players who have accompanied us on the trip. It has been exciting for us to see the creativity of our players in the design of custom javelins, and see them dominate Anthem's flight and combat style. I am very proud of the work the team has done in this game, and at the same time there is much more than we – and you – would have wanted from him. » Comment initially.
It is clear that Bioware is not happy with Anthem and that they want to change things. maybe the example that No Man’s Sky has set, whose progression from the moment it was launched until today has shown that things can end up being what they should be in time. Casey's message continues «Over the past year, the team has worked hard to improve stability, performance and quality of life in general, while offering three seasons of new content and features. We have also heard your comments that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, a better long-term progression and a more satisfying endgame ».
Now is when the curious comes, and in Casey's words, what Anthem needs is much more than an update. «Therefore, we recognize that there is still more fundamental work to be done to take advantage of the full potential of the experience, and that it will require a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion».
«In the coming months We will focus on a long-term redesign of the experience, working specifically to reinvent the central loop of the game with clear objectives, motivating challenges and progression with significant rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy scenario. And to do it right, We will do something we would like to have done more at first: give a concentrated team the necessary time to test and iterate, focusing first on the gameplay ». The latter, the time factor, is something that seems to be a constant in all games and it was already clear that what failed in Anthem is that there was no common goal, a specific team and above all, time to do things good.
“Meanwhile, we will continue with the current version of Anthem, but leaving aside the full seasons while the team works towards the future of Anthem. We will keep the game with events, store updates and reviewing the content of the past seasons and the cataclysm, starting with our anniversary at the end of the month ». This part makes it clear that Anthem as we know it will continue for a while, but with fair support, so it will be normal to empty players, since it will not have news such as seasons and other incentives. Whoever wants to continue playing, of course, can continue to do so.
«Creating new worlds is fundamental to our study mission, but it is not easy. Sometimes we do it right, sometimes we fail. What keeps us going is the support of players like you. Your comments guide us on how we can improve, and your passion inspires us the courage to create. I look forward to working together with your participation and your comments to achieve the best possible future for Anthem.« and with this message, his statement Casey Hudson concludes.
Finally, after a long wait, we had news of one of the new IPs of this generation that had generated more attention. Unfortunately, it seems that Bioware moved away from its essence and failed to create a new world by not giving it the proper depth. Of course, the talent in the studio is present and if this Bioware statement tells us anything, it is that they have not given up and they will continue with this project until the end.
The biggest unknown that this "long-term redesign of experience" presents us with is when will it materialize. If, as we have mentioned, it took several years for No Man's Sky to recover with its Next (as well as subsequent) update from the disaster of its launch, a game like Anthem whose scale and budget is infinitely greater can make us see this redesign within 3 -4 years. At that time, it is more than likely that the new generation is already fully established, so we have doubts about whether we would be facing an "Anthem 2" or if EA would not charge any extra expense to those who already own the game since the last generation .
There are many doubts that appear on the horizon, but that Bioware and EA recognize their mistakes and work to give a new future to an IP that, of course, is the most promising is very good news. Meanwhile, the Canadian study is still engaged in other projects, such as a new Dragon Age and a more than likely Mass Effect. If the generation of Xbox One and PS4 have been a stumbling block in the history of Bioware, we want the following to be his return in style.