So, you think BioWare would have entered into this business arrangement without exploring EA's thoughts on current projects in development, not to mention future ones that they no doubt have planned and are in various stages of contractual and design conditions, as well as without discussion about the future of the BioWare brand and company?
And, if they did indeed discuss this, you'd think BioWare would willingly abandon a project that's been in development for years?
I wrote this because histery taught me that EA tenbds to support ONLY what will generate profits - the biggest, best profits generated by cash-cows in the most literally sense of this word.
EA is interested in everything that sells.
From an economical point of view, this is good.
From an artistic point of view, this is not.
Because more demanding, more complex games tend to sell not as well as profit-oriented accountants would like to see it.
But we NEED demanding, complex games, because everything outside of that is just streamlined.
EA is like Burger King or McDonalds of the gaming industry. IMHO.
their food is tasty, sells well, has a good image - everything is perfect from an economical/business point of view.
The only thing this kind of food lacks are Vitamins. It's just not as healthy / nutricious as health scientists say it should be.
Reading the Sun in Great Britain or the Bild in Germany gives me in a perfect sense information, it sells good, and it has a strong, very strong brand name.
Whgat these newspapers don't give me is something like ... The Lord of the Rings kind of literature, or Franz Kadfka, or just the newest news about Quantum Mechanics. These newspapers are oriented towards a group of customers which is just not demanding at all.
I must buy expansive magazines if I wish to get to know about newest developments in my favourite hobby, the Archaeology (no joke !).
But in the gaming industry we just don't have this kind of magazines. At least the tendency is more & more away from this rather demamnding kind of "news" and literature in general.
I do hope I could explain a bit what i meant with my outcry: EA will most lyliky shut down Dragonm Age, because it will generate not as much profits as the company's accountants would like to.
In contrast, this game might seem to them to suck down too much money while giving too few profits in return.
The perfect business strategy is to make most profits with the least effort. This is perfectly what EA does.
And this is why they won't never, ever develop more demanding, more complex games wich return too few profits for them.
In Short: From a business point of view, everything is fine, if not perfect.
From an artistic point of view, it is not at all.
You must distinguish between both points of view.