Bioware doubles down on Anthem as pressure mounts [Kotaku]

[couchmonkey]

RolStoppable said:

SuperNova said:

Absolutely agree. I don't really get it most of the time, but then you hear stories like the one about the demise of factor 5 and realise, you usually don't know the full extent of whats going on until after the fact. Even with several very successfull games under their belt an indie studio usually can't survive more than three consecutive projects that fall through for one reason or another. Just like Platnuim games has been skirting the edge of bankcrupcy for a while now and trying to stay afloat with bad, rushed licensed games for some cash flow before NIer blew up and Nintendo ordered another Bayo sequel.

You never know what went on behind the scenes, they might be utterly desperate and see selling as the only option to keep the studio afloat at all. Or they might want the relative stability and securuty of working under a publisher. In wich case.....I fail to see why anyone yould go with EA.

The one reason you forgot about is personal financial interest. In the case of studios like Bioware or Rareware, you have founders who have fulfilled their life goals and seek early retirement or financial stability on such a high level that they are free to do whatever they want for the rest of their lives. By selling their studio, they already know that they cease to be boss, so it comes as no surprise that they decide to leave the company they founded as soon as their own visions and ethics don't align with the new owner anymore. They have no reason to continue work because they are already set for life.

Why is someone willing to sell their company to the highest bidder? Money.

That's why it ultimately doesn't matter if the highest bidder is EA who has a history of destroying talented studios.

This is true, and not only this, but to some degree it gives the employees a safe haven.  Your other choices are:

1. Sell to Activision or Ubisoft or maybe one of 10 other organizations big enoug...but what if they aren't interested?  there isn't a huge pool of AAA sized publishers.

2. hand off to new leadership, but that could leave your employees ina very precarious position.

3. Shut it down, which seems noble to your dedicated customers but means instant unemployment for your whole team.