Bioware Says the Best is Yet to Come for Anthem

Anthem, that game people keep talking about despite the fact it’s not really that interesting, has had it rough for the past month since its real, proper launch. Reviews, both user and professional, paint the game as boring, dry, grindy, and a distant memory of the Bioware of old, who could seemingly make compelling characters and stories in their sleep. Bugs bogged the game, which were made even more awkward when they actually improved the experience until they were fixed, and the controversies that surround the game (particularly the endgame grind) caused Bioware to offer fixes not once, but twice.

It's been a rocky start. And to “celebrate” their first month, Casey Hudson posted a post-launch update on the Bioware blog addressing some of these issues in a semi-open way.

We launched a game that so many of you tell us is really fun at its core, but we also had a degree of issues that did not reveal themselves until we were operating at the scale of millions of players. We were of course very disappointed about that, as were many of you. I’ve been in there playing with you since those early days (I’m a Ranger in Edmonton Oilers colors!) and it makes me sad to hear about any issues that would hold someone back from fully enjoying the game. I take that very personally, and it’s been our top priority to get improvements out to you in the fastest, safest way...

...This is all a learning experience for us, and as we work to make sure the game is improved and perfected, we can’t emphasize enough how much we appreciate you staying with us. Especially because the next stage is where things really get exciting.

I didn’t italicize that last bit, by the way, that was all him. He really wants us to stick around and give their game the true Destiny treatment. The real question is if fans will listen… or if Bioware, like the games that made them so well-loved, will fade into the background.

We’ll see.