BioWare explains: How awesome are sequels? So awesome!

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jan 28th 2009 5:00PM

BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka recently spoke with CVG and respectfully explained the power of sequels, especially in a bad economy. He believes that developers who make great games and have solid reputations will benefit during the hard times, because consumers are "going to focus their dollars" on brands they can trust.

Muzyka mentions BioWare is still working on new IPs, but that sequels are a good source of income, and expressed excitement about developing sequels for Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins "in the future." He feels sequels "empower creativity" because the teams have already built one game, and they "know what it means to develop something else in that universe." We can't help but agree with Muzyka: If quality is kept tight, game sequels can often outshine the original.

Source

Tags: bioware, dragon-age-origins, mass-effect, mass-effect-2, PS3, rpg, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (42)

They are awesome but not when announced before the first game comes out

I agree but not with Activision's model.

(exploit those franchises, faster I say!)

Can't blame them. World at World sold a gillion copies. I wouldn't be surprised if that success didn't drive them to put two development teams (one good, one mediocre) on every franchise they have.

You did not call Treyarch a mediocre developer.

Sir Buzz,

Treyarch's developed games:

Die by the Sword (1998)
Die by the Sword: Limb from Limb (1998) (Expansion Pack)
Triple Play 2000 (1999)
Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm (2000)
Max Steel (2000)
Triple Play 2001 (2000)
NHL 2K2 (2001)
Triple Play Baseball (2001)
Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer (2002)
Minority Report: Everybody Runs (2002)
Spider-Man (2002)
NHL 2K3 (2002)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (2005)
Ultimate Spider-Man (2005)
Call of Duty 3 (2006)
Spider-Man 3 (2007) (Only developed the Xbox 360 & PS3 version of the game)
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows - (2008) Wii, PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PC
Quantum of Solace - (2008) PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PC
Call of Duty: World at War (2008) - PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC

Check the meta reviews of these games. The VAST majority of these are... MEDIOCRE. CoD: WaW received decent a score.. then again, when someone gives them a GOTY winner and says "copy this game", there's no excuse for anything other than excellence.

World at war* rather. Shouldn't post when I'm knackered.

But yeah, Treyarch is beyond mediocre. I'll admit that they produced an amazing game in the first Spider-Man, but their quality is completely so/so.

Mass Effect handled the whole "trilogy" thing well. It annoys me to no end when developers and movie makers are so arrogant to announce sequels or trilogies before the franchise has even proven itself sucessful.

But at least Mass Effect finished the story, and didn't end on a silly cliff hanger. And I'm quite sure we can count on Bioware to deliver quality sequels, and not just ones that are being made to milk the name as fast and as hard as possible.

I wish Assassin's Creed took the Mass Effect route.

It couldn't be described as a cliffhanger as much as a punch in the balls.

I certainly agree with you, Ignatius. Games that almost have no closure really piss me off, because I hate waiting for the sequels. Prime examples: Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia. I wanted to throw my controller at my TV at the end of both of those games.

Mass Effect handled it well. Everything from the first game was finished, but they opened up just enough doors to make me thirst for the sequel.

All of these games were great, and I definitely hope their sequels up the bar. I am giddy at the thought of Mass Effect 2.

The prince of persia ending was probably one of the worst endings I've ever seen. It was pretty much the complete opposite of what normal (or even royal) people would do in said situation. Without going into details I'd rather go find my donkey.

Since when has Dragon Age gotten a solid reputation?

Don't you need to release a game before you talk about how people are going to love the sequal?

I'd have to agree with longhorn. Announcing a sequel before the first game ever comes out is just arrogant, and it makes me actively not want to purchase either game.

That said, sequels have been known to outshine the original game. The earliest example I can think of is Mario Bro's 3 whipping the pants off of the original Mario Bro's (2 doesn't count, not a real Mario game). Then there is SF2 destroying the original SF. Vice City wiping it's ass with GTA 3 (second 3D game, I realize there were GTA's before 3), and the list goes on. Then again, there are also examples of a series taking a turn for the worse (Halo comes to mind. Great multiplayer in 2, but single player? Meh)

I have high hopes for anything Bioware is making though. They've yet to let me down.

I just started Mass Effect for the first time, and will be really glad when the sequel hits. It rocks.

Also, who can forget such classic sequels as:

Super Marios Bros. 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Final Fantasy [insert number here]
Soul Calibur 2
The Curse of Monkey Island
Generic FPS 3
Street Fighter 2
Half Life 2
Super Return of the Jedi
Warcraft 3
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
Starcraft Ghost
...and many more!!!

I see what you did there...

Personally I'll never forget playing Starcraft:Ghost. What a sublime FPS! There will never be an equal in terms of pure emotion playing as well as perfection in gameplay. Starcraft:Ghost will be my GOTY every year for the next 10 years. Its just that good!

I so hope that "In the future" means that they are developing Mass Effect 2 right now and going to be releasing it this fall! Hoping for more information in upcoming conferences!

Just announce it already!

they'd be stupid to release Mass Effect and Dragon Age at the same time. They don't want to compete with themselves

Unless they pulled an Orange Box and made a duo so unstoppable that they win the year.

I don't know if releasing Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 in the same year is a mistake. Surely since DA is coming out soon, and if ME were to come out in the Fall/Holiday, that is totally different time spans. Plus they are catering to completely different crowds. Even if ME2 doesn't stay exclusive to the 360, it will be on console's before it comes out on PC.

I guess they could release DA now on PC, port it to consoles for the Fall and then concentrate on Mass Effect 2 for 2010. But what doesn't make sense there, is that would mean about three years between development (which could be great improvements) which is quite awhile for a sequel as the engine and main back story has already been established.

The thing about Bioware is that they create universes that have plenty of space for sequels. Mass Effect has an entire species that we've only met one member of, we've barely even touched the Jade Empire, and Dragon Age... er, hasn't even been released yet. They're in a position to make sequels that don't feel like the same game yet again, or which feel particularly needed because of the player's desire to explore their vast and interesting universes.

I think you nailed their worlds down right there. Never thought about those specifics, specifically!

It's funny, this is the first time I'm actually excited by the prospect of a sequel vis-a-vis Mass Effect 2.

Most important word of the post: "If".

I can agree that sequels are a good thing, taking whats known and getting creative with it can produce some great stuff, the issue is the publishers that can't recognize when there's no fruit left to be picked.

Man, I can't wait for the Mass Effect sequel... it's been too long, in my opinion!

I SO second that!

Thirded. Mass Effect is the best...Except inventory management and autosave...

I've never drooled about the thought of a sequel as much as this... The last time I recall getting so sucked into a game world, so immersed, was back as a youngan with the old Sierra games. I loved the absolute hell out of Fable II, but it doesn't remotely compare for me to how much I fell into the ME world.

Er, I mean, fourtheded

i still have to get the first one. ill get it eventually cause it seems like something i would really like to play. i love me some RPG's but i cant remember the last time i played an American one. Definitely giving both a shot.

For me, the recession made me want to try new IPs, not sequels. Valkyria Chronicles, Mirror's Edge, LittleBigPlanet... really cool games. The blockbuster sequel Gears of War 2, meanwhile, was a major dud in my view. Felt like I had $60 to play Gears of War 1 all over again.

One way to look at it is I guess, I can see his point. I mean once you have some assets developed and a gameplay designed you can always focus on details and implement some artistic visions you originally set out for.
I just hope and pray and literally beg that they actually introduce some variety in their indoor and outdoor env, painting grey or green does not change planets. Also, changing the location of boxes in bunkers is not my vision of the future.
Frankly that pissed me so much more than the elevator rides esp because I tried to take different teammates on my ride to listen to their dialogue but the homogenity of environments especially for side quests was just ridiculous.

I'm not holding my breath. The lack of DLC and the fact they never updated ME1's inventory with the PC inventory makes me worry about Bioware's legacy.

You have a bit to learn about interface design.

A good interface for a mouse and keyboard won't usually work well with a controller.

Mass Effect is awesome. That is all.

Oh...Oh man. :)

Even speculation on the new Mass Effect game is high on my list of awesome things. I agree that sequels will be finding a bigger marketshare. But let's not pretend the recession is affecting game purchases yet. I mean, what's the release schedule look like for the next three months?

We're in the post-Christmas doldrums that last into late spring/early summer...

Also, sequels to good games are either A: money grabs in whole or in part (Spider-Man sequels/Tony Hawk sequels) B: Continuations of a common thread/story.

Great sequels are usually set up ahead of time, and I think Mass Effect 2 (which hasn't been announced, but work is being done on as we speak. As DA winds down, and they begin ramping up for the Star Wars MMO, the writing and programmers on Mass Effect have been at work (I think I saw this reported here at Joystiq, actually).

Anyway, faster elevators, better car control, and smarter team pathfinding, please. :)

AM

way to take the cheap shot at the elevator rides. yes, we all know they suck, but o well, the game is still great. and bringing down the sky was dlc, so, yeah. i cant wait for the sequel either.

You know what would be better? A Fucking KotOR sequel! I play Sci-Fi games to cut people up with laser swords not shoot them.

Well im pretty sure they promised more DLC, and unlike rockstar for GTA4, BioWare shows no signs of ever releasing ME DLC. Even though they promised more....kinda pointless to have such a massive universe and thick story if it cannot be reached. It like the whole 10% of brain use in humans urban legend..

Nevertheless I LOVE ME, and cannot wait for ME2. I was hoping it would become routing that big, fun, successful franchises like Ass Effect, Ass Creed, Infinity Ward's CODs, Gears, Resistance, would all come out every two years. That's more than enough time to crunch out an awesome game, as the dev. time for most of those was 2 years anyway.

*ROUTINE

Please announce Mass Effect 2 this year...for this year.

>.>

Stares at the blank space on the shelf where KOTOR 3 should have been years ago...

STFU BIOWARE and give me a f'n ending to that already.

BioWare explains: How awesome are sequels? So awesome!

Reader Comments (42)

Posted: Jan 28th 2009 5:12PM Marius said

Posted: Jan 28th 2009 5:14PM Haggard said

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Posted: Jan 28th 2009 5:22PM BananaBoat said

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Posted: Jan 29th 2009 7:22AM Ghen said

Posted: Jan 28th 2009 5:33PM Deck said

Posted: Jan 28th 2009 5:38PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Jan 28th 2009 6:02PM Haggard said

Posted: Jan 28th 2009 7:39PM Deck said

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