BioWare, EA, and Blizzard: Where Did It All Go Wrong?
BioWare, EA, and Blizzard used to be held in high regard. The Dragon Age developer was once the golden child of RPG games, and Electronic Arts used to inspire excitement with every new sports game and Madden announcement. Even Blizzard, the studio behind some of the most iconic and beloved games of all time, has lost its way. The question is, when did it all go wrong?
It’s easy to forget that EA used to have a healthy reputation in the ‘80s and ‘90s. The EA Sports slogan, “It’s in the game,” was once cool to hear, but these days it’s more likely to be met with an eye roll and a sense of disappointment. The EA logo used to inspire excitement – now it just means another annual FIFA game, another battle royale game, and another botched launch.
The EA Sports games still have a certain charm, and we’re sure there are some people out there who will defend the Madden series to the death. Personally, though, I remember when EA was the king of football games, and I was genuinely excited to see the Madden logo during the Super Bowl commercials. Those days are long gone, and EA hasn’t released a truly memorable Madden game since the PS2 era.
EA’s decline in quality started around the PS2 era, according to some users, but others argue that the company’s downfall started in the mid-2000s with games like SimCity (2013). It’s hard to deny that EA has a history of acquiring and ruining successful studios, such as Bullfrog and Westwood, so there’s certainly a track record.
On the other hand, Blizzard/Activision has also been accused of losing its way, with the formerly great studio now a “dead husk” at the hands of the evil Activision. While it’s true that Activision has acquired and closed a number of beloved studios, including Infinity Ward, Neversoft, and Treyarch, many argue that the decline of Blizzard began with the Activision buyout.
“When Activision bought out Blizzard,” one Redditor replies to a thread about EA losing its charm, “that’s when the quality of their games started to go downhill.” Another says, “I’m not sure if any of us know exactly when Blizzard started losing its way, but I know it was around the time they were acquired by Activision.”
There are plenty of complaints about how Blizzard/Activision treats its players and employees, but there are also plenty of “true fans” who are quick to defend the studio. “Activision isn’t the only one to blame,” one user argues. “Blizzard are just as responsible for the state of Diablo and WoW.”
There are countless examples of studios like Ensemble and Lionhead, which were bought by larger companies and subsequently suffered from a significant decline in quality. Lionhead in particular is a studio that many miss; it made unique, enjoyable games that brought joy to millions of fans. The studio’s founder, Peter Molyneux, however, was known for overpromising and underdelivering – not unlike some other studios we’ve mentioned.
Despite the problems with Lionhead and its games, I think there’s a soft spot for the studio and its Fable games among many Xbox fans. Personally, I’ve played every Fable game except for the last one, and I have fond memories of the series. I think that’s probably a big part of the reason why I’m not quite ready to say Lionhead is dead and buried.
In any case, it’s clear that many users feel that once-beloved studios like BioWare, EA, and Blizzard/Activision have lost their way, disappointing fans and failing to live up to their past successes.
If you want to read more about all the different studios mentioned in this article, check out our guide to the former developers of games like BioShock, Battlefield, and more.
