EA CEO Andrew Wilson has shed light on the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, attributing its lack of success to its failure to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This statement comes in the wake of significant changes at BioWare, the game's developer, which EA recently restructured to focus exclusively on the development of Mass Effect 5. As a result of this shift, some team members who worked on The Veilguard have been reassigned to other projects within EA's portfolio.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard managed to engage 1.5 million players in the recent financial quarter, a figure that fell short of EA's expectations by nearly 50%. This shortfall prompted EA to reassess its strategy for the Dragon Age franchise. The game's development was not without its challenges, as documented by IGN, which included layoffs and the departure of several key project leads at various stages of the project.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier revealed insights from BioWare staff, who viewed the release of a complete game as a "miracle" given EA's fluctuating directives. Initially, EA pushed for a live-service model, only to reverse this decision later on. This back-and-forth likely contributed to the game's troubled development.
In a recent financial call aimed at investors, Wilson emphasized the need for role-playing games to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives" to appeal to a wider audience. He praised Dragon Age: The Veilguard for its high-quality launch and positive reviews but noted its inability to capture a broad enough market.
Wilson's comments suggest that integrating shared-world features might have boosted Dragon Age: The Veilguard's sales. However, this perspective seems at odds with EA's earlier decision to steer the game away from a multiplayer framework towards a single-player RPG, a move that IGN reported as a significant pivot.
Fans have voiced concerns that EA may be drawing the wrong conclusions from The Veilguard's performance, especially in light of the recent success of single-player RPGs like Larian's Baldur's Gate 3. With Dragon Age seemingly on hold indefinitely, the focus now shifts to Mass Effect 5.
EA CFO Stuart Canfield discussed the company's decision to streamline BioWare, reducing its workforce from 200 to less than 100, in order to concentrate on Mass Effect 5. He underscored the evolving nature of the gaming industry and the necessity of redirecting resources to maximize potential opportunities.
It's important to highlight that single-player games constitute only a small fraction of EA's revenue. The majority, 74% over the past year, comes from live service models, with Ultimate Team being a significant contributor. Other live service successes include Apex Legends and The Sims, while upcoming titles like Skate and the next Battlefield are set to follow suit.
