In the online shooter Anthem the launch caused some issues. Our author Schuhmann says: That was to be expected. What matters is how BioWare responded.
I was not surprised: The launch phase of Anthem was just as I expected it.
Every new online game suffers from the same problems at launch:
- too little content – I’m at max level and there’s nothing left to do
- balancing issues or bugs in the game mechanics
- bugs – there are really frustrating bugs
- technical difficulties – well, those were quite pronounced in Anthem
- and a dissatisfied community that had different expectations than what they actually received
That’s why it’s normal: No matter how well a team is prepared, launching a new live game with a PvE focus will inevitably lead to disaster and later it will be said: “You should have waited another six months for the launch.”
We’ve experienced these stumble starts with The Division 1, The Elder Scrolls Online, and many other games in recent years. The games always looked terrible and the developers were harshly ridiculed and depicted as incompetent.
Only in a few cases does the shitstorm not occur:
- “second parts of games” (but not always)
- or you simply don’t have a live game, but just look like one.
But that Anthem would go through some turbulence was truly to be expected. The hope that BioWare had learned from SWTOR or the mistakes of The Division and Destiny was really slim.
Experience shows: The developers become blind to their mistakes and only see them in live operation when hundreds of thousands of players shout them into the world on Reddit.
The launch trajectory of Anthem I predicted in an article in November on MeinMMO, you didn’t have to be a fortune teller for that.
I was surprised: What was actually heavier than usual was the shitstorm and the anger that fell on BioWare.
This was due to the special situation of the game:
- Anthem was released isolated in February, being the “only major topic” in gaming for weeks – Apex had a strong start, but then quickly faded
- BioWare has a large reputation as an RPG provider and is under special scrutiny, especially from the trade press
- apparently many single-player fans checked out the game
- Anthem generally had such a strong “power fantasy” and good PR that the hype around the title was huge
- and somehow an example should also be made of Anthem regarding the current state of the video game industry and how stupid games-as-a-service are. Anthem also received a lot of frustration over EA and Fallout 76.
The majority of the problems that games usually have somehow multiplied in Anthem.
That’s why Anthem looks so bad right now: After such a launch phase, emotions run high, and it often seems like a game stumbles from one hit to the next.
Profound issues like with the loot system cannot be resolved overnight, and many things simply take time while disappointed players continue to call loudly for immediate solutions.
The current sentiment among some is: “I paid 70€, I want a solution now and not in a year.”
A reasonable wish that is impossible to fulfill.
This is important now: In November, I mentioned in the article that the most important thing at this stage is how BioWare deals with the problems.
Because that will ultimately determine the future of Anthem.
So far, they have shown that they are willing to respond quickly and decisively:
- Many annoying issues were corrected in the first patches
- but first mistakes were also made: Overhauling the power system in a few days caused more problems than before.
While simple issues like “Starting missions from anywhere” can be easily resolved, deep problems simply cannot be solved overnight – even if fans want to force it.
But in general, BioWare seems to be doing well with communication and responding to player feedback. They have not disappeared like other studios at launch but have faced the anger.
That’s why I am hopeful: The “core” of Anthem is really strong. The gameplay and scenario of Anthem will still be good in six months or a year.
The graphics and quality of presentation will hold.
And the first 30, 40 hours in the game are quite okay for most, as they say. Afterwards, problems in the endgame become apparent: grind, glitches, and generally too little loot and content.
However, Anthem also has enthusiastic fans who already find the game fantastic and wonder why they read so much negative feedback about their game.
This is how it continues with Anthem: Anthem now needs time to solve problems and work on content. Many will leave the game for now – this is also normal for such a title.
But a hard core will remain, and players will return when the vibe around Anthem improves. And it surely will.
Many games that started as rocky as Anthem have managed to turn things around.
I am sure we will still have a lot of fun with Anthem.
That’s also the beauty of such live games:
As sure as one can foresee the disaster at launch, one also knows that it will get better over time.
