In the online RPG Anthem, some fans wonder why BioWare did not take more inspiration from Destiny and Destiny 2 and learn from the mistakes of the shooter. An insider report now provides the answer.
Here was the question: After the release of Anthem, some critics questioned why BioWare did not learn from the mistakes of previous loot shooters like The Division or Destiny.
Some found it hard to understand why a game in 2019 had such problems with the loot and had to go through such difficulties.
After all,
- Destiny (2014)
- The Division (2016)
- and Destiny 2 (2017)
had all gone through tough launch phases, but after about a year managed to turn things around.
Why couldn’t Anthem analyze the mistakes of its predecessors and do better right from the start?
It should not be discussed about Destiny
This is the answer: According to an insider report about the development of Anthem from Kotaku, it was frowned upon to even mention the word “Destiny.” The word was considered a “taboo,” thus forbidden.
The studio’s leadership team reacted negatively to the mere mention of the name Destiny.
The reference point that the management preferred was Diablo 3.
This is what a developer says:
“We were quite clearly told: This is not Destiny. However, it was actually a bit. What was described clearly pointed in that direction. But they (the studio management) did not want those comparisons.
We actually did not want to draw those comparisons either.
But: When you start talking about fire teams and going out to raid together. When you talk about weapons, spells, and such things… Well, then there are a lot of elements that overlap.”
Anonymous Anthem developer, according to US site Kotaku
These were the consequences of the Destiny ban: According to this developer, who wishes to remain anonymous, the ban on discussing Destiny was a mistake. Because it prevented them from learning what Destiny did right and why they were market leaders.
“We had to look at games like Destiny, because they are market leaders. They are the guys who did this the best. We should definitely look at how they did these things.”
As an example, the developer mentions the large variety of weapons in Destiny. That is something Anthem lacks because the game came from a lot of people who primarily made RPGs.
“We did not really have the design capability to do that. It simply was not the knowledge to create such a variety of weapons.”
This is the role Destiny still plays: Destiny appears in the insider report at other points:
- The pressure on BioWare increased towards the end of development when The Division 2 was announced, Destiny 2 was getting better and Warframe was constantly improving
- Furthermore, it is said that the team at BioWare felt understaffed because they had far fewer employees than the teams behind Destiny and The Division
- However, Destiny is now a game that gives BioWare hope. Because the team hopes to improve Anthem in the same way that Bungie succeeded with Destiny
