Dragon Age Dragon Age: The Veilguard Pre-Release Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Grauken]

We know that Anthem is considered an abject failure, and we know roughly how much it made.

Its a failure, because it was supposed to be a platform to keep selling shit for years. I am not even sure it lost money overal, given it was developed fast, sold millions of copies (no refunds lol), and was shut down in a month.
And I am not arguing that Veilguard isn't a failure. I am arguing that it didn't cost the big fish sums that all the fishermen on the Codex are swearing they caught last week, but they forgot to take a picture. Bioware almost certainly doesn't have access to that kind of money, even if they had the time to work in it in full. This isn't a 300 million dollar development budget game + another 300 million for marketing, and these numbers are not only fake, but also stupid. Like writing on your Tinder profile that you are 12 feet tall.

Sales speculation is the modern equivalent of tea leaves reading

 

[Asymptotics]

By comparison, DATV was canceled in 2018 (which led Mike Laidlaw to leave), then rebooted in 2019 as a GaaS, then again rebooted in 2020/21 was thze current project. So, that's ~4 years actual development time. Pretty normal for a Triple-A game these days.

It started in 2015, was put on hold in late 2016, resuming in March 2017. In October 2017 it was cancelled. Development restarted in 2018. Can't find any sources that it was cancelled after that again. In 2021 they decided to REMOVE the online multiplayer components from the game. So they didn't restart or reboot shit - they just removed the slop that even they knew doesn't work (because it was copied from Anthem.)

That's way more than 4 years. And even if it was completely restarted in 2020, that wouldn't magically reimburse Bioshit all the money they already spent before.

 

[processdaemon]

So who are yall going to romance?

The best looking woman in the promotional material of course

 

[whydoibother]

Sales speculation is the modern equivalent of tea leaves reading

Again, as an MMA fan, this is very easy to compare to the paycheck "leaks" that some journalists and fan accounts post. They are always outrageous when compared to actual pay releases from California, where its mandated by law for the contracts to be released to the public.

 

[Aphex81]

It's not just Weekes. The game's director is trans. Multiple reviewers (including IGN) are trans. It is impossible to believe this isn't influencing coverage of the game by these professional outlets.

Isn't it strange how you can go years and never see a tranny irl yet every video game studio is somehow run by trannies? I think 98% of the world's gender freaks must be employed in the video game industry or else the numbers just don't make any sense to me.

They are actively seeking them to fulfill their DEI obligations. A lot of guys just put on a wig and pretend to get the paycheck, others simply troon out because there is an incentive to do so or they got groomed in some tranny discord.
One of the first acts as President, Joe Biden vetoed a law that would prevent corporations from making financial decisions based on DEI. Their fiduciary responsibilities would make them liable, if DEI hurt the bottom line. Now DEI obligations overrule making money.

 

[The Wall]

Yearly supplies of estrogen for trannies in charge should cost a fortune. Every time it was rebooted, it was previously worked on by full team (how otherwise Mike Laidlaw could rant about game that was-to-be with full description of working systems). It was at minimum in semi to full FULLEST production for 6 years. + additional couple of years for pre production. In expensive country Canada, in most expensive part of country, with many devs, psychiatrists for devs and lone white guy programmer. Marketing budget is huge and reflects EA's sale ambitions. Shilling is huge and there were promo free travels for shills

In conclusion: though it was already posted that it costed in ballpark 100m for production + 50mil for marketing thanks to our Bulgarian SJW economy proffesor we reached the real number: tree fiddy.

Veilguard's entire production cost was tree fiddy. It's selling at speed of million copies/sec so yeah, it still floped

 

[Aphex81]

Holy fck that's gold

This tone would be more appropriate:

 

[Storyfag]

Yearly supplies of estrogen for trannies in charge should cost a fortune. Every time it was rebooted, it was previously worked on by full team (how otherwise Mike Laidlaw could rant about game that was-to-be with full description of working systems). It was at minimum in semi to full FULLEST production for 6 years. + additional couple of years for pre production. In expensive country Canada, in most expensive part of country, with many devs, psychiatrists for devs and lone white guy programmer. Marketing budget is huge and reflects EA's sale ambitions. Shilling is huge and there were promo free travels for shills

In conclusion: though it was already posted that it costed in ballpark 100m for production + 50mil for marketing thanks to our Bulgarian SJW economy proffesor we reached the real number: tree fiddy.

Veilguard's entire production cost was tree fiddy. It's selling at speed of million copies/sec so yeah, it still floped

Don't forget the MASSIVE HR department needed to replace 41% of the dev team every year.

 

[The Wall]

You have to be in Steam's TOP5 selling for at least couple of weeks to sell 1million-2million copies. Veilguard hasn't reached TOP5* until 4 days before release. Big releases are there FOR WEEKS before their release and for weeks and month+ after release. Get your fucking grip. It's already financial disappointment, just like every other type of disappointment

*unless you are #1 and incredibly selling new game like NEW GTA, Elden Ring, Red Dead Resemption 3 etc.

 

[The Wall]

Now consoles... They will help Bioware. But not enough. It will sell 3mil copies until end of the year. MAX

Why even 3mil copies? COMPETITION! None. Kingdom Come 2 would have destroyed it

 

[Infinitron]

By comparison, DATV was canceled in 2018 (which led Mike Laidlaw to leave), then rebooted in 2019 as a GaaS, then again rebooted in 2020/21 was thze current project. So, that's ~4 years actual development time. Pretty normal for a Triple-A game these days.

It started in 2015, was put on hold in late 2016, resuming in March 2017. In October 2017 it was cancelled. Development restarted in 2018. Can't find any sources that it was cancelled after that again. In 2021 they decided to REMOVE the online multiplayer components from the game. So they didn't restart or reboot shit - they just removed the slop that even they knew doesn't work (because it was copied from Anthem.)

That's way more than 4 years. And even if it was completely restarted in 2020, that wouldn't magically reimburse Bioshit all the money they already spent before.

The idea here is that the removal of multiplayer was *effectively* a second reboot.

 

[Warrax]

The reason it's selling any copies now is because of manipulated early reviews by EA and the names of Bioware and Dragon Age.

As soon as players start reviewing it on Steam the truth will come out and people will stop being tricked into buying it.

The retarded conversations in this game will provide jokes and memes for years to come.

 

[Hellion]

Tbh I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the reason everyone suddenly started delaying their games to February 2025 en masse a few months ago was because EA paid them so that Veilguard would be released with virtually no competition.

 

[MasPingon]

He is not reverend, he is Bioware Job Recruiter:

 

[Grauken]

Tbh I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the reason everyone suddenly started delaying their games to February 2025 en masse a few months ago was because EA paid them so that Veilguard would be released with virtually no competition.

 

[Swen]

It's EASILY more than 200+ million, also don't forget the marketing budge.

Its E A S I L Y at least 94289374185e+712983817 decatatrillion dollars, I heard.
Meanwhile, they haven't been working on this full force ever since Inquisition launched. Clearly it was stop and go, reboot and restart, and only the design/concept people working and prototyping. Actual full studio work started more recently, for sure. They also are using the existing inhouse engine, and existing intellectual property, and didn't need to buy new licenses/buildings like that other game people keep posting.
Therefore the budget probably wasn't that big. The numbers being mentioned on this forum remind me of when fight fans start saying this or that MMA fighter got paid $20 million for his fight. Not only are you making it up, but you are also making up stupid data that doesn't make sense.

Also, consider that the entire previous Dragon Age trillogy was made in less than 8 years. And the entire Mass Effect trilogy was made in less than 8 years. And we are to think that same studio, with notable staff changes ofc, couldn't make ONE game of similar size in 8 years? Come on. They haven't been working on it at all times, in full force.

https://www.pcgamer.com/anthem-sold...ntil-you-compare-it-to-star-wars-battlefront/

"Anthem is at the bottom of the list, with "2M units sold week one, 5M lifetime." In other words, its lifetime sales fell short of the target set for the game's first full month. What's especially telling is the time gap between the first figure and the second. Anthem clearly had a decent first week, especially when you consider, as Scriabine notes, it was "EA's first new franchise in a decade". But sales fell off sharply as everyone realised how underwhelming it was, taking a further two years to sell another three million, which likely explains why EA pulled the plug."

You have no idea how much modern "AAA" costs, especially under bloated companies like EA. Even at 5 million units sold Anthem was a flop for EA, you think Wokeguard will do better?

 

[solemgar]

Which kind of writers did Bioware hire for this game? I mean, they have systematically pissed and shat over the lore established in Origins with stupid and questionable retcons (Qu'nari much?).

Let the franchise die in piece.

 

[gurugeorge]

Probably bullshit but some fag on steam claimed it sold 100k copies

Bullshit, it sold def. more than just 100k.

Multiple people ITT have warned not to expect a flop like Concord.

This isn't a PvP shooter, a genre populated mostly by high T dudebros. Modern audience DOES exist and it's mostly congregating around RPGs nowadays. As we've seen with BG3 you can make an absolute bundle if you cater to them with kinkiness, romance, endless inane prattle with companions and other assorted faggotry.

In a week or so when the first unfiltered reviews hit I expect Troonguard to drop below 75% on Meta but let's not fool ourselves it's gonna be a catastrophic flop like Concord or Dustborn.

Modern audience exists alright but it's relatively not all that big and it would be a mistake to think BG3 numbers represent it. BG3 numbers were bulked up by normal gamers who found that the game was pretty well made and enjoyable regardless of the degeneracy, etc. This game won't have that padding, it'll be more like a Starfield situation - a bunch of ppl buy it at first in anticipation, then they're disappointed and there's a backlash.

 

[Lord_Potato]

It's EASILY more than 200+ million, also don't forget the marketing budge.

Its E A S I L Y at least 94289374185e+712983817 decatatrillion dollars, I heard.
Meanwhile, they haven't been working on this full force ever since Inquisition launched. Clearly it was stop and go, reboot and restart, and only the design/concept people working and prototyping. Actual full studio work started more recently, for sure. They also are using the existing inhouse engine, and existing intellectual property, and didn't need to buy new licenses/buildings like that other game people keep posting.
Therefore the budget probably wasn't that big. The numbers being mentioned on this forum remind me of when fight fans start saying this or that MMA fighter got paid $20 million for his fight. Not only are you making it up, but you are also making up stupid data that doesn't make sense.

Also, consider that the entire previous Dragon Age trillogy was made in less than 8 years. And the entire Mass Effect trilogy was made in less than 8 years. And we are to think that same studio, with notable staff changes ofc, couldn't make ONE game of similar size in 8 years? Come on. They haven't been working on it at all times, in full force.

You are forgetting how expensive making AAA games has become.

The cost of development and marketing for Cyberpunk 2077 (main game and expansion) was reported to be 436 million $. And CDPR had the benefit of relatively low Polish wages.

Spiderman 2 had a total budget of 315 million $ (don't know if marketing costs were included).

I think taking into account the development hell and 8 years of more or less active development 200 million $ for Veilguard before marketing costs is realistic.

 

[solemgar]

It's EASILY more than 200+ million, also don't forget the marketing budge.

Its E A S I L Y at least 94289374185e+712983817 decatatrillion dollars, I heard.
Meanwhile, they haven't been working on this full force ever since Inquisition launched. Clearly it was stop and go, reboot and restart, and only the design/concept people working and prototyping. Actual full studio work started more recently, for sure. They also are using the existing inhouse engine, and existing intellectual property, and didn't need to buy new licenses/buildings like that other game people keep posting.
Therefore the budget probably wasn't that big. The numbers being mentioned on this forum remind me of when fight fans start saying this or that MMA fighter got paid $20 million for his fight. Not only are you making it up, but you are also making up stupid data that doesn't make sense.

Also, consider that the entire previous Dragon Age trillogy was made in less than 8 years. And the entire Mass Effect trilogy was made in less than 8 years. And we are to think that same studio, with notable staff changes ofc, couldn't make ONE game of similar size in 8 years? Come on. They haven't been working on it at all times, in full force.

You are forgetting how expensive making AAA games has become.

The cost of development and marketing for Cyberpunk 2077 (main game and expansion) was reported to be 436 million $. And CDPR had the benefit of relatively low Polish wages.

Spiderman 2 had a total budget of 315 million $ (don't know if marketing costs were included).

I think taking into account the development hell and 8 years of more or less active development 200 million $ for Veilguard before marketing costs is realistic.

That's the main issue with AAA games nowadays. They are becoming like Hollywood movies, the investment is so massive that they are all developed conservatively to ensure that at least they break even and don't go bankrupt . That's why indie games are usually more interesting, less pressure and less "too big to fail" syndrome

 

[Lord_Potato]

So who are yall going to romance?

Dragonbulldykeladyboy of course. Can't wait to charm her...

Fuck, did I use the wrong pronoun? Oh well, I guess it's time to pull a Barv.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Tbh I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the reason everyone suddenly started delaying their games to February 2025 en masse a few months ago was because EA paid them so that Veilguard would be released with virtually no competition.

That's kind of retarded.

 

[whydoibother]

You are forgetting how expensive making AAA games has become.

For 5 million full priced copies to be a loss, 500 senior engineers have to have worked on Anthem for 15 months each getitng paid half a million per year. Come on.
Spiderman has branding and license shit, more marketing, and, honestly, probably has Sony faking a loss to get tax writeoffs. Companies are more likely to declare losses than profits, because losses get them paid by the satate, and profit means they have to pay the state.

 

[Fargus]

or just don't play AAA garbage.

AA and indie games will have this too.

And Japanese games as well.

There's no escape.

Chinese games and Russian games (Owlcat doesn't count) are safe. You just need the next CCP or Russian-state stamped game for the "no poz allowed".

Hate to disappoint but... Chinese games are for insectoids. I wouldn't even play that if bugmen collective pays me in tight cunt asian waifus. And russian games... hmm what russian games? Other than trend chasing cypriotic slop and small time indie hipster games i can't think of any. Russian state sponsored gamedev is the seal of quality with games like Sparta 2035, Saturn and Smuta. So you can count them out too

Maybe russians will deliver more total conversions in future, but russian industry in it's current state can't produce anything of worth. Definitely nothing going on in RPG department.

Atomic Heart, Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2 and Wukong Black Myth were cool.

So a chinese souls like slop and two shooters, one made by cypriots backed by Tencent and another by dev based in Florida, and neither of them want to be associated with Russia. Mundfish founder, one of them, even changed his name to not sound russian. Now that's what i call russian gamedev. Truly based too.

But don't worry we still have Smuta. Just for you.

 

[Lord_Potato]

You are forgetting how expensive making AAA games has become.

For 5 million full priced copies to be a loss, 500 senior engineers have to have worked on Anthem for 15 months each getitng paid half a million per year. Come on.
Spiderman has branding and license shit, more marketing, and, honestly, probably has Sony faking a loss to get tax writeoffs. Companies are more likely to declare losses than profits, because losses get them paid by the satate, and profit means they have to pay the state.

You think Cyberpunk licence was how large part of CP2077 436 million $ budget? 1% or less?

Producing big shiny games costs a lot, even in lowcost Poland.

That's the current reality of AAA market. If you want to compete in this sector you have to spend a lot.

Don't know what was Anthem's budget was, don't really follow MMO sector.