Just about everything BioWare did prior to them getting bought by EA was great, I thought[1]. Games like Baldur'sGate (plusexpansions), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire are still definitely worth playing, even today. Except for the Star Wars game, all of those are available on GOG. (I almost accidentally included Planescape: Torment and Icewind Dale in there, but those weren't made by BioWare.)
Everything after that, however, unfortunately has the disgusting taint of EA all over it, including Dragon Age: Origins, as you pointed out. Even though DA:O was in development for years before EA gobbled up BioWare, EA still managed to get its fingers hooked into it, which is why you have all the cut-out-to-be-sold-as-DLC content (this was back when they were still using the bullshit "wasn't ready to be included at launch" excuse for Day One DLC, which they've long since stopped using these days because everyone knows it was full of crap anyway) and all the online bullshit required to use it and so on and so forth.
So yeah, as you said, simply due to the fact that everything they release now is pretty much pure shit anyway, I'll be joining you in no longer buying things made by EA/BioWare. About the only game I'm even vaguely still considering at the moment is the new Dragon Age game. I might take a look at that one eventually, but only after it's been out for a while and there is enough consensus on whether it's bad or not, and whether it's overly coated in EA taint or not. I figure the likelihood of that not being the case is super low, though, which is why I'm not all that hyped about it and haven't been following news of it at all. After the mushy pile that was Dragon Age II, DA3 would have to be godlike before I'd care too awfully much, anyway, and even then I'd probably still pass if the EA taint is there, which it almost assuredly will be.
This is why it was such a damn punch in the gut for me when they got bought by goddamn EA in the first place, because I knew they were going to end up just like Westwood[2] and Origin and Maxis and all the rest of the once great devs that got sucked up by EA: their IPs raped and whored out for quick, broken cash-in shit, and most of their devs leaving for greener pastures. This is indeed exactly what is happening.
(Footnotes split off to a second comment, because LJ sucks shit and doesn't like comments that are too long.)
Everything after that, however, unfortunately has the disgusting taint of EA all over it, including Dragon Age: Origins, as you pointed out. Even though DA:O was in development for years before EA gobbled up BioWare, EA still managed to get its fingers hooked into it, which is why you have all the cut-out-to-be-sold-as-DLC content (this was back when they were still using the bullshit "wasn't ready to be included at launch" excuse for Day One DLC, which they've long since stopped using these days because everyone knows it was full of crap anyway) and all the online bullshit required to use it and so on and so forth.
So yeah, as you said, simply due to the fact that everything they release now is pretty much pure shit anyway, I'll be joining you in no longer buying things made by EA/BioWare. About the only game I'm even vaguely still considering at the moment is the new Dragon Age game. I might take a look at that one eventually, but only after it's been out for a while and there is enough consensus on whether it's bad or not, and whether it's overly coated in EA taint or not. I figure the likelihood of that not being the case is super low, though, which is why I'm not all that hyped about it and haven't been following news of it at all. After the mushy pile that was Dragon Age II, DA3 would have to be godlike before I'd care too awfully much, anyway, and even then I'd probably still pass if the EA taint is there, which it almost assuredly will be.
This is why it was such a damn punch in the gut for me when they got bought by goddamn EA in the first place, because I knew they were going to end up just like Westwood[2] and Origin and Maxis and all the rest of the once great devs that got sucked up by EA: their IPs raped and whored out for quick, broken cash-in shit, and most of their devs leaving for greener pastures. This is indeed exactly what is happening.
(Footnotes split off to a second comment, because LJ sucks shit and doesn't like comments that are too long.)
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