In the wake of the closure of BioWare and cancellation of Mass Effect: Universe last week, the big question has been “why?” Why would EA shutter one of the most prolific studios under its banner, why would it cancel one of the most hotly anticipated games that’s managed to keep its hype thrusters firing despite almost a decade of silence?
As EA would put it, it was a matter of business conditions, the current state of the game industry, and long-term viability, not to mention the multi-billion dollar debt the company has found itself saddled with following its acquisition and privatization by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). These all certainly make sense to an extent, but there has to be a little more to it, a definitive straw that broke the camel’s back. As certain alleged insiders put it, the identity of the culprit is none other than Star Wars.
Under the condition of anonymity, several individuals allegedly familiar with EA’s inner workings spoke to Bloomberg today, revealing the major cause of the company’s decision to shutter BioWare and cancel the next Mass Effect as a desire to go harder on Star Wars video games, with...
