EA isn't why they couldn't retain or continue to grow talent internally. And they started this spiral long before kickstarters/early access/indie support/massive acquisitions took off too.
They couldn't get with the times like plenty of other companies that only lasted as long as they did due to name recognition established when they had momentum.
eh...
I think the issue with Bioware was an identity problem. And that started popping up when they hit the pivot into wanting to be an action game dev. It was like jettisoning everything that brought them to the dance, because they decided they wanted to try and be contemporaries with id, Activision'n'em.
Theybecame about the width of their reach instead of the depth of their craft. People called out Anthem early and often and honestly it should be studied a bit more IMO. This was a company that started and rose to fame doing cRPGs of depth unrivalled by the rest of the market, licensed RTwP games and niche, high-concept worlds that wanted to be explored. The ended up an action studio with combat most people disliked, worlds that fell apart logically if looked at too closely
(the whole concept of Andromeda's mission from Act 1: scene 1 counteracts the FTL canon of Mass Effect, for instance), and games that were more universally panned for their story than their gameplay. It's like a complete inversion.
EA's responsibility is greatly overstated. I can swear on that. But, it's the internet and hyperbole and exaggeration are the language of the web. That said... when EA's track record is so notorious that it echoes even outside of gaming for this very type of practice, I think there's enough blame to go all around for everyone.
Something has to be very wrong and exceptionally on fire at Bioware though. They are bleeding foundational creative staff at a rate that can't even be called terminal anymore. The real Bioware magic is them still carrying on with franchises despite losing literally all the people who made the stories they're trying to continue. They out here steering around a husk of what they used to be. ZombieWare.
