The problems that plague Bioware, aren't attached to just Bioware.

So it's been over a month since Anthem came crash landing to everyone that had been waiting so long for it. A game that had been an idea since the ending of ME3, and it seemed like it was made in 2012, and stored in a time capsule for this very date in 2019 to finally be released. I'm not here to just shit on Anthem, as everyone seems to be dunking on that already, if you haven't seen it yet, go check out Reddit, it's burning down as I speak. No, I want to talk about problems that were actually brought up in Jason's article for Kotaku, that explored what went wrong with Bioware over the last few years. Why you might ask? Because it's a problem in multiple industries, and it needs to be addressed. But with gaming, we have a unique power, so for now, my biggest focus is helping as much as I can there. You might not believe it, but the reviews I do, the discussions I try to have, are for two reasons. Yes, one is to help the customers who have to spend money that most don't have a ton of. With that, comes a bit of entertainment, like cracking a joke or two, or trying to attach a history lesson as well. I'm still working on getting better at reviews, and I know I have a long way to go, but honestly, I love talking about games. Movies too, for sure, but games have a unique thing about them, that lets them tell amazing stories, have amazing moments, that movies can't quite replicate. Games have something that helps draw you, the gamer, into it. It's interactive. But the second part, and I've tried to stress this in my other videos, is to help the people that make the games. The devs, the testers, everyone. Why? Because we have all been them, without them realizing it. Being a dev, and it is still something I want to be at some point in my life, isn't easy. I get that part. However devs deal with a lot of shit, most of us have to deal with too. For example, I use to work for a company called Denso. Denso is a Japanese ran company, that supplies multiple car companies with a large number of different parts and components. I built Radiators for nearly 9 years. There were years there, that I worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, because upper management couldn't get their shit straight. Just like devs do. I had to stay a ton of extra hours, because my upper management made promises to others, yet had no real direction on how to help us achieve the goals, they themselves set out. It was aggravating. I lost friendships, relationships, and much more, building parts for cars, that people didn't give a shit about. I had no pride in my work, because what was I going to do? Pop open the hatch and show everyone "Yeah, that's what I work on! I make about 2,000 of those a day!" I left Denso, because after 9 years, I was burnt out. My body still isn't 100%, and at nearly 29, I'm trying to switch careers, and hype myself up to go get another shitty job as a fill in, until either this actually turns into something on YouTube/Here, or until I finally become a developer. I'm not looking forward to it. Why? Because shitty management plagues just about EVERYONE at this point. I left a job because of bad management, why do I want to go work for someone else that might wind up being just as bad, or worse? I don't. I don't look forward to it one bit.

Amazon has people peeing in bottles, because they can't take too many bathroom breaks.

My point isn't that the devs don't have a point, my point is they absolutely have a point, and it needs more attention in their cases, as well as many others. I've said it before, I'll say again. The biggest change we can inspire is more unionization. It's not the end all be all, I get it. There has to be more from fans, consumers, and others, to push industries back into the right again. It won't be easy, and it's not like they won't fight back, but hearing the stories of Bioware, reminds me a lot of the shit I had to deal with. I know I can't talk much about it, but reading that Bioware struggled with the Frostbite, just like I figured they had, and that's why Anthem came out such a broken mess, reminds me of the struggles I had dealing with newer tech that just didn't work at my former employer. You see, they had brought in two "Air Chamber" machines to help "Innovate" the whole process of building radiators. See, for those who don't know, the way that companies, Denso especially, tests to make sure your radiator, heater core, or condenser has a leak or not, is to put it into a "Helium Chamber" with hoses and couplers attached, and cycle Helium through the radiator. Helium is a small particle, very small, so it can be used to find cracks in tanks, tabs not all the way down, etc. Well these "Air Chambers" were suppose to be the future, as Helium is hard to get, and is getting more and more expensive as time goes on. The problem was, they didn't support these machines enough, so we spent more time down, then we did up and making parts. There was one guy who was the "guru" of the machines, and he left after being burnt out and mistreated. Sound familiar?

Just like Bioware, we didn't get the support for something we had no hand in making. The machine was built in Tennessee, and for those that don't know, I live in Michigan. The machines just didn't work, and we all were frustrated and angry, all the time. I left, because I couldn't take it mentally, physically, or emotionally anymore. I'm not typing this up, because I want to silence or treat any Bioware employee like "we all have it rough, suck it up." I'm telling my story, because I want any Bioware employees that may see this, that I'm with you. I understand your frustration. I too want to see the industry change. The reason I haven't pushed being a dev more, is because of the stories I hear, read, and see every other week it seems, of scooping people up, spitting them out, and then wondering why people are pissed off. The auto industry is just as guilty of this practice. But I want to see it grow and be WAY better. It's why I've held off, and focused more on trying to talk, bring up, and push for better practices.

Which is also another reason I wanted to talk about this. This isn't just for Bioware employees, this is for everyone in the gaming industry. Please, speak up. I know that it's scary, because you could be threatened and kicked out of the very industry, for calling out bullshit practices. However, nothing is going to get better, without you making more noise. I am thankful for Jason, even if we don't always agree, because he is out there trying to be the voice for other fellow humans. Humans that are tired, scared, and frustrated.

I want a call to action, not just devs, but obviously gamers. I've seen some who point fingers and say "Yeah, that's the business" but it doesn't have to be. It's not just about voting with your wallets, it's also about voicing your concerns. Don't just tweet at companies, maybe give them a call from time to time. Write emails to higher ups. Now before that gets out of hand, I'm not asking you to go threaten, abuse, or belittle those higher ups, because nothing will ever change. No, if you really care about the people who build the games you love, then you should reach out to the people up top, and let them know they need to treat their "base" better, or the whole thing comes crashing down. I think the most frustrating thing about reading the article Jason wrote, was some of the devs, speaking about being frustrated with having thin manpower in places they needed it the most. EA just fired 350 people, sure they were analytics people or marketing, but what if EA actually used that money, and instead bolstered more support with all of their studios? Helped DICE and Bioware with their live services? They won't, but if they did, I think people would be less frustrated with their practices and "ideas". Instead of taking chances, they are just simply doubling down on how much money they can make/save, rather then making sure they happy people, great products, and great fans. I mean, even in the article, it's talked about using Frostbite to "save money" while not helping support the teams having to use something they had no hand in coding. That's not only ridiculous, but entirely stupid on EA's part. But EA isn't alone in this, there are a TON of businesses that have the same shitty practices, all to save a few bucks. Even my fathers employer has done similar moves, that I know he's extremely frustrated with. My dad helps out with the software in the company he is with, and he's talked about how his upper management has spread his team out amongst 3 different buildings, making it frustrating, and nearly impossible, to get anything done.

All in the name to save a few bucks.

I guess really, I want more gamers to stick up for devs, by simply not just walking in their shoes, but also thinking about your own daily life/job, and realizing the connections that actually exist. I've seen too many people just shrug their shoulders, and really, that's why nothing will be done for devs, or really anyone else. That status quo needs to change, immediately, but that starts with all of you. Speak up, and speak out. If you're truly tired of "cash grabs" or "broken" games, then it starts with making sure devs are not only treated better, but given the resources and time they need to succeed.

If you have anything to add, or anything you want to say, hit me up in any of the comments sections. Otherwise, I'll see you guys, on the next, OnTheShelf.

P.S. Here's a link to Mr Schreier's article if you missed it.

https://kotaku.com/how-biowares-anthem-went-wrong-1833731964