He has multiple reasons for it — unsurprisingly, one of them is the publisher and its approach.

Former BioWare developers share a common trait: they’re proud of their work, they have fond memories of their former studio, and they have few kind words to say about Electronic Arts, the publisher. David Gaider worked at BioWare for a long time. He joined the studio after Baldur’s Gate was successful. He started as a writer on Baldur’s Gate II and worked his way up to become the lead writer on Hordes of the Underdark, the best Neverwinter Nights expansion. However, he is best known for Dragon Age. He created Thedas, and he served as lead writer on Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Inquisition before leaving BioWare in 2016. Gaider has also written several Dragon Age novels and comics. It was his brainchild. That’s one of the reasons why The Veilguard’s chances of success were always slim, no matter what happened.

The game wasn’t a success. At least, not in the same sense as Inquisition. Although it sold well and received positive reviews, it could not shake its “mixed” user rating on Steam. It also failed to meet Electronic Arts’ expectations. Gaider didn’t finish the game because he knew too much about what went on behind the scenes. He describes the development as an ordeal in which Electronic Arts held the team back from the beginning.

“Whether or not it was successful, it was always going to make different choices than I would have. The team took it and did their own version, but I don’t want to see what’s changed. It’s selfish, I know, but I just don’t want to see what they’ve done with my baby, good or bad. Honestly, Electronic Arts really set them up to fail. From everything I’ve heard about the game, that’s exactly what happened. It didn’t deliver creatively. It didn’t generate the expected sales. That’s part of what EA likes to do, too. They require a certain level of sales, and if you don’t meet that threshold, it doesn’t matter how good the game is. If it underperforms, you’re essentially dead,” Gaider said.

The Veilguard wasn’t a great Dragon Age game. It failed to capture what we found special and exciting about the series. Much of the blame falls on Electronic Arts, a company that is almost pathologically incapable of understanding what players want. Take, for example, CEO Andrew Wilson’s assessment of The Veilguard’s failures. Did it fail because the quality of the writing deteriorated? Because of the shift to an action-RPG format? Or because the companions proved useless? No. According to Wilson, it failed because it wasn’t a live service game. Not only did Electronic Arts design The Veilguard to be doomed to failure, but the company also sacrificed BioWare when the expected events unfolded. Throughout this process, Electronic Arts fundamentally misunderstood the actual problem.

Unfortunately, Gaider hasn’t had smooth sailing since leaving BioWare. He joined Beamdog and pitched the idea of a Planescape: Torment to Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast. They liked the idea but turned down the funding. Gaider is currently the creative director at Summerfall Studios. Unfortunately, the studio’s first game, Stray Gods, was released around the same time as Baldur’s Gate 3. Gaider claims that he never intended to suggest that Stray Gods was a competitor to Baldur’s Gate 3. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 was such a massive success that it dominated the conversation, leaving little room for Stray Gods.

Gaider is currently working on a heist RPG. Although publishers have embraced the idea enthusiastically, no one is willing to finance the project yet. According to Gaider, this is a make-or-break moment for the studio.

Source: PCGamer