By Patrick Söderlund
Today we unveiled Anthem, EA’s newest IP. Our team at BioWare hand-crafted an entire new world, and equally as important, an entirely new experience. This isn’t like any BioWare game you’ve played before – in fact, it’s unlike any game we’ve ever made at EA.
As a player, there’s nothing quite like thrill of discovering new games and experiences. It’s why I have always loved playing games, and why I try to play everything. Seeing how much innovation there is in the industry across all corners – interactive storytelling, social gameplay, visual fidelity, live services -- drives our teams to push the boundaries and deliver the unexpected.
As a developer, all of this excitement can also be frightening. Starting from a clean sheet – no genre, no story, no gameplay design or systems, etc. – almost everything has to go right to see a new IP all the way through. And the truth of the matter is, a lot of great ideas on paper, never realize their full potential.
The time and investment is why new IP can be so risky. But when you think you have something special… you have to go for it.
And that’s what we have with Anthem. Ever since I heard the original concept, I’ve had a special passion for this game. I love the contrast of the beautiful, lush world with savage, exotic beasts. Seeing the advanced technology of the Javelin suits, contrast with the primitive and brutal ruthlessness of the environment.
Our team has incredible ambition for this title. They’re telling a new story, creating a social, co-operative experience, and putting it in a contiguous open world that is dynamic and will be ever-changing for years to come.
The time is right for a game like Anthem. The power of new consoles, the way genres are evolving and blending into each other, the way we are playing games together for longer periods of time through live service. You are going to love this game, this world and this experience. We can’t wait to share it with you in the Fall of 2018.