Electronic Arts shut down BioWare, the developer behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, this morning, in what was described as another example of a short-sighted, profit-driven corporation unable to manage its assets. The closure included the cancellation of the in-development fifth Mass Effect game, but according to sources cited by IGN, this will not affect Amazon’s upcoming live-action series set in BioWare’s universe.
The outlet’s sources confirm that Amazon intends to move forward with the show at Amazon MGM Studios, and that all creatives attached to the project remain on board. Not much is known about the series yet, but it will take place after the original trilogy starring Commander Shepard. BioWare confirmed as much last year on N7 Day, the studio’s annual celebration of the sci-fi series, saying that the video games, in which players could create and customize the main character and make decisions, were meant to capture the player’s story, and that without the player, that story shouldn’t be retold.
“I’m frankly nauseated at the thought of EA making any sort of profit off the Mass Effect license now that it’s committed an act of such cultural vandalism,” the writer said, adding that the news “doesn’t really feel like good news” to them. “Maybe it’s just me, but my biggest concern when a company is shut down by bean-counting private equity and the livelihood of the people who made the thing I love is upended isn’t that I won’t get more of my favorite toy.”
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