Mass Effect 4: Casey Hudson Leaves Bioware

SBFord

Bioware Executive Producer Casey Hudson has left Bioware according to a new developer blog by Aaryn Flynn, BioWare Studio General Manager. According to the post, Hudson wrote to colleagues that, after sixteen years, he wanted to reevaluate his prospects. Hudson came under fire with the fan outrage surrounding Mass Effect 3 but was still heading up development of Mass Effect 4.

Though there’s never an easy time to make a change like this, I believe this is the best time for it. The foundation of our new IP in Edmonton is complete, and the team is ready to move forward into pre-production on a title that I think will redefine interactive entertainment. Development for the next Mass Effect game is well underway, with stunning assets and playable builds that prove the team is ready to deliver the best Mass Effect experience to date. And the Dragon Age: Inquisition team is putting the final touches on a truly ambitious title with some of the most beautiful visuals I’ve seen in a game.

Read more on the Bioware blog.

Thourne

I wish him well...but am damn glad he is gone.

SBFord

Agreed, Thourne.

While I wish him well in the future, I'm very glad at this news. Mass Effect 3's ending was a disservice to all fans of the series. Hopefully ME4 will thrive and benefit from his leaving.

ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord

Agreed, Thourne.

While I wish him well in the future, I'm very glad at this news. Mass Effect 3's ending was a disservice to all fans of the series. Hopefully ME4 will thrive and benefit from his leaving.

But the lead writer for ME3 was Mac Walters

Dihoru

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord

Agreed, Thourne.

While I wish him well in the future, I'm very glad at this news. Mass Effect 3's ending was a disservice to all fans of the series. Hopefully ME4 will thrive and benefit from his leaving.

But the lead writer for ME3 was Mac Walters

And do you blame the columnist for the article or the guy who signed off on it getting published? Good riddance to bad artists hiding their inadequacy behind artistic integrity.

SBFord

I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by SBFord

Agreed, Thourne.

While I wish him well in the future, I'm very glad at this news. Mass Effect 3's ending was a disservice to all fans of the series. Hopefully ME4 will thrive and benefit from his leaving.

I must admit I have some mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand he did some great things in the past, and is responsible for a lot of things that made ME such a great series... on the other hand... there's the ME3 ending.

Probably wise of him to take a break, maybe it was burnout setting in after such a long career. Hopefully he'll find something good to do in the future! (Which shouldn't be too hard given his resume)

Daakkon

Although I am genuinely interested in the new DA, BioWare died a long time ago for me. I never really enjoyed the ME games, and they haven't done anything good for YEARS. To me, this is good news for fans of the series and I wish this dude well, but BW needs to look back at what made their old games good and work on that.

ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord
I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

 

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

 

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Ok but he also designed all three mass effects yet some people are happy hes leaving just because they didnt like the last 10 minutes.   Like forget everything else that was awsome about the series right, like the combat, the journey, the graphics, the DLCs and the characters? He was the director of the first mass effect also.

Now EA will probably put one of their own producers in charge.

Distopia

Originally posted by SBFord

I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Uh wouldn't it be ultimately EA who decides what happens as far as development goes, and most importantly how much time they have to get a game out? Which would explain why such nixing would take place?

Velocinox

Producers are hardly ever integral to design. They are however the face of what the designers are pushing. They cheerlead it to the media and try to stay upbeat about the project.

 

Internally they are more akin to project engineers rather than anything dealing with what makes a game fun or not.

Hulluck

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord
I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

 

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

 

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Ok but he also designed all three mass effects yet some people are happy hes leaving just because they didnt like the last 10 minutes.   Like forget everything else that was awsome about the series right, like the combat, the journey, the graphics, the DLCs and the characters? He was the director of the first mass effect also.

Now EA will probably put one of their own producers in charge.

He ruined the entire story, time investment. Something people were passionate about and invested in. What made the ME games so special. Not just the last 10 minutes but made all that time investment pointless. They pissed off enough people that the forums for a month in the spoiler section alone was getting 5+ new pages of posts non-stop 24/7.  Sure it's a bit silly but it's something that a massive amount of people were attached to undeniably.

Thourne nailed it.  Doesn't mean the next game is going to be any good but a little surprised that they didn't can him back then.

ElRenmazuo

Some people just dont like the ending because it was not a happy ending and calling it a disservice to fans lol.  I liked the ending personally because it showed how much powerful the reapers are that no choice you make will be easy and most certainly not happy, that it took all that to even stop the reapers.  And I liked how Shepard became a legend and that it was a mature ending.  The whole point was no matter all the choices you made through out the series, the reapers shit on your choices, they are a galactic threat the likes of no one has ever seen and not some walk in the park.  As Harbinger said "The forces of the Universe bend to me"

Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord
I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

 

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

 

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Ok but he also designed all three mass effects yet some people are happy hes leaving just because they didnt like the last 10 minutes.   Like forget everything else that was awsome about the series right, like the combat, the journey, the graphics, the DLCs and the characters? He was the director of the first mass effect also.

Now EA will probably put one of their own producers in charge.

He ruined the entire story, time investment. Something people were passionate about and invested in. What made the ME games so special. Not just the last 10 minutes but made all that time investment pointless. They pissed off enough people that the forums for a month in the spoiler section alone was getting 5+ new pages of posts non-stop 24/7.  Sure it's a bit silly but it's something that a massive amount of people were attached to undeniably.

Thourne nailed it.  Doesn't mean the next game is going to be any good but a little surprised that they didn't can him back then.

Just about every gaming website that interviewed them about their next games also asked "Did you learn anything from ME3's ending?" every time for a year after ME3 came out, that's how big of a stir its ending had caused.

ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by Hulluck

 

He ruined the entire story, time investment. Something people were passionate about and invested in. What made the ME games so special. Not just the last 10 minutes but made all that time investment pointless. They pissed off enough people that the forums for a month in the spoiler section alone was getting 5+ new pages of posts non-stop 24/7.  Sure it's a bit silly but it's something that a massive amount of people were attached to undeniably.

Thourne nailed it.  Doesn't mean the next game is going to be any good but a little surprised that they didn't can him back then.

That was the whole point of the ending is to show just how impossible the reapers are to defeat that they pretty much crap all over your insignificant choices.  Defeating them meant galactic sized sacrifices.  And no Thourne did not nail it because not everyone agrees.

Vonatar

Casey Hudson, sitting up late at night stressing how to end Mass Effect. Catches a late re-run of this:

Eureka!

Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by allday88

Oh come on media wants to stir the pot just as much as trolls.  It was the "cool thing" to do along with hate on BW.  Misery loves company 

Of course they do, but they still need a subject for it that'll get them a plenty of hits.

If no one had cared they would've dropped it instantly and went after the next sensational piece. But people commented on it and read the articles (and probably waged a few flamewars over them)

Hulluck

Originally posted by Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord
I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

 

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

 

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Ok but he also designed all three mass effects yet some people are happy hes leaving just because they didnt like the last 10 minutes.   Like forget everything else that was awsome about the series right, like the combat, the journey, the graphics, the DLCs and the characters? He was the director of the first mass effect also.

Now EA will probably put one of their own producers in charge.

He ruined the entire story, time investment. Something people were passionate about and invested in. What made the ME games so special. Not just the last 10 minutes but made all that time investment pointless. They pissed off enough people that the forums for a month in the spoiler section alone was getting 5+ new pages of posts non-stop 24/7.  Sure it's a bit silly but it's something that a massive amount of people were attached to undeniably.

Thourne nailed it.  Doesn't mean the next game is going to be any good but a little surprised that they didn't can him back then.

Just about every gaming website that interviewed them about their next games also asked "Did you learn anything from ME3's ending?" every time for a year after ME3 came out, that's how big of a stir its ending had caused.

Was suppose to be "5+ new pages of posts every minute..."    But yeah. those that found no fault in the ending definitely were the minority on this. It was crazy how hard those forums were being hit. Can't say that I've personally seen that to often.

rojoArcueid

Good luck to him, but i also agree that the ME franchise could (hopefully) be better with a new Executive Producer.

 

I noticed Mass Effect was becoming what Resident Evil became. Leaving their roots behind for a more shooter based gameplay. I hope ME goes back to their rpg roots (just like RE is trying to go back to its survival horror roots).

jacktors

Lets not forget the horrible Dragon Age 2 game. After Dragon Age Origins, their sequel was a rushed, linear mess. And to top it off, they nickel and dimed their fans with stupid short DLC. I wish the guy luck in his future, but I hope he does not have any say in any games I enjoy. 

ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord
I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

 

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

 

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Ok but he also designed all three mass effects yet some people are happy hes leaving just because they didnt like the last 10 minutes.   Like forget everything else that was awsome about the series right, like the combat, the journey, the graphics, the DLCs and the characters? He was the director of the first mass effect also.

Now EA will probably put one of their own producers in charge.

He ruined the entire story, time investment. Something people were passionate about and invested in. What made the ME games so special. Not just the last 10 minutes but made all that time investment pointless. They pissed off enough people that the forums for a month in the spoiler section alone was getting 5+ new pages of posts non-stop 24/7.  Sure it's a bit silly but it's something that a massive amount of people were attached to undeniably.

Thourne nailed it.  Doesn't mean the next game is going to be any good but a little surprised that they didn't can him back then.

Just about every gaming website that interviewed them about their next games also asked "Did you learn anything from ME3's ending?" every time for a year after ME3 came out, that's how big of a stir its ending had caused.

Was suppose to be "5+ new pages of posts every minute..."    But yeah. those that found no fault in the ending definitely were the minority on this. It was crazy how hard those forums were being hit. Can't say that I've personally seen that to often.

How were they the minority? millions of people played the game.  Forums doesnt show the millions, only the vocal and usually the ones that most vocal are the ones that are bitter about something.  This website its self shows you examples of this all the time.  Majority of the people who bought the game and finished it arent making a big deal out of the ending.  Those 5+ new pages every minute are still a minority in the millions that bought and played the game.

Hulluck

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord
I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

 

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

 

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Ok but he also designed all three mass effects yet some people are happy hes leaving just because they didnt like the last 10 minutes.   Like forget everything else that was awsome about the series right, like the combat, the journey, the graphics, the DLCs and the characters? He was the director of the first mass effect also.

Now EA will probably put one of their own producers in charge.

He ruined the entire story, time investment. Something people were passionate about and invested in. What made the ME games so special. Not just the last 10 minutes but made all that time investment pointless. They pissed off enough people that the forums for a month in the spoiler section alone was getting 5+ new pages of posts non-stop 24/7.  Sure it's a bit silly but it's something that a massive amount of people were attached to undeniably.

Thourne nailed it.  Doesn't mean the next game is going to be any good but a little surprised that they didn't can him back then.

Just about every gaming website that interviewed them about their next games also asked "Did you learn anything from ME3's ending?" every time for a year after ME3 came out, that's how big of a stir its ending had caused.

Was suppose to be "5+ new pages of posts every minute..."    But yeah. those that found no fault in the ending definitely were the minority on this. It was crazy how hard those forums were being hit. Can't say that I've personally seen that to often.

How were they the minority? millions of people played the game.  Forums doesnt show the millions, only the vocal and usually the ones that most vocal are the ones that are bitter about something.  This website its self shows you examples of this all the time.  Majority of the people who bought the game and finished it arent making a big deal out of the ending.  Those 5+ new pages every minute are still a minority in the millions that bought and played the game.

How many times have you ever seen a forums sustain in one of it's many sections 5+ new pages of posts every minute 24/7 for a month straight.  Not many. That's ignoring all the other non-spoiler sections. Rarely does such an outrage like that really happen. SWG NGE comes to mind.

 This site doesn't even get hit by spam bots that bad on weekends.

Yaevindusk

Most of the hate regarding ME3's ending -- from the people I've talked to or read about -- wasn't that there is not a happy ending.  It's that it was a poorly delivered and contrived experience whereby nothing you did mattered; some characters did not act how you would expect them to after learning about them for three games, and some were even cut out from having a truly great ending with closure.  While it could be said -- stretching some things and giving a serious benefit of the doubt -- that all choices lead to one path (disregarding the hype around there being different endings based on your choices that was going on during production) that every choice only leads to one inevitable thing... they could've captured such through a variety of ways in being defeated rather than just changing the cinematic from being green to red in terms of colors.  Not to mention provide said closure for characters that have entered your story (along with them acting in a way you would say is in character).

 

Though I wasn't a ME fan in general and didn't invest as much as others into the story or game... so I saw little wrong or did not care when I saw the ending.  It was just another game that was beaten for me.  It's entirely possible I missed a lot as I was just playing to finish it rather than doing everything there was to be done.

Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by Hulluck

Originally posted by ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by SBFord
I never said he wrote it. He was the executive producer, the guy who makes every final decision in the game.

 

From all I've read, there was a vastly different ending, the type we should have been given but that was ultimately nixed by, you guessed it, Casey Hudson.

 

Irrespective of that, I hope he reinvigorates himself and finds a new passion. He did some amazing work at Bioware over the years that was sadly overshadowed by 10 minutes of ME3 and an abysmal decision.

Ok but he also designed all three mass effects yet some people are happy hes leaving just because they didnt like the last 10 minutes.   Like forget everything else that was awsome about the series right, like the combat, the journey, the graphics, the DLCs and the characters? He was the director of the first mass effect also.

Now EA will probably put one of their own producers in charge.

He ruined the entire story, time investment. Something people were passionate about and invested in. What made the ME games so special. Not just the last 10 minutes but made all that time investment pointless. They pissed off enough people that the forums for a month in the spoiler section alone was getting 5+ new pages of posts non-stop 24/7.  Sure it's a bit silly but it's something that a massive amount of people were attached to undeniably.

Thourne nailed it.  Doesn't mean the next game is going to be any good but a little surprised that they didn't can him back then.

Just about every gaming website that interviewed them about their next games also asked "Did you learn anything from ME3's ending?" every time for a year after ME3 came out, that's how big of a stir its ending had caused.

Was suppose to be "5+ new pages of posts every minute..."    But yeah. those that found no fault in the ending definitely were the minority on this. It was crazy how hard those forums were being hit. Can't say that I've personally seen that to often.

How were they the minority? millions of people played the game.  Forums doesnt show the millions, only the vocal and usually the ones that most vocal are the ones that are bitter about something.  This website its self shows you examples of this all the time.  Majority of the people who bought the game and finished it arent making a big deal out of the ending.  Those 5+ new pages every minute are still a minority in the millions that bought and played the game.

And of those millions how many do you think actually got to the ending? =P

It's no secret that millions of gamers have games they've barely touched, let alone finished. I'm sure you have a ton of them on your Steam account too, or physical boxes.

I'm sure that Jessica Merizan was right when she said they have "statistics that most were fine with the game", under the assumption that silence = consent.

Even IGN's Jessica Chobot eventually apologized after calling the ME3 fans ridiculous, and admitted she never actually finished the game, so she wasn't all that well informed on the ending (due to her lack of time).

The fuss came mostly from Bioware's most dedicated fans, the ones that bought the whole trilogy and invested most into it.

ElRenmazuo

Originally posted by jacktors
Lets not forget the horrible Dragon Age 2 game. After Dragon Age Origins, their sequel was a rushed, linear mess. And to top it off, they nickel and dimed their fans with stupid short DLC. I wish the guy luck in his future, but I hope he does not have any say in any games I enjoy. 

Casey Hudson had nothing to do with DA2.  Credits: http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=73349&tab=credits

Distopia

Originally posted by Azaron_Nightblade

 

And of those millions how many do you think actually got to the ending? =P

It's no secret that millions of gamers have games they've barely touched, let alone finished. I'm sure you have a ton of them on your Steam account too, or physical boxes.

I'm sure that Jessica Merizan was right when she said they have "statistics that most were fine with the game", under the assumption that silence = consent.

Even IGN's Jessica Chobot eventually apologized after calling the ME3 fans ridiculous, and admitted she never actually finished the game, so she wasn't all that well informed on the ending (due to her lack of time).

The fuss came mostly from Bioware's most dedicated fans, the ones that bought the whole trilogy and invested most into it.

All I can speak on is the reaction to the ending I saw, and that was my wife's, who is a huge Bioware fan, that's really all she plays, outside of telltale games and TES games. Her reaction was,"is that what everyone was bitching about?" "Did we miss something?"