Anyone keeping tabs on Bioware’sAnthemknows the journey has been anything but smooth sailing for the developer behind the critically acclaimedDragon AgeandMass Effectfranchises. With this being the first time the team that specializes in role-playing games has taken a shot at a live service experience, there are a number of new features and intangibles the developer hasn’t been able to nail down, particularly when it comes to theissues with in-game loot inAnthemplayers are constantly grinding for to maximize character stats and abilities. In an effort to create a more fair system, BioWare is now looking for an expert in “games as a service” to aid the cause.
As spotted on Resetera and publisher Electronic Arts' careers page, BioWare is searching for a Senior Systems Designer with experience developing ‘Loot Systems’ to work with theAnthemteam. Some of the verbiage used throughout the job description includes concepts of proper scaling, streak-breaking, and the ability for players to have a more predictable outcome to rewards earned.
Dedicating a position for someone to solely focus on in-game loot is both a testament toBioWare’s long-term plans forAnthem, as well as a realization of the stumbles the game has dealt with in a couple of months. Sales forAnthemhave already begun to noticeably drop, as the game was already outside the top ten for PS4 downloads in its first full month on the market after launching in late February. Even withAnthem’s swift discountjust a week after launch on Amazon, it hasn’t moved the needle enough to convince others to buy the game.
Issues surroundingAnthemhave centered around improper weapon damage scaling, infinite load times, a giant day-one patch, and most surprisingly the ability tocrash PlayStation 4 consoles. While many of these problems have been fixed thanks to regular patches, it’s clearAnthemwas released too soon. Even with BioWare compromising by removing signature features like romance options to achieve this new live service concept,Anthemhasn’t lived up to the pedigree the developer has become widely known to have in years prior.
As of right now, BioWare has no intentions of leaning into loot box options or paid season pass content for its player base, however the team will likely face the tough task of retaining players while still finding ways to persuade those who haven’t picked upAnthemyet to give it a chance. WhileAnthem’s content roadmap through Maylooks promising, it won’t matter much if players don’t feel they’re being rewarded properly for missions and challenges they complete.
Anthemis out now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
