In EA’s latest financial report, CEO Andrew Wilson revealed that BioWare’s new IP will be released at the end of the next fiscal year (ending March 31, 2018).
Wilson also said BioWare’s IP will be “a clean-sheet design with new concepts, new gameplay mechanics, and new stories set in a unique new universe.” He added that it could “fundamentally disrupt the way
people think about an action title, bringing friends together to play in exhilarating new ways.”
Over on the BioWare blog, General Manager Aaryn Flynn gave us some brief details about the history of their new IP:
As our CEO Andrew Wilson mentioned, we’re creating a unique IP that will bring players together in exciting new ways.
There’s much more to say in the coming months, but for now, I wanted to offer this additional background.
In 2012, we began crafting a new universe full of new characters, stories, and gameplay. Our ambition is simple: Draw upon 20+ years of development knowledge and lessons to create something fun and new for you to enjoy with your friends.
There’s nothing quite as exciting as building a new IP from scratch, and it will be even more thrilling for us to share more with you in the future.
At the moment, BioWare is working on finishing up Mass Effect Andromeda ahead of release on March 21. During EA’s earnings call, CFO Blake Jorgensen said they expect Andromeda to move around three million units during its first 10 days on the market, and those first 10 days will make up “anywhere between 30% to 50% of the lifetime of that title.” For comparison, Mass Effect 3 sold around six million units.
[Source: Electronic Arts, BioWare Blog, Seeking Alpha]
