AI Summary
This video covers the latest gaming news, focusing on EA's decision to close BioWare and prioritize Star Wars Battlefront 3 over Mass Effect 5, the underwhelming sales of Gears of War E-Day, and the long-awaited New Game Plus mode for Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Chapters
EA closed BioWare because it could only afford one costly sci-fi action game, choosing Star Wars Battlefront 3 over Mass Effect 5 due to lower risk. This decision was influenced by EA's $18 billion debt from Saudi Arabia's $55 billion investment and BioWare's recent commercial failures (Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem).
The news sparked an outpouring of affection for BioWare's games. Amazon's Mass Effect TV show for Prime Video is still in development, while Star Wars Battlefront 3 is currently in the works at Respawn and DICE.
According to The Verge, Gears of War E-Day sold around 400,000 copies across Xbox and PC, despite receiving high critical praise (IGN scored it 9/10). The low sales are attributed to its day-one release on Game Pass, with an estimated 1.7 million players accessing it via subscription rather than purchasing.
Ubisoft announced a New Game Plus mode for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, six years after its 2020 launch. The mode will include a new optional progression system, new runes, and a new crafting material (Myith Myithil). Full details will be shared in upcoming patch notes.
The video highlights major industry shifts: EA's strategic pivot away from BioWare, the impact of subscription services on game sales, and Ubisoft's continued support for older titles. These stories reflect broader trends in game development and distribution.
Mentioned in this Video
💡 Key Takeaways
EA's Strategic Pivot
Reveals how corporate debt and risk assessment can lead to the closure of a beloved studio.
00:23Subscription Impact on Sales
Illustrates the growing influence of Game Pass on game sales figures.
01:29Late but Welcome Update
Shows Ubisoft's commitment to supporting older titles, a rare practice in the industry.
02:23Full Transcript
[00:01] today's gaming news, EA chose Star Wars over Mass Effect. Gears of War Eday has only sold about 400,000 copies and Assassin's Creed Valhalla is getting a new game plus mode 6 years later. This is your daily fix.
[00:23] [music] EA bosses chose Star Wars Battlefront 3 over Mass Effect 5. EA closed Boware was because it had decided it could only afford to back one costly sci-fi action game and Star Wars Battlefront 3 was considered less of a
[00:35] risk than Mass Effect 5. EA is under new financial pressures as a result of the 18 billion in debt it was saddled with in the wake of Saudi Arabia's 55 billion Bloomberg said that both Star Wars and Mass Effect were expected to cost
[00:47] produce. And despite the fact Battlefront 3 hadn't even begun It didn't help that Boware's recent games, Mass Effect, Andromeda, Anthem, failed commercially. Bloomberg also pointed to some internal politics that
[01:01] Boware had spent the past half decade teasing the next Mass Effect setting and The shock news sparked an outpouring of affection for the studios games, its from fans in the video game community. Amazon's Mass Effect TV show for Prime
[01:16] end of Boware and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5. Star Wars Battlefront 3, meanwhile, is currently in the works at Respawn and DICE. Moving on, sources tell The Verge that Gears of War Eday has sold around 400,000 copies across
[01:29] Xbox and PC, and Game Pass is likely to blame. The latest entry in the Gears acclaim earlier this month, drawing high scores from reviewers and fans alike. IN scored a 9 out of 10. However, it seems the critical praise isn't translating to
[01:42] sales. At least that's according to a new figure reported by The Verge. Tom 400,000 copies of the game have been sold in total across consoles and PC, which paints a grim figure considering the prestige of this particular release.
[01:55] the reason for this surprisingly low figure. It was a day one release on the access 5 days before its official launch via a $30 premium edition upgrade, certainly lower than those who access it through Game Pass. Data from Alineia
[02:10] thought. As laid out in an October 9th market and analysis, Ree Elliot, an estimated 1.7 million players access eay using their game pass subscription rather than buying a copy. And finally
[02:23] launched all the way back in 2020, but Ubisoft has just announced that it's getting a new game plus mode. Better late than never. The new game mode will Day, and will include a new optional progression mode along with new runes,
[02:36] Ubisoft will also be adding a new crafting material, Myith Myithil, which on top of the new game plus mode, Ubisoft teased that Valhalla will be it will share full details in the upcoming patch notes along with news
[02:50] updates in the coming days. The new game plus mode isn't the first time Ubisoft Players also had to wait nearly two years to get Steam achievements and the company was still fixing bugs as of January 2025. [snorts]
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[03:30] for all your video game news, stay tuned to GM.
