Buzz
This game had garnered immense expectations.
The name making headlines is Anthem - a blockbuster heavily invested in by the renowned developer Bioware. Known for producing outstanding narrative-driven projects, Bioware, though rarely topping revenue charts, has always been a reputable developer. Until Anthem's release.
Deemed a massive failure for Bioware, Anthem had generated numerous expectations prior to its launch. Upon its release in January 2019, EA even anticipated Anthem to sell 6 million copies within the first month. However, the actual sales were only a third of the estimate. According to a recent disclosure, Anthem's total sales to date barely reach 5 million copies. Meaning, its lifetime sales fall short of what EA projected for its first month. Thus, despite seemingly impressive figures, the game is facing a rather bleak future.
There's plenty to criticize about Anthem. What Bioware excels at, storytelling, feels lackluster in Anthem, from start to finish. Despite a playtime of 15-18 hours, players are left unsure if this duration is excessive or insufficient for a satisfactory narrative. The storyline is dull, character development is poor, and the action scenes lack distinction. Hence, Anthem's failure appears to have been anticipated. Especially when compared to EA's other titles like Battlefield 1 (21 million copies in the first year), Jedi Fallen Order (10 million copies), or Star Wars: Battlefront (50 million copies), Anthem's failure is glaring.
Anthem's future is bleak. It's highly likely that Bioware will abandon this blockbuster instead of attempting to salvage it with DLCs. Priced at $60, Anthem's neglect is understandable, and the game could very well face the prospect of closure in the future.
