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When Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) unveiled Anthem at the E3 video game expo last year, the company surely hoped that the game would set a new standard for online multiplayer shooters and go on to be a major franchise in its catalog. The title was the latest project out of BioWare, the highly regarded studio known for games in the Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series, and there was excitement to see what the developer would do with its first new intellectual property (IP) in years.
Video games can now be easily updated post-release, so comebacks are possible. But it now looks like Anthem is on track to be a dud. If it does go on to underperform, it would be a significant setback for Electronic Arts and the latest in a string of recent misfires. Even so, Anthem probably isn't the EA game that investors should be most focused on.
A screenshot from Anthem. Image source: Electronic Arts.
Anthem appears to be on track to disappoint
Games are built to be sustained over the long term now, but Anthem's early post-release sales tracking is uninspiring, and the title's core gameplay appears unlikely to lure in the player base needed to produce a winner for EA. Despite indications from Electronic Arts and BioWare that interest in the game was exceeding expectations, signs emerged that it was in danger of underperforming as it got closer to release. And that now appears to be the likely outcome.
The company made a trial version of Anthem available roughly a month before release, and while the game did find some fans, the overall reaction from people who played it was less than favorable. Online communities criticized the game's aesthetic and general style, and the title never really managed to build the hype that typically mounts in the lead-up to a big game's debut.
Hope that the title would be significantly improved by its release date can apparently be set aside, as early fan reactions are largely negative and professional critics appear to be writing the game off as mediocre. BioWare's latest has an aggregate review score of just 60% and has been recommended by just 14% of critics, according to the review site OpenCritic.
Anthem posting disappointing sales is significant. BioWare has generally been viewed as one of the most talented and creative studios within Electronic Arts, but its recent track record suggests magic has been lost at the development house. After a string of high-profile underperformances including Star Wars Battlefront II, Battlefield V, and FIFA 19, EA entered this year starved for hits. Shareholders should know that Anthem is unlikely to be the company's savior.