Details on Bioware’s plans for Anthem remain scarce, despite a two-day unveiling during EA Play and Microsoft’s E3 Briefing. But a brief statement made by Electronic Arts Vice President Patrick Soderlund, during Microsoft’s second daily E3 broadcast, is getting some attention this week. It’s also not going to alleviate the Anthem vs Destiny comparisons in gaming circles around the globe.
If you missed last week’s big reveal, Anthem is a shared-world shooter that drops players into their very own exosuits -- which definitely have an Iron Man aesthetic -- and tasks them with hunting the various creatures (big and small) that wander the jungles, mountains and waterways of Anthem’s unidentified host planet. Players will complete missions, find new guns and work their way through a progression system that has yet to be detailed by Bioware.
But the biggest question surrounding Anthem is how long EA and Bioware plan to support their latest endeavor. Fortunately, based on Soderlund’s comments, it sounds like the publisher has a long-term plan for the newest IP in its portfolio.
“[Anthem is] a social game where you and your friends go out on quests and journeys,” Soderlund said. “It's a game that we've been working on for almost four years now. And it's a game that - once we launch it next year - will be the start of maybe a 10-year journey for us.”
The statement wasn’t noticed by many people at the time; however, it’s getting more attention in the wake of E3 as Anthem fans pore back over every bit of media from the last week in hopes of learning something new about the game. It’s also certain to invite more Destiny comparisons, given the 10-year timeline that so many expected from Bungie’s first shared-world shooter. Whether or not the studio reaches that 10-year goal is anybody’s guess. But Bioware has three years of Destiny ’s failures to study while preparing for Anthem’s highly anticipated debut.
For an early look at at Anthem, take a few minutes to check out the Anthem gameplay demo that aired during Microsoft’s E3 Briefing. Then head down to the comments section and let us know what you’re hoping to see when Anthem heads to PC and consoles next year.
Anthem is in development for PS4, Xbox One and PC. The game debuts in fall 2018.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Anthem news in 2017 and however long Bioware supports Anthem in the years after launch.
