How can one above average game sink an entire franchise?

Nah,

DAI setting launch records for Bioware was a pretty large accomplishment. If MEA eclipsed DAI's record I doubt that would be something EA just stays mute on. Besides, EA has a history of not avoiding certain statments despite the potential PR blowback. It is not in the nature of EA and I do not know what is so different about MEA that would make EA start caring now.

And MEA isnt helping to improve that reputation....

Did DA2 have the same amount of hype and expectations as MEA? Did DA2 have the same budget as MEA? Was DA2 meant to change the subject from the endings of DAO?

I already told you about the ending of ME 3, 


yes those ending did made a problem, BUT for the most part, people have got over with it. Lot of people have been warming up to ME 3 once the extended cut was released, lot of people were satisfied with this new ending. You do remember that the popular saying was "ME 3 was perfect until the last 10 minutes", the problem people had with the game was the conclusion not the rest of the journey which for many was just magnificient.



And with the releases of the dlc citadel and leviathan, way more people have been warming up to the game and today if ME 3 was released with all its dlc, it would not be as trashed as it used to be, it is now considered way differently than it was at release. Sure there is always the people obsessed about it but for the most part, people have gotten over with it, especially with the dlcs both paid one and the free one.


So when MEA came out, a lot of people were mostly positive because bioware ended on a high note with the citadel dlc that they just freaking loved. 

DAI on the other hand... the last memory people had was DA 2, which did not had people warmed up to it with free or paid dlc. None of that happen, no high notes for DA 2 until DAI came out.

And yes DA 2 had a lot of pressure, DAO was the sucessor to the legendary baldur's gate, it was the game that push the narratives further, so yeah there might have been more pressure on MEA in terms of money and quality, but there was also a lot on DA 2 and it failed on those exceptations and no you did not wanted to be a DA 2 defender on any forums or anywhere on the internet at that moment, it was THE game to trash.

And in terms of money as I said before, if the 40 million budget is accurate, they already their money, not the huge sucess they hoped to make but definetely enough to make a profit, and since the engine is already built, well an eventual sequel would be chaeper to make since they have a fondation already there, no needs to build from scratch.

And maybe I should recall you the story of tomb raider 2013, the game did not made profits immediatly, it took time to make because square enix was excepting 6 million sales, and they only got 3,4 millions at the beginning, even the CEO resign for this. But with times and 2 years later, the sales rised up to 8,5 million sales and did they made a profits, it also made sure that the eventual sequel would be cheaper to make. Which happen 2 years later with rise of the tomb raider, even if the publisher still had to wait until they make a profit.



Publisher do now know that the games are not like they used to be, before the physical sales were the majority of the sales was done at the beginning, because digital was not as popular and after a week used sales came into play. but right now game becoming better and better with times, many people have started to wait until buying it, wait until it was patched and publisher knows that the profits does not always lies at release.