Just a theory on DLC and the current state of ME:A financing

Except there's no evidence that ME:A failed to reach sales targets.

It is nothing but unfounded speculation.

I figure if the game had sold to expectations they wouldn't be having this 2nd free trial.

This is nothing but EA/Bioware saying, we know that the game was released unpolished and negative reviews and word of mouth may have kept you from buying it. But look what we've done with it since. Try it again and see if you change your mind.

At the very least they may pull people into the Unlimited MP, which by all accounts they're going to continue to support. The same players they'll be counting on to buy Anthem when it comes out. They also make some extra money through microtransactions.

Or alternatively, what EA actually said:

“We’re very happy with how BioWare is doing and how BioWare is treating Mass Effect. Our expectations for Mass Effect are strong for the future”

Tbh it's more likely that its a tactic to demonstrate that all the stuff Reddit was whining about has mostly been fixed (or indeed, was never there to begin with).

In practice, free trials are normally used to showcase improvements made in a game, not to plug holes in sales expectations.

Sure, but for this long? It ends in November. I agree this is more of PR stunt, but they think they can get a few more sales--maybe to justify dlc? I don't know.

I'm proud ME:A player and love the game.

Honestly looking at all the evidence we can see I think it's a safe bet that it did fail to miss expected sales targets. Now the actual size of that miss, now that is unfounded speculation. At best it broke even (which means it made back the money it cost to make the game) maybe with a small profit, enough of a profit to justify the patches (to see if the game has big enough fan base to justify the cost of SP DLC and to see if they turn around some of the bad PR the game unfairly got) or it's simply did make not enough money for EA/BioWare to justify the cost of SP DLC.    

Because since EA never publicly reveals it's sales data because of this kind of speculation regardless if it's founded or unfounded.    

Since you are speculating let me say that BioWare decided to stop all DLC work so they wouldn't be raked through the media like WB was with Arkham Origins when they were lambasted because they finished work on DLC before patching the game. BioWare also stopped all DLC work to make the free content for Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut to adjust the problems people had with the endings and during that time they also said nothing about future DLC until it was finished.

We do not know how Andromeda preformed, it is pure guesswork and there is zero proof either way. We have EA standing behind BioWare and Mass Effect and didn't throw the game or franchise under the bus for its investors like they did with Dead Space after claiming Dead Space 3 was a disappointment.

I am pretty sure MP wasn't to pay for single player DLC, but they use the microtransactions to pay for MP since it still does cost money to support it and they seem to be containing the whole free DLC for MP. If MP was designed to impact SP I would say it was to keep people engaged with the game while they work on DLC so they still will have people interested when they eventually release it and haven't uninstalled the game.

As am I

Ah yes... wildly speculating about Bioware and EA... a pointless (IMO), but seemingly favorite past-time of many people here.  The bottom-line of any speculating is that it is an admission that one simply doesn't know.

I'll just wait to see what happens.

The evidence is pretty circumstantial but it is there:
The game's price drop anywhere between 20-50% depending on where you look when other games released around the same time are still selling for full retail price I seen Horizon: Zero Dawn still selling for $60, hell I've seen games like Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3 still being sold at $60 new.
The free trail deal.
The fact that BioWare and EA won't make give a simple yes or no answer if they are going to make SP DLC.


Frankly I think it broke even which is why they've been waffling on SP DLC and they do need make an announcement about SP DLC for ME:A one way or the other soon because the longer they drag this out the more the idea that they sacrificed ME:A and/or it's DLC so they could focus more on attention on Anthem is going to take root and that could and most likely will cause resentment and hatred for Anthem (which is already building) and then that could hurt Anthem sales. 

At this point that is all I want a simple: "yes, we're making DLC" or "no, we aren't." I don't need a title, release date, or even a damn price for the DLC (although I would love to have that info if they are making SP DLC), I just want a simple yes or no if they're making DLC or not. Because of my tight gaming budget so I can focus on gathering funds for new games that I want to try like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Life is Strange: Before the Storm or money for ME:A DLC and my money is unbelievably tight for me right where even $16 (or $25 for deluxe) game like Life is Strange: Before the Storm can take considerable bite of my budget. I'm at a point where I might not be able to buy DLC or a new game for quite a while so EA/BioWare needs to piss or get off the pot.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! 

Edit:  Sorry, I was not laughing at you.  I'm just laughing at the often stated, but blatantly false statement regarding SP and MP that Bioware has made from the start.  MP has ALWAYS affected SP.  And it's influence is growing stronger. 

Wait a second. I saw Horizon: Zero Dawn on sale for $40 a month ago.