Mike Laidlaw @mike_Laidlaw And with that, I make my exit from BioWare official. Thanks to everyone who came by the pub tonight to say goodbye. And thank you to Melra _f_lem and @kessel_run for being so supportive and such rocks through this. And of course, @patrickweekes and @karinweekes who are forever bros of the highest order. And while we're at it, a thanks to daniel _Kading, @hanlsp, and victor_Krengel for all the kind words and helping forge an amazing team. Whom I am sure will do amazing things.
[HASH]DAT
And Hrungr , do you know if Daniel Kading's Twitter account has always said "Creative Director & Design Lead @ EA/Bioware Edmonton"? (Does this suggest that he is stepping into Mike's shoes?)
Last Edit: Oct 14, 2017 3:15:12 GMT by ladyiolanthe
And Hrungr , do you know if Daniel Kading's Twitter account has always said "Creative Director & Design Lead @ EA/Bioware Edmonton"? (Does this suggest that he is stepping into Mike's shoes?)
I'm not sure how long he's had that title, but it's been more than a year at least.
I'm not sure how long he's had that title, but it's been more than a year at least.
And Mike Laidlaw himself was "Senior Creative Director" latterly, so... I guess we'll see! Thanks for replying.
Yeah, I was thinking yesterday Daniel could be a possibility as well. Even with his title though, part of me wonders if they'd move him into Mike's spot this soon. Daniel's a relative newcomer, having joined the team (and BioWare) during the last year of DAI's development. But if he has the talent for it - awesome!
Yeah, I was thinking yesterday Daniel could be a possibility as well. Even with his title though, part of me wonders if they'd move him into Mike's spot this soon. Daniel's a relative newcomer, having joined the team (and BioWare) during the last year of DAI's development. But if he has the talent for it - awesome!
Well, just the fact that there has been a Creative Director and a Senior Creative Director for a year or so suggests succession planning to me - and that is a good thing. As long as Daniel's on the DA Team, it makes a lot of sense to me.
David Gaider @davidgaider I am so angry today, yet at nothing specific. I am, as one might say, "in a mood". Like there are bugs crawling just beneath my skin.
Yeah, I was thinking yesterday Daniel could be a possibility as well. Even with his title though, part of me wonders if they'd move him into Mike's spot this soon. Daniel's a relative newcomer, having joined the team (and BioWare) during the last year of DAI's development. But if he has the talent for it - awesome!
Well, just the fact that there has been a Creative Director and a Senior Creative Director for a year or so suggests succession planning to me - and that is a good thing. As long as Daniel's on the DA Team, it makes a lot of sense to me.
If he has been a creative director for a year on the DA team then it sounds like to me that Laidlaw has been planning to leave for a long time and was training up a successor.
Yeah, I was thinking yesterday Daniel could be a possibility as well. Even with his title though, part of me wonders if they'd move him into Mike's spot this soon. Daniel's a relative newcomer, having joined the team (and BioWare) during the last year of DAI's development. But if he has the talent for it - awesome!
Well, just the fact that there has been a Creative Director and a Senior Creative Director for a year or so suggests succession planning to me - and that is a good thing. As long as Daniel's on the DA Team, it makes a lot of sense to me.
I remember that some time ago Mike was asked about the senior creative director thing and he answered like 'nothing really new, just bigger role and salary'. If he had planned to leave before then, and he had to pretend to be stable... That would be not easy if I were him.
Oh... oh, I get it now. I recall that Mike expressed a few times that he was pleased how Knight Errant came out and how it's full of themes that are relevant for the future. Well... one of those is the theme of grooming and succession.
you knooow, this doesn't sound like something he really wanted to do.
idkidkidk, but i wonder if there may have been a strong difference of opinion about the path forward with DA.
i hope ea is not up to some bs with da. like finding a way to push some da rng lootboxes, or some such bs. oh, lud.
i understand that even when you want to leave something, it can still be sad and difficult. but i'm worried. i'm officially worried.
I've been thinking about this departure of Laidlaw - probably too much.
But in light of the recent excitement these past few months about DA4, the leak from the Sunless author about it, the reaction by fans to Wilton Regan being in studio they had to then calm us all down . . . the articles from Polygon, etc keeping us all hopeful and more speculating . . .
Is it possible they weren't planning DA4 at all but a spin off, but now due to fan interest they have shifted gears and will do it? Especially in light of the fiasco with MEA, it's possible they actually (ha ha!) might want to get it right and actually do what most of the fans really want - DA4. There shouldn't have been doubt about that, but if the creative director thought a spinoff was an idea, and the higher ups gave it the axe, given how we all just want the 4th game (remember Laidlaw saying it's not the 4th recently? He may have let the truth out for real.) So they might just have decided to go ahead with DA4 now.
It might be they are in the process of scrapping the original idea and just going to move in on DA4, and Laidlaw's departure may or may not have something to do with this sudden shift. It's a lot of lost work for them if it's true. But it's also true that EA/Bioware are pretty much down to the wire here - they have really only have one chance to get this right, or DA will also go on infinite hiatus and they will only have Anthem at that point.
Last Edit: Oct 14, 2017 13:02:43 GMT by brandoftime
Ok lets assume that he is leaving because of these wild theories? Tweets from him and others don't reflect it. It feels like he didn't just quit and storm out. Also doesn't feel like he was fired as he had time to hang out in office and tweet. there's lots of public thanks etc. you have 1 developer/writer playing dao in her free time. That feels like "I need to understand the atmosphere. Going to pub after feels like a positive "happy for you" vibe. Been in corporate life a long time and this feels like a good parting
Is gaider on a "can't talk about bioware" buyout? Any guesses how long.
The people that tweet should ask about non da things like thoughts on micro transaction and loot boxes etc
Well, just the fact that there has been a Creative Director and a Senior Creative Director for a year or so suggests succession planning to me - and that is a good thing. As long as Daniel's on the DA Team, it makes a lot of sense to me.
I remember that some time ago Mike was asked about the senior creative director thing and he answered like 'nothing really new, just bigger role and salary'. If he had planned to leave before then, and he had to pretend to be stable... That would be not easy if I were him.
Why would he be pretending to be stable? If he wanted to leave, getting the new creative director up to speed would be a great thing.
People train their replacements all the time across industries.
If he had a year to get someone up to speed on the franchise that is incredibly generous by the head honchos.
So, the "afraid" law thing was sort of a hint, maybe . . .
Why are so many of these long term people leaving? Gaider comes to mind, then earlier this year, was is Flynn? . . . Also, the odd way Casey Hudson left MEA during production, then came back just in time to see the franchise go down in flames . . . Hope his stint at Microsoft was worth it.
What in the hell is going on?
Nothing ominous, I'm pretty sure. As a 40-something adult myself, I know that sometimes you just need to change your career path - not because things are getting weird in the workplace but just because you are ready for a new challenge. That is why David Gaider moved on. That is why Mike Laidlaw is moving on.
Yeah, I think a lot of fans far too easily lose perspective of this. Whenever a big name leaves, even if they've been at the same place for years and years and years, there's always this whole "omg what's going on, Bioware is losing its way!" panic. I think if people just take a step back and look at the turnover rate at their own jobs or think about what they would want to do if they've been at the same place for 20+ years, a lot of the hysterics would go away. If anything, Bioware seems to have a pretty damn good retention rate. (But maybe that's the norm in the game development industry?)
Karin SHRIEKES @karinweekes When your autocorrect is super-helpful in turning “Where are you?” into a text exchange that there’s no backing down from. @patrickweekes
Emily pentapod Nearing end of Dragon Age Origins and highly entertained to be running around in my underwear with Alistair, NOT for romance reasons... 😍
Nothing ominous, I'm pretty sure. As a 40-something adult myself, I know that sometimes you just need to change your career path - not because things are getting weird in the workplace but just because you are ready for a new challenge. That is why David Gaider moved on. That is why Mike Laidlaw is moving on.
Yeah, I think a lot of fans far too easily lose perspective of this. Whenever a big name leaves, even if they've been at the same place for years and years and years, there's always this whole "omg what's going on, Bioware is losing its way!" panic. I think if people just take a step back and look at the turnover rate at their own jobs or think about what they would want to do if they've been at the same place for 20+ years, a lot of the hysterics would go away. If anything, Bioware seems to have a pretty damn good retention rate. (But maybe that's the norm in the game development industry?)
I seem to remember one of the Devs pointing out BW's high retention rate some time back. And as others have said, 14 years is a long time with a single company, especially in such a high pressure industry (and position within it).
That said... I think it's worth keeping an eye on how the next few weeks play out.
With more "top" talent leaving the studio, something is amiss in the management echelons. Yes, there may be valid reasons. However, your resume showing you left a work in progress when you are the Creative Director is hardly a gold star of achievement. It certainly raised questions with me when I was interviewing people. In any case, "there is trouble in River City" (Music man 1974).
On a side note, Mark's tweet "I am so excited for you to see what the next Dragon Age will be". Really? Mike announced his departure and Mark is 'excited" ? Such PR BS. A "sorry to see you leave" type text is more apropos, methinks. Regardless, his tweet seems to confirm the DA franchise is alive.
With Bio management percolating I wonder how it affects their game development.
(🌸=◡=)
Morpheus: "know what happened happened and that it could not have happened in any other way".
On a side note, Mark's tweet "I am so excited for you to see what the next Dragon Age will be". Really? Mike announced his departure and Mark is 'excited" ? Such PR BS. A "sorry to see you leave" type text is more apropos, methinks. Regardless, his tweet seems to confirm the DA franchise is alive.
Mark Darrah: "Mike...
Thank you for everything. We will see each other again.
I am so excited for you to see what the next Dragon Age will be."
With more "top" talent leaving the studio, something is amiss in the management echelons. Yes, there may be valid reasons. However, your resume showing you left a work in progress when you are the Creative Director is hardly a gold star of achievement. It certainly raised questions with me when I was interviewing people. In any case, "there is trouble in River City" (Music man 1974).
On a side note, Mark's tweet "I am so excited for you to see what the next Dragon Age will be". Really? Mike announced his departure and Mark is 'excited" ? Such PR BS. A "sorry to see you leave" type text is more apropos, methinks. Regardless, his tweet seems to confirm the DA franchise is alive.
With Bio management percolating I wonder how it affects their game development.
(🌸=◡=)
Plus, he has no stated plans other than to play games on twitch tv for free. Seriously? Nothing ahead of him like a new position in another company. It really just does not add up, free spirit or not. He might actually need to earn an income at some point, methinks.
It's a move a college age person might make, but a guy his age . . .? With family? hm.
Like Hrungr said, the next few weeks will bear close watching.
Plus, he has no stated plans other than to play games on twitch tv for free. Seriously? Nothing ahead of him like a new position in another company. It really just does not add up, free spirit or not. He might actually need to earn an income at some point, methinks.
It's a move a college age person might make, but a guy his age . . .? With family? hm.
Like Hrungr said, the next few weeks will bear close watching.
This could actually show that the cause is something else. He has worked so long in a highly stressful industry. It could simply be that he is suffering from stress. If that is the case maybe the reason he left is health issues. Stress is serious, and it would explain why he might not be heading into the next "big thing" right away.
It would even explain why he reacted somewhat strongly to some fans prodding at him on twitter earlier this year (stress or no stress I can understand how he could misunderstand or simply be annoyed by it anyway.)
Gaider leaving might have added stress, but it could also be the same reason why he left. With the disappointing reception of Andromeda, they know that all eyes are upon them. The are trying to produce Anthem and Dragon Age at once, and the hopes for these games are what is carrying Bioware at a time, where all the eyes should have been on andromeda and the DLC content that never came.
A person's life is so complicated and hard. And we will probably never know the reason, but it could be a very personal reason. And suffering from stress is not easy.