On August 26, all of the official forums for several of BioWare’s games are being shut down in favor of updates being provided on various social media channels.
According to the official BioWare blog, the forums for Star Wars: The Old Republic will still be operational, but all forums for Dragon Age, Mass Effect and all legacy BioWare titles will be shut down. The blog post also states the reason for the forum shutdown:
“In the past, our forums were the only way we could speak to you directly. They allowed our developers to talk with fans, and gave our players the opportunity to talk with each other about our games. But with the rise of social media and geek culture, there have never been more ways for us to connect. Now we can travel around the world, meeting with you face-to-face at events like PAX, SDCC, and even shows in our own backyard. We can share stories with you on the go, giving you a look behind the scenes on sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.”
The blog post also cites a lack of viewership on the official forums as more and more gamers turn to social media for their gaming needs. This move to a social-media only approach unfortunately means the sacrifice of millions of forum posts, countless fan-made content, and the end of many established fan communities that were created on these forums. However you can still peruse the official forums in a read-only state until October 26, after which the forums will be fully taken down. Some private boards however will be left operational to be used for beta feedback or possible special events.
Do you agree with the closure of the BioWare forums or do you prefer the social media approach? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
