EA hints at Mirror's Edge future: Is it time to say goodbye to Faith ?
If there’s one game in the EA line-up that’s been fiercly anticipated, it’s Mirror’s Edge. EA succumbed to the players’ request to reboot Faith’s adventures, and yet Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst was released in June 2016, provoking nothing but indifference. How did Mirror’s Edge go from the most-anticipated game of the last few years, to a game that only triggers disdain ? It is difficult to find the reasons for this commercial flop, especially when one takes into account the fact that some lesser game quality wise sold like hot cakes. Still, the real question lies in knowing whether EA is willing to risk yet another Mirror’s Edge, after the commercial setback known as Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. Patrick Soderlund ( EA Worldwide Studios Vice-president) hinted at a possible third opus in an interview granted to GamesIndustry:
Will we be making another Mirror’s edge? Who knows. It’s a question I can’t answer for the moment, but I can tell you that I hope we will remain attentive to the players, because they are the ones who wanted another episode of Mirror’s Edge. It took us a lot of time to finish Catalyst.
Would I have preferred selling 20 million games and having a 95% on Metacritic ? Of course. It is possible to see really good games going unsold for various reasons. Same goes for movies. It’s the entertainment industry in all its beauty. We want to cover as many genres as possible, and this is why I think Mirror’s Edge will remain in our videogame catalogue.
It is quite clear that EA is disappointed in how poorly the game sold , but what seems to aggravate Patrick Soderlund is the lack of reaction from the players, especially considering they are the ones who wanted Faith back. Naturally, the game is now to switch into hibernation mode or even be demoted to a smaller studio to make Mirror’s Edge 3 less of a liability. However, if you though EA was going to point out the many weaknesses that may also explain the downfall in the players’ interest, we are very sorry to disappoint …