Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Larian Studios buy the Divinity IP from a big name publisher after Divinity 2?
Why hasn't Bethesda come up in this discussion? Forget day one DLC, how about game breaking bugs months after release.
As for EA, I certainly was terribly depressed when they bought out Bioware. The wounds from the Westwood buyout/rape-fest were still fresh. That and Bullfrog. But really, Westwood was a great studio. Dragon Age: Origins was a really good game, as was Mass Effect. You can then see how EA dug their claws in and bastardized Bioware games. Mass Effect 2 was more of a cover shooter, but still an RPG of sorts. Mass Effect 3 is strait up shooter, however, with some dialog choices and weapon/class customizations.
As for Dragon Age 2, someone took a steaming dump on a really good (just short of great) game. I tried to play it, but between the sameness of location, ridiculous combat (which was too easy even with the difficulty cranked up), and general blandness I couldn't finish it. Mass Effect 3, with all its faults, is still a good game. As long as you don't try to judge it as an RPG, you'll likely find it to be a fine addition to a game library. Dragon Age 2, however, has no place in any one's game library.
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With the success of DOS I think Larian would be crazy to sell out for quick money. They have now more earning potential than they ever have. They are doing what they love without a worthless suit telling them what to do. Developing what they want to develop is the dream.
Oh really? That's the best time to sell out. Both Westwood and Bioware sold out after huge hits.
[edit2] Oh, and I can't really comment about Actizard. The only games of their's I've really played are Warcraft 2 and III, both of which were really great games, but any hope of a decent sequel is shot thanks to WoW (which doesn't stay faithful to the Warcraft lore).
