DaRK heRoIc FaNTAsy

[Monte Carlo]

Check out the new DA website. It's an epic tale of (and I quote) Violence! LUST! Betrayal!

 

The site is covered in blood, as per the "This is the New Sh*t" trailer, has clear, easy-to-read text for console fans and, if I didn't mention it before, IS COVERED IN BLOOD. It's like Carrie meets Kill Bill meets a documentary about abbatoirs. The LotR imagery has been usurped by quasi-300 style uber-violence.

 

And this is now, unambiguously, an EA joint. It's like a marketing dude in ironic glasses and vintage sneakers turned up in Edmonton and kicked the snot out of the bearded Canadian RPG-lovers.

 

BLOOD! raged Marketing Dude. BLOOD! THERE'S A RECESSION OUT THERE! SHIFT UNITS. OMG BLOOD! And.... LUST. GIMME LUST!

 

"Yes master," whimpered the Biowarians, scurrying around and pixellating more gore and cleavage.

 

Can anybody else wait for October 20th, a free Level-Up Fast Ring +5 and DaRk hEROic FanTAsy?

 

Cheers

MC

[Oner]

*posts A TROLL APPEARED image*

[Purkake]

Hey look! We have an official thread where I posted about this almost a week ago.

[Monte Carlo]

Official thread?

 

I've been busy, sorry I didn't spot that.

 

Nonetheless, there is clearly room for another thread so seasoned Bio watchers can observe the mores of the video gaming industry from afar.

 

And, for the record, I'm not a troll. There's just something about this project that bemuses me more than usual.

 

Cheers

MC

[Purkake]

Well it's the most official-ish one we have.

 

Down with Bioware!

[Wrath of Dagon]

The game was planned that way all along. It's only their marketing that started to push blood and lust more agressively recently.

[HoonDing]

It's an epic tale of (and I quote) Violence! LUST! Betrayal!

Wuthering Heights? Tess of the d'Ubervilles?

[Morgoth]

Just ignore these silly marketing strategies. What's important is what is under the hood. And if we believe Bioware, this is supposed to be the best and biggest game since BG2.

[Volourn]

"this is supposed to be the best and biggest game since BG2."

 

Nah. that was NWN, and ME.

 

BG2 is an ancient game that is nowhere near as good as those two when it comes to actual role-playing.

 

ASnd, DA will have no more in common with BG2 as any other BIO game does. Anyone who expects DA to be BG3 is just plain delusional, and that includes BIO themselves. And, that's a good thing.

 

This is 2009 not 1999.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Volourn

[Morgoth]

"this is supposed to be the best and biggest game since BG2."

 

Nah. that was NWN, and ME.

 

BG2 is an ancient game that is nowhere near as good as those two when it comes to actual role-playing.

 

ASnd, DA will have no more in common with BG2 as any other BIO game does. Anyone who expects DA to be BG3 is just plain delusional, and that includes BIO themselves. And, that's a good thing.

 

This is 2009 not 1999.

Personal taste aside, I refered to it not for 2009 standards (which in that case is true, BG2 is rather weak), but what I remembered in my first playthrough. And role-playing, as dumb as it sounds, is not everything in a RPG.

BG2 is still Bio's flagship that has yet to be matched.

[Monte Carlo]

What were the respective unit sales of BG2 (+ToB) compared to NWN (+ expansions) and Mass Effect?

 

I accept that in, in the context of this discussion, BG2 has iconic importance that might transcend the profitability of the title. OTOH Show Me The Money.

 

Cheers

MC

[Oner]

If number of copies sold would equal quality, then EA would..ah, whatever.

By the way, I would have higher hopes for DA if they hadn't put that very retarded, cliche, and retarded evil betrayal (courtesy of Teyrn Loghain) foreshadowing in one of the videos.

[Volourn]

"BG2 is still Bio's flagship that has yet to be matched."

 

IYO. BG2 was their 'flagship' 10 years ago. It's now basically irrelevant.

 

 

"What were the respective unit sales of BG2 (+ToB) compared to NWN (+ expansions) and Mass Effect?"

 

According to BIO themselves, NWN was/is their most successful game.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Volourn

[Pidesco]

What were the respective unit sales of BG2 (+ToB) compared to NWN (+ expansions) and Mass Effect?

 

I accept that in, in the context of this discussion, BG2 has iconic importance that might transcend the profitability of the title. OTOH Show Me The Money.

 

Cheers

MC

 

Well, ME and NWN probably moved a lot more units than BG2. However, if you were to compare the games' budgets, I'd imagine BG2 comes very much ahead. It's not about number of boxes sold, but rather about return on investment.

[Purkake]

Psst, EA so-so now and Activision is the new evil overlord. Activision is suing to stop EA from publishing Br

[Oner]

I know, but Activision has yet to release the same 3(?) sports games each year. With DRM.

[Monte Carlo]

The thing is, nobody wins.

 

CRPG fan sees fairly crude action title marketing... might not buy title.

 

Action / console fan sees beardie-dwarf'n'elf tastic CRPG... might not buy title.

 

Action / console fan has more to lose, because I suspect as others have said there is a reasonably old-skool game lurking in there somewhere *fingers crossed*

 

EA marketing department seems confused about this strange game it has inherited from Canadian fantasy craftsmen. Therefore the orders from the high command for gore, rock muzak and chainmail bikinis* They are trying to sell a muscle truck to folks who want a volvo, and vice versa. Ha ha ha.

 

 

 

* There's nothing worng, BTW, with games featuring these things if that's actually what they are.

[Pidesco]

EA releases a lot more than 3 sports games, every year. There's NBA, NFL, NHL, FIFA, FIFA manager, PGA tour and whatever else that is a sport.

[Monte Carlo]

^

 

Domino Champion '09

 

Gin Rummy Master

 

Skittles Manager Elite

 

Darts 'n' Snooker Legends

 

---

[Purkake]

Bah, who plays all those sports games anyway? (other than crazy console players who only buy Madden every year)

Edited June 9, 2009 by Purkake

[Monte Carlo]

Volourn. He is the twisted sports title master, in addition to his CRPG mentat duties.

 

He buys hockey games in multiples of fifty, honestly it dwarfs his Bio loyalty

[Pidesco]

^

 

Domino Champion '09

 

Gin Rummy Master

 

Skittles Manager Elite

 

Darts 'n' Snooker Legends

 

---

 

What about competitive Twister? Or Hungry Hungry Hippos Pro League?

[Purkake]

What about competitive Twister? Or Hungry Hungry Hippos Pro League?

 

Hungry Hungry Hippos you say?

[Volourn]

"I know, but Activision has yet to release the same 3(?) sports games each year. With DRM. "

 

Actually, the sports game go major and minor changes every year. In fact, the differences between NHL 08 and NHL 09 are much different than the changes that NWN2 from NWN1 and espicially KJOTOR2 from KOTOR1 saw. L0L And, oh, there is no DRM for their sports games. If there is, it's very subtle and non intrusive.

 

 

"However, if you were to compare the games' budgets, I'd imagine BG2 comes very much ahead"

 

Nope. NWN was more successful than BG2. I believe BIO over you on this. Sorry.

 

 

And, EA is awesome. their sports games - espicially the recent hockey ones - are awesome. Vastly superior, and often with as much actual role-playing than the vast majority of role-playing games. R00fles!

 

Certainly more RPing in NHL 09 or Madden 09 than in the GB games. LMAO

[Pidesco]

"However, if you were to compare the games' budgets, I'd imagine BG2 comes very much ahead"

 

Nope. NWN was more successful than BG2. I believe BIO over you on this. Sorry.

 

 

 

I'm just saying that BG2 cost less to make that NWN. I'm not sure if that's true, of course, but I don't see how that necessarily contradicts Bioware's statements. I'm guessing BIO are talking about overall sales when they say "successful".