Dragon Age 2

[Oblarg]

"DLCs have always been about using simple tricks ("bonus" character, bonuses are good!) to maximise revenue, no going round it. Even free DLCs are simply part of the scheme to get you on the wagon. "

 

Special editions and preorders have been used like that for years. It's nothing new. DLC is just the natural progression of it in this digital age. Ultimiately, it's up tot he consumer what they want. 8shrug*

 

As for it being greed, big deal, no more greedier than cuistoemrs who are the most evil, selfish, sickest, arrogant, scumbag group in the entire history of the world. I'm just thankful that in the end customers have very little power even though they think otherwise.

 

This is quite possibly the most moronic thing I have read in the past month. Congratulations.

Edited October 15, 2010 by Oblarg

[Volourn]

When the truth hurts flame on, right? Don't shoot the messenger.

[Monte Carlo]

As for it being greed, big deal, no more greedier than customers who are the most evil, selfish, sickest, arrogant, scumbag group in the entire history of the world. I'm just thankful that in the end customers have very little power even though they think otherwise.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Vol works in retail.

[RPGmasterBoo]

As for it being greed, big deal, no more greedier than customers who are the most evil, selfish, sickest, arrogant, scumbag group in the entire history of the world. I'm just thankful that in the end customers have very little power even though they think otherwise.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Vol works in retail.

 

In a BDSM sex shop.

[sorophx]

The chances of BIO EDM (the real BIO) going anywhere anytime soon is very minimal. Yoru wishful thinking means nothing. Plus, I remember the doom and gloom pre DA and we know that turned out. LMAO

 

that's exactly what I'm hoping for: that Bio will be reduced to a small studio with 30 employees at most and will have to slow down and put out a game once every two years.

[Volourn]

"that's exactly what I'm hoping for: that Bio will be reduced to a small studio with 30 employees at most and will have to slow down and put out a game once every two years."

 

BIO EDM will never have just 30 employees. They had more than 30 employees when they made BG for pete sake. BIO with either continue chugging or long or they will crash and burn. If BIO ended up with 30 employees they wouldn't be the BIo as we know it. And, they wouldn't be making popular games.

 

You simply can't make main stream highly markletable popualr games nowadays with just 30 employees. the market won't allow barring complete and utter luck.

[Morgoth]

The chances of BIO EDM (the real BIO) going anywhere anytime soon is very minimal. Yoru wishful thinking means nothing. Plus, I remember the doom and gloom pre DA and we know that turned out. LMAO

 

that's exactly what I'm hoping for: that Bio will be reduced to a small studio with 30 employees at most and will have to slow down and put out a game once every two years.

With 30 people it will take them 20 years to make a AAA game. Unless you mean smaller downloadable games. But who wants that?

Edited October 15, 2010 by Morgoth

[entrerix]

As for it being greed, big deal, no more greedier than customers who are the most evil, selfish, sickest, arrogant, scumbag group in the entire history of the world. I'm just thankful that in the end customers have very little power even though they think otherwise.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Vol works in retail.

 

 

and suddenly everything makes sense.

 

 

btw: I was figuring I'd end up buying Dragon Age 2 since I really liked the first 1, but the gameplay videos i've seen have put me in a "wait and see" mode, so the requirement to Pre-Order in order to get all the characters really really pisses me off because I frankly think that the game looks sketchy based on what we've seen so far.

 

or course, one could always pre-order, not open it, and if the game gets poor reviews just return the game for a refund. I'm probably going to end up doing this i suppose, but it bothers me that I have to resort to such shenanigannery in order to get a full game.

[Bos_hybrid]

Ah so it's only a companion. See Zaeed & Shale were marketed as companions, not 'playable characters', so I wrongly assumed it meant something else.

[Nepenthe]

Ah so it's only a companion. See Zaeed & Shale were marketed as companions, not 'playable characters', so I wrongly assumed it meant something else.

 

Yeah, the Copy doesn't deserve a head-patting for other aspects of that ad, either.

[Tale]

it seems to me like they are requiring a preorder for the special character cause they are worried about review scores. otherwise why not just do it like shale? (ie free if you buy a new copy)

How the heck did I miss that? I was thinking "so what, that's how they did it with Shale and Zaeed." But it's not, those were for new copies, not pre-orders.

 

That is kind of scary.

[Bos_hybrid]

it seems to me like they are requiring a preorder for the special character cause they are worried about review scores. otherwise why not just do it like shale? (ie free if you buy a new copy)

 

How can this be possible when EA buys the reviews?

[entrerix]

maybe EA realized that this would be cheaper than buying a 90+ metacritic score

[sorophx]

You simply can't make main stream highly markletable popualr games nowadays with just 30 employees. the market won't allow barring complete and utter luck.

 

exactly~

 

I'm putting my money on EA sucking Bio dry after they mess up TOR, so Bio in Canada will be forced to lay off half their staff and resort to iPhone games to make a living

[Volourn]

"so Bio in Canada will be forced to lay off half their staff and resort to iPhone games to make a living "

 

Won't happen. You won't see BIo with just 30 employees ever again.

[sorophx]

time will tell, I sure hope you're wrong

[Tale]

Is there any precedent for pre-order bonuses that are only for pre-orders over 2 months before release?

[Thorton_AP]

@sorophx You want BioWare to be an iPhone game dev?

 

@Tale This is actually about a pre-order that upgrades you to the collectors edition 2 months before release. I suspect the Signature edition will always have the pre-order bonuses. You just will have to pay extra for the pre-order bonuses in the form of buying the signature edition over the regular edition.

Edited October 15, 2010 by Thorton_AP

[Tale]

That sounds more reasonable if true. Need to see if the Signature Edition still exists after January 11.

 

 

And if it'll be available over Steam at either point.

 

[sorophx]

You want BioWare to be an iPhone game dev?

 

I want them to roll back to what they were before they started making BG, and then I want them to rethink their steps.

[HoonDing]

Bioware Signature edition

 

Includes bonus playable character? WTF?

What's the problem? I permanently shelved DA:O because after reinstalling the game after a HDD wipe I cannot get Shale anymore (nor any other free DLC, unlike with ME). At least this way one cannot lose a companion.

 

If this new companion seems interesting (if it's not a golem, at least it should be a three-headed monkey or something) I might even get it.

[Tale]

You want BioWare to be an iPhone game dev?

 

I want them to roll back to what they were before they started making BG, and then I want them to rethink their steps.

And I'd like Obsidian to make Gamma World: Torment.

 

Bioware Signature edition

 

Includes bonus playable character? WTF?

What's the problem? I permanently shelved DA:O because after reinstalling the game after a HDD wipe I cannot get Shale anymore (nor any other free DLC, unlike with ME).

It should be tied to the same account you have setup as your bioware social login. It just downloads with the in-game downloader.

Edited October 15, 2010 by Tale

[Zoraptor]

Did they ever get around to turning off the bonus content as they said they would? Because there was originally a time limit for the DAO bonus content (inc Shale), if I recall correctly.

 

All preorder bonuses say to me is that waiting for the Ultimate/Awesome/Complete/GOTY Edition is 100% the correct decision*, at least if I'm interested in buying the game in the first place as they almost always seem to end up included. And I'm not sure I am interested in DA2.

 

*Unless it's Europa Universalis 3, in which case they have two more expansions after the complete edition and I end up buying vanilla, complete and 2/3 expansions because EU3 is my personal crack and even after spending near 100USD on it I still vaguely feel like I've ripped Paradox off.

[Volourn]

"I want them to roll back to what they were before they started making BG, and then I want them to rethink their steps. "

 

So you want them to make MDK2 and SS type games? Which of those came before BG? I think it was SS. Their least suyccessful game. It should be noted, btw, that BIO had way more than 30 employees working on BG. LMAO

[Maria Caliban]

Did they ever get around to turning off the bonus content as they said they would? Because there was originally a time limit for the DAO bonus content (inc Shale), if I recall correctly.

 

No, they never did, but they never said they would. They said that after April 2010, they wouldn't guarantee that the content would be available.