Blarghagh Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 This might have been mentioned before, but did anyone look at the Metacritic scores for this game? Critic scores average 8, user scores average 4. Never seen a difference that big before for a video game. http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/dragon-age-ii I haven't played it myself, but I'm interested just to see what would cause a split like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monte Carlo Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) ^ :: shrugs :: I'd use the argument folks use here a lot - people who take the time to comment online are usually passionate and unrepresentative. I'm sure the haters have had their say fairly or unfairly and the results are skewed. Many people will have enjoyed the game and not bothered commenting - so the sales are the thing. However, it would be foolish to completely ignore the disparity. If EA continues to try to get more for less out of Bio - more dumbing-down, more asset recycling, shorter dev cycles then the whole point of owning Bioware in the first place seems to be degraded anyhow. Bio needs, like a fashion house or supermarket chain or car manufacturer, to create diffusion ranges to appeal to a broad(er) spectrum of gamers, maybe one complex title for every two mainstream products. Mercedes make an AMG. Not everybody drives one, but every taxi driver punting about in a ten-year old 'C' class knows its from the same marque. Edit: As for the gaming journo reviews : LOL. They are by and large shills. Edited March 18, 2011 by Monte Carlo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blarghagh Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Yeah, I know about the vocal minority thing but that's always been the case - same thing for game critics having "other reasons" for giving high scores. Even so, I don't think it's ever translated into such a big gap as far as I can remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monte Carlo Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I agree, that's why Bio shouldn't ignore it and why their 'blame the community' stance for some of the negativity is a PR kamikaze dive into a wall of flak. Successful companies use complaints as a type of performance metric - for every vocal complainer you've got a hundred who didn't like your service or product but didn't tell you. But they will tell their friends, it's reverse viral marketing. The people who do engage with you are therefore valuable, even if they didn't like your product. Naturally, you have to factor in the bat-merde crazy tendency of online gaming fans and haters but there is still some real data-mining to be done there as opposed to the in-game spyware they seem to be basing development decisions on. But, hey, it's about Q1 - Q4 and the bottom line. I give Bio two, three years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monte Carlo Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 BTW, it just occurred to me that DA2s meta-metacritic score is 6. LOL. That sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enoch Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) The thing I'd like to know about Alistair is where he gets the hair products to keep that silly quiff going, despite spending most of his time wearing a steel, full-face helm. His haircut was enough for me to get him executed, honestly all you need is Dog and the golem-thingie to have fun in DA:O. Yeah, between Al's hairstyle and Morrigan's "shirt," the two marquis characters in DA:O seemed precisely engineered to make me dislike them from the moment I first saw them. Edit: At the tabletop gaming session I went to on Wednesday, there was a fair amount of exactly what Monte is talking about going on-- DA2 reverse-viral-marketing. Edited March 18, 2011 by Enoch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrath of Dagon Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Just posted a Op Ed in fact about Bioware being a drone of EA losing its independence as the issues with DA2 is the beginning of the end on that level IMO. http://www.wodnews.net/Articles/Blogs/tabi...ssimilated.aspx Jade Empire actually came out a few years after KoTOR, which made it all the more disappointing. KoTOR used a variation of the D&D rules, dumbed down a bit from NwN but made up for with a much better story and more cinematic experience while Jade Empire had one of the weakest rule systems in a RPG. Not the worst game ever but, after KoTOR, such a let down. KOTOR actually uses D20 rules, which are D&D rules modified for the Star Wars Universe, and not by Bio. IMO Bioware went downhill when they started putting profits before quality, which happened when Elevation Partners bought them, not EA. Most of you didn't seem to notice though. "Moral indignation is a standard strategy for endowing the idiot with dignity." Marshall McLuhan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBrown Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Alistair is better than 6 out of 7 DA2 NPCs. Hell i'd even take Carth over them I disagree too, I liked most of them, and really only disliked Sebastian who was just too zealous. Part of it is at least because you don't have to listen to them pour out their life's story at camp. Much more showing instead of telling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volourn Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) "Jade Empire actually came out a few years after KoTOR, which made it all the more disappointing. KoTOR used a variation of the D&D rules, dumbed down a bit from NwN but made up for with a much better story and more cinematic experience while Jade Empire had one of the weakest rule systems in a RPG. Not the worst game ever but, after KoTOR, such a let down. " Kiddin' right? KOTOR is a bigb dumbed down mess. JE is avstly superior to it. ther eis not contest. JE >>>>> kOTOR LOL KOTOR LOL Silly SW kiddies! L0L KOTOR L0L "Alistair is better than 6 out of 7 DA2 NPCs. Hell i'd even take Carth over them" By and large, the DA2 npcs are superior to DA1 npcs. At worst, it can be argued they're equal as a group. Metacritic: It should be pointed out that other sites' user reviews are much higher than the silly 4. Not that numbered reveiws (fan or 'professiona') can be takens eriously. Sorry, but reviews like 'it sucks it get zero' is laughable. Same with 'this game is awesomely eprfect it get 10s' is crap as well. "http://www.wodnews.net/Articles/Blogs/tabi...ssimilated.aspx" Hey, look at me ma, I still hate BIO, and bash them some more! Woo hoo! P.S. The fact you basically praise DA here while you were bashing it 9with a few thrown in compliments) say it all. You've been negatvie towards BIo for years saying theyw ere dead yet claim this is their 'downfall'? L0LZ Edited March 18, 2011 by Volourn DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sorophx Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Walsingham said: I was struggling to understand ths until I noticed you are from Finland. And having been educated solely by mkreku in this respect I am convinced that Finland essentially IS the wh40k universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volourn Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Comic is funny but inaccurate. You can be friendly withn Anders and not sleep with him. In fact, the game shows you the difference between romantic, friend, and rivalry options. DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orogun01 Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Comic is funny but inaccurate. You can be friendly withn Anders and not sleep with him. In fact, the game shows you the difference between romantic, friend, and rivalry options. They were probably going by the other BW games, AKA the "Ashley effect" I'd say the answer to that question is kind of like the answer to "who's the sucker in this poker game?"* *If you can't tell, it's you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasyDogMeat Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 "Jade Empire actually came out a few years after KoTOR, which made it all the more disappointing. KoTOR used a variation of the D&D rules, dumbed down a bit from NwN but made up for with a much better story and more cinematic experience while Jade Empire had one of the weakest rule systems in a RPG. Not the worst game ever but, after KoTOR, such a let down. " Kiddin' right? KOTOR is a bigb dumbed down mess. JE is avstly superior to it. ther eis not contest. JE >>>>> kOTOR LOL KOTOR LOL Silly SW kiddies! L0L KOTOR L0L I'm so not a SW kiddie! I only liked the original movies, and the only other SW games I've played were the awesome Dark Forces/Jedi Knight games. SW = Sci Fi Fantasy. Personal preference here. Jade Empire = Chinese mythology. Not interested. KoTOR = More varied and interesting planets to visit. You get to dive underwater, explore a jungle planet & ancient Sith ruins. Jade Empire = Some of the environments are nice, just not as exciting. KoTOR = 40 Hour RPG. Jade Empire = 25 Hour RPG. KoTOR = D20 Rules (They RULE btw! HAR HAR). Jade Empire = Rock, Paper, Scissors action system with a tiny weak rule system. KoTOR = Didn't see the twist coming. Got me good. Jade Empire = Seriously lame twist could see from the beginning of the game, and the big reveal about the dragon... didn't care. KoTOR = HK-47 and other likable characters. Jade Empire = No one sticks out. I can't even think of their names. The only one that sticks out is the attractive woman in blue. She wasn't as good as Bastila imho. The only bone I can throw to Jade Empire is that not as many quests were straight-up rehashes of NwN 1 quests and plot lines. Many KoTOR quests and plots are straight copy-pastes of NwN. That said, many of them were big improvements on the NwN Variations. Jade Empire wasn't a horrible game, but I found it to be a really poor RPG. I feel kind of similar about ME 2, but at least in ME 2 the combat is fairly exciting cover-based shooting and not rock, paper, scissor button mashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volourn Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 "KoTOR = D20 Rules (They RULE btw! HAR HAR)." majorly dumbed down d20 rules. DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasyDogMeat Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 "KoTOR = D20 Rules (They RULE btw! HAR HAR)." majorly dumbed down d20 rules. Dumbed down D20 was still way better than, what 3 skills in Jade Empire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrath of Dagon Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 The problem with Jade was the game was obviously rushed. You had a world map for presumably travelling between multiple cities, but all you could do was travel between 2, which wasn't even necessary. It's apparent they cut a lot of content, especially considering how short the game is and how the quality noticeably sags mid-way. "Moral indignation is a standard strategy for endowing the idiot with dignity." Marshall McLuhan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volourn Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 "Dumbed down D20 was still way better than, what 3 skills in Jade Empire?" No. And, no, JE wasn't rushed, and even if it was, no excuse. That excuses is agrabage when Obsidian fanboys sue it and it's garbage for BIo fanboys as well. Either way. JE > KOTOR No contest. DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasyDogMeat Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 "Dumbed down D20 was still way better than, what 3 skills in Jade Empire?" No. Fine, you win. I submit to your master debating skills. Jade Empire was the better game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monte Carlo Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Just put him on ignore, the threads fly by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volourn Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) "Jade Empire was the better game." Thank you for your honesty. P.S. not like your 'debating' was any more 'awesome'. "Dumbed down D20 was still way better than, what 3 skills in Jade Empire?" That's such a deep argument,it should be able to convince anyone of the foolishness of prefering JE over KOTOR. LMAO Edited March 18, 2011 by Volourn DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 JE was easily one of Bio's worst games. Either way, finished DA2, and liked it very much. The plot about the Circle vs. Templars was refreshingly good, and overall it had better pacing and combat than Origins. Rain makes everything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entrerix Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 jade empire sucked. I played it for about 10-12 hours, did not enjoy my time with it, and consider it a failure. Killing is kind of like playin' a basketball game. I am there. and the other player is there. and it's just the two of us. and I put the other player's body in my van. and I am the winner. - Nice Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasyDogMeat Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 "Jade Empire was the better game." Thank you for your honesty. P.S. not like your 'debating' was any more 'awesome'. "Dumbed down D20 was still way better than, what 3 skills in Jade Empire?" That's such a deep argument,it should be able to convince anyone of the foolishness of prefering JE over KOTOR. LMAO Well, it is true. Charm, Intuition & Intimidation. Those are the only skills in the game. KoTOR = Computer Use, Stealth, Demolitions, Awareness, Persuade, Repair, Security & Treat Injury. That is not even mentioning all the Feats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volourn Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 yet, JE is still a superior game with superior C&C., better comapnions, better role-playing, better combat, better quests, and is just plain better. KOTOR is a 75-80 game while JE is 85ish. DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasyDogMeat Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 yet, JE is still a superior game with superior C&C., better comapnions, better role-playing, better combat, better quests, and is just plain better. KOTOR is a 75-80 game while JE is 85ish. Unless you can give some sort of comparison between the games to support your arguments this is going nowhere fast. KoTOR is a superior game with better C&C, Companions, Role-Playing, Combat & Quests. See? I can do it too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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