Mass Effect 3

[Gorgon]

Skilfull marketing, name recognition, the lack of anything better.

[Gorgon]

Bad sci fi is better than no sci fi. Not that ME is bad, it's a shooter with some small RPG elements. For what it is, it's pretty good.

 

I guess the point was that if you are a sci fi fan you greedily grab whatever is available.

[Nepenthe]

Maybe it's just time to realise that you guys obviously are no longer in Bioware's target audience.

[Gorgon]

Gladly.

 

I still get to rag on their games though.

[Nepenthe]

Sure, doesn't seem like a healthy way of spending your time, but if it stops you from going out and murdering random people, please go ahead.

[Meshugger]

Maybe it's just time to realise that you guys obviously are no longer in Bioware's target audience.

 

I guess. Where are the Coen Bros, Scorsese, Welles, Mann, Coppola, hell, even the Nolans of the game industry? Considering the profiling that Bioware seems to put themselves to (or any other big developer), you would expect them to try have some sort of elevated standards.

 

In before "Bioware does not owe anything to anybody!" but please refrain from that since that was not the point.

[Nepenthe]

Maybe it's just time to realise that you guys obviously are no longer in Bioware's target audience.

 

I guess. Where are the Coen Bros, Scorsese, Welles, Mann, Coppola, hell, even the Nolans of the game industry? Considering the profiling that Bioware seems to put themselves to (or any other big developer), you would expect them to try have some sort of elevated standards.

 

In before "Bioware does not owe anything to anybody!" but please refrain from that since that was not the point.

It all boils down the old "auteurism" thread we had, as we can see from your comparison. I couldn't care less what the names on the game say (as long as they don't do unlawful imprisonment and fraud). Some people have high (I'd say unrealistic) expectations from Bioware, yet often seem happy with products that are IMO clearly inferior. And some people are, of course, just happy to hate. Never understood both camps myself, Bio's games aren't as good as they could be, but are still, unfortunately, the best made in the current industry climate; as for the people who want to spend their money so that they can bitch about Bioware - you are lucky, I don't have enough time to indulge the things I like, never mind the ones I hate.

[Meshugger]

Maybe it's just time to realise that you guys obviously are no longer in Bioware's target audience.

 

I guess. Where are the Coen Bros, Scorsese, Welles, Mann, Coppola, hell, even the Nolans of the game industry? Considering the profiling that Bioware seems to put themselves to (or any other big developer), you would expect them to try have some sort of elevated standards.

 

In before "Bioware does not owe anything to anybody!" but please refrain from that since that was not the point.

It all boils down the old "auteurism" thread we had, as we can see from your comparison. I couldn't care less what the names on the game say (as long as they don't do unlawful imprisonment and fraud). Some people have high (I'd say unrealistic) expectations from Bioware, yet often seem happy with products that are IMO clearly inferior. And some people are, of course, just happy to hate. Never understood both camps myself, Bio's games aren't as good as they could be, but are still, unfortunately, the best made in the current industry climate; as for the people who want to spend their money so that they can bitch about Bioware - you are lucky, I don't have enough time to indulge the things I like, never mind the ones I hate.

 

I have never percieved Bioware as a company fallen from grace, rather a company that has the resources to do something really great, but never bothering to (i am talking about monetary resources, not human). To debate about someone having the interest or time not to bitch about a company to produce something they want is inconsequental or maybe even pointless. What is more important though is that cash is a fact. If there's a market for more adult-themed movies and novels out there, then there's also a market for games for the very same segment of consumers. One way is actually talk about it at online forums, since developers tend to read or even participate in them.

 

Just planting some seeds here.

[Orogun01]

I have never percieved Bioware as a company fallen from grace, rather a company that has the resources to do something really great, but never bothering to (i am talking about monetary resources, not human). To debate about someone having the interest or time not to bitch about a company to produce something they want is inconsequental or maybe even pointless. What is more important though is that cash is a fact. If there's a market for more adult-themed movies and novels out there, then there's also a market for games for the very same segment of consumers. One way is actually talk about it at online forums, since developers tend to read or even participate in them.

 

Just planting some seeds here.

This is a feeling that I share; to a point. I don't see them falling from grace but I don't see them live up to what I perceive to be their full potential. They have this amazing ability to create deep, thorough backgrounds for their original IP games. With stories going back further more than what anyone in the audience would care to read.

This was something that one could appreciate in their earlier games, but as technology advanced I've somehow lost track of it. Namely, everything post ME

[Nepenthe]

I have never percieved Bioware as a company fallen from grace, rather a company that has the resources to do something really great, but never bothering to (i am talking about monetary resources, not human). To debate about someone having the interest or time not to bitch about a company to produce something they want is inconsequental or maybe even pointless. What is more important though is that cash is a fact. If there's a market for more adult-themed movies and novels out there, then there's also a market for games for the very same segment of consumers. One way is actually talk about it at online forums, since developers tend to read or even participate in them.

 

Just planting some seeds here.

This is a feeling that I share; to a point. I don't see them falling from grace but I don't see them live up to what I perceive to be their full potential. They have this amazing ability to create deep, thorough backgrounds for their original IP games. With stories going back further more than what anyone in the audience would care to read.

This was something that one could appreciate in their earlier games, but as technology advanced I've somehow lost track of it. Namely, everything post ME

I'd like to point out that the latter part of your statements cancels out the first part, since I don't see you guys hitting the threads involving every single well-funded (though with DA2, even that might be called to question) developer not reaching "their full potential".

 

Not that I'm hoping for equality in this, would make the signal/noise ratio even worse than it already is.

[Malcador]

Hm, back on the cross I see. Now, where's my popcorn.

[Orogun01]

I'd like to point out that the latter part of your statements cancels out the first part, since I don't see you guys hitting the threads involving every single well-funded (though with DA2, even that might be called to question) developer not reaching "their full potential".

 

Not that I'm hoping for equality in this, would make the signal/noise ratio even worse than it already is.

I don't see why; IMO BW is not a bad developer its just a matter of them wasting their potential. Which I as I see it, is their ability to craft a world that's both believable and engaging but their execution of the story doesn't live up to it.

 

Although this could be a simple matter of me being annoyed at BW for pandering to the COD crowd instead of my taste. But then again I would really like storytelling in the medium grow, not become an excuse for explosions and "press a button and awesome happens". So maybe that my bias towards them.

[greylord]

To throw in a tangent here, i just finished ME2. It was like a solid Firefly-episode. I would rate it 7/10 since it had nothing really that stood out, but on the other hand it had great production values and nothing was really bad either. What i am not getting is the ridicoulus high praise that it gets. What was so special there that elevated it into gaming history? Is it in the DLCs?

 

By using ME2 as a template for the third (and final?) act in the series, i expect nothing much. A solid blockbuster like "Independence Day" would be a good analogy.

 

Hmmm, can't tell you if you aren't one of those that really love it. I really love it because it's awesome. I really enjoy TPS and it incorporates it well into an RPG style, much better then the original ME (where you hold a sniper rifle, crosshairs on the middle of their head........and you miss!? Really!? you miss!? That's the stupidest thing I ever saw...type thing). The gameplay is much better written then ME (I hold a pistol to their head, point blank range, touching their head even...and I miss!? REALLY!? It's touching their frikken head and I miss!? ME got stupid in that way). Furthermore, it was broken down so it could be episodic, much easier to play in that way...similar to AP also.

 

I like the episode approach, especially as someone who works and only has so much time in the day.

 

I like how It was predictable in a certain degree on how fast you could level up, each episode normally would get you close...I enjoyed that portion as well, made it easier to plan what and when you wanted to do things and how you wanted your character progression to go (something that has gotten bigger from PnP ever since D&D 3e came about with the way people would plan their progression).

 

It also included Bio's usual outstanding dialogue and interactions.

 

It had varied environments (unlike ME1 and it's building that was the same unless you were on one of the only five or six quests on the game...albiet they were longer then ME2's multiple quests...they weren't specifically better written overall). ME2 also had great writing in each quest, but there were more of them (albeit, as I said, shorter) then ME. The main problem people seemed to have was that the main quest wasn't as epic to them as ME...but for the individual short quests, I think the writing was awesome in ME2.

 

Then you mesh all of them together, and it becomes one outstanding game...at least for me.

 

I'm hoping they continue to cater to the gamer at large (which I think I'm more part of then the niche groups) instead of some of those on their forums that particularly hate the normal gamer and make an awesome ME3. Be a shame if they make it more unaccessible.

 

But that's just my thoughts.

Edited July 10, 2011 by greylord

[Nepenthe]

I'd like to point out that the latter part of your statements cancels out the first part, since I don't see you guys hitting the threads involving every single well-funded (though with DA2, even that might be called to question) developer not reaching "their full potential".

 

Not that I'm hoping for equality in this, would make the signal/noise ratio even worse than it already is.

I don't see why; IMO BW is not a bad developer its just a matter of them wasting their potential. Which I as I see it, is their ability to craft a world that's both believable and engaging but their execution of the story doesn't live up to it.

 

Although this could be a simple matter of me being annoyed at BW for pandering to the COD crowd instead of my taste. But then again I would really like storytelling in the medium grow, not become an excuse for explosions and "press a button and awesome happens". So maybe that my bias towards them.

I think "pandering to the COD crowd" and your opposition of the awesome button are symptomatic of your real bias/dislike and not the actual reason for them.

[MrBrown]

http://www.vg247.com/2011/07/19/loving-fem...-steps-forward/

 

 

The only thing I want to know is, what does the 4% do?

[Malcador]

They don't exist. Maybe ?

[Volourn]

Only 18% have played as femshep? Ifa ccurate, that's REALLY low.

[Orogun01]

Only 18% have played as femshep? Ifa ccurate, that's REALLY low.

I agree, I thought it would be much higher. Maybe they got those numbers out of people who chose to play the game connected to the server and they have imperfect data. Plus I would think that people playing subsequent playthroughs would at least try it.

 

On the other hand a bunch of guys fearful of playing a game with a female character does sound like the COD crowd. Mission achieved BW

[Bos_hybrid]

On the other hand a bunch of guys fearful of playing a game with a female character does sound like the COD crowd. Mission achieved BW

 

 

I've never done a full playthrough of ME as Jane Shepard. Nothing to do with fear, just lack of interest.

[Gorth]

On the other hand a bunch of guys fearful of playing a game with a female character does sound like the COD crowd. Mission achieved BW

 

 

I've never done a full playthrough of ME as Jane Shepard. Nothing to do with fear, just lack of interest.

I played through ME2 several times, but only once as female (and what a struggle that was). It's just unnatural

[Jaesun]

I have a Female AND Male shep for ME and ME2 (Because you CANNOT EVER EVER EVER talk to Ashley in ME as a male and get her back story or she will go mad and rape you). You can only get her whole back story as a female from her. Which still pisses me off... grumble...

 

This whole Digital Download exclusive on EA's Origin site is also making me mad. This would be a day one buy for me.... if it was on STEAM...

[Nepenthe]

Reaction to Miranda's "frequent" butt shots wasn't positive? This is the whole part where we pretend that looking at a great ass is wrong, sexist, amoral and juvenile, since in a perfect world, all people should be created like Miranda was. In a lab.

[HoonDing]

I couldn't get past her walrus-like buck teeth.

 

I played through ME2 several times, but only once as female (and what a struggle that was). It's just unnatural

It was the opposite for me.

Edited July 20, 2011 by virumor

[Maria Caliban]

The number of players who pick FemShep sounds about right to me.

 

http://www.vg247.com/2011/07/19/loving-fem...-steps-forward/

 

 

The only thing I want to know is, what does the 4% do?

What 4% are you referring to?

 

 

Reaction to Miranda's "frequent" butt shots wasn't positive? This is the whole part where we pretend that looking at a great ass is wrong, sexist, amoral and juvenile, since in a perfect world, all people should be created like Miranda was. In a lab.

People object to Miranda's buttshots because 1) they weren't interested in seeing Miranda's ass, 2) it happened during conversations about her troubled childhood and kidnapped sister. It would be like having a chat with Jacob about his relationship with his father and the camera suddenly zooming in on his package.

[Nepenthe]

People object to Miranda's buttshots because 1) they weren't interested in seeing Miranda's ass, 2) it happened during conversations about her troubled childhood and kidnapped sister. It would be like having a chat with Jacob about his relationship with his father and the camera suddenly zooming in on his package.

Well, the camera sure was lingering on his V-shaped torso, as I recall, but as you yourself pointed out, a similar affront with a male character would require a full-on crotch shot to be considered similarily provoking. Ah, double standards.