Dragon Age: Inquisition vs. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

[ktchong]

Dragon Age: Inquisition will be released on November 18, 2014, in North America, and November 21, 2014 in EU.

 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be released on March 24, 2015, four months after Dragon Age: Inquisition.

 

We will see a lot of denials, but the two games are direct competitions.  Both are the third installments in the series.  Both belong to the same genre, i.e., medieval fantasy open-world sword-and-sorcery RPG with a strong focus on storytelling and characters.  Both have very similar gameplay and execution, (i.e., third-person camera view, real-time tactical action combat with pause, dialogue choices that impact stories and characters, cinematic dialogues and dynamic cuts, etc.) Both will be released in the same time frame within a few months.  Both are in the same generation so they are comparable in terms of  technology and graphics.

 

Most importantly, both games will require intensive time investment.  Supposedly either one will consume over a hundred hours to complete.  Most adults will have the time to dedicate to only one of the two - unless someone has no job, no school, no family, and no life; then he can certainly sit in his parents' basement and play video games all days.  Otherwise, adults will have to prioritize and choose, and one has to come before the other  That is why the two games are competitions. 

 

Let say you can choose one and only one.  Which would you choose? Explain your choice.

 

Even if you say you will buy both, you must prefer one over the other.  So choose.

Edited August 18, 2014 by ktchong

[Volourn]

DA. Because Twitcher is ****. If I liked both I would buy both. ie. If PE was a normal release, I'd be buying both DA and PE at the same time. But, the question is easy to answer DA.

 

I presume people who like both series will buy both and if one likes one and hates the other... well, simple choice. If one hates both sucks to be them.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Pillars of Eternity.

[Bryy]

Games are not in competition. They release months apart from each other. The primary profit DA3 will make will be in the first three to four months, right before TW3 hits.

 

Gamers will have more than enough time to play DA3, too.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Bryy

[licketysplit]

They come out months apart. A lot of gamers will get both.

[Leferd]

I'm curious as to the OP's choice and why?

 

I'm not interested in either. But if given a choice between the two, I'd pick DA because I have more familiarity with the setting and Bio's design philosophy.

 

As far as sword and sorcery RPGs go, I'm firmly behind Eternity.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Leferd

[Bryy]

I'm curious as to the OP's choice and why?

In a lot of gamers minds, it's The Great Satan vs. The Poor Polish Devs Just Trying To Save The Industry.

[ktchong]

I'm curious as to the OP's choice and why?

 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

 

Definitely not Dragon Age: Inquisition, for several reasons: 

 

I have never played a Dragon Age game.  I bought Dragon Age: Origins on Steam, but I have never played it. I have not even downloaded it. 

 

Dragon Age: Origins was the last BioWare game I bought, and it is unlikely that I will buy another BioWare game.  I dislike BioWare's current business model, which is driven by overpriced and excessive DLCs and, IMO, exploitative.  I do not want to support BioWare's business model.

 

BioWare DLCs are NEVER on sale.  BioWare DLCs sell for the same full prices, always, even years after they were released.  The Mass Effect 1 DLC still carries the same price tag as the day it did on the release day six or seven years ago.

 

Another business model I refuse to support: BioWare Points.  BioWare Points are the only way to buy the DLCs.  The Points are structured, packaged and priced in exploitative increments so that customers would always have to pay more than we need to acquire the DLCs.  BioWare always makes you buy more Points than you need to grab the DLCs you want.

 

EA Origin is also another problem.  I really do not want to install another client and keep track of my inventory at another online store.  Origin also has a bad reputation.

 

Those are the ones I can think of at the moment.  I have a few more reasons, but none of them is related to the game itself.

 

Maybe Dragon Age: Inquisition will be better than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.  However, that will not matter to me because my decision is based on BioWare's business model, not the game itself.  Unfortunately, BioWare's business models are integrated and tied into their products. Their business model and their products are inseparable.

Edited August 18, 2014 by ktchong

[Bryy]

my decision is based on BioWare's business model, not the game itself.  Unfortunately, BioWare's business models are integrated and tied into their products. Their business model and their products are inseparable.

This is true of every product, and unless they are, say, killing babies or something, should not be an issue.

[Leferd]

I don't view video games as being so important that I need to make a principled stand when it comes to where my entertainment and leisure dollars can go to.

[ktchong]

This is true of every product, and unless they are, say, killing babies or something, should not be an issue.

 

 

When I said BioWare products are integrated/tied into their business models, I meant that if a customer wanted to fully utilize a recent BioWare product, he would have to download and install EA Origin to activate the product, buy more BioWare Points than he would need, and then use those Points to buy DLCs at full prices.   BioWare products are tied to EA Origin, BioWare Points, and DLCs, which are very specific to EA-BioWare.

 

The Witcher 3 will not be tied to any specific business model that exploits and inconveniences customers.  You can buy the game in a box, or from Steam, or from GOG, or from Amazon, or wherever.  CD Projekt Red does not force customers to adopt a specific business model to use their products.  CD Projekt Red does not enforce a company-specific business model and distribution method on their customers.

Edited August 18, 2014 by ktchong

[Guest]

TW3

 

I haven't played any of the DA games, and have been salivating for the third installment ever since completing TW2.

[Bryy]

 

This is true of every product, and unless they are, say, killing babies or something, should not be an issue.

 

 

When I said BioWare products are integrated/tied into their business models, I meant that if a customer wanted to fully utilize a recent BioWare product, he would have to download and install EA Origin to activate the product, buy more BioWare Points than he would need, and then use those Points to buy DLCs at full prices.   BioWare products are tied to EA Origin, BioWare Points, and DLCs, which are very specific to EA-BioWare.

While I understand and sorta respect not wating to download hundreds of clients, what DLC do you need that is essential to the main game?

[BruceVC]

This was  a tough question for me because I'm very excited about both games, but if I had to choose I would go with Witcher 3

 

For me the Witcher genre encapsulates more of a traditional fantasy world than the DA series. But it was a close call between the 2 games

[Leferd]

This was  a tough question for me because I'm very excited about both games, but if I had to choose I would go with Witcher 3

 

For me the Witcher genre encapsulates more of a traditional fantasy world than the DA series. But it was a close call between the 2 games

Be honest Bruce. It came right down to the romances didn't it?

[ktchong]

While I understand and sorta respect not wating to download hundreds of clients, what DLC do you need that is essential to the main game?

 

 

It does not matter.  For me, DLCs - especially "plug-in" DLCs - have always been an all-or-nothing proposition.  The "nothing" means I would not even bother with the main game.  If I play a game, I want the "full" experience.  In the past, I have always been able to enjoy the full experience with all the DLCs, with minimal hassle and reasonable expenses.  Then BioWare came up with its current business model to use DLCs to squeeze and exploit customers.  BioWare and their fans tell me, "well, you do not have to get all the DLCs."  Well, I am not going to change my gaming preference just for BioWare.  If BioWare does not provide that experience without exploitation, I as a customer can take my money elsewhere, and I do.  There are plenty of other great RPG developers out there who can give me the full experience without enforcing an exploitative business model on me or or forcing me to compromise my gaming preference.

Edited August 18, 2014 by ktchong

[Volourn]

"he would have to download and install EA Origin to activate the product, buy more BioWare Points than he would need, and then use those Points to buy DLCs at full prices."

 

You don't need EA Origin or Bioware points for the DLC.

[ktchong]

You don't need EA Origin or Bioware points for the DLC.

 

For PC, you do. 

[Lillyhime]

Dragon Age! One, I'm a semi biodrone, and two.. I won't play a new (anything from '08 onward) game that does not allow me the ability to be female. (and I'm not saying all games need female leads, and I WANT to try witcher or GTA, but I will support the companies or play their games while the gap between male and female leads is so large.)

 

Also, I Dragon Age Origins ate my soul, I popped it in my 360 and next thing I knew it was May and Awakening was coming out. Good times.

[Volourn]

"For PC, you do."

 

I know. It's just another reason why xbox version  > PC version 

[Bryy]

 

While I understand and sorta respect not wating to download hundreds of clients, what DLC do you need that is essential to the main game?

 

 

It does not matter.  For me, DLCs - especially "plug-in" DLCs - have always been an all-or-nothing proposition.  The "nothing" means I would not even bother with the main game.  If I play a game, I want the "full" experience.  In the past, I have always been able to enjoy the full experience with all the DLCs, with minimal hassle and reasonable expenses.  Then BioWare came up with its current business model to use DLCs to squeeze and exploit customers.  BioWare and their fans tell me, "well, you do not have to get all the DLCs."  Well, I am not going to change my gaming preference just for BioWare.  If BioWare does not provide that experience without exploitation, I as a customer can take my money elsewhere, and I do.  There are plenty of other great RPG developers out there who can give me the full experience without enforcing an exploitative business model on me or or forcing me to compromise my gaming preference.

 

I don't understand.

 

You buy all the DLC to get the "full game".

 

But somehow, BioWare DLC is exploitative? 

 

You're being exploited just by being the type of gamer that needs all the DLC.

 

Companies are exploiting the completionist in you.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Bryy

[BruceVC]

Dragon Age! One, I'm a semi biodrone, and two.. I won't play a new (anything from '08 onward) game that does not allow me the ability to be female. (and I'm not saying all games need female leads, and I WANT to try witcher or GTA, but I will support the companies or play their games while the gap between male and female leads is so large.)

 

Also, I Dragon Age Origins ate my soul, I popped it in my 360 and next thing I knew it was May and Awakening was coming out. Good times.

 

I think this is a valid reason, if a game doesn't allow you to play as a  female protagonist then points need to be deducted from its overall score

 

But as far as the Witcher is concerned, and I'm sure you are aware of this,  the games  are based on the books which are about the journeys and adventures of Geralt.  So the developers can't really deviate from the original story as far as  making him a female character because the narrative and lore are  inextricably tired to his character

[ktchong]

"For PC, you do."

 

I know. It's just another reason why xbox version  > PC version 

 

The best thing about PC is that when I buy a game on PC, I know I should be able to play the game twenty or thirty years from now.  Recently, I have just started replaying Quest for Glory (1989) with a different class, and I plan to bring that character through the entire series.  That is a twenty-five year-old games.  Can you say the same for a console game?  Do you think twenty-five years from today you will be able to play an Xbox game that you buy now?

 

Anyway.  Xbox is not an option for me.  Microsoft has permanently banned me from Xbox Live over a dispute that arose over the Red Ring of Death on Xbox 360.  After a very unpleasant customer experience with Microsoft, I returned my Xbox 360 to Costco and then reversed all Xbox Live charges with American Express.  Microsoft was not happy with the reversed charges.  I was very happy because I won.  It actually cost me more money to stay on phone with American Express than the actual costs of the Xbox Live transactions, but the satisfaction was so worth it.  I am not interested in ever getting another Xbox console or Xbox Live account.

Edited August 18, 2014 by ktchong

[BruceVC]

 

This was  a tough question for me because I'm very excited about both games, but if I had to choose I would go with Witcher 3

 

For me the Witcher genre encapsulates more of a traditional fantasy world than the DA series. But it was a close call between the 2 games

Be honest Bruce. It came right down to the romances didn't it?

 

 

No that wasn't even a factor in my  decision making process because both games offer Romance

[ktchong]

I don't understand.

 

You buy all the DLC to get the "full game".

 

But somehow, BioWare DLC is exploitative? 

 

You're being exploited just by being the type of gamer that needs all the DLC.

 

Companies are exploiting the completionist in you.

 

 

Not all game developers use DLCs to exploit customers.  Let take Bethesda as an example.  Bethesda does not require me to install any particular client to play their games.  Bethesda does not require me to buy some overbundled "Bethesda Points" to buy their DLCs. Bethesda does not fix their DLCs at full prices, even many years after release.  Oh, here is another thing: Bethesda releases complete "Game of the Year" packages for completionists.  BioWare does not even release "Game of the Year" or "Complete" pack anymore - because BioWare's business model is to make people pay for each and every DLC, individually, and always at the full price.

 

Anyhow, if you are okay with BioWare's business model, then go ahead and buy Dragon Age: Inquisition.  Please stop pester me over my decision to not buy Dragon Age: Inquisition or any more BioWare game.  You are not going to change my mind, and I am not going to change yours; and I know I am not alone in my decision to not support BioWare due to its exploitative business model.  I am not going to dissuade you from buying from BioWare.  It is your money.  I was just replying to Leferd who asked me which RPG I would chose and why.

Edited August 18, 2014 by ktchong