I do feel Bioware has moved away from their strengths in recent releases. I'm happy they seem to be aware of it. Thing is, I'm not sure Bioware is capable of great storytelling and character development with their current talent.
Having recently tried to update my old NWN version and not having the game become completely unplayable due to the BioWare support for this game now being defunct, I'm less keen on BioWare. They had some degree of competence and desire to make interesting games in the past, but I'm less sure of that anymore. Let's see them not drop the ball on what they accomplished in favor of future plans. Both are related to future success.
Unfortunately, "distinctly BioWare" doesn't mean what it used to mean. For a decent number of years now, it's been fairly bland just-a-step-above-crap. What they need to achieve is "what BioWare used to be about" or "back to BioWare's original quality."
I think that's what they are getting at. It might be just me, but I get the feeling what they're saying is directed at EA. "if they play their cards right" i.e "If we can get EA of our backs and make them loosen their grasp, we might be able to create something similar to what we use too"
I don't know lol, the sentence just doesn't make sense unless you apply EA to it imho
A further question that NWN and Beamdog raises: why didn't BioWare do their own enhancement to modernize the game? Beamdog seems to be making money off the Steam and GoG editions, did BioWare not care about competing for this market with a product they originally developed, or was this a case where EA didn't want to support the older BioWare portfolio?
NWN rights never belonged to BioWare, but to Atari/Hasbro/Wizard of the Coast. Beamdog replaced Atari as the publisher after making a deal with Hasbro/WotC. I doubt EA had any interest in dealing with Hasbro/WotC to get the publishing rights to old games.
Dunno. Feels like a big f-you to Mass Effect fans (and I mean the series, not necessarily just Andromeda) but whatever. It's worrisome to see them throwing all eggs in the single Anthem basket, though he technically spoke of "other games", ostensibly Dragon Age 4 and...? What?
I want my Quarian DLC. :C
Andromeda's laughable launch and failure of a story were a big middle finger to Mass Effect fans. Anthem is just a curiosity that most of us are pessimistic about.
Andromeda WAS a failure for the series in many ways, though I don't think it's as bad as the bandwagon made it out to be. It had potential.
That said it doesn't mean you shitcan the entire series "just 'cause" and throw all into Anthem. Meh...honestly, skeptical about Anthem doesn't begin to describe how I feel.
It does if you only regard a series as a success on the basis of the last release, as EA seems to do. ME was never a "mainstream" game, if it was, one less than stellar performance would have been overlooked.
I do wonder if there is a gameplay/monetisation design conflict here. Think about story, think about how that plays a role in a game. Now think about how you can moneterise that, its not easy. All I can think of is the like of "chapters" which means making a lot of content. Now think about multiplayer, shooters and revenue stream, EA only wants to know about story if it introduces you to multiplier. That may be the direction all such AAA games with story now go.
So, after reading that guys statement, it gives me even less hope for the game.
Old school Bioware is all about the stories and character progression. Their stories were typically better than their competitors and the character progression (both in terms of stories and skills/gear etc) was usually pretty detailed with some meaningful choices to be made.
Anthem is an online, shared world RPG that they want people to play for a long time.
Those two concepts are oxymoronic to me. Stories are typically linear. They have a definite end. To get a really great "dictated" story you have to lock down the gameplay, otherwise it stops being immersive. That is directly opposed to what Anthem is supposed to be. Just like in MMOs, having people at different rates of progression/story is going to make it harder to group up. If the game has an end, people aren't going to be playing it long term. By being online, players can only return whilst Bioware keep the servers on.
So, yeh, Bioware are chasing the unobtainable in my mind. If they want a shared world online RPG that players keep returning to, thats great, go more sandbox and actually make it a place worth returning to for months / years on end. If they want a great story driven game, go single player and do a proper job.
Trying to achieve both in one game is not going to happen and could easily result in a sub-par experience for both target audiences.
Currently Playing: WAR RoR - Spitt rr7X Black Orc | Scrotling rr6X Squig Herder | Scabrous rr4X Shaman
Who wants to bet it does NOT come with a Battle Royal mode, I could do with the cash.
I'll take that bet!
I'm 99% certain that it won't have a BR mode. I think the core development / design started before BR became the new hotness, and I think Anthem will release after the bubble bursts, so they've completely missed the window of opportunity.
Beyond that, Battle Royale is mostly built around a large number of players. There is no way in hell that Bioware and EA will be able to create a game that can handle large numbers!
The 1% of uncertainty I have is how Bioware implement PvP. I mostly expect it to just be some small scale arenas, but there is a tiny chance they might do a BR mode.
Currently Playing: WAR RoR - Spitt rr7X Black Orc | Scrotling rr6X Squig Herder | Scabrous rr4X Shaman
Given the high level talent that have abandoned the Anthem project in the last few months, this looks like EA trying to claw back some confidence in the project.
Something is not right with the Anthem project though. They've lost a lead designer the project leader, the lead artist, to name a few. I think one of the story writers also left. It doesn't inspire confidence.
The last really good game I played from Bioware was Dragon Age Origins.
Now it might be unfair to say everything has just gone downhill since then considering that is one of my all-time favorite games, but the problem is that nothing they have produced since has even come close and things seem to be getting progressively worse.
I don't know what happened, but the last couple of big games they have made (DAI/Andromeda) while having nice graphics just feel somehow souless compared to their past efforts. Even DA2, which was underwhelming in many ways, had something of an edge to it and a pacing that made it enjoyable to play through.
Perhaps its a feeling like the newer games were focus-group driven rather than the work of artistic inspiration?
I don't have much interest at all in Anthem, but I'm somewhat hopeful that DA4 can be a return to form.
Who wants to bet it does NOT come with a Battle Royal mode, I could do with the cash.
I'll take that bet!
I'm 99% certain that it won't have a BR mode. I think the core development / design started before BR became the new hotness, and I think Anthem will release after the bubble bursts, so they've completely missed the window of opportunity.
Beyond that, Battle Royale is mostly built around a large number of players. There is no way in hell that Bioware and EA will be able to create a game that can handle large numbers!
The 1% of uncertainty I have is how Bioware implement PvP. I mostly expect it to just be some small scale arenas, but there is a tiny chance they might do a BR mode.
How about a Mini-Battle Royal then? OK I am not being entirely serious, it would make no sense considering what we know of the structure of the game so far. But monetisation is the key "design" principle for so many gaming studios now, that made me want to ask, are we sure?
The last really good game I played from Bioware was Dragon Age Origins.
Now it might be unfair to say everything has just gone downhill since then considering that is one of my all-time favorite games, but the problem is that nothing they have produced since has even come close and things seem to be getting progressively worse.
I don't know what happened, but the last couple of big games they have made (DAI/Andromeda) while having nice graphics just feel somehow souless compared to their past efforts. Even DA2, which was underwhelming in many ways, had something of an edge to it and a pacing that made it enjoyable to play through.
Perhaps its a feeling like the newer games were focus-group driven rather than the work of artistic inspiration?
I don't have much interest at all in Anthem, but I'm somewhat hopeful that DA4 can be a return to form.
No, they definitely took the franchise in the wrong direction.
Fetch quests galore, complete gutting of any AI companion scripting, a pretty shoddy tactical combat system to be honest... It was very underwhelming compared to the previous titles. All filler, no killer.
...Old school Bioware is all about the stories and character progression. Their stories were typically better than their competitors and the character progression (both in terms of stories and skills/gear etc) was usually pretty detailed with some meaningful choices to be made...
Absolutely correct, it's about the writing, and who they put in charge.
I have played every Mass Effect but Andromeda and that is pretty sad. It's like the terrible ending debacle jinxed the entire franchise. In hindsight the ending of 3 was a forgivable offense.
ME:A I don't even want to look in the casket. Mass Effect 3 was the end. I'll be happier this way.
ha, i watched breaking bad this way
that series is much better if you stop after season 4
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
...Old school Bioware is all about the stories and character progression. Their stories were typically better than their competitors and the character progression (both in terms of stories and skills/gear etc) was usually pretty detailed with some meaningful choices to be made...
Absolutely correct, it's about the writing, and who they put in charge.
I am going to commit heresy now, was the writing that good? Or did they simply put story at the forefront of their games when nearly all the others put story low on their list of priorities? This left them with few competitors to compare against apart from Bethseda who is there?
When I think back to adventure games there were no shortage of good writing from different gaming studios. In retrospect I think they do great story, but they really stand out because so few AAA over the last decade has that much in the way of story.
Anthem will be The Division but instead of buildings it will have trees and rocks.
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to be all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone." Robin Williams
I have played every Mass Effect but Andromeda and that is pretty sad. It's like the terrible ending debacle jinxed the entire franchise. In hindsight the ending of 3 was a forgivable offense.
ME:A I don't even want to look in the casket. Mass Effect 3 was the end. I'll be happier this way.
ha, i watched breaking bad this way
that series is much better if you stop after season 4
Comments
Fixed the title for you.
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Love Minecraft. And check out my Youtube channel OhCanadaGamer
Try a MUD today at http://www.mudconnect.com/You qnow about NWN:EE ?
I don't know lol, the sentence just doesn't make sense unless you apply EA to it imho
More like R2games then?
When you don't want the truth, you will make up your own truth.
It does if you only regard a series as a success on the basis of the last release, as EA seems to do. ME was never a "mainstream" game, if it was, one less than stellar performance would have been overlooked.
I do wonder if there is a gameplay/monetisation design conflict here. Think about story, think about how that plays a role in a game. Now think about how you can moneterise that, its not easy. All I can think of is the like of "chapters" which means making a lot of content. Now think about multiplayer, shooters and revenue stream, EA only wants to know about story if it introduces you to multiplier. That may be the direction all such AAA games with story now go.
Old school Bioware is all about the stories and character progression. Their stories were typically better than their competitors and the character progression (both in terms of stories and skills/gear etc) was usually pretty detailed with some meaningful choices to be made.
Anthem is an online, shared world RPG that they want people to play for a long time.
Those two concepts are oxymoronic to me. Stories are typically linear. They have a definite end. To get a really great "dictated" story you have to lock down the gameplay, otherwise it stops being immersive. That is directly opposed to what Anthem is supposed to be. Just like in MMOs, having people at different rates of progression/story is going to make it harder to group up. If the game has an end, people aren't going to be playing it long term. By being online, players can only return whilst Bioware keep the servers on.
So, yeh, Bioware are chasing the unobtainable in my mind. If they want a shared world online RPG that players keep returning to, thats great, go more sandbox and actually make it a place worth returning to for months / years on end. If they want a great story driven game, go single player and do a proper job.
Trying to achieve both in one game is not going to happen and could easily result in a sub-par experience for both target audiences.
I'm 99% certain that it won't have a BR mode. I think the core development / design started before BR became the new hotness, and I think Anthem will release after the bubble bursts, so they've completely missed the window of opportunity.
Beyond that, Battle Royale is mostly built around a large number of players. There is no way in hell that Bioware and EA will be able to create a game that can handle large numbers!
The 1% of uncertainty I have is how Bioware implement PvP. I mostly expect it to just be some small scale arenas, but there is a tiny chance they might do a BR mode.
Something is not right with the Anthem project though. They've lost a lead designer the project leader, the lead artist, to name a few. I think one of the story writers also left. It doesn't inspire confidence.
Some of the problems the project is facing are discussed in this YouTube video if anyone is interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ArAwkVARI
Now it might be unfair to say everything has just gone downhill since then considering that is one of my all-time favorite games, but the problem is that nothing they have produced since has even come close and things seem to be getting progressively worse.
I don't know what happened, but the last couple of big games they have made (DAI/Andromeda) while having nice graphics just feel somehow souless compared to their past efforts. Even DA2, which was underwhelming in many ways, had something of an edge to it and a pacing that made it enjoyable to play through.
Perhaps its a feeling like the newer games were focus-group driven rather than the work of artistic inspiration?
I don't have much interest at all in Anthem, but I'm somewhat hopeful that DA4 can be a return to form.
Fetch quests galore, complete gutting of any AI companion scripting, a pretty shoddy tactical combat system to be honest... It was very underwhelming compared to the previous titles. All filler, no killer.
that series is much better if you stop after season 4
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
I am going to commit heresy now, was the writing that good? Or did they simply put story at the forefront of their games when nearly all the others put story low on their list of priorities? This left them with few competitors to compare against apart from Bethseda who is there?
When I think back to adventure games there were no shortage of good writing from different gaming studios. In retrospect I think they do great story, but they really stand out because so few AAA over the last decade has that much in the way of story.