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[Stumpokapow]

Name me some I'll play them. Your saying that you found a mission/quest in a WRPG you played this gen that was more exciting than the last mission of ME2? Fascinating. Show me I'll gladly check it out.

The last mission of Mass Effect 1, using only the criteria of "is in a WRPG", "this gen", and "exciting".

 

[Blackface]

As bad as they make think Dragonage 2 was, Wow's expansion "Cataclysm" was 100 times worse.

Want to talk about stagnate? No need to look further.

 

[Dyno]

Valve's not in the top ten?

Not nearly prolific enough, though they are getting much better. Overall a great company and one of my favourites though.

 

[Jackl]

Valve's not in the top ten?

Valve time and slow infrequent release dates IMO.

This list seems to be scored by amount of releases+their score&revenue.

 

[Jarmel]

The last mission of Mass Effect 1, using only the criteria of "is in a WRPG", "this gen", and "exciting".

I had a feeling someone might have mentioned that. That was certainly a better ending but that's mostly due to Saren.

 

[UrbanRats]

Haven't played it, but wasn't Mass Effect 2 one of the best 2009 games?

 

[Empty]

Valve's not in the top ten?

not in the top 100 (22nd last time, but that ranking was using the old methodology which didn't just use metacritic), as the only 2010 gaming content they released was alien swarm and left 4 dead 2 dlc. neither of which did amazing on metacritic.

but this isn't a valve troll thread.

 

[Divvy]

How exactly wasn't ME2 good? The only flaw was that the story wasn't as amazing as the first but everything else was absolutely epic. Infact, the last mission of this game was perhaps the greatest thing I ever played in a WRPG.

Btw, I can say that Bioware's DA2 wasn't trying to be like Dragon Age and therefore it wasn't dumbed down. What you say to that?

I love ME2 tons, but there was a lot of things that were disappointing about it. 90% of the fights ended up being "Hey an openish area with a bunch of waist high barriers. Guess I'm going to fight five or six grunt enemies now!" There was also that horrible scanning abomination. They pretty much dumbed down customization to a degree where it was barely there. The final mission was pretty good until you got to the final boss which completely ruined it.

I had a feeling someone might have mentioned that. That was certainly a better ending but that's mostly due to Saren.

What does that matter?

 

[Yoshiya]

Chaos Rings is a pretty solid iOS RPG, sure, but the game isn't that good. Certainly not top-10-developer-of-2010 good.

Metacritic's Edge review summary captures it very well: "A rewarding stopgap for anyone after something old on something new." (8/10)

 

[AppleSmack]

Hell, the opening to the Witcher 2 is far more exciting then whatever was the ending of ME2.

I don't agree (own both), but different strokes for different folks I guess. Though the way you presented this statement I doubt you even played ME2.

Dyno, I never finished Fallout 3, got distracted. I picked up the PC version recently. Gonna pump it full of mods and give it another go. Thank god you used those spoiler blockers lmao.

 

[Angry Fork]

Maybe I'm just not following Bioware but how have they fallen?

ME2 for raping/nixing RPG completely, even though ME1 was half/half people wanted that to be improved rather than taken out completely.

DA2 for obvious reasons.

Haven't played it, but wasn't Mass Effect 2 one of the best 2009 games?

If you prefer shooters/explosions over RPGs, story, and character development then yea it's good. This debate is ridiculously overdone though so I won't get into it.

 

[Dyno]

As bad as they make think Dragonage 2 was, Wow's expansion "Cataclysm" was 100 times worse.

Want to talk about stagnate? No need to look further.

Really? Everyone I know who subscribe just loved it and it got them back into playing bigtime.

 

[InfiniteNine]

Congrats Bioware! You've been working hard at it!

 

[TheSeks]

Glad people are finally realizing what a mess they've turned into.

.

>>BUT MASS EFFECT 2 IS BETTAH!<<

Sure, if you like shooters. As an RPG it falls flat. Just like the first outing.

Biowares been kinda ho-hum since KotOR. And even KotOR wasn't too amazing.

 

[Tucah]

As bad as they make think Dragonage 2 was, Wow's expansion "Cataclysm" was 100 times worse.

Want to talk about stagnate? No need to look further.

I enjoyed it, but I'm a pretty casual WoW player - enjoyed the 80-85 content then quit until the next xpac.

 

[Dennis]

Haven't played it, but wasn't Mass Effect 2 one of the best 2009 games?

Yes, it was.

 

[Jarmel]

What does that matter?

Gameplay-wise, ME2 has it beat. You can lose squadmates in the mission, there's the loyalty aspect, and the Normandy upgrade aspect. It really does feel like the culmination of the entire game.

 

[Grisby]

Sad about Bioware. ME2 was a amazing and I had fun with DA2.

 

[Jinfash]

I'm double checking the title: they're not even in the top ONE HUNDRED?! Ouch~

Top 10 is probably well deserved (save for the mobile developers but that's a discussion for another thread) , but I'd love to see the entire list.

 

[Dambrosi]

That top 10 is bullshit, except for first place. It seems that the writer just looked up the metacritic scores available for the devs and placed them accordingly. Which is presumably why CDProjekt Red and Valve aren't on it.

No, wait. That doesn't make any sense either.

Oh, this list is just for 2010? Now I gotcha. The list is still bullshit except for 1st, though. IOS devs in the top 10?! Really? And how can Blizzard be there after Cataclysm?

*crosses fingers that ME3 turns out well*

 

[Divvy]

Gameplay-wise, ME2 has it beat. You can lose squadmates in the mission, there's the loyalty aspect, and the Normandy upgrade aspect. It really does feel like the culmination of the entire game.

Yeah but then there's the idiotic flailing terminator boss.

 

[2 Slice Toaster]

iOS developers taking over. Numbers don't lie.

 

[megalowho]

So they aren't a top 100 developer because DA:O DLC was disappointing? Since DAII was a 2011 release and all, and ME2 won a ton of GOTY awards. I'm all for knocking BioWare down a peg, they deserve it, but I just don't understand the reasoning behind this I suppose. Seems petty.

 

[Jarmel]

Yeah but then there's the idiotic flailing terminator boss.

That was more of a design issue rather than something inherently wrong with the concept. One of the earlier designs(in the artbook) looks infinitely better.

 

[explodet]

For those wondering what qualified each developer for the top ten list, what they released in 2010:

Nintendo EAD Tokyo: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
2D Boy: World of Goo HD (iOS)
Zepto Lab: Cut the Rope HD (iOS) / Cut the Rope (iOS)
SCE Santa Monica: God of War III (PS3)
Blizzard: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC) / World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
Media Vision: Chaos Rings (iOS)
1337 Game Design: Dark Nebula - Episode Two (iOS)
Bungie: Halo Reach (360)
Rockstar Leeds: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (iOS) / GTA Chinatown Wars HD (iOS)
The Coding Monkeys: Carcassone (iOS)

 

[Divvy]

That was more of a design issue rather than something inherently wrong with the concept. One of the earlier designs(in the artbook) looks infinitely better.

But that was the climax of that sequence! What good is the buildup if the game fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion?

 

[Jarmel]

For those wondering what qualified each developer for the top ten list, what they released in 2010:

Nintendo EAD Tokyo: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
2D Boy: World of Goo HD (iOS)
Zepto Lab: Cut the Rope HD (iOS) / Cut the Rope (iOS)
SCE Santa Monica: God of War III (PS3)
Blizzard: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC) / World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
Media Vision: Chaos Rings (iOS)
1337 Game Design: Dark Nebula - Episode Two (iOS)
Bungie: Halo Reach (360)
Rockstar Leeds: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (iOS) / GTA Chinatown Wars HD (iOS)
The Coding Monkeys: Carcassone (iOS)

That reminds me I need to download the iOs versions of Chinatown.

Otherwise yes this list is bullshit.

 

[Enosh]

the idea that there are 100 devs better at making games than bioware is the biggest bullshit I read in quite a while, especialy in 2010 the year they released mass effect 2

stealth edit: ahh it's another case of "they make games for consoles now I hate them" on gaf

 

[megalowho]

For those wondering what qualified each developer for the top ten list, what they released in 2010:

Nintendo EAD Tokyo: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
2D Boy: World of Goo HD (iOS)
Zepto Lab: Cut the Rope HD (iOS) / Cut the Rope (iOS)
SCE Santa Monica: God of War III (PS3)
Blizzard: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC) / World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
Media Vision: Chaos Rings (iOS)
1337 Game Design: Dark Nebula - Episode Two (iOS)
Bungie: Halo Reach (360)
Rockstar Leeds: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (iOS) / GTA Chinatown Wars HD (iOS)
The Coding Monkeys: Carcassone (iOS)

Thanks.. now I know not to take this seriously.

 

[Rahxephon91]

I had a feeling someone might have mentioned that. That was certainly a better ending but that's mostly due to Saren.

Or you know the fact that the last level of ME1 is actually cool and dosen't have a dumb Contra boss.

I don't agree (own both), but different strokes for different folks I guess. Though the way you presented this statement I doubt you even played ME2.

You can doubt, but you would be wrong.

You used the word exciting, well I don't think ME2's ending is particularly exciting. The last level is pretty boring to look out. Doesn't feel creepy, dosen't feel like anything at all. It's not very memorable. The build up to it is also not very great, it's basically bam you did all this shit now go do this. On top of that I could care less about the boss, it just feels very random. Then the "suicide" mission is pretty unexciting. I already know I'm going to live and no one will die, because I maxed my party out so to speak and the choices of who should do what is very obvious. It's basically like most of choice in ME, the choice you pick has very obvious results. So that is very unexciting as I have nothing to fear.

Compared to the end of ME1, which is pretty exciting. I already think ME1 is a meh game with 2 being far better, but it's not because of the ending. ME1's ending has great buildup. I don't like Saren, but the game builds him up as a foe you want to take down. Also you have very nice story revelations leading to a race against time to save the Citadel. After that you have the very memorable trek outside the Citadel. It's already far more inserting then the brown world of ME2's ending. And then you have a final battle with a worthwhile boss.

 

[Yoshiya]

Yeah, I like many iOS games but the flawed aggregation methodology and further exaggerated scoring of the platform's dedicated review sites is distorting the ranks here. This list can't really be taken seriously.

 

[Marleyman]

the idea that there are 100 devs better at making games than bioware is the biggest bullshit I read in quite a while, especialy in 2010 the year they released mass effect 2

stealth edit: ahh it's another case of "they make games for consoles now I hate them" on gaf

It is a giant load of bullshit.

 

[Jarmel]

But that was the climax of that sequence! What good is the buildup if the game fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion?

I wasn't happy about the ending but it doesn't mean the rest of the mission was bad.

 

[The Librarian]

For.

They have been on a mostly downward spiral since KOTOR.

Nah. Since the first Mass Effect. That game was ambitious.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

the idea that there are 100 devs better at making games than bioware is the biggest bullshit I read in quite a while, especialy in 2010 the year they released mass effect 2

stealth edit: ahh it's another case of "they make games for consoles now I hate them" on gaf

Yes Develop magazine is made by NeoGAF. You got it.

 

[ULTROS!]

Going aside the BioWare issue...

media vision

This makes me happy. I'm glad they're in the top 10 and I hope they'll be making console RPGs soon (well there was a rumor though).

 

[WillyFive]

Thanks.. now I know not to take this seriously.

?

 

[Calcaneus]

Come on, do you guys honestly think they don't deserve a spot in the top 100 devs of 2010?

This list would have been totally shit on if everyone didn't have Bioware hate boners right now.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Platinum is ranked too low, but Nintendo EAD is awesome.

 

[SolidSnakex]

For those wondering what qualified each developer for the top ten list, what they released in 2010:

Nintendo EAD Tokyo: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
2D Boy: World of Goo HD (iOS)
Zepto Lab: Cut the Rope HD (iOS) / Cut the Rope (iOS)
SCE Santa Monica: God of War III (PS3)
Blizzard: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC) / World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
Media Vision: Chaos Rings (iOS)
1337 Game Design: Dark Nebula - Episode Two (iOS)
Bungie: Halo Reach (360)
Rockstar Leeds: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (iOS) / GTA Chinatown Wars HD (iOS)
The Coding Monkeys: Carcassone (iOS)

So you can get in the top 10 devs just by porting old games?

 

[Yoshiya]

This makes me happy. I'm glad they're in the top 10 and I hope they'll be making console RPGs soon (well there was a rumor though).

I hope you loooove Chaos Rings. SE have made it clear they want it to be their FF for portable devices and, so far, it remains in Media Vision's hands. Is the studio big enough to do a whole lot else?

 

[Enosh]

Yes Develop magazine is made by NeoGAF. You got it.

what? I mean the gaf hate comments

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

interesting seeing so many iOS developers

The review "press" on the iOS scene is even worse than on mainstream gaming.

You wouldn't believe the crap that gets top ratings from sites like Slide to Play. If you are attempting to use that site as a guide to buy games, this is what you should do: ignore everything that isn't a 10 (they use a 1-4 scale), research the 10 games to see wether they're worth playing.

Shameful, really.

 

[Jinfash]

So many iOS developers lol. I've played most of those games, and let me tell you, IT'S A TRAP!

 

[Darklord]

I wonder what excuse Bioware will come up with this time. They need to get their act together.

 

[wrowa]

I don't really get why 2D Boy is in that list. Don't get me wrong, World of Goo is a fantastic game that deserves all the praise it gets, but all 2D Boy did last year was porting it to iOS...

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

So you can get in the top 10 devs just by porting old games?

Yes. All that matters to this list is the Metacritic score for the games a developer has released in 2010. You don't have to read far down this list to know that this methodology is completely worthless. World of Goo is a good game, but even if it was one of the greatest games of all time, a port of a 2-year old game to iPad does not make you the second best developer of 2010. Anybody acting like this list means anything hasn't thought things through.

 

[coopolon]

I wonder what excuse Bioware will come up with this time. They need to get their act together.

Awards

By the end of 2010, Mass Effect 2 won numerous awards from various video game journalists and outlets. G4 X-Play awarded it Game of the Year, along with Best writing and Best role-playing game. IGN awarded the game Xbox 360 game of the year, among Best Story, Best Character (for Thane Krios), Best Sci-Fi game and Best Blockbuster game, for the 360 category, while it also won Best Story, Best Soundtrack, Best Character (for the Illusive Man), Best Visuals and Best Sci-Fi game for the PC category. In their overall awards, they gave it Best Story, Best Sci-Fi Game, Best Blockbuster Game, and Overall Game of the Year for 2010.[90]

During the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, the game won the awards for "Best Xbox 360 Game", "Studio of the Year" (for its developer, BioWare), "Best RPG", and it was nominated for "Game of the Year", "Best PC Game", "Best Original Score", "Best Performance by a Human Male" (for Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man), "Best Performance by a Human Female" (for Jennifer Hale as Commander Shepard – female version, and Yvonne Strahovski as Miranda Lawson), "Best DLC" (for Lair of the Shadow Broker), and "Most Anticipated Game of 2010".[91]

During its year-end series of awards, GameTrailers gave the game the awards for "Best RPG",[92] "Best Story" and Game of the Year.[93] Screw Attack ranked the game as top game of 2010 as voted for by users.

It won the Golden Joystick awards for "Best RPG" and "Ultimate Game of the Year" which are voted for by the public [94]

IGN Australia chose the game as the best game of 2010.[95] Game Informer named the game the Best RPG of 2010.

The game also won 3 AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards including one for Overall Game of the Year.[96]

Mass Effect 2 was awarded the BAFTA for "Best Game" of 2010.[97]

Mass Effect 2 is going to be placed in the "Art of Video Games" exhibit in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. [98]

2010 GAME OF THE YEAR: Mass Effect 2

Bioware: WTF Develop?

 

[Papercuts]

I wonder what excuse Bioware will come up with this time. They need to get their act together.

I'd say the excuse is this list is completely fucking stupid. 2D Boy just ported a game and get put in the top 10? Bioware fell off the top 100, but DA2 isn't a part of that, which most people are scathing at. They released DA1 DLC, ME2, and ME2 DLC which I would certainly say is much more deserving to be on the list over a lot of the stuff here.

 

[water_wendi]

Bioware should use this as a reason to never go back to their old style games. DA:O made them drop out of the top 100. im betting that DA2 brings them back up for the 2011 listing.