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[ThoseDeafMutes]

I just run this through the Universal Translator and this is what it came up with:

"We knew the original fanbase would hate this, since these were people who loved Baldur's Gate, a well realized story years in the making, and tactical, slow combat. We, along with our new EA-devil Overlords decided to not give a shit about those fans, and turn the game into a console friendly action fest with ridiculous combat animations and very few original locations, since we hope that's where the money is. Let's just wait and see."

You should run it through Truth Phones to get a second opinion.

 

[Truant]

But not to be in.

I think it's pretty sad to see Bioware lose their AAA status.

That Eurogamer interview just reeks of "B-b-b-but we're Bioware!".

 

[Snuggles]

Dragon Age II is what videogames are meant to be.

I'm eager to see how it does in the NPDs next month. Let's see if Bioware's decision paid off for them.

 

[Haunted]

I've certainly seen a fair amount of feedback that says, "I couldn't play Origins, I thought it was too slow, the story was too plodding, too typical, and Dragon Age II is awesome by comparison!" For those people we don't want to create this swathe of content that is closed off and exclusive.

*slow clap*

You certainly seem to have a handle on your new audience, Mike.


I think this translates to something like "people who liked Origins can fuck right off" to me.


Which, you know, would be awesome if I hated Origins. But I liked it. I thought Bioware really had something there. Silly me. :/

 

[Parham]

I wouldn't say that. Games that are trying to be blockbusters certainly do.

In what context? If the developers are defending their game as a way of garnering attention, it would be a reasonable marketing maneuver. However, this interview just comes off as an attempt to justify poor design decisions.

 

[Cels]

Mass Effect 2 wasn't a shell of its predecessor, it isn't comparable to DA2.

Mass Effect 2 was a fun, well-received departure from its predecessor (for most people)
DA2 is an unfun, hated departure from its predecessor that introduced a few improvements which are outweighed by the tons of shittiness.

 

[ConradCervantes]

This game sounds like a trainwreck.

A regular customer came into my store last night and I asked him how he was liking Dragon Age 2. What resulted was a nonsensical and babbling approval laden with underlying tones of regret. It was as if there were a sniper on the Hooters rooftop across the street with orders to kill him if he didn't champion the game to everyone he knew.

 

[jackdoe]

A regular customer came into my store last night and I asked him how he was liking Dragon Age 2. What resulted was a nonsensical and babbling approval laden with underlying tones of regret. It was as if there were a sniper on the Hooters rooftop across the street with orders to kill him if he didn't champion the game to everyone he knew.

He was trying to justify a $60 purchase. I've been trying to do the same. It's hard.

 

[Instro]

But not to be in.

I think it's pretty sad to see Bioware lose their AAA status.

That Eurogamer interview just reeks of "B-b-b-but we're Bioware!".

Dont worry they will turn it around with TOR dot dot dot

 

[Rahxephon91]

The game is such a bewildering piece of work. It's like how did Bioware think people would like this? How did they think what they were doing would be acceptable. Did they really think people would like such boring repeating levels? Did they think they would like an awkwardly paced story? Did they really think it was a good idea to lessen npc interaction? It's so confusing after the previous games they did. It's such a mystery? Did they even play their own game?

It really has to be that EA rushed the game and I mean rushed. This game is a big fucking disaster. I mean I still for some reason want to play the game and I like it. But it really makes no sense as to how this game came out this way. And Bioware seems so pleased with it, which obviously they have to, but it still seems so detached from reality for me.

 

[Kurtofan]

Mass Effect 2 was a fun, well-received departure from its predecessor (for most people)
DA2 is an unfun, hated departure from its predecessor that introduced a few improvements which are outweighed by the tons of shittiness.

That's what I was implying.

 

[Durante]

The game is such a bewildering piece of work. It's like how did Bioware think people would like this?

They were having a very specific set of people in mind, and those really like it a lot if a sequel is cranked out in 18 months. They are called shareholders.

 

[ConradCervantes]

He was trying to justify a $60 purchase. I've been trying to do the same. It's hard.

Dragon Age: Origins was the game that got him back into the folds of the master race, only to be trolled beyond comprehension by its sequel. I'll see him again next week, and he'll probably degenerate into outright hatred. Guy's a rambler.

That's what I implied.

I dunno, something about Mass Effect 2 just threw me off. For all its technical flaws, the original resonated with me on so many levels, and ME2 left me empty and unsatisfied. I even played it again a few months later to see if I wasn't a victim of hype overkill. Still didn't care for it.

 

[markot]

Mass Effect 2 was a fun, well-received departure from its predecessor (for most people)
DA2 is an unfun, hated departure from its predecessor that introduced a few improvements which are outweighed by the tons of shittiness.

Yeah but that shittiness is the setting >.>

 

[stupei]

I don't hate Dragon Age 2.

At times, I might hate the female lead character's voice actress, but I don't hate Dragon Age 2.

I don't love it like I do Mass Effect and I'm not sure so far if it'll even make my top five of the year, but I'm enjoying playing it and am absolutely baffled by the hatred. Dislike I can understand, but there's just seething hate for this game. Why did so many people who were so sure they were going to hate it go ahead and spend the money anyway? Seems like such a waste.

Disclaimer: I'm playing on 360, which is where I played and enjoyed the original, so my opinion mostly doesn't count.

 

[poisonelf]

Dragon Age II is what videogames are meant to be.

I'm eager to see how it does in the NPDs next month. Let's see if Bioware's decision paid off for them.

I think the vast majority of players who loved DA have no fucking clue about the fact that DA2 is a different type of game. Most reviews certainly don't let them in on the fact, simply praising the 'improved' combat. So perhaps many of DA2's sales will be by people who loved DA and got duped.
While I can in no way support this claim in any significant scale, I'm not just speculating either. I work in internet cafes and everyone (as in 100% of the 9-10 people I talked to about DA2) who enjoyed the first game was hyped for the sequel not knowing a single thing about changes or copy-pasted locations.

Additionally, I just have to say that sales is no indicator of quality... just look at Twilight Of course Bioware or EA-devil couldn't care less about it if they sell x2 as much, I wouldn't either.

 

[markot]

Dragon Age: Origins was the game that got him back into the folds of the master race, only to be trolled beyond comprehension by its sequel. I'll see him again next week, and he'll probably degenerate into outright hatred. Guy's a rambler.

Tell him Shogun 2 is out soon, and that The Witcher is a nice bargain buy before it comes out. Also the new dawn of war!

 

[Cirruss]

Dont worry they will turn it around with TOR dot dot dot

Heheh, I can't wait for the inevitable train wreck of TOR.

 

[Rahxephon91]

They were having a very specific set of people in mind, and those really like it a lot if a sequel is cranked out in 18 months. They are called shareholders.

But EA has been making inroads to being a company that dosen't rush things. Surly they understood they had a solid thing on their hand and it would be best to release the best sequel they could have. It just seems to be a complete 180 from the recent EA to released such a rushed product like this. It's not even arguable that it's rushed, that's how obvious it is.

I mean this same company just released Dead Space 2. Which according to some(not me) is a well done and polished game, that dosent reek of in rushed quality. Did EA really feel the need to release Dragon Age 2 that fast when they already had decent sized hits in their pipeline?

Did they really think it was a good idea to release a DA2 in the state it is? Surly someone at Bioware knew that this game has a lot of crap that we've gotten shit for before.

Or was the plan, release a game that may hurt the franchise, but fix it later with paid DLC? It probably was.

 

[DrBo42]

Eurogamer: I've seen scores as low as a 6/10 - what do you think when you read those?

Mike Laidlaw: Well it's hard to know exactly what's going on with scores that are really, really negative.

Am I the only one that laughed reading this?

 

[markot]

Heheh, I can't wait for the inevitable train wreck of TOR.

>_< On the one had I want it to rock, on the other hand.... it feels like its coming round the bend faster than it should...

 

[Ferrio]

Heheh, I can't wait for the inevitable train wreck of TOR.

After DA2, and that forum business I really hope it crashes and burns now. I was sorta optimistic, but naw it can fuck itself.

 

[Enk]

Brings this to mind:
*The Witcher 2 quote*

The Witcher 2 is going to be an interesting comparison to DA2 when it comes out. Two different philosphies on how to approach a sequel. One game apparently rushed out the door, the other given some time to cook in the oven. One made by a longtime infamous WRPG developer with the backing of a large corporation behind it, the other an up and coming independent developer. One cuts back a bit of the depth from the original game, the other expands upon it.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Am I the only one that laughed reading this?

Yeah it's like you could fucking read them or play your game.

 

[Lothars]

Heheh, I can't wait for the inevitable train wreck of TOR.

I don't think its going to be a trainwreck, I think its gonna be a good but not a perfect game, I guess we will see though

 

[DrBo42]

Yeah it's like you could fucking read them or play your game.

Well the bigger thing for me is that 6/10 is being considered a "really, really negative score".

 

[Lothars]

After DA2, and that forum business I really hope it crashes and burns now. I was sorta optimistic, but naw it can fuck itself.

I don't understand that outlook at all, you basically want a company to fail? that's just stupid.

there's things they need to do better but I definitely don't want it to fail and hope it does well.

 

[Kritz]

Dragon Age shortcommings aside, I found this question rather odd:

"Eurogamer: I've seen scores as low as a 6/10 - what do you think when you read those?"

Scores as low as one point above the average? Scores that equate to a 3/5? A score that says "this is a good game and you should buy it"? Fuck me and fuck this ludicrous industry.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Well the bigger thing for me is that 6/10 is being considered a "really, really negative score".

Well I guess it shouldn't be, but for an apparently as big release as Dragon Age is, it is a bit off putting. I mean it would be a big deal in a Halo or Call of Duty received a few 6s from actual respectable outlets. Bioware is supposed to be a top tier developer that makes 8+ games at least.

 

[jackdoe]

Heheh, I can't wait for the inevitable train wreck of TOR.

I can't wait for the game to come out (or at least get into open beta). One Bioware failure doesn't spoil the rest of their games.

 

[IchigoSharingan]

Can someone sum up what exactly this copy/paste business is for those who haven't played the first?

there is more than one shit mountain.

DA:O just stands out as the rare gem that was given some effort. I enjoyed it enough.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Am I the only one that laughed reading this?

Reads like 'BUT WE MARKETED IT SO WELLLLLLLLLLLLL'

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Well the bigger thing for me is that 6/10 is being considered a "really, really negative score".

Perhaps 90% of reviews that use the 1-10 or 100 point scale have ~75% being "average game". The 60% range means "bad to terrible". Some publications use 5 to mean "average", and so when these people say a game is above average and give it a 6, this is very negative by comparison to other review systems.

Aggregate sites like metacritic or gamerankings do not weight these scores accordingly and simply mashes them together, so the E.A. execs shit their pants when they see a 6/10 bringing their average down.

It reminds me of when during schooling, 50% on a test means "barely passed by the skin of your teeth" and class averages are usually much higher. 70% is a decent score you get if you try hard, and the excellent students get 85 and up.

 

[dimb]

Well the bigger thing for me is that 6/10 is being considered a "really, really negative score".

7-10 scale. Also, six is a very negative score when they are shooting for nines.

You might get a sixty on a test and pass the class, but it'd still be a bad score if you were an A student.

 

[Always-honest]

Oh, Bioware. The mighty sure have fallen. If Mass Effect 2 was a shell of its predecessor, I shudder to think how Mass Effect 3 shall turn out.

it was the core, and dumped one layer of shell.

 

[kadotsu]

In the end sales of DA2 and, more importantly, DA2DLC and a possible DA3 will tell if the fanbase was expanded or diminished. For me DA2 isn't worth a purchase. Bioware's projects feel different now. ME2 felt like the missions were assembled at 12 different locations and glued together with the Normady dating simulator; and I am saying that as someone who liked ME2 alot.
Bioware games review well and will do so for the foreseeable future because their press PR is excellent. I hope their next projects will show me the great sense of ambition I loved in games like BG2, ME and DA. If ME3 does not resolve/expand the Rachni, Flotilla, Illusive Man and Council storylines in a satisfying manner (more than a reused asset spewing 20 lines of dialog) the franchise will have failed as a whole.
I still think Bioware is on top on their game in audio presentation wise. Their dialog is well directed and delivered, but I hope they aren't banking on that being their killer feature. But I have seen companies come back from way worse and there is still a ridiculous amount of talent at Bioware.

 

[IchigoSharingan]

Am I the only one that laughed reading this?

I just shook my head.

Reading selective positive feedback = high reading comprehension.

Reading piles of negative feedback = 'what's going on here.......?'

Come the fuck on, mate.

 

[antonz]

See it goes beyond even the reusing of assets. They reuse the same damn building entrance to be like 6 different locations throughout the game. in one chapter its the entrance to the sewer while the next quest its suddenly the entranceway to the dungeon then its a smugglers base then its a cults place. This is all at the exact same dooryway.

200 Doors in all of Kirkwall and they couldn't even use 99% of them instead they had players run to the same doors over and over expecting us to forget hey I was just here.

The entire game is assholes trying to make a buck off the popularity of the first game but saying you know 3 million+ sales aren't enough. Lets fuck those 3 million players in the ass and make a game we hope sells to 6 million people. When it doesn't they will find a way to blame fans.

 

[RSLAEV]

This Debacle reminds me of the drop in quality between CrackDown and CrackDown 2. Maybe Bioware spread themselves too thin and didn't but they're seasoned people on DA2?

 

[Rolf NB]

Bioware has been 90% marketing, 10% product for a good long while now. I hope their next release, with the sheen of exclusivity now completely gone, gets a sober evaluation for once.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

No interest in DA, but it makes me worried for ME2, after they already stripped out a lot of what made the first game great.

Seems like the studio have a pretty shitty attitude these days.

 

[Haunted]

Well the bigger thing for me is that 6/10 is being considered a "really, really negative score".

Dragon Age shortcommings aside, I found this question rather odd:

"Eurogamer: I've seen scores as low as a 6/10 - what do you think when you read those?"

Scores as low as one point above the average? Scores that equate to a 3/5? A score that says "this is a good game and you should buy it"? Fuck me and fuck this ludicrous industry.

Welcome to the modern review scale.

 

[Darklord]

Heheh, I can't wait for the inevitable train wreck of TOR.

EA is putting a massive risk on TOR. They won't rush it. It's been in development for bloody years. There was talk of it like 3 years before it was even announced.

 

[lilltias]

If you aim for 90+ then 6/10 is a terrible score. It doesn't mean the game is terrible bad though.

That's how it is, inflated scores or not.

 

[Gravijah]

Actually, 6/10 means "shit sux".

http://i.imgur.com/W7Da5.png[IMG][/QUOTE]

FUCK YOU GAME INFORMER

 

[Lothars]

No interest in DA, but it makes me worried for ME2, after they already stripped out a lot of what made the first game great.

Seems like the studio have a pretty shitty attitude these days.

Myself and alot of others thought ME2 was fantastic and I have no doubt that ME3 will be ME2 + some of ME1 RPG aspects together, some of the best aspects of both.

 

[Durante]

I wonder what the reaction to the game would have been like had they cut costs/development time in a similar manner but stuck with the original game's target audience.

 

[dimb]

FUCK YOU GAME INFORMER

But Game Informer gave one of the lowest scores to DA2 so far by major press outlets.

 

[antonz]

I wonder what the reaction to the game would have been like had they cut costs/development time in a similar manner but stuck with the original game's target audience.

Would be just as bad. Theres only about 10 hours at most of actual game in DA2. They literally just put a billion fluff quests in to make it seem more impressive. Shit You spend half the game running fluff quests just so you can actually start the story

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

Myself and alot of others thought ME2 was fantastic and I have no doubt that ME3 will be ME2 + some of ME1 RPG aspects together, some of the best aspects of both.

For the record I thought ME2 was fantastic also, but it was clearly too streamlined in places and lacking in the RPG/narrative aspects that made the first game better. I hope that they go back to the first game a bit for the third, otherwise I can see it being more of a shell of what it was.