Re: DragonAge is officially shit
SpaceKungFuMan said:
... the game would arrive on consoles in addition to the PC.
So much for the "hardcore" PC gamer's spiritual sequel to BG. . .
I know, I know. People on the Codex enjoy making rash generalizations and assumptions based on very nominal bits of information. Excuse me for making a more full response to your comment. Because really, I think consoles can, and have, highlighted some pretty hardcore games.
In fact...
Can I imagine Planescape: Torment on the Xbox 360? It's not unrealistic to consider. I mean, conversation is the easiest. Movement is easy but might require slight interface changes - though it could work as is. Combat is a little trickier - at least in real time (which you'd have to have for most of today's gamers). But with some AI short-cuts and other creative tweaks in the port they could make real-time Torment combat work. As for abilities and such, there's already a radial menu which translates well to console. Etc. I'm not even sure that you'd have to change up the game in any fashion to attract players. Done. Hardcore game on the console. Release it as a download on Live for $5 or $10 (but with the Xbox points conversion thereof).
The point is that putting a PC game on a console doesn't automatically make it less "hardcore". Becoming less hardcore requires "dumbing down" the game to drastic measures to try to appeal to the *stereotypical* console gamer. But Planescape already has a journal so you don't have to take notes or remember anything. It already has a map so you know exactly where you need to go for quests. The combats aren't terribly difficult. It's not like you need to remember or acknowledge the story if you don't want because everything more or less plays itself so long as you push in the right directions (i.e. follow the journal). I mean, it's already simplified from more hardcore games that required the player to map and remember/use keywords and so forth. True, it's not a FPS shooter with state-of-the-art 3D graphics and there's a helluva lot of text so it won't appeal to the stereotypical consoler but I think a small number of gamers (both new and old to Torment) could get behind it. On the console.
And wouldn't that be as hardcore as it gets?
It's unfair to automatically write-off Dragon Age with baseless assumptions because BioWare appreciates the idea of bringing Dragon Age to the consoles just like they brought KotOR to the consoles. BioWare has said that Dragon Age is being made to play out a lot like Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, and probably has already included a lot of the simplifications (journal, less text, easier combat, mini-maps, etc.) that all modern RPGs, PC exclusive or not, utilize - and until they show otherwise comments like those are just silly.
I end my argument with this quote regarding The Witcher:
Game Banshee said:
GB: Given the game's success and the employment opportunities at CD Projekt for console programmers, is there a chance we might see The Witcher ported to the Xbox 360 and/or PlayStation 3? Why or why not?
Tom: The PC has always been our lead platform, and our goal was (and, with the Enhanced Edition, still is) to deliver the best role-playing game for PC gamers. That said, a console version is entirely possible —the game would really lend itself to a unique console-RPG experience. However, when and if we decide to do a console version, it will have to be significantly reworked to be relevant to console gaming. From a business perspective, we don’t see any point in doing a straight port of the game; why release the exact same game a year later on consoles? If we release the game on 360 and/or PS3, it will be improved and enhanced in a way that allows it to compete with other AAA titles on those platforms – we want to surprise and impress people all over again.
I realize he mentions making changes, but that's to keep the franchise fresh and relevant. He doesn't suggest at drastic dumbing-down efforts, i.e. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Why? Because being on a console doesn't necessitate stripping out hardcore play.
And again, apologies for taking this topic so seriously.
how Bioware
