Interview The word 'RPG' can scare people off Mass Effect

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Mass Effect 2

Optional second title: Halo gamers will love Mass Effect.
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Polish terrorist website polygamia.pl <a href="http://polygamia.pl/Polygamia/1,96455,6952988,Wywiad__Heather_Rabatich_o_Mass_Effect_2.html">has interviewed Heather Rabatich</a> on Mass Effect (English version on the right). Quoting for the win:
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<blockquote>I think that today's gaming audience is more and more sophisticated. [...] While the missions in Mass Effect 2 are very combat-oriented and play like a first-person shooter, that's just to make the gameplay more enjoyable.
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I think your skills as a player do transfer into the skills of your character.
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We've made a few key improvements [over the first Mass Effect]. There is no other game around that has this amount of reality within the digital actors, it's beautiful cinematically, the scenes are set up beautifully, the characters show emotions without speaking.
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We are trying to make the game more accessible to people. [...] because it's a first person shooter, it is a more attractive game, as the word "RPG" can scare people off from playing a game because they think it's going to be boring.
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Your Halo gamer would love this game, because again, it's a more sophisticated gaming audience now.</blockquote>
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HALO GAMERS ARE SOPHISTICATED BECAUSE THEY TEABAG THEIR ENEMIES.
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Thanks <b>Dirty Polish Terrorists</b>!

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Ow, my brain! This is too much stupid gathered in one place.

 

[Moray]

What would you say to the Dragon Age fans, Baldur's Gate fans to make them interested in Mass Effect? It's more shootery, like an FPS/RPG hybrid.

I didn't read passed the word "shootery." Honestly? Shootery? What sort of dumbfuckery is this?

 

[Murk]

It seems that games are progressing more and more towards some kind of generic all encompassing genre. Like marketing company manufactured 'soft rock' that is hand tailored to be listenable to everyone, and thus sell well and get a lot of play, games are being merged into a manufactured genre that borrows from every other genre and dilutes in order to sell...

That's a long winded way of saying "shit's watered down for casual console crowd", basically.

I used to think the members here who were more volatile and would scream "they're raping the genre" were a little too over the edge, but... no, looks like they were just calling shit out before it even dropped.

I wonder of HG or Torquemada can somehow draw an analogy between the growing blandness of games and the 'multikult'...

 

[Texas Red]

It seems that games are progressing more and more towards some kind of generic all encompassing genre. Like marketing company manufactured 'soft rock' that is hand tailored to be listenable to everyone, and thus sell well and get a lot of play, games are being merged into a manufactured genre that borrows from every other genre and dilutes in order to sell...

That's a long winded way of saying "shit's watered down for casual console crowd", basically.

I used to think the members here who were more volatile and would scream "they're raping the genre" were a little too over the edge, but... no, looks like they were just calling shit out before it even dropped.

I wonder of HG or Torquemada can somehow draw an analogy between the growing blandness of games and the 'multikult'...

That's a natural and a welcome progression. Why shouldn't an RTS or an FPS have a branching stories where you take an active role in the decisions? Why shouldn't you define the protagonist with various characteristics? That's what books and movies lack and I'm surprised this next level of development hasn't hit every publisher's head years ago.

I'm really surprised how FPShits with their tunnel crawling and 6 hour campaigns survived to this day and are still the most popular genre. It's such primitive gameplay that hasn't changed in nearly 2 decades. Any game would be more enjoyable if you'd have a part in in it.

 

[Junior Boy]

I guess it's a sign that gaming, once seen as a social stigma, is becoming more acceptable and mainstream; a legitimate entertainment industry like movies and music. I think this is a good thing, because while of course there is going to be tons of shit, the opportunity for indie companies to make legitimate art will grow. It's a double edged sword I think. I may be wrong, though, since gaming is just such a unique medium. The Shit may encompass everything. It's hard to predict the future there.

 

[SerratedBiz]

The circle is complete. Now they can stop calling ME an RPG and sell it as a moviefied FPS, leaving the genre RPG to real games like Fallout.

Oshit.

 

[deranged]

-decline of everything...

 

[Luzur]

but more and more indie devs are showing up with good games (Knights of the Chalice, Devil Whiskey etc.) which would indicate a kind of restart of the whole thing is in process.

its like the 80's are coming back.

 

[Kron]

a kind of restart of the whole thing is in process.

You wish.
Things are only going down the drain from this point.

Calling the people who play Halo a sophisticated audience, a game in which you have to think=boring, cinematic experiences are supposedly the future of videogaming... something is awfully wrong.
Marketing, hype, and stupidity have fucked everything up in such a way there's no turning back.
And I don't only mean games here.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

This is fuck up, man. If he'd say same thing while looking me in eyes I'd punch him for plainly being a dumbfuck. How can you expect them to make a good RPG when they basically call it Holo Shootery Game themselves.

Fuckfuckfuckfuck.

Marketing, hype, and stupidity have fucked everything up in such a way there's no turning back.
And I don't only mean games here.

Since there are millions of people who listen to that shit and don' try to have their own opinions it won't stop - it's too profitable. Entertaiment industries are declining because main auditory can be easilly tricked and all you gotta do is "invent" new slogan time after time. ITZ been happening for too long, I tell ya.

 

[Pliskin]

I, for one, welcome our FPS/RPG hybrid shootery mast... Ah, fuck it.

 

[DriacKin]

The "shootery" aspects of ME were shit. It was a pretty horrible game if judged as a shooter. The FPS elements of ME were even worse than its RPG sections.

The game was nothing more than a shitty interactive film with some really crappy shooter sections thrown in.

in before volourn

 

[mondblut]

because it's a first person shooter, it is a more attractive game, as the word "RPG" can scare people off from playing a game because they think it's going to be boring.

They admit to be making a "cinematic" shiiter for consoletards and are scared to label it as an RPG? This is definitely an incline. I wish they'd actually put their marketing money where their mouths are and stop trying to fool the genuine RPG fans.

In before Obsidian hopefully follows the trend.

 

[poocolator]

HEY GUYS GUESS WHAT WALT DISNEY BOUGHT OUT EA
HEY GUYS GUESS WHAT THE US GOVERNMENT IS BAILING EA OUT WITH A HUGE $100 BILLION GRANT
HEY GUYS GUESS WHAT EA HAS COLONIZED MARS!

 

[mondblut]

How can you expect them to make a good RPG... (and the rest is completely unnecessary)

Did you? That's funny.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

How can you expect them to make a good RPG... (and the rest is completely unnecessary)

Did you? That's funny.

I didn't, but there's enough who do/did/will do. Not on Codex anyway, at least they are too afraid to post.

 

[MetalCraze]

While the missions in Mass Effect 2 are very combat-oriented and play like a first-person shooter

Considering that it plays in a third-person perspective.

I didn't, but there's enough who do/did/will do. Not on Codex anyway

You're underestimating the decline of the Codex, you can fix that by re-reading a few drooling posts in the beginning of this topic saying it's a good thing.

That's a natural and a welcome progression. Why shouldn't an RTS or an FPS have a branching stories where you take an active role in the decisions? Why shouldn't you define the protagonist with various characteristics?

Obviously you shouldn't, that's why Mass Effect has none of that.

That's what books and movies lack and I'm surprised this next level of development hasn't hit every publisher's head years ago.

Yeah why saying no to genres other than shooters hasn't hit every publisher's head years ago? And apparently even shooters must be polluted by the LARPing crap like it happened to RPGs instead of being fun.
You must be one of those sophisticated Halo gamers.

 

[Ausir]

This is fuck up, man. If he'd say same thing while looking me in eyes I'd punch him for plainly being a dumbfuck.

Heather Rabatich is female.

 

[Murk]

That's a natural and a welcome progression. Why shouldn't an RTS or an FPS have a branching stories where you take an active role in the decisions? Why shouldn't you define the protagonist with various characteristics? That's what books and movies lack and I'm surprised this next level of development hasn't hit every publisher's head years ago.

You're either trolling or optimistically naive. The more you combine multiple genres the less in depth you can be in any genre. If you spend time making game X an RPG, an FPS, and RTS, AND a dating sim then you spread your resources to thin to make game x any good at any of those. For instance, Planescape: Torment had absolute shit combat but great dialog and plot - any wonder why? Then cross that with ToEE that had great combat but shitty writing, dialog, and plot. You have to have focus to make anything worthwhile, the more general and all-encompassing you make something, the less it is of anything.

I'm really surprised how FPShits with their tunnel crawling and 6 hour campaigns survived to this day and are still the most popular genre. It's such primitive gameplay that hasn't changed in nearly 2 decades. Any game would be more enjoyable if you'd have a part in in it.

I would argue that the reason that primitive formula sells so well is because of its simplistic appeal to a simple desire in its target audience. It sells for the same reason gore-splatter and slasher movies, which are movies that have no plot other than "people die, also, titties", sell so well.

 

[Kron]

The more you combine multiple genres the less in depth you can be in any genre.

I'm thinking about SPORE; god, that game did suck.

 

[Murk]

I never played it - never sounded too appealing and reminded me too much of what Peter Molyneaux is blah-blahing about every other week.

Like most forms of anything, the bland and simple versions sell better. Steak and Potatoes will forever be an eternal "favourite" because it's such a basic pallette of flavor that it can't be hated. Something more curious, like Sushi or Foi Gras (I think that's how you spell it), however is catered towards people with specific tastes. The guy who gets off on fried chicken and halo will not get off on a duck's liver and a game that requires you to "wait your turn" to "do anything".

It's not really a matter of intelligence or worth as a human being in anyway, it's preference. It does however end up fucking the hardcore crowd because the majority of people prefer casual simple stuff that appeals to a broad audience for its lack of offensive potential. Eventually the hardcore crowd gets nothing because instead of investing the time and effort to make something like Arcanum, people would rather invest the same time and effort and make the Gears of War Trilogy - and spend the rest of their time snorting cocaine off of super model's asses. And to be honest, I almost don't blame them.

But that's when artistic integrity comes into effect - and companies like Troika and BIS give us magnificent little gems that we then all covet like the untainted vagina of god...

 

[racofer]

• Mass Effect 2 Collectors Edition details revealed
  
  Become immersed in a dark, gritty and heroic sci-fi world realized with BioWare’s trademark depth and expertise, enriched with its own unique lore and brought to life by some of the best artists in the industry. Deep customization gives you control over your character in Mass Effect 2. Sex, appearance, abilities, and equipment all affect how you look. What you do will affect how you are perceived. Your previous actions defines your place in the universe and how others see you. These playable sequences introduce the world and let you decide how your character becomes a paragon or renegade, setting the tone for the entire story to come. Stand at the heart of the storm sweeping across the universe.
  
  And continuing the tradition of rewarding those who preorder the game, Bioware has announced a limited edition bonus, consisting of two completely unique mices, specially developed for the most hardcore gamers around the world to achieve levels of immersion never before conceived in the gaming universe. These items are not for the faint of heart though, as they were specially designed only for experience players and could impose a challenge to newcomers.
  
  
  
  
  
  Preorder now and choose between the Paragon and Renegade editions!

 

[Lingwe]

You're either trolling or optimistically naive. The more you combine multiple genres the less in depth you can be in any genre. If you spend time making game X an RPG, an FPS, and RTS, AND a dating sim then you spread your resources to thin to make game x any good at any of those. For instance, Planescape: Torment had absolute shit combat but great dialog and plot - any wonder why? Then cross that with ToEE that had great combat but shitty writing, dialog, and plot. You have to have focus to make anything worthwhile, the more general and all-encompassing you make something, the less it is of anything.

Why shouldn't they merge the FPS with RPG genres? The more FPS-RPGs they sell the more FPS-RPGs game companies will be willing to finance.

 

[MetalCraze]

And this is good how?