Company News Bioware is fucked

[MetalCraze]

Come to think of it - EA done a perfect hype campaign for themselves. Look - everyone was talking about Paris Hilton and how BS will rape F3 - now everyone's talking about EA.

 

[Volourn]

"I have bought neither Oblivion nor NWN. Why were you assuming I had?"

I never said you had. I was referring to other Codexers. I said don't be like them.


"even the most rabid Bioware fan would find it difficult to find anything post BG2 that's come close to matcing BG2."

Don't mistake your garbage opinion for others' opinions. JE is just as good as the BGs (slightly better than BG1, and slightly less than BG2). The entireity of NWN1 is BIO's best work. Period. ME looks to crush all of them.

 

[Texas Red]

"Everyone should just be thankful someone is taking the effort to shovel crap at them and just eat it with a smile."

Wrong. It's real simple. if you don't like a game being made don't buy and/or play it. Period. Don't be lame like most Codexers who abshed the hell out of Oblivion before release yet went out and bought it. Don't be the morons who called NWN 'one of the worst RPGs ever' yet bought both expansions, anyways. Don't be a doofus.

Stop whining with your I N T E R N E T D R A M A over a stupid game company being bought.

You go, girl. Back when Stalin came to power some people disagreed with him and I just said "Aye, if you dont like what hes doing you can just get the hell out of this country!"

 

[Volourn]

"You go, girl. Back when Stalin came to power some people disagreed with him and I just said "Aye, if you dont like what hes doing you can just get the hell out of this country!"

L0L The two situations are EXACTLY the same! L0L

 

[Crazy_Vasey]

"Everyone should just be thankful someone is taking the effort to shovel crap at them and just eat it with a smile."

Wrong. It's real simple. if you don't like a game being made don't buy and/or play it. Period. Don't be lame like most Codexers who abshed the hell out of Oblivion before release yet went out and bought it. Don't be the morons who called NWN 'one of the worst RPGs ever' yet bought both expansions, anyways. Don't be a doofus.

Stop whining with your I N T E R N E T D R A M A over a stupid game company being bought.

You go, girl. Back when Stalin came to power some people disagreed with him and I just said "Aye, if you dont like what hes doing you can just get the hell out of this country!"

I don't think EA have started throwing people who won't buy their games into the gulags just yet.

 

[Wulfgar]

Awesome news. I hope everyone's worst predictions come true and Bioware goes under asap. :dancingbanana:

 

[aboyd]

JE is just as good as the BGs (slightly better than BG1, and slightly less than BG2). The entireity of NWN1 is BIO's best work. Period. ME looks to crush all of them.

This is just crazy talk.

 

[MetalCraze]

JE is just as good as the BGs (slightly better than BG1, and slightly less than BG2). The entireity of NWN1 is BIO's best work. Period. ME looks to crush all of them.

hahaha. This is a plain fanboy crap.
How can a twitch-based game with 3 stats, linear world and black-white dialogues be better (or "slightly less") than BG1/2 with dozens of stats and classes and a big world? ME looks to crush all of them? Doctor, anyone?

 

[Rei]

Settle down... think of the bright side... uh... hm.

 

[Warden]

GO GO EA!

:D

Smash them like little worms (which they are; little sleazy ego-boosted nazi worms) and teach them how to tone down their arrogancy and egos - the hard way.

***

*EA calls Bioware - shithead number 4 (stanley woo) answers*

EA: "So, when will Dragon Age be finished?"
Stanley W. : "It's done when it's done."

Next day:

*Stanley Woo is at the Edmonton Airport waiting with a one way ticket in his hand for the plane for China*

***

I can't wait for EA to start firing unnecessary and arrogant people like him, dgaider, chris priestley etc. EA will have a lot of work to do.

 

[aries202]

Just because the line is 'it is done when it is done' does NOT mean that there aren't any internal deadlines on Bioware projects.

But given EA's history, yes this could well be the case. EA comes flying in to EA Bioware to cut down costs. And the first employee that gets fires will be the nice lady that cosys the Bioware devs. with all forms of goodies such as Bioware's own high end coffee blend. Out with it, says EA - too expensive. Generic coffee for you.

A Sonic RPG and this Dragon Age - out with it. Can't generate enough sales ---- but Jade Empire
2-6 can or NWN 3-7 will as well as Mass Effect 2-20 should be able to do e.g. make enough profits for the share-and stockholders at EA.

/aries202

 

[ricolikesrice]

....

i m suprised no one made a joke yet how EA should have bought obsidian instead, because bioware has zero experience with sequels to their own games, MOTB worked wonders, eh ? :wink:

 

[Volourn]

"hahaha. This is a plain fanboy crap."

How is it 'plain fanboy crap' to prefer one BIo game to another. That's illogical. that be like me calling someone a Troika fanboy because they prefer TOEE over BL. Dumbass.

"
How can a twitch-based game with 3 stats, linear world and black-white dialogues be better (or "slightly less") than BG1/2 with dozens of stats and classes and a big world? ME looks to crush all of them? Doctor, anyone?"

Because it has more role-playing, more choices and consequences, better graphics, better music, combnat is just as fun, superior characters, better dialogue, less black and white dialogue, etc, etc.


You'd have to be an illogical delusional moron to disagree with these FACTS.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

Well, Bethesda have proven they're both incapable of design integrity, and are all too willing to alienate any fanbase, including their own, in the pursuit of "greener" (read: less discerning) pastures.

You mean things like dumbing down sport games for the wii controller?

Or prolly things like "showing no interest" (K. Levine) in System Shock 3?

Or greenlighting a crpg project only after Oblivion sold 4 millions?

EA may be cunts, but for gems like Battlefield 1942, The Sims, The Sims 2, Undying, Crusader: No Remorse, Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper, The Tiger Woods series, Freedom Force, the System Shocks, the Magic Carpets, SimGolf, the early Wing Commanders, the Ultimas, Alpha Centauri, etc. I'm willing to forgive them.

Gems my ass. 1. Don't mix up EOA and EA before 1996 with the atrocity that it is today. Don't get me wrong: Most of my early moments of joy in front of a computer screen happened after watching the EOA logo blinking for some minutes. The day I played The Bard's Tale on my C64 for the first time in 1986 is still considered a life changing event by me. Their downfall began 1991 when they expanded into the 16-bit console market, while still being a competent publisher for Bullfrog, Origin and others. After 1996 they established themselfs as a sticky magnet for money and developing teams, exclusive licensing contractors and update producers.

2. BF1942 is a polished version of Refraction Games' Codename: Eagle which was published by T2. EA only got it dirty hands on it, when RG was bought out by these guys from DICE who got also aquired later. The only thing that EA has done for the BF series is such: Releasing a bad sequel (Vietnam), releasing inconsequential add-ons (Secret Weapons), releasing an unfinished sequel (BF2), releasing patch-contents as commercial booster-packs, releasing an unpolished mod as a full price game (BF2142) and so on. They are on their best way to fuck the whole community they got from BF1942 and lose all their fanbase. Then they will bury BF.

3. Sim Golf - you must be friggin kiddin'.

4. The Freedom Forces got the worst marketing campaign I ever saw (for a major publisher release). Over here in Germany exclusive noone bought the games, because noone knew it was released. They were thrown into the bargain bin within days. They didn't get a budget release, which even the shitty Madden sequels get EVERY FUCKING YEAR!

5. Why only the early Wing Commanders? I don't know, if you ever wandered in the valley of the WC fan community, but IV and Prophecy (and the internet campaign) have a lot of fans over there. But what did EA after the DD thingy fizzled? They axed pt VI and (insult to injury) Privateer online.

Yes you can say they've destroyed good things - the demise of Origin was tragic, but Garriott has hardly proven himself to be anything but a turd-monger post-EA.

To quote VD: "Proof, pal. Gimme proof!"
All games that had Lord British in the credits since U9:

Auto Assault (2006), NCsoft - North America
City of Heroes (Deluxe Edition) (2005), NCsoft Europe Ltd.
City of Villains (2005), NCsoft - North America
City of Heroes (2004), NCsoft - North America
Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle (2004), NCsoft - North America

He's a supervising guy at NCsoft, so he is credited, but he had no input in those games above (btw: I think the Heroes/Villains games are the best of the MMOG bunch), but put ALL of his work into Tabula Rasa. The game is not released yet, so where is the "turd"?

Same goes for Peter fucking Molyneux. Sid Meier (and Brian Reynolds) have proven themselves both under the EA banner and outside of it. Will Wright is given free reign for his loony ideas. I cursed the day Looking Glass closed their doors, but it's not as though the talent therein hasn't busied themselves since.

Molyneux = Full ACK! But you don' t seriously think that Will Wright won't be fired if the brainchild of his (Spore) bombs at the sales desk? And concerning Looking Glass: See the top of my post.

I'll freely admit EA have a patchy record - the Medal of Honour series is probably the most pungent piece of shit atop a hefty dungheap, the C&C series was run into the ground not long after the first game, the EA sports market is saturated, and their milking of the Sims is utterly brazen.

Yepp.

but admittedly many are simply pinching out the digested by-products of their past glories.

Yepp.

But unlike Bioware, Bethesda, id Software, Blizzard or any of the other big "independents" who show a trend of steady decline without exception,

Sorry, but that is BS.

Blizz: When did the decline begin? I consider D2 being on par with D1, WC3-FT better than WC2, SC better than WC2, WoW ... well, let's say I think they improved the game with the add-on. I can't see any decline.

Bethesda: C'mon you are joking, aren't you? I know that at the codex some fell for Twinfalls propaganda, but DF is a bad game, as was Arena. Morrowind was a slight improvement (and a nice toolset) and Oblvion is as bad as the beginning. When were the "big times" of Bethesda? The time of Battlespyre, Terminator FS/Skynet, Redguard ...? Or X-Racer? Believe it or not, they never were a quality game maker.

Dragon Age is obviously something different, and it seems to me like a throwback to Baldur's Gate - which my well known stance indicates I'm no fan of. Forgive me for not whooping with joy and turning cartwheels in anticipation.

Don't worry - I do it for you :D

I'd give it a go, but their track record of nothing but disappointment holds them in worse stead than an evil empire who turns out both good and bad.

That I naturally see different. The only disappointment I had with them was the less-than-stellar OC of NWN, but they redeemed that one with HotU.

Think of a BioWare that behaves like EA does:

- No live team for a 4 year old game FOR FREE, but the closing of servers after one year.

- no free content for a game but booster packs for ca$h

- no support for non company products like The Witcher, but exclusive contracts with licence holders

- no licencing out to partners like Obsidian, but aquisition and/ or dissolvement of competitors

And so on. See my point?

 

[MetalCraze]

"hahaha. This is a plain fanboy crap."

How is it 'plain fanboy crap' to prefer one BIo game to another. That's illogical. that be like me calling someone a Troika fanboy because they prefer TOEE over BL. Dumbass.

"
How can a twitch-based game with 3 stats, linear world and black-white dialogues be better (or "slightly less") than BG1/2 with dozens of stats and classes and a big world? ME looks to crush all of them? Doctor, anyone?"

Because it has more role-playing, more choices and consequences, better graphics, better music, combnat is just as fun, superior characters, better dialogue, less black and white dialogue, etc, etc.


You'd have to be an illogical delusional moron to disagree with these FACTS.

Hahaha - you're making my day
JE has role-playing... Wait... O RLY? Like "Oh bandits - I will kill them or I will kill this guy myself". Yes nice role-playing.
Choices & Consequences. Ahem. Where? WHERE?!
better graphics - uh huh.
better music - hmm. generic bioware music.
better dialogue? But of course! You can act good or bad - that's a fucking variety of choices there!
Combat is fun - ahem. I completed the game by clicking left-mouse-button to death. That's a fun combat for sure.
So the only "FACT" that I see is that someone has a high level of bioware-please-fuck-me hormones.

 

[Jeff Graw]

Blizz: When did the decline begin? I consider D2 being on par with D1, WC3-FT better than WC2, SC better than WC2, WoW ... well, let's say I think they improved the game with the add-on. I can't see any decline.

Bethesda: C'mon you are joking, aren't you? I know that at the codex some fell for Twinfalls propaganda, but DF is a bad game, as was Arena. Morrowind was a slight improvement (and a nice toolset) and Oblvion is as bad as the beginning. When were the "big times" of Bethesda? The time of Battlespyre, Terminator FS/Skynet, Redguard ...? Or X-Racer? Believe it or not, they never were a quality game maker.

I wouldn't call Morrowind a better game than Daggerfall. In fact, Morrowind was probably the least enjoyable TES game; like playing a fucking MMO without anyone else around!

As for Blizzard, it's arguable that Starcraft is the best game they've made. Warcraft 3 completely dropped the ball on balance and the story wasn't any better than Starcraft's.

However, I do agree that the trend for those two companies has been mostly upwards.

 

[kingcomrade]

Blizzard: Warcraft 2 was good for it's time, Starcraft is a classic, Diablo is a classic, Diablo 2 and Lord of Destruction shitsux, Warcraft 3 and Frozen Throne shitsux, World of Warcraft and Burning Clitoris shitsux.

 

[John Yossarian]

but put ALL of his work into Tabula Rasa. The game is not released yet, so where is the "turd"?

Don't worry, it's coming.

 

[Jeff Graw]

Is there any MMO that Codexers like?

 

[Mefi]

Is there any MMO that Codexers like?

I played EQ for several years back when there were only a couple of servers. I roundly detest them now. Timesinks yet strangely addictive.... urrgh!

There was a fairly decent indie one released a while back (about a year?) which was good fun for a few days. Sadly I lost interest and moved on.

 

[NiM82]

Is there any MMO that Codexers like?

The original UO was the only one that I enjoyed.

 

[John Yossarian]

The upcoming Pirates of the Burning Sea looks like it grabbed a few people at the MMO section, plus one of the devs is a Codexer.

 

[St. Toxic]

The original UO was the only one that I enjoyed.

T'was pretty golden for a short period, aye.

Anyway, EA's latest purchase is none of my concern. The more limbs on the monster, the worse balance it has. They'll be cutting them off, trying to get up, sooner or later.

 

[Section8]

You mean things like dumbing down sport games for the wii controller?

It's something a bit different, and I don't know whether I'd call it "dumbed down". It's like saying Resident Evil 4 on the Wii is dumbed down because you use lightgun targeting, a more natural, effective control method than twiddling an analogue stick.

Or prolly things like "showing no interest" (K. Levine) in System Shock 3?

Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure the reason Levine and Irrational in general aren't interested in Shock 3 because EA owns the license, and they'd rather have their own IP. And that's fine with me. I'd rather see original properties than sequels ad nauseum.

Or greenlighting a crpg project only after Oblivion sold 4 millions?

Has Oblivion sold four million?

Gems my ass. 1. Don't mix up EOA and EA before 1996 with the atrocity that it is today. Don't get me wrong: Most of my early moments of joy in front of a computer screen happened after watching the EOA logo blinking for some minutes. The day I played The Bard's Tale on my C64 for the first time in 1986 is still considered a life changing event by me. Their downfall began 1991 when they expanded into the 16-bit console market, while still being a competent publisher for Bullfrog, Origin and others. After 1996 they established themselfs as a sticky magnet for money and developing teams, exclusive licensing contractors and update producers.

I'm with you on disagreeing with the way they want to run business, but at the end of the day, they have a higher strike rate than Bioware when it comes to games worth playing. They have declined since the halcyon days of Origin, so I guess the question becomes - is it better to be a lesser institution than your previous incarnation, or is it better to have built an empire on mediocrity and dragged CRPGs as a whole down with you?

2. BF1942 is a polished version of Refraction Games' Codename: Eagle which was published by T2. EA only got it dirty hands on it, when RG was bought out by these guys from DICE who got also aquired later. The only thing that EA has done for the BF series is such

I'm well aware of Codename Eagle and the heritage of BF1942. Now, I enjoyed CE for what it was, but it was pretty sketchy in places. I was more than happy to see EA throw enough cash at the concept to give us BF1942, which was a fantastically good LAN game, but I have to agree that all related media has been pretty piss poor. I wish they'd just skip the "milk it for all its worth" step and move on to something new and different. I know, I know - that's not EA's MO. But nor is it Bioware's. At least some of the profiteering that EA champion goes toward something new and interesting.

3. Sim Golf - you must be friggin kiddin'.

Why? Sim Golf is a great "tycoon" game, and has some good solid Sid Meier trappings, without being yet another iteration of Civilisation.

4. The Freedom Forces got the worst marketing campaign I ever saw (for a major publisher release). Over here in Germany exclusive noone bought the games, because noone knew it was released. They were thrown into the bargain bin within days. They didn't get a budget release, which even the shitty Madden sequels get EVERY FUCKING YEAR!

Okay, completely different story here, probably because the developers are locals.

5. Why only the early Wing Commanders? I don't know, if you ever wandered in the valley of the WC fan community, but IV and Prophecy (and the internet campaign) have a lot of fans over there. But what did EA after the DD thingy fizzled? They axed pt VI and (insult to injury) Privateer online.

Well, the first couple were brilliant. Privateer was top notch. Then there were a couple of abortions in the "C&C Sole Survivor" mould. After that came a piece of shit with twelve million dollars worth of tragically poor FMV. It's no wonder Origin went belly up.

He's a supervising guy at NCsoft, so he is credited, but he had no input in those games above (btw: I think the Heroes/Villains games are the best of the MMOG bunch), but put ALL of his work into Tabula Rasa. The game is not released yet, so where is the "turd"?

As you say, he probably has little to no involvement with NCSoft's less than stellar lineup, but from all reports, Tabula Rasa is looking to be yet another unexceptional MMOG notch in NCSoft's belt. Woohoo.

But you don' t seriously think that Will Wright won't be fired if the brainchild of his (Spore) bombs at the sales desk?

I have no doubt he'll be out on his arse if it bombs, but at least they're giving him a go. Same goes for The Sims. This is the power that cash-cows ultimately reward you - there's room in the coffers to try (and maybe fail). Don't like Madden? Let the other 10 million idiots buy it, and let their money contribute toward something you may like. The "big independent" model of Bioware and Bethesda is a one way street - you make tard friendly blockbusters or die. It's just prolonging a miserable string of pathetic games and making a bunch of suits rich.

Blizz: When did the decline begin? I consider D2 being on par with D1, WC3-FT better than WC2, SC better than WC2, WoW ... well, let's say I think they improved the game with the add-on. I can't see any decline.

Rock n Roll racing was fucking great. Warcraft (and the second) were fantastic. Starcraft is the peak of the "not-so-strategic-RTS". Diablo is the non-thinking man's roguelike. Diablo 2 is the same thing but somehow not as much fun. Warcraft 3 is Starcraft rehashed. WoW is a user friendly rehash of Everquest. I know teenage girls with no gaming background at all who play WoW. Nothing against them, but if they can do it, there's not much to challenge a 20 year gaming veteran - and if I'm going to socialise with teenage girls I'd rather do it in person.

C'mon you are joking, aren't you? I know that at the codex some fell for Twinfalls propaganda, but DF is a bad game, as was Arena. Morrowind was a slight improvement (and a nice toolset) and Oblvion is as bad as the beginning. When were the "big times" of Bethesda? The time of Battlespyre, Terminator FS/Skynet, Redguard ...? Or X-Racer? Believe it or not, they never were a quality game maker.

I was willing to forgive a lot of Daggerfall, because of its ambition and scope. It was truly a product of its time, and though I wouldn't call it a good or bad game it's still a lot more appealing than a strange well-realised gameworld without appreciable gameplay, or the natural progression - a bland high-fantasy cliche with no appreciable gameplay. You don't have to start high to decline, you just have to start higher than you finish.

Think of a BioWare that behaves like EA does:

- No live team for a 4 year old game FOR FREE, but the closing of servers after one year.

- no free content for a game but booster packs for ca$h

- no support for non company products like The Witcher, but exclusive contracts with licence holders

- no licencing out to partners like Obsidian, but aquisition and/ or dissolvement of competitors

And so on. See my point?

I do see your point, and perhaps I'm being somewhat selfish simply because a free and independent Bioware nets me no gains, while a steadily rotting zombie Bioware might contribute toward bringing me a better Tiger Woods '09. Hell, I'd be completely untroubled if EA just dissolved Bioware and liquidated their assets for one compelling reason - Bioware have always been about business, and such a play would be completely in keeping with their attitude. Not to mention a fitting demise for an entity that's been all too much a part of the blockbusterisation of gaming.

 

[Durwyn]

Just one thing just hit my head... EA + Bioware = Lotr RPG ?? As far as i know, Ea has the rights for LOTR movie trilogy based games, and to this time they only managed to do utterly shitty beat-em up with lame pseudo-rpg char development, and not so shitty, mediocre rts...IIRC The White project (or how it was called) went to ashes, which was meant to be an RPG with NPC behavior from The sims.
So Knights of The Middlearth ??