Bioware to focus on PC games

[Texas Red]

Do you have any figures to back up this?

Yes, check the wikipedia article on most sold games(they have references). Both sold 5 million or such and both are old as hell. They probably made even more profit considering BG 2 took only 2 or so years of development and neither of the games had to license anything. I can even wager that BG would sell pretty good even now if Interplay wouldn't be dead; the torrents are still alive and kicking.

 

[Jasede]

How much did Jade Empire and Mass Effect sell, then? I think I read ~14 million on Jade Empire somewhere (raw income; that's not as much as Bioware gets), so assume 5 million development cost that's still nearly twice as much as BG 1/2 that also have the benefit of having had a lot more time to be bought.

 

[Volourn]

"Except Bioware's most selling games are BG and NWN. Both NWN and BG didn't have next gen grafix."

ME, and JE would argue this 'fact'. BG series sold 4 mil+ - that includes both games and both expansions. NWN sold 3 mil + both expansions included.

Hello? BG2 had to license stuff. It's called the D&D license. Dumbass.

And, no, Bg would not sell well now. Stop pushing shit.


JE, last 'official count' was at 600K copies after 6 months. ME was pushing a million within a month.

Gah. Some people like to make up facts, and then it's laughable they use WIKI of all the shit to back them up. LMAO

 

[Texas Red]

Hello? BG2 had to license stuff. It's called the D&D license. Dumbass

.

Interplay was the publisher, contractor and owner of Bioware at that time, Sherlock.

And, no, Bg would not sell well now. Stop pushing shit.

You mean those millions suddenly disappeared? The growing number of D&Ders also disappeared? There is no indication that a BG-*like* game would not sell. People didn't suddenly because idiots because of phone radiation and took a like to retard-friendliness instead of challenge and other BG virtues.

JE, last 'official count' was at 600K copies after 6 months. ME was pushing a million within a month.

Even if these 2 games outsold BG and NWN(and I'm not implying that they did) you have to take in to consideration that BG is a decade old and that JE and ME are both for consoles and the PC.

Gah. Some people like to make up facts, and then it's laughable they use WIKI of all the shit to back them up. LMAO

The last refuge of the inept: blaming Wikipedia. Wikipedia cites references for that article. And try editing an article for the lulz, they will send you a warning and edit the article back.

 

[Volourn]

"Interplay was the publisher, contractor and owner of Bioware at that time, Sherlock."

Interplay didn't get the D&D license for free. You think Interplay didn't take that into consideiration when determining what kind of budget they should give BIo for BG.

NEWSFLASH: Interplay did NOT own BIO. ever. They were an independent devloper who Interplay contracted to develop games. Duh.


"You mean those millions suddenly disappeared? The growing number of D&Ders also disappeared? There is no indication that a BG-*like* game would not sell. People didn't suddenly because idiots because of phone radiation and took a like to retard-friendliness instead of challenge and other BG virtues."

A BG like game would sell depending who's doing the selling. but, BG itself would not. BIO fanboys (and espicially girlz) would hate it. Lack of npc party member interaction, no real romances, lots of big empty spaces with not much to do, etc., etc.


"Even if these 2 games outsold BG and NWN(and I'm not implying that they did) you have to take in to consideration that BG is a decade old and that JE and ME are both for consoles and the PC."

The numbers I quoter (not 100% exact) are xbox/xbox360 only not counting PC numbers. The fact that BG is a decade old only helps it's numbe rof sales sicne it's had a longer time to sell copies. Duh. Nor did I say JE outsold those games. ME might eventually; but doubtful JE will.

@WIKI: It's unreliable even if people are serious since it's likely based on inaccurate articles or in the case of dealing with x number of copies sold nothing based on solid fact.

 

[MetalCraze]

sure ME may outsell BG2. it's a shooter in its core. shooters sell well on consoles.

 

[kingcomrade]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f284/ ... onette.jpg

 

[ixg]

no

 

[kingcomrade]

Yes. You know you want it.

 

[Volourn]

"it's a shooter in its core"

Action RPG.

 

[Damned Registrations]

@WIKI: It's unreliable even if people are serious since it's likely based on inaccurate articles or in the case of dealing with x number of copies sold nothing based on solid fact.

You mean like this totally unreliable source wiki cited? http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/about/

Yeah, what are those assholes thinking, who the fuck can rely on THOSE numbers.

Incidentally, BG series has shipped over 5 million so far apparently. And JE/ME/KOTOR only have so many sales on console because there is no competition on the Xbrick. It's not exactly hard for their fanbase to shell out the bucks for every shitty 9 hour 'rpg' that comes along when it only happens once a year. If someone started releasing decent RTS games on console they'd probably sell millions too- whether or not they were as good as the stuff on PC would make little difference.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

"it's a shooter in its core"

Action RPG.

Besides the main genre of Mass Effect being a Role Playing Game, the other big part of the game exists out of being a shooter. Has it been difficult to balance both aspects?

It was challenging to balance both elements but the hard work has paid off, and the result is what we believe is the best BioWare game we’ve made thus far. It was a fine balance of making the combat engaging and challenging without alienating hardcore RPGers. We also focused on keeping the story and dialog vibrant so as not to turn off the hardcore shooter fans.

It was marketed as a shooter.

http://www.wonderwallweb.com/article-23 ... rview.html

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

It wasn't a shooter. A shooter is something like Half-Life, NOLF, Fear etc. Or 3rd-person shooters like MDK, Inferno, Kane & Lynch etc. Mass Effect was clearly an RPG, like it or not.

 

[pkt-zer0]

It was a fine balance of making the combat engaging and challenging without alienating hardcore RPGers.

Hah, odd choice of words, there. Engaging and challenging combat is undesirable if you're a hardcore RPGer?

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

It was a fine balance of making the combat engaging and challenging without alienating hardcore RPGers.

Hah, odd choice of words, there. Engaging and challenging combat is undesirable if you're a hardcore RPGer?

Good point.

 

[Dementia Praecox]

 

[Kraszu]

Hardcore rpg players are slow that is why they play TB games like Baldurs gate.

 

[Azarkon]

If Dragon Age underperforms I wouldn't be surprised to see Bioware pull out of the PC market entirely.

 

[MetalCraze]

it's not like we will lose something

 

[Ryuken]

DA is Bioware's chance to get some street cred back, aside from NWN's multiplayer/editor part they haven't done anything memorable for PC RPG's since BGII and they seem to realise that as well.

 

[Warden]

Good bioWare = Dead bioWare

 

[Xor]

I won't mind if Bioware leaves the PC market, but at the same time I won't mind if they stay. No matter what kind of games they release, no one is forcing you to play them.

 

[Volourn]

"DA is Bioware's chance to get some street cred back"

hate to break it to you; but if 'street cred' = Codex and interent geeks; BIO (and, espicially EA) simply don't give a shit.

P.S. ME = Action RPG. It has shooter elements much like games in other genres have rPG elements.

ie. The Smackdown wrestling series is obvious a fighting/action/sports game; but it has elements of role-playing in it. It's still not a RPg though. Dumbass.

 

[gamefan]

"DA is Bioware's chance to get some street cred back"

hate to break it to you; but if 'street cred' = Codex and interent geeks; BIO (and, espicially EA) simply don't give a shit.

P.S. ME = Action RPG. It has shooter elements much like games in other genres have rPG elements.

ie. The Smackdown wrestling series is obvious a fighting/action/sports game; but it has elements of role-playing in it. It's still not a RPg though. Dumbass.

Fuck you faggot.

 

[Volourn]

When and where, my fellow faggot?