Interview NWN premium content Q&A on NWVault

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights

<A href="http://nwvault.ign.com/">NWVAult</a> has an <a href="http://nwvault.ign.com/features/interviews/BioWare102704.shtml">interview</a> with several members of <a href="http://www.bioware.com">BioWare</A> about their new plan to release <a href="http://nwn.bioware.com">Neverwinter Nights</a> modules for download that people can buy online. Here's a bit on what's in store(pardon the pun):
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<blockquote><b>What kind of content will you be offering on the BioWare Online Store and what do you have planned as the first offerings?
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Diarmid</b> - The modules that will be available at launch are Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker, Neverwinter Nights: ShadowGuard, and Neverwinter Nights: Witch's Wake.
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<blockquote><u>Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker</u> was developed by BioWare designers Dan Whiteside and Cori May. It is a highly replayable adventure offering between 5 and 8 hours of gameplay each time you play through it. The module contains more than 500 lines of recorded voice-over, providing its interesting NPCs and henchmen with loads of personality.
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<u>Neverwinter Nights: ShadowGuard</u> places you in the role of a promising young recruit at the Imperial Academy in the city of Gharaak. The game world was created by Ben "Altaris" McJunkin, developer of the tremendously popular Lone Wolf series of Neverwinter Nights fan modules. Additional design work has been completed by BioWare's Rob Bartel and Keith Hayward. Neverwinter Nights: ShadowGuard offers between 2 and 3 hours of gameplay.
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<u>Neverwinter Nights: Witch's Wake</u> has been remastered from its original form, with professional voice-over, new features, and unique subraces. The sequel, Witch's Wake 2: The Witch Hunters, is already in development.</blockquote>
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All of these modules also feature brand new music from community composer David John.</blockquote>
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So, basically, you pay, you get voice overs above and beyond the normal modules you can just freely download, right? After years and years of hearing the fan made content is better than what <A href="http://www.bioware.com">BioWare</a> can offer with the game in it's defense, that's really all that's extra with this premium stuff, isn't it?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.bluesnews.com">Blue's News</A>

 

[Volourn]

"So, basically, you pay, you get voice overs above and beyond the normal modules you can just freely download, right? After years and years of hearing the fan made content is better than what BioWare can offer with the game in it's defense, that's really all that's extra with this premium stuff, isn't it?"

Wrong. You get an official BIoware product, dumbass. And, no, fanmade content is not better than Bioware stuff. Maybe 2-5 mods are slightly better than the OC; but most of it isn't close. Afterall, there'd be no fanmade content without BIo for NWN.

That said, I don't buy things on line and this won't change things.

 

[taks]

yeah, you get an official product that has been QA'd and reviewed. if you look closely, you'll notice that they all also have either full or part bioware participation.

this is basically taking the best stuff, polishing it up and selling it cheap. real cheap, actually. about a $1 per hour of content. let me see... toee gave you 20 hours for $50, so $2.50 an hour?

taks

 

[Mendoza]

Yeah, you get QA and support that you wouldn't on a community module, and the fact that you buy it from Bioware should be an indication of quality

Bear in mind that this is very much a test by Bioware, to see how much of a demand there is for digital modules. If they sell well enough, they're likely to expand the scope and features in future downloads.

 

[Whipporowill]

If this works out, I can see Bio trying to do something along the line of STEAM in the future. Internet is the future, dudes.

 

[Volourn]

They've alreayd said if it works out, they plan to do the same with Jade Empire and Dragon Age. This makes me think that JE might be heading for PC...

 

[Whipporowill]

This makes me think that JE might be heading for PC...

Hey GENYOUS, when did you figure that one out?

 

[taks]

so this really is starting to sound like a testbed for future endeavors. good thing, i think. though i do wish they'd up the content to 10+ hours of gameplay if possible. i just think you can get a better story and several days out of something like that...

if the future is this, you have to start somewhere.

taks

 

[Volourn]

"Hey GENYOUS, when did you figure that one out?"

Before you, most likely, moron.

 

[Whipporowill]

I never even figured we'd not see Jade Empire on PC, unless it was a total failure on X-box or being a game not suited for other platforms. Which both seemed rather unlikely.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

But wait! I thought all this time NWN fans were saying that who cares if the stuff BioWare made sucked, because the fan made stuff was so dreamy and stuff.. But now when BioWare is offering up modules you can pay to download, they make quality stuff? Huh! How things change.

 

[Surlent]

dumbass.

moron.

Look who's jumping the gun ?

Wrong. You get an official BIoware product,

Like that's worth a nickel. Actually to those 2 million fan bois, it probably is.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

It's NWN we're talking about here. While I did enjoy some of the fan made modules, it was mostly for story only. But after time, I even tired of those. Why? Because the combat engine still sucked. Unless they change the combat engine, it's still gonna be sucky real time combat with no hope of utilizing all the neat options that should be available to you.

Now, if they made combat more TOEEish, I might consider it. As is though, I got rid of my NWN awhile back and have no interest in picking it up again.

I'll just wait and see if Jade Empire and KOTOR2 are any good. Not gonna hold my breath on either of those though.

 

[dojoteef]

I hope this isn't the new trend in gaming. Having to pay for user created content because Bioware QA'd it starts to make me shudder. It just sounds like Bioware is taking the best modules and making people pay for it. Oh, wait I know what that reminds me of. Counter Strike for Half-life. It's all just so bogus. The whole point of making moddable games has been to release the mods for free, in fact it's in the EULA for most games. Oh well, I guess money's a good incentive for people to do stuff.

 

[Volourn]

"I hope this isn't the new trend in gaming. Having to pay for user created content because Bioware QA'd it starts to make me shudder."

You obviously don't know what youa re talking about. Next.


"KOTOR2 are any good."

What does this game have to do with DD? Nothing. Next.


"Look who's jumping the gun ? "

Huh? I dunno about you; but I don't jump guns. That's silly.


"Like that's worth a nickel. Actually to those 2 million fan bois, it probably is."

You callin' SP, and VD BIo fanboys? R00fles!


"I thought all this time NWN fans were saying that who cares if the stuff BioWare made sucked, because the fan made stuff was so dreamy and stuff.. But now when BioWare is offering up modules you can pay to download, they make quality stuff? Huh! How things change"

'Tis a good thing I *never* said that. inf act, I amde that very clear in my very first post on the 'Codex. Nice try, though, Pantswad.


"I never even figured we'd not see Jade Empire on PC, unless it was a total failure on X-box or being a game not suited for other platforms. Which both seemed rather unlikely."

Yeah. I'm supposed to believe you can see the future. Hahaha.

Geez, you people, you make this way too easy on me to crush your naxorious posts.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

so this really is starting to sound like a testbed for future endeavors. good thing, i think. though i do wish they'd up the content to 10+ hours of gameplay if possible. i just think you can get a better story and several days out of something like that...

if the future is this, you have to start somewhere.

taks

If I recall correctly, this isn't the first time Bioware is involved in digital distribution plans for games. I think they were one of the companies that signed up with Valve and Cisco Ent. for that PowerPlay dealio (but we know how that went).

In any case, it seems like this is an attempt to handle the issue of not getting any revenue from freely distributed and played modules. Bioware couln't possibly charge for the fan made modules themselves since they aren't their creation, so it seems they decided to make some profit for their distribution instead. This doesn't seem like a bad idea, but only time will tell. Vavle seems to have gotten it right with STEAM, after all.

 

[AlanC9]

But wait! I thought all this time NWN fans were saying that who cares if the stuff BioWare made sucked, because the fan made stuff was so dreamy and stuff.. But now when BioWare is offering up modules you can pay to download, they make quality stuff? Huh! How things change.

And a lot of people on the boards say that they won't bother paying, for exactly that reason.

But there are lots of players who have an irrational attraction to the Bio stamp of approval. This is for them, I guess. And for the brainwashed Bio fans who'll buy anything with a Bio label.

dojoteef, you're simply wrong. This isn't Bio sucking up fan-made content. These mods were all written for the project.

At worst, they're sucking some talent out of the fan developer community. One of the three is by a well-known fan builder; the other two are by Bio staff.

Edit: So, will all the proven fan developers end up under contract to Bio? We'll see.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

"KOTOR2 are any good."

What does this game have to do with DD? Nothing. Next.

Heh. You are about as dumb as a box of rocks, Volourn. Don't even start with me. Of course it has nothing to do with DD, you moron. It has to do with Bioware releasing a decent title that would appeal to me. But I forget, you're a Biowhore.

"Next." He said in a mocking, sarcastic tone.

Go suck more Bio dick, Vol, and stay out of my way. Kthx.

 

[Volourn]

"It has to do with Bioware releasing a decent title that would appeal to me."

Really? That's funny. Since anyone who isn't a moron would know that BIo isn't making KOTOR2. What a dumbass. So, again, I ask, what does KOTOR2 have to do with DD? Nothing is the answer.

"But I forget, you're a Biowhore."

Wouldn't a BIowhore buy everything Bio releases? Guess what? I ahven't. I cna see youa re the same old crybaby as before who has absolutely no intelligence. BIo devlepss KOTOR2. R00fles! What a maroon.



"Go suck more Bio dick, Vol, and stay out of my way. Kthx."

Or what? Nothing. Cum to 644 lakeshore Dr, Unit 36, North Bay, Ontario, Kanada and show me what would happen to me if 'I got in your way'. You gonna off me? torture me? rape me? Force me to play MW and Df 24/7? Hahaha. You don't have the ballz so take your crying elswhere.


And, oh, i didn't know rating NWN OC 75%, and saying KOTOR's controls were awful, it's inventory horrid, and its combat simple as sucking someone's dick. You like sucking dick, huh?


Hahahaa. Otaku says BIo shoudl prove with KOTOR2 that they can make a good game that appeals to him! Hahahaha!

What an idiot buttmuncher.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

I prefer the rape option. See you in about a year. That's my deadline for being moved to Canada. Don't think I have the balls? Don't move in that time and find out. :twisted:

Oh, and in case you missed out, I've been absent from the gaming scene for the past few months, so was not aware that KOTOR2 wasn't Bioware. My bad. Doesn't make me an idiot buttmuncher though. That's your job.

 

[Volourn]

"I prefer the rape option. See you in about a year. That's my deadline for being moved to Canada. Don't think I have the balls? Don't move in that time and find out."

I can't wait. Seriously, I can't. I'm cumming just anticipating. (oops, that may have gone father than even I wanted it )


"Oh, and in case you missed out, I've been absent from the gaming scene for the past few months"

Good for you. As I've said ebfore, I don't pay attention to ding dongs on the 'net vanishing. It means nothing.


"so was not aware that KOTOR2 wasn't Bioware. My bad."

this just proves how stupid you are. Even if you wer ein a hole for the past few months, it's been known for a long while now that Obsidian was devloping KOTOR2. The Codex has also had news articles posted here since your return about it. What kinda of dumb dinka re you thinking i'd fall for the "I was away for awhile so forgive me for being ignorant' line of crap? Tsk, tsk. For shame. This is the Codex where ignorance is *not* an exuse.

Next.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

So what's your excuse?

 

[Volourn]

I'm Volourn. That's all the exuse I need. :twisted:

 

[monkey]

Question

In any case, it seems like this is an attempt to handle the issue of not getting any revenue from freely distributed and played modules. Bioware couln't possibly charge for the fan made modules themselves since they aren't their creation, so it seems they decided to make some profit for their distribution instead. This doesn't seem like a bad idea, but only time will tell. Vavle seems to have gotten it right with STEAM, after all.

Do we have any vague idea of the scope of the deal between Bioware, Atari, and WotC? I mean, can Bioware make more money of NWN, without having to give up a chunk of it to Atari on each sale (ISTR Atari's the one with the D&D license, not Bioware)? It makes some sense that Bioware would want to get as much money as it can from NWN, but if they then have to pay a portion of that to Atari it might not be so attractive...

 

[Mendoza]

Re: Question

In any case, it seems like this is an attempt to handle the issue of not getting any revenue from freely distributed and played modules. Bioware couln't possibly charge for the fan made modules themselves since they aren't their creation, so it seems they decided to make some profit for their distribution instead. This doesn't seem like a bad idea, but only time will tell. Vavle seems to have gotten it right with STEAM, after all.

Do we have any vague idea of the scope of the deal between Bioware, Atari, and WotC? I mean, can Bioware make more money of NWN, without having to give up a chunk of it to Atari on each sale (ISTR Atari's the one with the D&D license, not Bioware)? It makes some sense that Bioware would want to get as much money as it can from NWN, but if they then have to pay a portion of that to Atari it might not be so attractive...

Well the advantage in this case is in not paying for manufacture of the box, cd's etc, and not having the costs retailers add. Atari will certainly be taking a cut, since they own the license, I'd imagine about as much as they normally take before you factor in the retailers (though obviously I have no way of knowing).