Aller au contenu

Greg Zeschuk Developer Interview - July 22, 2010

Débuté par Guest_PilotJoe_* , juil. 23 2010 02:50

  • Veuillez vous connecter pour répondre
37 réponses à ce sujet

#1
Guest_PilotJoe_*
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 02:50

Guest_PilotJoe_*
  • Guests
Interesting interview with Greg Zeschuk up over at the UK Telegraph:
www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/7880099/Developer-interview-Greg-Zeschuk-from-BioWare.html

The interviewer is really good, and asks some subtle yet pointed questions that fans have always and will always be wondering about the future directions of Bioware. 

Unfortunately, Greg's answers are dissapointing, in that he studiously avoids giving real answers to concerns about the stream-lining of Bioware games.  Typical execu-speak biolerplate.

This interview is worth reading if no reason other than to learn that the Bioware stance seems to be that their goal is to make games "easier" and "better", although I think those two concepts tend to run contrary to one another.  (He would not admit that they were shooting for wider mass-market appeal, but that seems to be the natural goal of making games easier to pick up, no?)

In any event, read into this what you will.  It's obvious I already have.

Modifié par PilotJoe, 23 juillet 2010 - 09:52 .

#2
Annihilator27
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 02:53

Annihilator27
  • Members
  • 6 653 messages
Yes cater to the new people lol. Bioware's new direction looks fresh. Allthough with their plans for ME3 I hope they dont cater It too much for new people. Interesting interview.

Modifié par annihilator27, 23 juillet 2010 - 02:53 .

#3
Mister Mida
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 02:58

Mister Mida
  • Members
  • 3 239 messages
Well, if Bioware is gonna leave it's post, another developer will eventually fill it in.

#4
Gaxhung
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:09

Gaxhung
  • Members
  • 431 messages
What if "easier" meant usability or quality of life improvements. Not overdoing it does require having a knack for this sort of thing, a master's touch if you will.

#5
Stormghost
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:13

Stormghost
  • Members
  • 351 messages
I never saw Dragon Age as a game aimed at 'hardcore' gamers, tbh.

#6
Guest_PilotJoe_*
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:21

Guest_PilotJoe_*
  • Guests

davidk1991 wrote...

I never saw Dragon Age as a game aimed at 'hardcore' gamers, tbh.


Not in the most strict sense of the word, but it certainly had appeal to those who missed the Baldur's gates of the past, and the more "traditional" roleplaying elements were there if you played the pc version.

This isn't a "hardcore" vs. "casual" thing, it's the issue of the casualization of everything lately.   DAO certainly wasn't hardcore, but what few elements it had that made it the spiritual successor to BG appealed to a wide range of people.  Ergo, why change a winning formula?

I certainly understand the desire to innovate and stay fresh, but when you've carved out such a succesful niche already, why try so hard to pull yourself away from that market with the next installment?  If people want a more action-oriented RPGish experience, they already have that in Mass Effect.

Just my 2 cents.

#7
Noir201
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:27

Noir201
  • Members
  • 1 015 messages

Mister Mida wrote...

Well, if Bioware is gonna leave it's post, another developer will eventually fill it in.


Bethesda Game Studios will if Bioware want to go that side of the road, i'm glad a real part of the media and very good interview pressed him on that, and as a result, you learn more from the awnsers not given then the ones that are, bravo The Telegraph.

#8
UndercoverDoctor
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:30

UndercoverDoctor
  • Members
  • 1 294 messages

Noir201 wrote...

Mister Mida wrote...

Well, if Bioware is gonna leave it's post, another developer will eventually fill it in.


Bethesda Game Studios will if Bioware want to go that side of the road, i'm glad a real part of the media and very good interview pressed him on that, and as a result, you learn more from the awnsers not given then the ones that are, bravo The Telegraph.

I laughed.

#9
Noir201
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:32

Noir201
  • Members
  • 1 015 messages

UndercoverDoctor wrote...

I laughed.


Taken back by your powers of debate, really impressed Posted Image 

#10
javierabegazo
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:34

javierabegazo
  • Members
  • 6 257 messages
Do we hear amped up emotional intensity?

#11
Shadowapothead
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:38

Shadowapothead
  • Members
  • 19 messages
I have to agree with PilotJoe

#12
rexil
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:44

rexil
  • Members
  • 304 messages

Shadowapothead wrote...

I have to agree with PilotJoe


Yeah, don't Mass Affect my Dragon Age.

#13
jableskage
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:51

jableskage
  • Members
  • 222 messages
This game is going to be awful, I can feel it in me water! Just look how dissapointing ME2 was?

#14
Guest_PilotJoe_*
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 04:29

Guest_PilotJoe_*
  • Guests

jableskage wrote...

This game is going to be awful, I can feel it in me water! Just look how dissapointing ME2 was?


Not at all.  I'm sure this game will be great, but that has never really been Bioware's problem, has it?

If ME2 is any indication, I can certainly learn to love a great game, even if it's not what I was hoping for.

What I'm wondering is why can't the huge success of DAO be enough to continue down that road for future installments that will please the RPG crowd more than the casual crowd?  Why does every Bioware game strive to be everything to everyone, rather than simply improve upon and polish the genre in which it was born?

#15
Guest_JoePinasi1989_*
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 04:35

Guest_JoePinasi1989_*
  • Guests
Is it just me or does Zeschuk sound like a politician on a talk show? Just a general feeling I got.

Modifié par JoePinasi1989, 23 juillet 2010 - 04:46 .

#16
joriandrake
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 04:37

joriandrake
  • Members
  • 3 161 messages
"

Looking at the success this system has had in Mass Effect 2, will BioWare
look at making the RPG elements in games such as Star Wars: The Old Republic
and the forthcoming Dragon Age sequel more streamlined too?


Yeah, to a certain degree. Like I said, we want to make each game better than
the last and to a certain degree, the easier we can make the gameplay while
maximising the depth of the game's detail, is something to aim for. We
announced Dragon Age 2 a short while ago and of course we've been talking
about Star Wars: The Old Republic for a while now – and people have had a
chance to play it and probably see what some of our objectives are with the
game. We try to do a lot of focus testing and usability testing with our
fans. We're always trying to make our games as fun and easily usable as
possible."



Usability testing with fans? Does anyone know anything about an open testing/beta phase of Dragon Age 2? because I never heard about it.

EDIT: also the openly confirmed streamlining is more than worrisome

Modifié par joriandrake, 23 juillet 2010 - 04:39 .

#17
ROD525
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 04:45

ROD525
  • Members
  • 275 messages

jableskage wrote...

This game is going to be awful, I can feel it in me water! Just look how dissapointing ME2 was?

Dissapointing to you maybe. I loved Mass Effect 2 more than the first,and I played the first over 20 times. Bioware has yet to dissapoint me...but I do understand that some people just have different tastes.

#18
joriandrake
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 04:49

joriandrake
  • Members
  • 3 161 messages

ROD525 wrote...

jableskage wrote...

This game is going to be awful, I can feel it in me water! Just look how dissapointing ME2 was?

Dissapointing to you maybe. I loved Mass Effect 2 more than the first,and I played the first over 20 times. Bioware has yet to dissapoint me...but I do understand that some people just have different tastes.


hmm, how many times did you play ME2?

#19
Guest_PilotJoe_*
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 04:59

Guest_PilotJoe_*
  • Guests

ROD525 wrote...

jableskage wrote...

This game is going to be awful, I can feel it in me water! Just look how dissapointing ME2 was?

Dissapointing to you maybe. I loved Mass Effect 2 more than the first,and I played the first over 20 times. Bioware has yet to dissapoint me...but I do understand that some people just have different tastes.


That's the real issue here, by diversifying their portfolio of games, Bioware reaches a wider market, as the people who love ME may not necessarily care for DA, and vice-versa.

By melding these two franchises the way they seem to be, it becomes actionRPG in space, or actionRPG with swords, and everyone loses.  I just don't see the point.

#20
sanadawarrior
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 05:02

sanadawarrior
  • Members
  • 448 messages

joriandrake wrote...

ROD525 wrote...

jableskage wrote...

This game is going to be awful, I can feel it in me water! Just look how dissapointing ME2 was?

Dissapointing to you maybe. I loved Mass Effect 2 more than the first,and I played the first over 20 times. Bioware has yet to dissapoint me...but I do understand that some people just have different tastes.


hmm, how many times did you play ME2?


Probably less times considering it hasn't been out for over 2 years? I know that is the only reason I haven't beat ME2 more than the first yet.

#21
sanadawarrior
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 05:05

sanadawarrior
  • Members
  • 448 messages

PilotJoe wrote...

ROD525 wrote...

jableskage wrote...

This game is going to be awful, I can feel it in me water! Just look how dissapointing ME2 was?

Dissapointing to you maybe. I loved Mass Effect 2 more than the first,and I played the first over 20 times. Bioware has yet to dissapoint me...but I do understand that some people just have different tastes.


That's the real issue here, by diversifying their portfolio of games, Bioware reaches a wider market, as the people who love ME may not necessarily care for DA, and vice-versa.

By melding these two franchises the way they seem to be, it becomes actionRPG in space, or actionRPG with swords, and everyone loses.  I just don't see the point.


I agree with you, even though these changes actualy make me want DA2 more than just a refinement of the first, I think it's better to be able to play through two distinct experiences than having a feeling of "more of the same". 

#22
Guest_slimgrin_*
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 05:09

Guest_slimgrin_*
  • Guests

JoePinasi1989 wrote...

Is it just me or does Zeschuk sound like a politician on a talk show? Just a general feeling I got.


A little bit, yeah. But any rep from the company has to be so careful how they word things, for fear of alienating potential buyers. They want to appeal to as broad a market as possible, which I can understand.

But I still prefer the kind of straight talk you get from the devs at CD Project red.

#23
Roland Aseph
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 05:13

Roland Aseph
  • Members
  • 159 messages

PilotJoe wrote...

davidk1991 wrote...

I never saw Dragon Age as a game aimed at 'hardcore' gamers, tbh.


Not in the most strict sense of the word, but it certainly had appeal to those who missed the Baldur's gates of the past, and the more "traditional" roleplaying elements were there if you played the pc version.

This isn't a "hardcore" vs. "casual" thing, it's the issue of the casualization of everything lately.   DAO certainly wasn't hardcore, but what few elements it had that made it the spiritual successor to BG appealed to a wide range of people.  Ergo, why change a winning formula?

I certainly understand the desire to innovate and stay fresh, but when you've carved out such a succesful niche already, why try so hard to pull yourself away from that market with the next installment?  If people want a more action-oriented RPGish experience, they already have that in Mass Effect.

Just my 2 cents.


Exactly, spot on Pilot Joe!

#24
andar91
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 09:32

andar91
  • Members
  • 4 752 messages
I think that DA:O was disliked by some because it was harder than what they were used to. If they make it more accessible I'm not going to complain because I can just adjust the difficulty setting if I think it's too easy.

#25
Valmy
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 09:35

Valmy
  • Members
  • 3 735 messages

PilotJoe wrote...
This isn't a "hardcore" vs. "casual" thing, it's the issue of the casualization of everything lately.   DAO certainly wasn't hardcore, but what few elements it had that made it the spiritual successor to BG appealed to a wide range of people.  Ergo, why change a winning formula?


Budgets are ballooning.  Companies, if they plan on continuing to make cutting edge products, have to continue to build sales.

I recognize the phenonmenon but will continue to play their games so long as it does not become too annoying.

Modifié par Valmy, 23 juillet 2010 - 09:36 .

Retourner dans General Discussion


  1. The BioWare Forum
  2. → Dragon Age
  3. → Dragon Age II
  4. → General Discussion