The_Eejit wrote...
This forum has been a war zone since DA2 released. We have people on both sides hurling insults at each other.
I think we have to stop for a moment and consider what we are doing. This is the same fight we see all too often these days. It is ok to enjoy DA2, if you find it fun, thats great. It is also great for people who enjoy dragon age 2 to give their opinions and to debate with people who don't like the game. But there is a line you can cross when it comes to defending a video game, and many have crossed it. I think we can agree that EA and Bioware don't need people to defend them in everyway possible, and to silence anyone who has an issue with either of the companys, especially in this all too common situation.
The gaming industry is quite large at this time, and there is a lot of money to be made. This is a good thing, but also extremely bad left un-moderated. At this time, gaming is also more widespread than it has ever been, with everybody from all walks of life now playing video games on their downtime. This is a good thing, but also a bad thing. Both of these factors can, and are, really hurting video games themselves. You have big corp's like EA and Activision cashing in on these new audiences, by releasing cut-down, simplified games, and giving them a "bad boy" attitude, as seen in the large number of grey-brown shooters, and the lack of colour or imagination in the majority of genre's (just go into a game store, and look at the sheer number of modern day shooter's etc).
If you put something like Gears Of War on the shelf, the game will appeal to pre-teens/teens and the jock/neo-rap/pubcrawler crowd's, looking for something with gore and beefy men to keep with their "hardcore" image. If you put something like civilization 3/4 or baldur's gate on the shelf, most of the new video game audience will stay away from them, calling them too deep, boring, colourful(thus "gay" in neo-frat gang terminology), and too hard.
So thus, many big corp's, to appeal to the mainstream, will release extremely simple games, generally sticking to the FPS genre, with "hardcore" grey, brown bloody violence and a load of big men (ironic that the primary schooler will call zelda "gay", while drooling over large men with guns).
This brings us to the next issue. Its no secret that you have large corp's everywhere, in every industry, that see everything on the planet as money. It is also no secret that they care not for tomorrow, and that only what money they can make today counts. They don't care if any game they release is fun or even functional, they don't care if they ruin a franchise, they only care that its made quickly and cheaply, and that it cashes in on the fans of whatever company they are in the process of pillaging.
This is what happen to Dragon Age 2. Its a shell of a game, a clear warning that these big suits couldn't care less about entertainment value or being faithful to customers. Everything about Dragon Age 2 is a rushed mess, made as quickly as possible to make a quick buck.
When you defend a mess like Dragon Age 2, when you call it flawless, when you beg for DLC, your hurting the gaming industry. Your telling these fat men on the 6 hundred and 66th floor that its ok to sell lemon's. If consumers don't demand better, we won't get better, and the only way to make them listen is with your wallet and then with what you praise. We should always be pointing out faults, always giving suggestions on what to improve, and giving praise for great ideas. We should never, ever, reward business behavior like this.
I am not saying you have to throw the game away, I'm not saying your not allowed to have fun with it, I'm saying your teaching these fat kids that they can do whatever they want, and your blind faith, love and praise while Bobby Jr and EA the 3rd are trashing your house is completely wrong. They are a company, not your freind, if you want better, you have to reward and punish where its due.
If your going to sit there and have no problem with EA and Bioware releasing a rushed mess with nothing to do with the franchise, thats terrible in everyway, using your faith and the money of the pre-teens who are attracted to this extremely simple RPG, then you have something wrong with you. Don't get robbed, then defend the robbers because they left you a piece of toast. Demand better.
Every company is out to make a profit, but when your in the entertainment industry, you better be out to make something entertaining as well. Don't let these big wigs get away with it, please. At this rate DA3 will be just as bad, because what incentive do they have to do better? Its up to you, I just hope you can see the big picture.
Thankyou.
-- P.S -- Sorry Bits of it were a little harsh, and came off as an angry rant(and lord knows we have far too many of them).
- I just think we as a consumer have a right to demand finished and well made products, and that they put a little care into what they put on the shelves. They want money, we want entertainment, so we shouldn't let them get away with our money without giving us a game worth the price tag. We are like parents, we must teach them what we will let them get away with and what we won't stand for. They need us.-
A very good posting.
I for one would love to see a second renessance of cRPGs.
Edit: The first one was in '80. More than 20 years ago. A tiny renessance came around 2000, but it was nothing when compared to '80s.
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