Sorry for the wall of text so for those with short term memory and bad reading comprehension, here is the TL;DR version:
Basically, Bioware has a history with ME1 and ME2 of showing off just too much in terms of core plot details in their marketing whether it is trailers or previews. With that being said, some might be excited for ME3's flood of information that is about to happen in April; but for people like me, I do not believe I trust Bioware anymore when it comes to holding off certain things to be found out in game and not by reading a hands-off preview.
I want to know how many will possibly pass on next months information and possibly, ALL the upcoming information including E3 in hopes of having a fresh experience for Mass Effect 3. Are you excited for the upcoming info or a bit nervious?
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In terms of Mass Effect, Bioware has been hell bent on showing off core story details to the media to write about, thus generates a lot of spoilers. Example, Skyrim was recently detailed in a GI issue a few months back and it talked about nearly EVERYTHING but the story. It talked about the updated graphics, physics, combat, locations, gameplay, inventory, leveling up and so on. When it did mention the story it was a VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY vague and broad point. In other words, it mentioned the plot.....without really haven't to mention the plot if that makes any sense.
With Mass Effect 2 on the other hand, when that was first revealed, we already knew how the ending to Thane's recruitment mission would play out. I forgot which magazine it was in, but basically it showed a few screenshots of Thane, one of them snapping a guy's neck. It mentioned that Thane is one of 10 people that can join our team and we meet him on a mission to take down Nassana Dantius, which for me, was a spoiler because it would have been much more impactful if I didn't know of Nassana's return until I finally met her again in ME2. Furthermore, it detailed how Thane jumps out of a vent and breaks a guys neck and so on. Also in the article it talks about how Commander Shepard can die and all that crap.
Now that wasn't some huge ground breaking spoiler, but it just goes to show Bioware's habit of having to show core story plot to market their game. A lot of Devs/Publishers do this but they never go as far as Bioware. Take Virmire for example. During E3 2007, in order for Bioware to emphasis the importance of choice in ME1 and how you'll be making tough decisions, they showed off the confrontation with Wrex and the various options you can take for that situation. Again, not a HUGE spoiler but it would have been much more emotional if I had experienced that the first time in the game. Instead, when I first landed on Virmire in ME1 the first thing that came to my mind was "I need to see whats going on here"......instead, I thought "Oh yeah, this is the place where Wrex and I get into it and I'll have to talk him down." so it took away from the emotional impact that Bioware was trying to do. They [Bioware] could have shown a UNC Side Mission that had a similar choice system like the confrontation with Major Kyle or Helena Blake.
Also, Bioware likes to reveal a lot about Character personalities before the game is launched. I remember back in the day (back in the 90s) where a RPG would have 10 squad members but you only knew about 2-3 of them pre launch and even those 2-3 you didn't really know anything about them.....other than they join you at some point. The rest of the squad as well as their personalities/background was to be learned in the game, giving the player some type of surprise and mystery. Today that is changed and Bioware is the vanguard for that. Now we didn't know EVERYTHING about the ME2 squad before release. Like we didn't know Jacob had daddy issues, Thane had father issues, Miranda had being perfect issues, Grunt had puberty issues and what not. But we knew enough and for me, it was too much. Now I give Bioware the pass on ME2 because sadly, the whole game was about you building your squad so Bioware had to show them off. However, ME3 most likely won't be about building yours squad but rather armies so I really want some mystery left as to who my squadmates are.
Then finally there is the launch trailer. Bioware treats their trailers like a movie trailer by showing of most of the hardcore scenes, even it it takes place later in the game. If I remember, ME1's launch trailer featured content from the Citadel Invasion and ME2's launch trailer featured content from the Suicide Mission like Shepard sliding down to grab ahold of a squadmate from falling from the platform. Instead of ME's trailers being "Okay, here is a small taste of what you will expect in this game" they are instead "Okay, here are bits and pieces from the ENTIRE game summed up in 2 minutes." Movies can get away with this because the experience is a passive experience. With videogames and especially games like Mass Effect, you are playing the experience rather than just watching it so it takes a different course. Take the Arrival DLC trailer for example. Did Bioware really have to use Harbinger's voice in the trailer? For me, that ruined the DLC because I wasn't expecting anything from the Reapers. Yes, it was about them arriving and us stoping it short term, but I thought that would be it as I didn't expect a conversation with a Reaper or anything like that. For me, it would have been so much more shocking and thrilling to not know that Harbinger would be making a Cameo only to find out before the DLC ends that BAM! Here is Harbinger in Hologram form talking to me. That would have been a chilling moment. Instead, I was playing the whole DLC thinking "So is this the part where I hear the Reaper's voice?" which was sad.
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I know Bioware/EA has to sell copies but instead of taking small jabs they go straight for the uppercut. This is why I am conflicted about the impending flood of ME3 info coming. I want to know some minor details, but I don't want to "accidentily" read over something that I might consider a spoiler like "There will be a confrontation between Anderson and Udina, one that might end up bloody depending on your choice in trying to resolve the situation." I wouldn't but it behind Bioware to not do something like that. They did it with Wrex in ME1 and they did it with the whole "Shepard can die" in ME2. So who knows that they'll pull of for ME3 marketing blah.
The reason why I fell for the ME1/ME2 marketing was because during those times, it was a very slow time in gaming and not much was out. For ME1, Halo 3 and COD4 wasnt out yet and for ME2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Red Dead Redemption wasn't out yet. Also I was only engaged in the ME online community but this time around, I have been spending a lot of time at the Battlefield 3 forums and Star Wars: The Old Republic forums. So when I log in, I don't have to feel obligated to head to the ME forums to see whats going on as I can do other things to distract me.
So are you excited about the upcoming ME3 flood of info or are you a bit nervious and might skip it?
Modifié par MajesticJazz, 31 mars 2011 - 09:44 .
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