176 réponses à ce sujet

[Maria Caliban]

I've seen a number of conversations where people have called themselves loyal BioWare fans but feel BioWare abused their trust with Dragon Age II. I was wondering how members of this board view their loyalty to BioWare and what they believe BioWare owes their loyal fans.

It occurred to me that I'm not a 'loyal' BioWare fan. If I were restricted to 4 games this year, it's very likely I'd have skipped DA II. I like BioWare games but I also tend to buy 10-15 games a year.

I've never thought that any BioWare game was perfect, and the games many seem to see as the best - Buldar's Gate 2 and Dragon Age: Origins - weren't fun for me. I don't think BioWare makes the best RPGs or the best type of RPGs, but there are elements that they do well that I love.

[hoorayforicecream]

I don't put much loyalty towards somebody who isn't really loyal back. I like most of Bioware's games, and I will most definitely continue buying them, until such time as I feel I don't want to anymore.

I'm also to the point that if I buy a game and it captures my attention pleasantly for its duration, I consider it money decently spent.

[oldmansavage]

I like their games a lot but I don't blindly support them.  I'm a consumer and I buy their product, I'm not their buddy. 

I suppose it all depends on your definition of fan.  Fan = Fanatical devotion or Fan = Enjoy their products?

[Boiny Bunny]

I wouldn't call myself a 'loyal' fan to any game company - because the term is fairly ridiculous when applied to the games industry. Consumer loyalty means that you will likely purchase from the company under virtually all circumstances, even when the competitor has a better product or a cheaper product (which is comparable). It's quite common to hear the phrase 'consumer loyalty' applied to chain retail outlets, such as (in Australia) Coles and Woolworths.

That said, I've purchased and played every game Bioware has ever released. I've also enjoyed them all thoroughly with the exceptions of Jade Empire and Dragon Age 2. That certainly doesn't make me 'loyal' however. 'Loyal' would mean I would purchase any Bioware game without question. I feel that I'll be asking a lot of questions when it comes to DA3 however...

But it's sort of a moot point at this stage in my life. I can afford as many games as I have the time to play, so it's never a matter of choosing 'company A' or 'company B' - but rather, without any comparisons whatsoever, would I enjoy that game?

[neppakyo]

I used to loyally buy bioware games knowing I'd get a good bang for my buck, but not loyal to the company itself. With DA2 it broke my loyalty to pretty much blindly purchase bioware games.

If this makes sense. heh.

[mousestalker]

I am loyal towards those who are loyal to me. Bioware has made, on balance, some good games that I have enjoyed. They enjoy a favourable reputation with me. That really isn't loyalty.

Now if they were to court my loyalty and affection with lemon meringue pies, that loyalty could be bought earned. So far that hasn't happened.

[Maugrim]

I'm as loyal as one can be to a videogame company.

[Blackout62]

Boiny Bunny wrote...
'Loyal' would mean I would purchase any Bioware game without question.

This isn't a thing toward the Boiny I just need a definition of loyal to work with. But yeah I guess by this definition I'm loyal to Bioware. I'm not going to pledge fealty to them but I will continue to by their products without question. Now would I take a bullet for them? The writers yes, everyone else is maybe.

Modifié par Blackout62, 04 mai 2011 - 03:43 .

[Paraxial]

I've enjoyed their games so far.

So I suppose.

[Brockololly]

I usually only get a handful of games every year (at full price, at launch at least) and generally I'd include BioWare games in that collection of games I get at launch with little reservation. Probably the only BioWare games I didn't get at launch since I started following them after BG2 was NWN and JE. But the rest I can recall getting at launch. Hell, I got an Xbox mostly to play KOTOR.

Is that "loyalty?" Eh, I follow their games as I usually find something enjoyable in them. Whether thats the worlds, story, dialogue, combat or whatever. I don't consider even BG2 or DAO perfect but prior to DA2, for me, it was a safe bet that some element of a BioWare game would hook me, whether thats the story, combat or whatever. DA2 was probably the first BioWare game that didn't really hook me in any of those areas and thats disappointing.

Maybe its loyalty in that I come on the forums and tell my other friends that play games about a BioWare game if its one I enjoyed to spread the word. Ultimately, BioWare owes us nothing but after DA2 I don't think they can necessarily count on a built in "loyal" fanbase to just automatically get anything with the BioWare name on it.

[Bitterfoam]

I BioWare. Can I steal your sig graphic?

[Inzhuna]

Bioware's RPGs are closer to my ideal dream game than any other games out there. I don't really play much else really. I will probably buy every DA2 DLC and pre-order DA3.

So I guess, that's a "yes".

[Amagoi]

I suppose I consider myself loyal to Bioware. I've bought every game they released since KOTOR (my first Bioware game), aside from Sonic Chronicles but no one counts that.

Though really my loyalty just comes from a history of being really happy with what they ship out. The vast majority of their games (Awakenings being the exception), I've really enjoyed at launch. They're one of the very few games I make a point to set money aside and buy full-price at launch. I'll even buy some dlc that normally isn't up to the quality.

I think they make games that are well enough and replayable enough that I get my money's worth from each. They keep doing that and making interesting story-heavy games, and I'll keep buying. If they didn't make products worth caring about, I wouldn't come to the forums to talk about them, or bug my offline friends about how wicked cool the next Bioware game is going to be.

[steelfire_dragon]

I dont put loyalty in any company.

to buy a game from company a over company b, I would have to have played a game from company a taht I liked.

[devSin]

I put my faith in the people, not the logo. If I see people I recognize from the Baldur's Gate series or from Neverwinter Nights (well, OK, just the Baldur's Gate series, but they're mostly the same people anyway), they have a guaranteed slot. Period.

If I see mostly unfamiliar names, they have to wait in line like everyone else, although it'd be a rare occasion for me not to get any BioWare title, at least eventually (and I say this as somebody who still needs to finish Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, all of which I own but have yet to really sit down and enjoy). But I won't care about them the same way I do for the games from the "trusted" sources.

[AngryFrozenWater]

I came in with ME1. I didn't care for the older ones. I was more an open world RPG fan. And at the time of BG I was more into flight simulators and was into system wide skinning. Encouraged by people in my friend list I started to play the old ones too and I have a fair amount of them. That allows me to at least follow what all these people on the forums are mumbling about.

Am I loyal? I try to give the best feedback that I can. It's probably not always appreciated, because I have no emotional attachments to the company. I write about how I see things and what I would love to see in their games. And I don't have that silly urge of wanting to be liked. That probably doesn't help. Ghehe. I appreciate some of the people working at BW. As a company I see them like another division of EA. I am not sure if I can be loyal to such a large company. I am too pragmatic for that.

Modifié par AngryFrozenWater, 04 mai 2011 - 04:05 .

[Zjarcal]

My "loyalty" (if one would want to call it that) goes like this: I've bought and played eight Bioware games (counting full games and expansions, and I actually own more but I haven't played the others yet), and to different extents I have liked/loved them all, hence I consider every Bioware release something I must look into. Seeing how they haven't yet released a game I didn't like, I trust that any new release from them will be something I'll like.

That does not mean I would buy any Bioware game simply because it has the Bioware name on it (I won't buy SWTOR as I'm not into MMOs), the game itself still has to appeal to me.

[thesilverlinedviking]

Bioware's been straining the relationship lately

[deuce985]

Yes. I blindly buy every product they throw out. Even though I'm not a huge MMO fan, I'm at least going to try Old Republic out too :-) I've played every single Bioware game since Baldur's Gate.

I pretty much know what I'm getting with a Bioware game. .

One of the only devs I do that with. Despite what this board thinks, I still think DA2 is a very good game. Better than DA:O overall? No. Better at doing a lot of things than DA:O? Yes. Bioware should've crushed DA:O with this release and they were on the right track with a lot, but you can tell the short dev cycle forced this game to be rushed. I have no idea why they did this because Bioware has always been about quality. I mean, even Bioware things I can almost guarantee being great felt rushed in this game. It almost feels like half a game and over too quickly. Characters never really truly develop either. I just want them to take their time with DA3. I really hope ME3 doesn't get the DA2 treatment becuse again, we're getting another game with a short dev cycle...ME3 will be out not even 2 years from ME2's launch...

RPGs are not Madden, they can't have 1 year dev cycles to be great. Wonder what made them launch DA2 so quickly? Did they need to meet a budget requirement and then put all their eggs in the ME3 basket? Did they get EA'd, I have no idea...DA2 is still a good game though. Not great.

Modifié par deuce985, 04 mai 2011 - 04:19 .

[RaenImrahl]

I look at it like this... for years I bought the same brand of car. I liked them. Then, last time around, I needed something with different features-- so I bought a different brand. It doesn't mean I dislike the former, but all consumer choice (and we're all consumers as much as we're gamers) is a balance between comfort in a brand and utility of a product.

For me, Bioware is a recognized brand, but it's never the only option.

[Hatchetman77]

I've been a fan since KotOR.  I guess I could be considered a fan, as I would buy their games without looking at reviews or asking a friend about it.  That was more because I was sure that I was picking up a quality game because BioWare was stamped on the front of the box.  DA2 changed that, at least for now.  Time will tell if this was a single hiccup or the beginning of a trend, but for now I'll be careful with which BioWare games I buy.

[blothulfur]

Nah i'm a right slapper, i'll take up with any developer who strikes my fancy. That said i've got a crap load of bioware stuff so i've been a fairly consistent financial supporter, it's just at the moment we're not on good terms.

Now if they took a look at the movie RaenImrahls pic is from and recrafted DA2 to be as awesome as that then i'd rescind the restraining order and pledge them my troth once more, or if they release a new ultima i'll sacrifice blood and souls on an altar of devotion.

Modifié par blothulfur, 04 mai 2011 - 04:28 .

[Maugrim]

RaenImrahl wrote...

I look at it like this... for years I bought the same brand of car. I liked them. Then, last time around, I needed something with different features-- so I bought a different brand. It doesn't mean I dislike the former, but all consumer choice (and we're all consumers as much as we're gamers) is a balance between comfort in a brand and utility of a product.

For me, Bioware is a recognized brand, but it's never the only option.

That's a good way to put it as well.

I also like to think of it this way.  There are two brand spanking new games in unmarked boxes. One is from Bioware and the other is from one of severeval other studios I like (possibly Ubisoft or Rockstar etc in my case).  Both are triple AAA titles and I can only choose to own one.

I'll pick Bioware every time.  For me it's the safer bet.  Now that particular set of conditions would never come about but when most things are equal Bioware's track record and name will win me over everytime.

Modifié par makenzieshepard, 04 mai 2011 - 04:25 .