179 réponses à ce sujet

[Fingertrip]

JMA22TB wrote...

This is what Mass Effect 3's ending did to the franchise

%20http://i.imgur.com/ySdun.gif%20

How is this any relevant ? Do you just find the .gif funny? 

[wantedman dan]

Fingertrip wrote...

JMA22TB wrote...

This is what Mass Effect 3's ending did to the franchise

%20http://i.imgur.com/ySdun.gif%20

How is this any relevant ? Do you just find the .gif funny? 

Lots and lots of speculation?

[Sharkey1337]

Wow, thanks OP for that VERY enlightening parallel! I always heard about the mess of New Coke, but didn't know the details you provided.

[wantedman dan]

Sharkey1337 wrote...

Wow, thanks OP for that VERY enlightening parallel! I always heard about the mess of New Coke, but didn't know the details you provided.

Gracias, good sir. 

[Sharkey1337]

Man, the spoiler forums moves way too fast, gotta keep this one alive a little longer.

[wantedman dan]

Sharkey1337 wrote...

Man, the spoiler forums moves way too fast, gotta keep this one alive a little longer.

Yeah, it does. I blame the "hmm, I feel that's correct" factor as to why this thread isn't being discussed.

[The Elite Elite]

Interesting post. The whole "New Coke" thing happened before I was born so this was a nice little soft drink history lesson. And yes, very interesting the similarities with the response to ME3's ending. Let's hope BioWare does like Coca-Cola and fixes what their customers find to be a problem so that they can continue to be a successful game company in the future.

Modifié par The Elite Elite, 30 mars 2012 - 10:33 .

[wantedman dan]

The Elite Elite wrote...

Interesting post. The whole "New Coke" thing happened before I was born so this was a nice little soft drink history lesson. And yes, very interesting the similarities with the response to ME3's ending. Let's hope BioWare does like Coca-Cola and fixes what their customers find to be a problem so that they can continue to be a successful game company in the future.

Thanks -- same here, but I've been familiar with the concept for a while.

[clos]

wantedman dan wrote...

Warning: Wall of Text Proceeds. TL;DR follows.



I'm sure everyone remembers this infamous debacle that wreaked havoc upon the Coca-Cola Company, and the soft drink industry overall. New Coke. The name rings terror throughout the minds of corporate executives nationwide--if not globally--due to the mindnumbingly terrible business practices preceding, during, and proceeding the release of the devastatingly poor quality product.

Leading up to the 1985 release of the "New Coke" product--it was glaringly apparent that Coke was losing its force as the most dominant soft drink in the nation. Pepsi scared them--the 24% market share was being overtaken by PepsiCo in supermarkets. To reverse this troubling bearing, the Coca-Cola company market tested and released a new formula to compete with what was being considered as the new hip thing.

It failed, and miserably so.

There was some early acceptance of the product--big marketing pushes were made; they saturated markets such as New York and Washington D.C. and it seemed as though this huge push was beneficial. After all, their sales rose in comparison to their former product. However, this trend quickly reversed itself--there was a massive backlash from a "vocal minority" that basically held the company--and its product--hostage due to the radical change of formula. In fact, media outlets initially praised the product--it was new and groundbreaking, after all. This quickly gave way to media outlets damning the product and the executives for such a radical distancing from its prior bearing.

Coca-Cola quickly realized what a huge mistake it made. But you'll notice the vagueness of the anteceding paragraph, I hope.

This was intentional, as glaring parallels can be made between the Coca-Cola "New Coke" product, and our beloved Bioware and Mass Effect 3. 

Ignore the first informational paragraph--the numbers pertain only to that of "New Coke" and were for informational purposes only. The paragraph of acceptance is where your attention should lie, as that is where the parallels lie. Mass Effect 3 was saturated all throughout the nation--commercials ran consistently in television shows such as The Walking Dead on AMC, and all throughout the internet. Initially, this push seemed successful: Mass Effect 3 broke records on Day 1 sales and preorders. The sales in comparison to Mass Effect 1 & 2 paled in comparison for the first week.

This trend, however, did not last. There was a massive backlash from a "vocal minority" that basically has held the company--and its product--hostage due to a radical change in plot and content. In fact, media outlets intially praised the product for being outstanding in its field. It was new and groundbreaking, after all. This, unfortunately, did not last and the media frenzy began to die away with media outlets beginning to damn the product and the executives for such a radical departure from its prior bearings.

Seeing the parallels? This will be a defining moment for Bioware, just as it was for the Coca-Cola company in April through July of 1985. Mass Effect 3 will go down in the annals of history as having these parallels. It's up to Bioware, however, if they want the big, bold asterisk that Coca-Cola enjoys: they paid attention to their consumers--they reversed their bearings and moved back to the successful formula that the consumer enjoyed, and they reaped the benefits. They did not ally themselves to ludicrous concepts such as "artistic integrity" to justify a failing product. They admitted they were wrong, and went back to business as usual.

Will Bioware do the same? It is only a matter of time.

Post Script: I guess it's coincidence that both "New Coke" and Mass Effect 3 have conspiracy theorists postulating that these were intentional marketing ploys? Maybe it isn't.

Edit 3/29 11:30: It has been suggested that I include a paragraph from the Wikipedia article regarding posthumous studies of the "New Coke" brand:

Subject9x wrote...

"Coke spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out where it had made a mistake, ultimately concluding that it had underestimated the public impact of the portion of the customer base that would be alienated by the switch. This would not emerge for several years afterward, however, and in the meantime the public simply concluded that the company had, as Keough suggested, failed to consider the public's attachment to the idea of what Coke's old formula represented. While that has become conventional wisdom in the ensuing years, some analyses have suggested otherwise."

from 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke

this is a beautiful analogy, great find wantedman!

Thanks to Subject9x & jds1bio for this suggestion.



TL;DR: Mass Effect 3 is the New Coke of our generation. The progression of the two products parallel to an eery extent.

This was interesting. I remember tasting that nasty new coke, it was disgusting. So is ME3's ending. Guess we'll soon find out if Bioware will go by the wayside of many other developers or rise above their pride and correct their mistakes.

[wantedman dan]

Gracias, sir. If Coca-Cola can rise above it and negate their pride over a failing product, so too can Bioware.

[wantedman dan]

Bump

[mrderp27]

current ending is to new coke as potentially awesome new ending is to vanilla coke

[wantedman dan]

mrderp27 wrote...

current ending is to new coke as potentially awesome new ending is to vanilla coke

Vanilla Coke is BAWS

[mrderp27]

wantedman dan wrote...

mrderp27 wrote...

current ending is to new coke as potentially awesome new ending is to vanilla coke

Vanilla Coke is BAWS

cocaine in a can, baby!

[Unit-Alpha]

I compared the ME3 endings to New Coke, but you are the only one to do it justice. Coca Cola is one of the biggest global corporations, and if they can change, so can Bioware.

Modifié par Unit-Alpha, 30 mars 2012 - 11:54 .

[wantedman dan]

Unit-Alpha wrote...

I compared the ME3 endings to New Coke, but you are the only one to do it justice. Coca Cola is one of the biggest global corporations, and if they can change, so can Bioware.

Thank you, kindly.

[streamlock]

Interesting analogy.

So if ME3 is new Coke...
Was DA2 Clear Pepsi?

[wantedman dan]

streamlock wrote...

Interesting analogy.

So if ME3 is new Coke...
Was DA2 Clear Pepsi?

Taken from the Crystal Pepsi Wiki:

Yum! Brand Chairman Novak said:
It was a tremendous learning experience. I still think it's the best idea I ever had, and the worst executed. A lot of times as a leader you think, "They don't get it; they don't see my vision." People were saying we should stop and address some issues along the way, and they were right. It would have been nice if I'd made sure the product tasted good. Once you have a great idea and you blow it, you don't get a chance to resurrect it.

Hmmm.. Interesting...

Modifié par wantedman dan, 31 mars 2012 - 12:23 .

[streamlock]

wantedman dan wrote...

streamlock wrote...

Interesting analogy.

So if ME3 is new Coke...
Was DA2 Clear Pepsi?

Taken from the Crystal Pepsi Wiki:

Yum! Brand Chairman Novak said:
It was a tremendous learning experience. I still think it's the best idea I ever had, and the worst executed. A lot of times as a leader you think, "They don't get it; they don't see my vision." People were saying we should stop and address some issues along the way, and they were right. It would have been nice if I'd made sure the product tasted good. Once you have a great idea and you blow it, you don't get a chance to resurrect it.

Hmmm.. Interesting...

Holy crap-that was totally unintentional on my part o.O

[wantedman dan]

streamlock wrote...

wantedman dan wrote...

streamlock wrote...

Interesting analogy.

So if ME3 is new Coke...
Was DA2 Clear Pepsi?

Taken from the Crystal Pepsi Wiki:

Yum! Brand Chairman Novak said:
It was a tremendous learning experience. I still think it's the best idea I ever had, and the worst executed. A lot of times as a leader you think, "They don't get it; they don't see my vision." People were saying we should stop and address some issues along the way, and they were right. It would have been nice if I'd made sure the product tasted good. Once you have a great idea and you blow it, you don't get a chance to resurrect it.

Hmmm.. Interesting...

Holy crap-that was totally unintentional on my part o.O

The unintended moments of brilliance are always the best

[Sharkey1337]

wantedman dan wrote...

streamlock wrote...

Interesting analogy.

So if ME3 is new Coke...
Was DA2 Clear Pepsi?

Taken from the Crystal Pepsi Wiki:

Yum! Brand Chairman Novak said:
It was a tremendous learning experience. I still think it's the best idea I ever had, and the worst executed. A lot of times as a leader you think, "They don't get it; they don't see my vision." People were saying we should stop and address some issues along the way, and they were right. It would have been nice if I'd made sure the product tasted good. Once you have a great idea and you blow it, you don't get a chance to resurrect it.

Hmmm.. Interesting...

LOL, wow! I can't believe Bioware is following in the footsteps of soft drink makers...

[wantedman dan]

Sharkey1337 wrote...
LOL, wow! I can't believe Bioware is following in the footsteps of soft drink makers...

Except now it seems like Bioware is defeating itself.

There are certain travesties that define generations, and I think this could be ours.

[wantedman dan]

shameless promotion

[wantedman dan]

wantedman dan wrote...

shameless promotion

[Liber320]

wantedman dan wrote...

mrderp27 wrote...

current ending is to new coke as potentially awesome new ending is to vanilla coke

Vanilla Coke is BAWS

Damn, I could realy go for some vanilla coke right now. It's been years since I've even seen it