324 réponses à ce sujet

[IanPolaris]

Torrible wrote...
Their stocks went from $52 to a low of $15 within a period of 6 months in 2008. Want to make an educated guess as to why? From 2008 to 2012, the price flutuated between $15 and $25 (being closer to $15 more than 50% of the time during that period). Prices are a stable low (in that period) rather than a one-way inexorable slide.

Now compare them to their competition.  EA has been hurt the worst and has recovered the least of all the major companies.  It is not a company that is doing well...

-Polaris

[Trix-Rabbit]

John Epler wrote...

Eain wrote...

John Epler wrote...

Skyline45 wrote...

John Epler wrote...

As with all BioWare staff, his opinion is his own.

I'm of the school of thought that 'if you consume a product, you are welcome to criticize and critique it'. That doesn't mean that, occasionally, you aren't going to necessarily understand something that's rather specialized - but why would you? It's not your job to know about things like production and resource costs. That's the job of the company - all you need to know is 'did I enjoy the product' and 'what parts of the game did I or did I not enjoy'.

If I dont know the details you describe then how can I make an informed purchase as a consumer?

Because the details that should inform your purchase aren't things like 'how many man hours is it going to take to implement this feature' or 'what's the cost of outsourcing X art asset versus doing it in-house', but rather 'does this feature do what I want' or 'is this content the sort of thing I'm going to enjoy?' That's what I mean when I talk about things that, as a ocnsumer, you won't necessarily understand.

So what happens when the spokespersons for a game development studio start promising one type of content while giving another, and then try to justify it afterwards with dev-speak that we were never supposed to care about in the first place?

If the question sounds hostile that's because it's an inherently unpleasant question. I can't do much about that. But I still think it deserves asking.

If you're talking about me when referring to 'dev-speak', then I'm not sure how to answer this question, particularly as it was intended as a 'yes, there are some details that consumers aren't going to be privy to or necessarily understand, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have every right to offer criticism and critique' post. It's a fact of any business - there are, both due to legal issues and issues of privileged information, certain things that the end user will never know.

If you're referring to others, then I'm not really comfortable answering, as I'm not a member of the ME team and it's really not up to me to comment, sorry.

It's Really a good thing that people dont know alot of what it takes behind the scenes.   Sadly to some degree, part of us not getting what we want has nothing to do with Bioware or EA and more to do with things like Dated Hardware on console(lol at ps3 memory).   But as a developer Bioware could never point at M$/Sony and say hey, you guys are costing us man hours Optimizing our game having to design around dated hardware.
         Despite the ending debacle, I think it'd be bad idea for people to give up on Mass Effect based on ME3, Since the next game is likely to take a massive leap in its quality over ME3 in almost every way, assuming they are developing it for NEXT Gen Consoles and or using Unreal Engine 4. 
         I think alot of people forget that a game like Mass Effect 3 is a nightmare to develop, especially when you need flow charts to manage your flowcharts just to get the 9 million entities working together and in the right order....

[Mad-Hamlet]

eddieoctane wrote...

When did Ricky Gervais get into video game development? Scratch that, Gervais is actually funny.

I just can't finish that video. "Your opinion matter less because you're only a consumer and not my actual peer." So what happen when I'm working for a defense contractor designing fighter jets for a living?  You'd be right in saying we aren't peers. I'd be arguably more important than you because a: when I screw up people might actually die on a rather large scale, and b: I have access to freaking fighter jets. The elitism is astonishing.

You win.

No really, you win. You have access to fighter jets.
I'll throw in my lunch money!

MOMMY!!

[stysiaq]

the bro in the video tells a really cool story.

[Rodia Driftwood]

John Epler wrote...

As with all BioWare staff, his opinion is his own.

I'm of the school of thought that 'if you consume a product, you are welcome to criticize and critique it'. That doesn't mean that, occasionally, you aren't going to necessarily understand something that's rather specialized - but why would you? It's not your job to know about things like production and resource costs. That's the job of the company - all you need to know is 'did I enjoy the product' and 'what parts of the game did I or did I not enjoy'.

Haha..And you work for toolbags like him?. I don't know how you guys can stand something like that.

Even if it's his opinion, people like him give a terrible reputation to a company that ALREADY has a bad reputation for being rude and dismissive to their costumers.

[PsyrenY]

Rodia Driftwood wrote...

Haha..And you work for toolbags like him?. I don't know how you guys can stand something like that.

What part of "he's Bioware Mythic" did you not get?

[Kamuchi]

Artistic Integrity applies to comidians aswell, i guess...
But seriously, if Senior Creative Director of EA BioWare says that we are stupid and have no right to crtisize their artistic crap, like his standup hour, and f`off...

You know what bEAware, i`ll just f`off for ever and not "hold the wallet" for the fix
We knew already how you thought about your customers, but if senior directors just bluntly say it, you have a good point 

[Forsythia]

They sure are making it easier by the minute quitting BioWare altogether. And I don't care if he's from BioWare Mythic, he's under the BioWare label now.

[Wes Finley]

Relevant article about Gearbox developing Borderlands, and how they were "Interpreting tester feedback".

Basically, the core concept of outsiders not understanding key elements is true, but that does not invalidate their opinion. It is the responsibility of those insiders who know how things work to cut to the real issue that needs fixing.

[nlag]

bleetman wrote...

Guys, guys.

If you don't want me to buy your games anymore, just say so. It'll save us both a lot of time.

Second that.

[ComfortablyNumb]

There is one, simple explanation to this "ME3 endings debacle" - we (the fans) are all subjects of a cruel, social experiment...
I sincerely hope BW will publish whatever results they get from it.

[Camthalon]

John Epler wrote...

The Edge wrote...

John Epler wrote...

As with all BioWare staff, his opinion is his own.

I'm of the school of thought that 'if you consume a product, you are welcome to criticize and critique it'. That doesn't mean that, occasionally, you aren't going to necessarily understand something that's rather specialized - but why would you? It's not your job to know about things like production and resource costs. That's the job of the company - all you need to know is 'did I enjoy the product' and 'what parts of the game did I or did I not enjoy'.

I'm just confused when, on one hand, Bioware says "We are listening", yet, from Mr. Barnett, the consumers opinion doesn't matter. How does that work?

Mr. Barnett works at BioWare Mythic, and isn't involved with the Mass Effect franchise.

Anyways. That's all I'm really comfortable saying on the matter.

Ahhhh.  That makes sense. 
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning makers.  Such a shame...  That game had potential and they squashed it promptly.

At least it explains why he's dead set on thinking players' opinions don't matter.  The games his division's responsible for are flops.

[robertm2]

just wow. how do you justify saying screw the consumer? he should be fired.

[CimCake]

Wow...So what he's saying is he wants everyone to buy the game even if it's crap and just shut up about it.

Isn't that textbook bad consumerism? Mindlessly buying everything a company pumps out no matter how good or bad it is, never voicing your opinion?

[Rodia Driftwood]

Optimystic_X wrote...

Rodia Driftwood wrote...

Haha..And you work for toolbags like him?. I don't know how you guys can stand something like that.

What part of "he's Bioware Mythic" did you not get?

I don't think you and I are on the same page here.

[Apfelweinbrauer]

Wes Finley wrote...
...

Just an off-topic question, aren't you afraid of getting banned with that Woo-quote in you signature?

[DamonD7]

I've had enough of Mr. Barnett's disingenuous assertions. He's a fool, and we should eat him.

[Denethar]

The guy helped design Warhammer Online, is anyone really surprised about this?

[ratzerman]

It's sad that the only devs active in the Mass Effect forums have no connection to Mass Effect. :-(

[CrazyRah]

Well Paul is obviosuly a fool, won't get bothered by him. I quit listening to people like him long ago and the only time i listen to them is when i need something to laugh at

[royceclemens]

Well, you heard it here first: A developer can build a standard of excellence over a decade and a half of wonderful games, but if you ever try to hold them to it, you're an idiot.

[Harorrd]

incinerator950 wrote...

lol 

[EricHVela]

EA has shown to me over time that they must dumb things down to cater to a broader gamer market. In doing that, they tend to alienate the broader gamer market which is actually comprised of niches of mostly smart people with different styles.

They seem to be fine with suckering in a group of players for a dumbed-down sequel to a successful game and then abandoning the series when they lose the audience (both new and established players).

This is what I've seen based on EA's history. It seems to me that they don't understand how to play the niche game with marketing.