5592 réponses à ce sujet

[Killroy]

Given that this place is renowned for having an incredibly toxic board atmosphere (and general responses to threads back that preconception up), I'm not surprised that it's come to this. The majority of posts/ threads I've seen while trying to have an actual discussion here usually boil down to "everything Bioware have done since DA:O is completely terrible", "Bioware are evil sellouts" and just trolls everywhere. The BSN hasn't been a real measure of Bioware's fandom for many years. So I can absolutely see why they'd want to close the forum. There have been times I've felt sorry for the staff and devs for the sheer level of abuse they're subjected to for the tiniest of things.

 

Sorry, but that's total BS. It's just a stupid meme and not reflective of the truth at all. Most people here think ME2 is the best game in the franchise and that ME3 is great until the last 10 minutes. Trolls are always met with disdain. And negativity, even when constructive, is frequently met with fanboy-like opposition. If this is too much for the devs to handle how the hell do they hold down jobs?

[BioFan (Official)]

I keep thinking about "the next generation" of YouTubers like me, who are young and begging their moms to buy them Mass Effect: Andromeda at the local GameStop because they're not old enough to play it. Who will fall in love with it. Who will want to ride off into the sunset with a fictional character they met in a video game. Who will spend hours researching the lore of the game and constructing theories because they have an unquenchable passion and creative mind. Who will not have this kind of outlet to express their passion about the game with others and share ideas. Who will not have a place to go to in the gigantic universe of the internet to find information consolidated into one handy place. It just really makes me sad thinking about all the thing this little corner of the internet gave me, and how it won't be around for the next kid that wants to start making YouTube videos about the games he/she loves. 

[Solas]

We actively follow and seek out what our players are saying, whether its here or on other websites, blogs, or social media. We also get the odd handwritten letter, and we read those too.

Closing these boards does not mean that stops, nor does it mean we expect you to give us 144 character reviews or feedback. We encourage all of our players to talk about our games in the way that best suits them and the discussion they are wanting to have. Sometimes that's on Twitter, sometimes that's via a blog, or Reddit, or community forum.

But this is our community forum

 

I've never been upset or annoyed at or angry with BioWare before, not once, and I've been playing since JE and DA:O. Not with the ME3 endings, not with anything. This is the first time I feel sad and letdown. 

[prosthetic soul]

No, this was not a monetary decision. It also was not an easy one for us to make.

 

We understand that there are people who use and love these boards. And like them, we are sad to see them go. However, many of our players and staff now use other sites and networks outside of these boards, and we want to foster these interactions and support the great fan communities our players have built.

 

As always, we are committed to our players, and will continue to seek out and solicit their feedback. All of you are why we make games and what we love about gaming. This is the end of an era, but we will always, always listen to our players.

Actions speak louder than words.  And so far this action has proved you're doing the exact opposite. 

[nightscrawl]

Call me a doomsayer, but I suspect this move is happening in response to a lack of faith at EA/BioWare in the success of MEA and a forthcoming announcement that Dragon Age is over. If things were going great at BioWare and everything was business as usual this wouldn't be happening. EA hasn't released sales figures for DAI for a reason, and BioWare hasn't shown off MEA for a reason.

I was wondering about this too, but only because this has left me paranoid. However, I will say that I had heard that DAI was the most successful DA game to date, with Trespasser also selling very well, so I don't think that's the case.

[Steelcan]

Actions speak louder than words.  And so far this action has proved you're doing the exact opposite. 

don't listen to his PR speak

 

we're getting kicked to the curb and BioWare doesn't care about receiving real feedback.  They want to be fawned over which is easy to do on all these other sites they keep mentioning.

[PCThug]

Closing these boards does not mean that stops, nor does it mean we expect you to give us 144 character reviews or feedback. We encourage all of our players to talk about our games in the way that best suits them and the discussion they are wanting to have. Sometimes that's on Twitter, sometimes that's via a blog, or Reddit, or community forum.

 

It's okay dog, we all miss things sometimes.

[Puddi III]

I'm not suggesting that you are upset. But you must understand that someone showing up unannounced at a business with no clear intentions could be potentially alarming to our front desk staff.

Hands up, don't shoot, dog.

[Sylvius the Mad]

I'm not suggesting that you are upset.

You said it explicitly: "I understand you are upset"

This probably isn't the least stressful thing you've ever had to do. I get that you're trying to defuse things before they get out of hand (because locking this thread would have terrible optics).

But you must understand that someone showing up unannounced at a business with no clear intentions could be potentially alarming to our front desk staff.

That makes sense, I suppose.

I know in the past some fans have dropped off gifts, though, so it must be at least a little bit welcoming.

But perhaps not today.

[Reznore57]

I was wondering about this too, but only because this has left me paranoid. However, I will say that I had heard that DAI was the most successful DA game to date, with Trespasser also selling very well, so I don't think that's the case.

 

Part of the fun of DAI was waiting in the Twitter Threat until the release of the game.(Ok it also felt like torture...) When I got the game I said "Bye for a while BSN" and when I finished I got back with my impressions right away on the forum...

And we won't have that anymore.Erf.

[prosthetic soul]

You said it explicitly: "I understand you are upset"

This probably isn't the least stressful thing you've ever had to do. I get that you're trying to defuse things before they get out of hand (because locking this thread would have terrible optics).
That makes sense, I suppose.

I know in the past some fans have dropped off gifts, though, so it must be at least a little bit welcoming.

But perhaps not today.

They couldn't even be arsed to accept the cupcakes. 

[byne]

Actual image from the BW offices:

 

[Killroy]

No, this was not a monetary decision. It also was not an easy one for us to make.

 

We understand that there are people who use and love these boards. And like them, we are sad to see them go. However, many of our players and staff now use other sites and networks outside of these boards, and we want to foster these interactions and support the great fan communities our players have built.

 

As always, we are committed to our players, and will continue to seek out and solicit their feedback. All of you are why we make games and what we love about gaming. This is the end of an era, but we will always, always listen to our players.

 

You've been put in the awkward position of being forced to promote and defend something that makes no logical sense. Fans built THIS community. There is no BioWare community on social media, like this one or at all. What you're doing is killing the central pillar of your fanbase in what I suspect is a cynical ploy to end discussion and criticism of upcoming titles. If there's no monetary reason to kill these forums then there is no legitimate reason to do it. The fans don't need you or any other devs to frequent these forums to make them worthwhile. I've never even seen you here before so what am I missing by not seeing you again? 

[Conal Pierse]

Seriously?

 

PLEASE explain to me how another site is better designed to discuss the lore, characters, and such?

 

Twitter with its 140 character limit?  Tumblr that's terrible for the back and forth discussions on here, or Reddit where everything gets buried.  We know its not really about "players and staff using other sites" at east do us the courtesy of an honest answer.

 

We aren't suggesting you use Twitter, or Facebook, or any other platform that you don't want to. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and we encourage our players and studio members to use the sites that suit their preferences.

 

There are many places where you can still have in-depth discussions about lore, such as the wikis, fan run community boards. And yes, there is even Reddit, which while these discussions may sometimes get buried on the main subreddit, there is nothing precluding the creation of a lore or character-specific subreddit.
 

The discussions you are referring to are already happening in many other spaces and in many other forms. Some ephemeral and quick, others in-depth and at length.

 

We understand and appreciate that the people who use these boards enjoy them, but there are a lot of great things out there waiting. And while we are sad to see them go, we are hopeful for the future, and remain committed to talking with and listening to our community.

[Spirit Vanguard]

Reposting:

 

I just finally decided to start being active around here despite joining over a year ago. That's my luck, though, as soon as I get into something it usually moves on... (So this might be my fault.  ) I don't really "internet," I don't have twitter or facebook or tumblr or whatever else and don't belong to other sites because I'm not actually that social. Even so, I liked just casually hanging out around here. Reading, posting -- nothing too serious because I don't always do serious well.

 

All the rage and lack of faith on here against BioWare has been off-putting, and not everything here has been bunnies and rainbows, but I was still looking forward to the MEA experience with everyone, all the crazy, good or ill, especially since I haven't been around when a game has dropped.

 

What little time I spent here I still enjoyed. If another "forum" like place is created I'd probably give it a try, otherwise I guess that's the end of a BioWare community for me. Just when I was getting to know you...

 

[BoscoBread]

Call me a doomsayer, but I suspect this move is happening in response to a lack of faith at EA/BioWare in the success of MEA and a forthcoming announcement that Dragon Age is over. If things were going great at BioWare and everything was business as usual this wouldn't be happening. EA hasn't released sales figures for DAI for a reason, and BioWare hasn't shown off MEA for a reason.

I doubt that's the case. do believe this is a way to promote other platforms which they believe have more penetration.  The forums are closed - meaning you have to actively seek them out as a fan and then noone else sees them.  This is a way to encourage discussion social network platforms to build a customer base.  People like to be included so they buy things they see their friends talking about excitedly.  

 

If they shut this down it encourages people to congregate in those spaces and have YOU the player help build their player base.  But I use tumblr. I use twitter.  People use multiple platforms -- I think MOST people on here do.  But I used this to actually talk with fans.  To get my serious nerd on with the game and its playerbase.  If it's not a monetary decision, then I'm confused why not just keep it.

 

I would at least like something to make it easy to archive threads and PM's.   

[Dai Grepher]

No, this was not a monetary decision. It also was not an easy one for us to make.

But it is the wrong decision.
 

However, many of our players and staff now use other sites and networks outside of these boards, and we want to foster these interactions and support the great fan communities our players have built.

How does closing these forums encourage interaction through those other mediums? Also, what alternative would you suggest we use for in-depth discussions about lore and news? Is Twitter designed for such things? Is Tumblr? Facebook? Will these even be around years from now or will people tire of them?
 

As always, we are committed to our players, and will continue to seek out and solicit their feedback. All of you are why we make games and what we love about gaming. This is the end of an era, but we will always, always listen to our players.

What kind of feedback can you get from a 150 character tweet? What kind of constructive criticism can you expect from a comic-con uber-fan in a leotard?

[MARIACHI isBACK]

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!! I DEMAND ACTION!!!

Don't close down the forums, they are the pillar of a healthy community.

[goofyomnivore]

Personally the BSN is one of the bigger reasons I've stayed interested in BioWare's games. Other games may be more enjoyable or better than ME or DA, but I lose interest in them quickly because they don't have the community that BioWare's games have. There is a lot of nonsense on the BSN, but there are countless threads with dozens sometimes hundreds of pages that have added invaluable information and ideas to BioWare's games at least for me.

[Solas]

You've been put in the awkward position of being forced to promote and defend something that makes no logical sense. Fans built THIS community. There is no BioWare community on social media, like this one or at all. What you're doing is killing the central pillar of your fanbase in what I suspect is a cynical ploy to end discussion and criticism of upcoming titles. If there's no monetary reason to kill these forums then there is no legitimate reason to do it. The fans don't need you or any other devs to frequent these forums to make them worthwhile. I've never even seen you here before so what am I missing by not seeing you again? 

yeah I feel bad for Conal it's not his fault 

[byne]

We aren't suggesting you use Twitter, or Facebook, or any other platform that you don't want to. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and we encourage our players and studio members to use the sites that suit their preferences.

 

There are many places where you can still have in-depth discussions about lore, such as the wikis, fan run community boards. And yes, there is even Reddit, which while these discussions may sometimes get buried on the main subreddit, there is nothing precluding the creation of a lore or character-specific subreddit.
 

The discussions you are referring to are already happening in many other spaces and in many other forms. Some ephemeral and quick, others in-depth and at length.

 

We understand and appreciate that the people who use these boards enjoy them, but there are a lot of great things out there waiting. And while we are sad to see them go, we are hopeful for the future, and remain committed to talking with and listening to our community.

 

BSN suits my preferences, so clearly you arent encouraging me to use a site that matches my preference. You are in fact doing the exact opposite of that. No PR doublespeak will change the fact that you are shutting down the main hub of communication. You're telling us YOUR OFFICIAL COMMUNITY BOARD isnt a good place to discuss your games, but FAN RUN COMMUNITY BOARDS are?! Are you insane?

[Dark Helmet]

I'd respect them a lot more if they dispensed with the Corporatese and were honest about it.

 

"We want endless praise in our echo chamber. So we're axing this forum because people hurt our feelings by criticizing us."

[Meof]

If there are other resources out there that the Bioware peeps are going on then how are the mass accumulation of people who want to express their feelings, concerns, suggestions and things such as that? This forum was kinda the reason where the mass could talk and discuss things. Where are we gonna go? There is Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, etc. But I feel like there's only a 1/1000 chance the suggestion, concern, etc will be addressed or even looked at. So it's like ???? I feel like this is kinda unfair as this was a community, now it's just going to go away and it's quiet upsetting. Plus, I got here like yesterday so it's like "lolwat" .

 

If I suggest anything? I feel like the Tumblr people could make a new hashtag the BioWare people could look at to see what people are talking about. Facebook? Maybe a group? Same w/ Twitter? I dont think twitter can have groups tho rip. So it's like.

[Steelcan]

We aren't suggesting you use Twitter, or Facebook, or any other platform that you don't want to. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and we encourage our players and studio members to use the sites that suit their preferences.

 

There are many places where you can still have in-depth discussions about lore, such as the wikis, fan run community boards. And yes, there is even Reddit, which while these discussions may sometimes get buried on the main subreddit, there is nothing precluding the creation of a lore or character-specific subreddit.
 

The discussions you are referring to are already happening in many other spaces and in many other forms. Some ephemeral and quick, others in-depth and at length.

 

We understand and appreciate that the people who use these boards enjoy them, but there are a lot of great things out there waiting. And while we are sad to see them go, we are hopeful for the future, and remain committed to talking with and listening to our community.

"we understand you guys like the forum, but don't let the door hit you on the way out"

 

for those of you who don't want to parse his PR argle bargle

[Fredward]

yeah I feel bad for Conal it's not his fault 

 

Probably not the decision but the message could use some work as this one makes about as much sense as licking a subway floor to boost your immune system.