Goodbye Bioware

[FUDU]

The fans hate it. Currently 2.4 on metacritic.
Pissed off at day one DLC, blatantly obvious money grab.
Story sucks.
Many, many other bitches, whines and complaints.



Seriously, is this the death nail for Bioware?

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Infinitron]

Srsly, I doubt the game is that bad, the 2.4 user metacritic score is probably a 4chan raid.

 

[Gord]

Most probably, in teh meanwhile reading some of the 5-point scores on metacritic might actually provide some more meaningful insight into the pros and cons of the game.

Hm, I still haven't even played ME2, I was hoping for some Ultimate edition on sale on Steam or such.

 

[20 Eyes]

Srsly, I doubt the game is that bad, the 2.4 user metacritic score is probably a 4chan raid.

Yeah, but if you just give bad games a 3 or 4 rating, it's not as effective as combating the people that think the 0-10 rating scale starts at 7 (for example, the vast majority of video game reviewers[game is shit, 7/10]).

 

[Icewater]

Srsly, I doubt the game is that bad, the 2.4 user metacritic score is probably a 4chan raid.

Yeah, but if you just give bad games a 3 or 4 rating, it's not as effective as combating the people that think the 0-10 rating scale starts at 7 (for example, the vast majority of video game reviewers[game is shit, 7/10]).

Fucking this. If the game gets a ridiculously low user score, people will just assume it was a raid or something and not take it seriously. However, if that score is instead around a mid-seven, it'll appear to be much more legitimate, and potential buyers may think twice before buying and it might actually hurt sales.

 

[Infinitron]

Most probably, in teh meanwhile reading some of the 5-point scores on metacritic might actually provide some more meaningful insight into the pros and cons of the game.

Hm, I still haven't even played ME2, I was hoping for some Ultimate edition on sale on Steam or such.

I think BiowEAr have caught on to the fact that people are waiting for Ultimate Editions to be released before buying, potentially depriving them of that sweet DLC money.

 

[Topher]

I don't get it. Is Mass Effect 3 out or something?

 

[Black]

The fans hate it. Currently 2.4 on metacritic.

No, that's just us and 4chainers.

Won't sell the 5-10 million copy's that EA demand that all their franchises must sell to be worth the effort.

I doubt it won't sell 5 mil, just read IGN review comments- http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/03/01/mass-effect-3-review

 

[FUDU]

Despite review scores from pros and gamers, I just don't think ME3 will sell more than 2-4 million. At best a moderate success for a AAA developer.

DA2 was a total flop for Bioware and EA. Bio has consistently not sold the kind of numbers EA wants. Not even close. The irony is that it's most likely EA's fault. Just like with all the other studios they've closed. But that never stops them from doing it.

I know it's like beating a dead horse, but I really think, this could be the beginning of the end, for Bioware.

Prove me wrong.

Bobby's probably laughing his ass off at EA.

 

[Ulminati]

We totally needed another thread for this.

 

[racofer]

"Goodbye"?

More like good riddance.

 

[FUDU]

Touche my thread inclining bro.

And nothing of value was lost?

 

[Quetzacoatl]

I hate how it takes so long for the inevitable to happen.

 

[FUDU]

I think EA just kept giving them ( EA's marketing and focus group department.) chances to come up with that "slam dunk" formula. They have failed. Time to pull the plug.

Bioware Austin, on life support. Prognosis unknown. End of rine?

 

[serch]

And now copy protection is a part of the game with those stupid online missions.

 

[DemonKing]

The "user" scores can safely be ignored given the game has only just been released there's very little chance anyone has played it long enough to accurately formulate an opinion.

Of course, the professional reviews can probably safely be ignored too, given they are just as weighted (albeit to the other end of the scale) than the user's reviews.

Personally I'm just hoping (praying) for something better than DA2.

 

[Falkner]

Do we really want BioWare to be closed? They make bad games, but at least the creepy "WHAT WOULD TALI'S SWEAT TASTE LIKE" stuff is contained to the community of one studio. Imagine them closing and MCA joyfully twittering that he can FINALLY work together with Gaider and Laidlaw.

 

[RK47]

Hi FUDU, I see you're fitting in real well down here, but I gotta say it's naive to think Bioware would be closed down so quickly.
1. Have they lost money like Mythic did on Warhammer Online epic flop?
2. If no, then why should they close down? The Old Republic is still raking in the dough, Mass Effect 3 sold loads, despite raging metacritic scores. 1 million copies sold and it's a flop? AAA must be a god tier then. If they sold direct DLC, and each costs around 4.99, we're looking at minimum 100k downloads. That's good money right there. So why so worried? Why close down the studio? It's a good profit making division.

Face it, EA is more worried about the profits they're raking in, not some random internet people blasting their games.
If anything, this would make Metacritic less relevant to anything, which IMO it wasn't originally, thanks 4chan! Keep up the good work!

"Metacritic? Just a bunch of outlet for random trolls to post hate posts on games they never actually bought or played" is probably the mainstream reaction to this whole hoo-ha.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Bioware is going to make bank on ME3. It's going to get a shit-ton of advertising, both "paid-for" and from news outlets because of journo-bait like gay buttsex. That's enough to get in the minds of the masses and drive sales, because most people will just buy on impulse ("Oh hey, this looks kind of cool") as they don't weigh every game purchase in terms of how much booze and smokes it could buy you instead. The only real "damage" that Bioware will suffer is that hardcore fans won't trust them...until they start the hype machine for DA3 about how it "returns to the hardcore roots of DA:O" and most of the hardcore fans go crawling back begging to lick Gaider/Laidlaw/The Doc's boots while repeating to themselves in their minds, "They love me...they just had some small problems. That's all. Things will be better this time. They won't beat me....". Fucking Stockholm syndrome, yo.

 

[Volourn]

DA2 sold 2mil+ copies in the first month. That's not a bomb by any fukkin' defintion. FFS

No BIO game sells 5-10mil copies nor does EA really think one well. Let's not be stupid here. That's Madden type numbers and no way is a BIO game at Madden's level of popularity. FFS

 

[DaveO]

Within two months of the launch, DA2 sold-in "over two million copies", meaning that over two million copies have been distributed to retailers. This is the old Skyrim fake achievement of x million units shipped. How many of those two million copies were actually sold?

 

[RK47]

Come on Dave. There's really no need to go over this. DA2 wasn't a financial failure by any stretch of imagination. The amount of recycled assets and repetitive content is cost-cutting measures and it shows. Over two million sold? Ok, let's drop that to one million. 50% drop. That's still a financial gain IMO. The sort of sold copies that smaller devs can only dream of achieving. What Bioware merely lost was goodwill. And that won't make EA lose sleep.

Once again, I repeat: To EA: PROFITS > Review Scores. If the game is getting negative backlash but still making positive profits, EA wouldn't give a shit. I understand Company-Consumers Relations 101, but there's a great weapon at the company's disposal in terms of paid mouthpiece and reviewers. These guys are the ones behind the hype and one week of record breaking sales upon release. Epic. Sexier. Better. Massive. Majestic - buzz generation. You cannot destroy this sort of business models by fire-bombing Metacritic for over two consecutive games. It'll take time but closing down Bioware over Mass Effect 3? That's just pure naivety.

 

[Brayko]

I say once/if crowd funding becomes successful Bioware may take the plunge. That's only "if", I personally don't want crowd funding to be the new industry norm, becaue money grubbers will find ways to exploit it. Keep it niche and real so we can play good games and not worry about shitty AAA games.

 

[DaveO]

I was just trying to point out that any number given is open to interpretation, especially professional review scores.