Wow never thought I would praise EA for anything, especially after they have destroyed a bunch of franchises and companies that I used to love. But for this they deserve credit.
EA.. Today you have made me proud.
Tomorrow I will go back to grumbling about how you are ruining the gaming industry.
This is just disgusting. Microtransactions are a very slippery slope. At first it is just cosmetic armor pieces, next it is "optional" weapon mods, then we get games where ammo is made unnecessarily scarce and the only way to enjoy it is to use real money to buy clips. Stuff like this angers me to no end. It reeks of corporate avarice and is nothing more than an exploitive business model. So sad to see a great series tarnished with this kind of money-grubbing.
This is a sad day not just for gaming but for me personally. In their prime, Bioware produced games which possessed the uncanny ability to make hours melt away. Their knack for story telling was unmatched, and when you finished the game, the characters and moments stuck with you for a long time. The company built a zealously loyal fan base through love and dedication to their craft. A fan base that has now become jaded and cynical over some serious missteps by BioWare's parent company. To prove my point just look at all the comments below this one.
It seems pretty obvious that this departure was far from amicable. All parties involved are releasing their PR spin corporate speak about this being an okay thing, but we all know that truth. Bioware fell victim to a deeply sick corporate culture. A culture that values conformity over ingenuity, a culture that is saturated in avarice, and all that matters is how to extract as much as possible from the consumer, not matter the long term damage to credibility. The story of BioWare should be a cautionary tale to any developer who has been tempted by the glitz and glamour of a big name published like EA. Sure EA has the resources to make all you wildest dreams come true, but at what cost? Hopefully the news of their departure can be something of a learning experience to the up and coming Greg Zeschuks and Ray Muzykas to learn from.
Frostbite 2 is powering the game? Does that mean it will have massive lens flare, blinding sunlight, a bluish tint on everything, too much boom/contrast, and over-hyped destruction?
My absolute favorite point-n-click was Sierra's "Quest for Glory" series. It combined RPG elements like leveling and character stats with the classic point-n-click formula. The story never took itself to seriously and was overflowing with cheesy puns. Oh the memories.
Some people want to die quietly in their sleep, some people want to go out while having sex, it think the way for me is dying playing video games, and then in my will make sure its written on my tombstone.
This should be a cautionary tale for any smaller studio who is considering a buyout offer from EA. When EA comes to you with promises of fame and riches, I implore you to resist. While EA may have a large pool of resources that were previously out of reach for smaller developers, the street runs both ways. EA's iron fist will come down hard and fast at the slightest sign of monetary loss.
I will gladly purchase any game CD Projekt Red puts out not only because they make quality products but because it is important to support their ideology and business model. They are an oasis of decency in a desert of profit obsessed mega-publishers.
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