Video Game Industry Thread: February part II is done, go to the next thread

The Dude With Herpes

cloudeagle wrote: »

Requesting a new ending is still pretty ballsy, especially in a medium where, well, that doesn't generally happen. Being civil about it doesn't delve into goosery, though. That's new info to me since I hadn't visited the site, mainly because I'm trying to avoid ME3 spoilers like Ebola since I'm still playing it.

Spoiler:

Yes, I realize I've guaranteed the next five posts will be Mass Effect 3 spoilers.

Dragkonias wrote: »

I'm already going to tell you guys how the new ending is going to happen.

1. Bioware will release new ending.
2. It will make things clearer and fix a lot of the "real" problems that the ending had. But for the most part it won't be wildly different.
3. People will still bitch because it didn't turn out exactly like they wanted it to.

I mean it probably won't be as bad as now since I do feel some people who don't like the ending just don't like how little sense it makes. But it will be nice to finally separate the people complaining about the ending because of how shoddily it was done and those complaining because it didn't end with Ice Cream Reapers.

Can't argue with that.

Oh absolutely it wont make everyone happy.

And I don't think that bioware has any notion that it will. But even if it did the very possible least it could do and just clarify the crap in the ending that straight up made zero sense in the context of the series, it would still be an improvement.

lowlylowlycook

At some point Japan has already won the WTF Game Title Olympics and this stuff is just showing off.

[3DS] 07. If I Were in a Sealed Room with a Girl I'd Probably XXX (D3, 12.03.15): 18,291 (NEW)

Also it's too bad that we don't get press releases for MC data otherwise we might hear about "the PSP family of handhelds".

mynameisguido

It is certainly not possible to please everyone, but if there's more closure it's likely going to satiate a lot of people.

lowlylowlycook

Yay for terrible internet!

Dragkonias

lowlylowlycook wrote: »

At some point Japan has already won the WTF Game Title Olympics and this stuff is just showing off.

[3DS] 07. If I Were in a Sealed Room with a Girl I'd Probably XXX (D3, 12.03.15): 18,291 (NEW)

I think it wins creepiest title too.

agoaj

Let's fix that title
[3DS] 07. If I Were in a Sealed Room with a Girl I'd Probably Complain About The Mass Effect 3 Ending (D3, 12.03.15): 18,291 (NEW)

Skull2185

agoaj wrote: »

Let's fix that title
[3DS] 07. If I Were in a Sealed Room with a Girl I'd Probably Complain About The Mass Effect 3 Ending get a high pressure nose bleed (D3, 12.03.15): 18,291 (NEW)

Ninja Snarl P

mynameisguido wrote: »

It is certainly not possible to please everyone, but if there's more closure it's likely going to satiate a lot of people.

I wish I could believe that, but we all know better. DLC content for the ending will probably end up having to be purchased, which will just instigate ME3 Bitching: Round Two as people gripe, justifiably or otherwise, about how Bioware/EA is just trying to squeeze more money out of people for a semi-rational ending.

I swear, I've never been happier about holding off on buying a game. Now I can skip all the craziness going on right now, wait to see what happens with the DLC, and potentially (hopefuly) get an improved version of the game on the cheap some time down the road.

urahonky

Improved version for the last 5 minutes? Or you could enjoy it now and just deal with it.

Ninja Snarl P

You are what people would classify as a terrible person.

Terrible.

urahonky

Ninja Snarl P wrote: »

You are what people would classify as a terrible person.

Terrible.

I'm comfortable with being called that.

Skull2185

Hey, so I guess the Legacy of Kain franchise is getting a reboot. That's pretty cool.

tbloxham

Dragkonias wrote: »

I'm already going to tell you guys how the new ending is going to happen.

1. Bioware will release new ending.
2. It will make things clearer and fix a lot of the "real" problems that the ending had. But for the most part it won't be wildly different.
3. People will still bitch because it didn't turn out exactly like they wanted it to.

I mean it probably won't be as bad as now since I do feel some people who don't like the ending just don't like how little sense it makes. But it will be nice to finally separate the people complaining about the ending because of how shoddily it was done and those complaining because it didn't end with Ice Cream Reapers.

It seems to me that more choice and variety, wherever it is, is always good. The game is supposed to be about you choosing what happens and reflecting the outcome of choices you already made so even the Ice Cream Reapers ending would be a good addition if they could make you go on a mission to convert the mac guffin into an ice cream ray.

Corehealer

Skull2185 wrote: »

Hey, so I guess the Legacy of Kain franchise is getting a reboot. That's pretty cool.

Helloween will be so happy.

Dragkonias

Yeah. But the creators of something might not want to give you a specific choice because they might not feel that it fits properly.

electricitylikesme

Dragkonias wrote: »

Yeah. But the creators of something might not want to give you a specific choice because they might not feel that it fits properly.

Then that's a pretty fundamental problem with their writing isn't it, since the whole goal of writing is to communicate a message and intent.

GnomeTank

tbloxham wrote: »

Dragkonias wrote: »

I'm already going to tell you guys how the new ending is going to happen.

1. Bioware will release new ending.
2. It will make things clearer and fix a lot of the "real" problems that the ending had. But for the most part it won't be wildly different.
3. People will still bitch because it didn't turn out exactly like they wanted it to.

I mean it probably won't be as bad as now since I do feel some people who don't like the ending just don't like how little sense it makes. But it will be nice to finally separate the people complaining about the ending because of how shoddily it was done and those complaining because it didn't end with Ice Cream Reapers.

It seems to me that more choice and variety, wherever it is, is always good. The game is supposed to be about you choosing what happens and reflecting the outcome of choices you already made so even the Ice Cream Reapers ending would be a good addition if they could make you go on a mission to convert the mac guffin into an ice cream ray.

That's not really the point. The point is that no matter what choices are given, there will always be a group of people that simply complain because they didn't get the exact ending they wanted, or things didn't tie up exactly like they wanted them to.

This is a problem with an epic like Mass Effect that spans so many years, and engages it's fans at the level it does. Emotional attachment gets tied up in to the equation, and that causes people to get disproportionately upset when things don't follow the ideas they have in their head.

Dragkonias

electricitylikesme wrote: »

Dragkonias wrote: »

Yeah. But the creators of something might not want to give you a specific choice because they might not feel that it fits properly.

Then that's a pretty fundamental problem with their writing isn't it, since the whole goal of writing is to communicate a message and intent.

Umm...no.

Just because a game or anything doesn't give you the outcome you desire doesn't automatically mean its the fault of the creator...or rather them not having the outcome you desire or wanting to include it isn't instantly a negative.

cloudeagle

In the latest installment of "Capcom gives a big-name IP to a random western developer who promptly fucks it up:"

http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city

54/100 and falling.

Local H Jay

hey guys whats going on in this...
*sees ME3 ending discussion*

Dragkonias

cloudeagle wrote: »

In the latest installment of "Capcom gives a big-name IP to a random western developer who promptly fucks it up:"

http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city

54/100 and falling.

Yeah. I watched my brother playing it.

Unpolished would be giving the game too much credit.

The Wolfman

All I know is that you can't really call it rabid bitching from a few vocal nerds when virtually everybody is now doing it. Look how long it's gone on. Shit, just look at the ME thread, it's going through a full thread every 3-4 days, and most of the talk is about the ending. There is obviously something here that's moved beyond simple bitching.

And you can't just dismiss it by saying "oh well nerds just want a happily ever after ending". That theory is complete bunk. The Shin Megami Tensai series should be dead in the water if that were true. Shit, FF XIII-2 blows that out of the water too. Does anybody remember the bitching people did about the ending for that before the thing was even released? "It ends on an obvious cliffhanger, it's total shit and a money grab". Until people actually played the game and saw the ending for themselves. Yes it does end with a clear "to be continued", but everybody who's seen it has almost unanimously agreed that it's a pretty frickin' great ending to boot. And the bitching has magically dried up. Funny, that.

People don't simply want happy ice cream endings and nothing else. Some of the best stories out there end with the heroes dying, the bad guys winning, and the universe destroyed. People are fully willing and able to accept bittersweet or downer endings. It just has to have one very important aspect. It has to be internally consistent. Fallout 3 wasn't, because of the whole radiation shtick. And it sounds like ME3 isn't either.

Skull2185

cloudeagle wrote: »

In the latest installment of "Capcom gives a big-name IP to a random western developer who promptly fucks it up:"

http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city

54/100 and falling.

Apparently Slant Six is also the developer that fucked up SOCOM, so I guess it shouldn't be too shocking.

Still gonna get it though. When its dirt cheap, of course.

UncleSporky

We complain about review scores a lot here, right?

Well worry no more! Now we have a way to distill every game down to its core!

http://owreviews.com/

Dragkonias

The Wolfman wrote: »

All I know is that you can't really call it rabid bitching from a few vocal nerds when virtually everybody is now doing it. Look how long it's gone on. Shit, just look at the ME thread, it's going through a full thread every 3-4 days, and most of the talk is about the ending. There is obviously something here that's moved beyond simple bitching.

And you can't just dismiss it by saying "oh well nerds just want a happily ever after ending". That theory is complete bunk. The Shin Megami Tensai series should be dead in the water if that were true. Shit, FF XIII-2 blows that out of the water too. Does anybody remember the bitching people did about the ending for that before the thing was even released? "It ends on an obvious cliffhanger, it's total shit and a money grab". Until people actually played the game and saw the ending for themselves. Yes it does end with a clear "to be continued", but everybody who's seen it has almost unanimously agreed that it's a pretty frickin' great ending to boot. And the bitching has magically dried up. Funny, that.

People don't simply want happy ice cream endings and nothing else. Some of the best stories out there end with the heroes dying, the bad guys winning, and the universe destroyed. People are fully willing and able to accept bittersweet or downer endings. It just has to have one very important aspect. It has to be internally consistent. Fallout 3 wasn't, because of the whole radiation shtick. And it sounds like ME3 isn't either.

Except I never said that.

What I said, if you'd looked was that.

The ending has problems and some people have valid complaints. But even if they fix the inherent problems that it has, a good portion of people will still bitch because it won't fit the picture of the ending they have in their head.

And if they do fix the real problems with the ending you will finally be able to separate the two.

cloudeagle

UncleSporky wrote: »

We complain about review scores a lot here, right?

Well worry no more! Now we have a way to distill every game down to its core!

http://owreviews.com/

"Ow" is right, because that's hurting my brain.

And, naturally, the top three one-word reviews for Mass Effect 3 are "shit," "meh" and "unnecessary."

Then again I love that the most popular one-word review for the latest Deus Ex is "Yellow."

Skull2185

I reviewed Mass Effect 3

"Awesome"

UncleSporky

The site is totally broken, by the way. You can refresh the page and resubmit any word again.

I singlehandedly made Other M "Great" instead of "Horrible!"

Dragkonias

I don't even know why you would make a site like that. Just gives people a reason to troll.

The Dude With Herpes

Dragkonias wrote: »

I don't even know why you would make a site like that. Just gives people a reason to troll.

I think you answered your own question there.

Corehealer

Dragkonias wrote: »

I don't even know why you would make a site like that. Just gives people a reason to troll.

Exactly.

cloudeagle

UncleSporky wrote: »

The site is totally broken, by the way. You can refresh the page and resubmit any word again.

I singlehandedly made Other M "Great" instead of "Horrible!"

Oh yeah? I just made it "Drunk!"

(I tried to make it "belch" just to throw in a non sequitur, but it wouldn't accept that word.)

Allforce

Dragkonias wrote: »

I don't even know why you would make a site like that. Just gives people a reason to troll.

Funny because it was just bought out by CBS Interactive a few short hours ago for 130 million dollars.

Henroid

I must've missed something, what was validated and how exactly?

Allforce

Henroid wrote: »

I must've missed something, what was validated and how exactly?

They're changing the ME3 ending for 1200 MS points.

Rorus Raz

At this point, I fully expect to get to the end of ME3 and have the game signal my location to EA so they can send two goons over to kick me in the junk.

And maybe say some mean things about my family.

cloudeagle

I think it's time to offer up a subject that I'm sure will be vastly less controversial.

Mobile gaming isn't so mobile, after all, as two separate studies show that mobile is played most at home

Game designers often look to make mobile titles more accessible in short bursts because conventional thinking tells you that people are playing games like Angry Birds while commuting or waiting in line, but two separate studies today have indicated that people actually play these games the most while at home.

MocoSpace surveyed over 15,000 gamers in February 2012 to gain understanding around where Americans like to play mobile games. An overwhelming 96 percent answered "at home," while 83 percent said "waiting at an appointment." While commuting was actually the third response at 72 percent.

Of those 96 percent who play at home, 53 percent said they play in bed, 41 percent said they play in the living room (couch), and five percent admitted to the bathroom (although we bet it's higher).

Interestingly, since much of the playing is happening at home, the duration of gaming sessions was found to be much longer too. This console-like engagement of mobile games revealed 52 percent of respondents playing over one hour per day and 32 percent playing over three hours daily. Employers should also keep a better eye on their staff, as 10 percent of respondents answered that they play mobile games for more than three hours while at work.

"This report should make every console gaming company nervous," said MocoSpace co-founder and CEO Justin Siegel. "Mobile gaming is not a companion to consoles, but rather it's attacking them on their home turf: the couch, the La-Z-Boy and even the bedroom."

In a separate study conducted jointly by games company Miniclip and mobile ad server MoPub, the results were quite similar. "Despite the no-strings-attached freedom of mobile devices, 44 percent of gamers are playing on their couch versus any out-of-home location, including time spent traveling or waiting," states the report.

"It's interesting to see that mobile games fueled by powerful smartphone and tablets are now competing for gamer time on the same couch where console gaming used to reign supreme," said Pietro Macchiarella, research analyst at Parks Associates. "The growth in tablet penetration will have an enormous impact on the size of the mobile gaming market."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-03-21-mobile-gaming-attacking-consoles-on-their-home-turf

Henroid

Allforce wrote: »

Henroid wrote: »

I must've missed something, what was validated and how exactly?

They're changing the ME3 ending for 1200 MS points.

Oh okay. No problem with the charging of money either.

Oh, what's that? You wanted free work to be done? WHY DON'T YOU GO TO THE USSR YOU COMMUNIST?

... but no seriously if people demand a new ending, that demands work. derp derp

Linespider5

Allforce wrote: »

Henroid wrote: »

I must've missed something, what was validated and how exactly?

They're changing the ME3 ending for 1200 MS points.

Well...you know...yeah.

Eventually some indie bastard is going to make a game where every major choice in the game can be bought for 20 cents or something.

Is the unhappiness over the ending of Mass Effect 3 so widespread, or is it just appearing that way on the internet? Are people that demanding of a change that they want to spend 12 bucks on a different ending?

vsove

Rorus Raz wrote: »

At this point, I fully expect to get to the end of ME3 and have the game signal my location to EA so they can send two goons over to kick me in the junk.

And maybe say some mean things about my family.

Due to the recession we can only afford a single goon.