Mass effect dev: "Stop thinking you're the producer."

[jezcentral]

Hahahaha Bioware is so bad at PR.

Maybe you should read the article. She's not not with Bioware. This is not Bioware being bad at PR.

Really? When is the last time you saw a former Valve employee arguing with fans in support of their former company? This reminds me of the DA2 metacritic review by a Bio employee or their employees' conduct on the forums in that it's emblematic of their employees and/or former employees not having a clear understanding of professional conduct.

Nah, you didn't read the article, you just posted a knee-jerk reply like a true sheep and got proved wrong.

And now you're trying to justify it, by tying it back to an old employer. Don't bother.

Dude, maybe you should calm down a bit, stop trying to put words into people's mouths, and actually participate in the discussion.

If, for example, you feel that a smart corporation shouldn't set clear expectations over what sort of statement by former employees is helpful, say so and explain to us why you believe this. Getting mad at someone for having a different opinion than you isn't going to accomplish anything other than making yourself mad.

No exclamation marks, no superlatives: I am neither calm nor uncalm. You made a point that was wrong. I would have respect for you if you had said "Oh yeah, my bad. I take it back", but you got defensive and tried to make out I had put words in your mouth. As Jim would say: "Wrrrrrroooo-oooooo-ooooo-nnnnn-guh".

 

[Kahunaburger]

Hahahaha Bioware is so bad at PR.

Maybe you should read the article. She's not not with Bioware. This is not Bioware being bad at PR.

Really? When is the last time you saw a former Valve employee arguing with fans in support of their former company? This reminds me of the DA2 metacritic review by a Bio employee or their employees' conduct on the forums in that it's emblematic of their employees and/or former employees not having a clear understanding of professional conduct.

Nah, you didn't read the article, you just posted a knee-jerk reply like a true sheep and got proved wrong.

And now you're trying to justify it, by tying it back to an old employer. Don't bother.

Dude, maybe you should calm down a bit, stop trying to put words into people's mouths, and actually participate in the discussion.

If, for example, you feel that a smart corporation shouldn't set clear expectations over what sort of statement by former employees is helpful, say so and explain to us why you believe this. Getting mad at someone for having a different opinion than you isn't going to accomplish anything other than making yourself mad.

No exclamation marks, no superlatives: I am neither calm nor uncalm. You made a point that was wrong. I would have respect for you if you had said "Oh yeah, my bad. I take it back", but you got defensive and tried to make out I had put words in your mouth. As Jim would say: "Wrrrrrroooo-oooooo-ooooo-nnnnn-guh".

That's strange, because you're definitely coming off as angry for some reason.

But regardless of your emotional state, you seem to be interested in having a different conversation from the one the rest of us are actually having. When you're reading to engage with my actual stance, please let me know and I will be happy to discuss it with you.

 

[Signa]

All this arguing is so delicious. It's been made quite clear to me as someone who never really played Mass Effect to just simply never start. No point in getting involved in a story if it's going to turn to shit later through the poor design choices of the devs/pubs.

Are we, as a community being too whiny? Probably, but we are also customers to a large corporation, and we deserve proper customer satisfaction. Games are like any other product that is sold, but us customers feel far more required to buy to finish stories or experience the next great technical achievement. We act more like drug addicts in this sense, and companies like EA are willing to exploit that. It might make good business sense to do so, but people like me who have some sense aren't going to keep throwing money at a company that doesn't show their respect for the people who made them as strong as they are now.

 

[deathbydeath]

]Because fans shouldn't be exploited.

How can people be so snarky?

Day 1 DLC was used in neither a cruel or unjust manner.

It is far from exploitation.

... It was content created in the development cycle that was cut out of the game and sold at an additional purchase. Good business practices reward consumers, not punish them. Taking away content is punishment.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Christina Norman: "Stop thinking you're a producer and telling us when and where we should be building our content."


Gabe Newell: "The customer is basically our CEO."

One of those people is the head of the company still.

The other was just an employee there in the past and no longer is.

It's almost like there's a difference. Derp derp.

If Gaben quit tomorrow (unlikely) I doubt you'd see him in a kotaku article Wednesday arguing about something someone is saying on SPUF.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I dont mind DLC, but day one DLC seems like a complete waste, especially if its on the disc. Now, if the Disc is filled, and this is the only way to get some more, or if its maybe something special thats non canon and I guess something that tested well enough they wanted to include but not well enough and decided the player should judge if they want it, then yeah, day one DLC I can see.

but I do agree a little, gamers really do need to stop complaining about this type of stuff. youre free to not buy day one DLC, and if its on the disc, dont by the disc. Or just go make your own game company.

 

[Something Amyss]

http://kotaku.com/5892199/stop-thinking-youre-a-producer-former-mass-effect-designer-tells-gamers

Well, as the people who buy your games and pay for your salaries, I say we shouldn't be exploited.

Then don't be. the DLC was known for like a year.

If you still bought the game, you have literally nobody but yourself to blame for being "exploited."

Well maybe they should stop making us feel like we can do a better job than they can.

So do it. I look forward to playing your game.

The only way we can make them understand is with our wallets.

And your wallets have told them "this is completely acceptable."

More like going to a movie, and 90% of the way through it stops... the producers walk in and say "It'll be $2 more to see the rest of it."

It's more like buying a "Director's Cut" after the fact. Mass Effect 3 still has an ending, even if you don't like it. It's a complete story in and of itself.

 

[Whitbane]

Wait a year or two and pick up the Ultimate Edition (or whatever the hell it is called) of Mass Effect 3 and get all the DLC free with it?

Would that work?

 

[Vibhor]

Well true I do the same.

I just dont think there are any truly moral objects to be had here.

All I see is a big sign going "Cupcake 5 dollars. With frosting +2 dollars".

If there is an underlying slave labour policy I dont know about then that weighs in, but as it is it just a product that should be judged by its own merit.

Comparing video games to food is just as bad as comparing car thefts to piracy.
That analogy does not work.
Heres why:
Cup cakes do not have a standard price. You are not required to pre order cup cakes. You can just go in and buy them.
If you are unsatisfied with the cupcakes or their pricing, you can make your own. That is just not the case with video games.
What you are thinking is totally not applicable in this situation

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

I'm not angry because its a DLC, I love finding out a year later that they are releasing something new to play especially if I love the game.

But a 1 day DLC? Come on guys just give us a code and be done with it or hell just including it in a fricken patch. There is no reason I should pay 70 dollars for the standard edition. Between this and origin.... sigh.

This is why people pirate.

 

[Vivi22]

No, you don't. You have no right to a say in any way on how a work is done. When they open up a suggestion box, then you can deign to grace them with your input.
If you want something else, buy something else.

On what planet are you living that consumers have no right to voice their opinions and desires about a product, particularly one that they purchased? Hate to break it to you, but everyone has every right to speak their mind about how a product was made. Bioware also has every right to ignore their opinions and suggestions.

The simple act of putting their games out for the public to consume opens them to criticism from that same public. If they don't like their decisions being criticized then they can stop making games and go live in the woods. People don't need the developers permission to criticize them and even arguing that they should require it before they get to voice their opinions is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[chadachada123]

http://kotaku.com/5892199/stop-thinking-youre-a-producer-former-mass-effect-designer-tells-gamers

Well, as the people who buy your games and pay for your salaries, I say we shouldn't be exploited.

Then don't be. the DLC was known for like a year.

If you still bought the game, you have literally nobody but yourself to blame for being "exploited."

Well maybe they should stop making us feel like we can do a better job than they can.

So do it. I look forward to playing your game.

The only way we can make them understand is with our wallets.

And your wallets have told them "this is completely acceptable."

More like going to a movie, and 90% of the way through it stops... the producers walk in and say "It'll be $2 more to see the rest of it."

It's more like buying a "Director's Cut" after the fact. Mass Effect 3 still has an ending, even if you don't like it. It's a complete story in and of itself.

That's a little different, because a lot of times (at least in the past) the theatrical edition is what made the MPAA's R or PG-13 rating, and the Director's Cut gets to be "unrated." Video games can't do that for consoles, and likely Steam as well.

 

[Still Life]

http://kotaku.com/5892199/stop-thinking-youre-a-producer-former-mass-effect-designer-tells-gamers

Well, as the people who buy your games and pay for your salaries, I would say we do have some sort of control in what we want.

that is like saying because you pay for a movie ticket you get to demand the director change th movie.

How can people be so entitled?

They are 'the demand' who simply need to have their expectations met, otherwise it's exploitation of an entire class.

 

[Something Amyss]

"You're not the producers. Stop thinking you can criticize other people's work! Who do you think you are!"

No, fuck that, and fuck you, Ms. Norman.

That strawman doesn't look like it's getting up any time soon.

... It was content created in the development cycle that was cut out of the game and sold at an additional purchase. Good business practices reward consumers, not punish them. Taking away content is punishment.

It was content created for the special edition of the game.

All I see is a big sign going "Cupcake 5 dollars. With frosting +2 dollars".

And dammit, why doesn't my plain cheese pizza come with hamburger and sausage?

I agree with you for the most part. The only real problem I have is that they called it DLC in the first place, since we know it's on-disc for both the CE and SE versions of the game. On-Disc DLC is not really DLC in the first place.

 

[Sexy Devil]

http://kotaku.com/5892199/stop-thinking-youre-a-producer-former-mass-effect-designer-tells-gamers

Well, as the people who buy your games and pay for your salaries, I would say we do have some sort of control in what we want.

that is like saying because you pay for a movie ticket you get to demand the director change th movie.

How can people be so entitled?

Because there are reports that the Prothean wasn't actually an afterthought, and they intended to put it into the game as a story element before they realised it's an easy way to extort consumers.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/10/the-problem-with-biowares-mass-effect-3-day-one-dlc-from-ashes/

That part's only a fragment of the article, but it's a generally well-constructed article so I'd advise giving it a read.