So I just cancelled my Pre-order for Mass Effect 3...

[Sonic Doctor]

It doesn't matter if it makes no sense to you for someone to play the game without the dialogue wheel. If I'm going to just button mash my way through Shepard's interaction, Bioware is just giving me the option. Besides, I'm sure the dialogue will still be there, just I won't be deciding if I want to be the D-bag version of Shepard or the saint version of Shepard. Besides that, if Bioware is doing the cutting, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they know what they can cut without taking the story out.

Basically, unless you're going to say "You're playing your video game wrong", there's no real argument here. If Bioware were to remove the "skip story" option and I want to skip the interactive part so I can play my video game, then it's getting skipped. Bioware just streamlined it.

By making this simple change, it will open the game up for more people to play. They are not forcing you to use this option so I can't see how this could possibly be a bad thing.

I know that it wasn't BioWare's idea to include the dialogue skip option, that was EA's dirty giant hand in wanting to make it just a shooter to make it money gaining viable in that department.

The point is BioWare shouldn't make the dialogue easier to skip for you, the series was for gamers that wanted to play an RPG with in-depth story and dialogue, and the dialogue being important to the story. If you buy an RPG, live with what that is, don't ask the developer or coax the publisher with money to change the game for you. Just skip the dialogue the way you did in the past and live with it.

Besides, you point out the deciding of what Shepard will be, saint or asshole. The problem is that is only 10% of the dialogue. The other 90% is integral in making a highly characterized(Shepard isn't the only character) and in depth story.

It is stupid for BioWare to try and appease and make the game quicker for people like you. BioWare is known for it's writing and for them to allow people to skip 85%-90% of the story, by skipping the dialogue, is just crazy.

I'm a writer. It would be like if I wrote a bestseller and then intended to write a sequel, and listened to the whiny people that say that I use to much description, and I end up writing the full story, but also add a description free version at the back of the full book, or maybe cliff/spark notes version at the end.

That's stupid. As a writer, I'm going write what I want to write, not what a small group of people want because they are too lazy to read most of what I write because they don't like my style of writing.

As creators of a story and experience, as writers, that is how BioWare should deal with it as well.

BioWare should just ignore the people that skip the dialogue and just make the game what it is.

 

[tippy2k2]

Snip

Well according to it's Wikipedia page, EA and Bioware have been partners before Mass Effect even came out. If this was the "evil taint" of EA, they sure as hell took their sweet time before forcing Bioware to do this.

While the partnership became deeper in 2009, the co-founder of Bioware is still the head guy at Bioware.

Anyway, I'm done arguing this point. The idea that Bioware doesn't know how to run it's own game is just silly. I'm going to go ahead and assume that Bioware knows what the hell they are doing and it will be executed well. There's no point arguing it until the game comes out and we see how it actually works.

EDIT: Quick Note, I completely agree that playing the game while skipping the dialogue is stupid. I will be giddy with excitement to finish Shepard's story come 2012, I just recognize that not everyone plays it for the same reason.

 

[Ascarus]

Oh gods... how I love that argument. It's so ridiculous it's actually funny. You use Steam? You use Windows? You use a web browser? Great, You have 3 times as much "spyware" as Origin.

i would dispute that. you can mitigate, if not outright eliminate, the amount of malware you have on your PC ... and it isn't even that hard. Origin will scan your HD and you MUST agree to that stipulation if you want to use the service and play Origin only games -- of which ME3 will be one.

And while EA modified the EULA as you say here from it's earlier more draconian language ...

You know what Origin does? It scans the file structure to check for games that associated with Origin. It doesn't read the files, only checks whenever they exist.

it is still a new low in digital downloads. and since the market seems to be steadily shifting toward that as being the future of game acquisition (as opposed to box stores or online ordering of an actual DVD), it paints a warning of where it could go.

not too mention all of the horror stories associated with Origin and their utterly atrocious tech and customer support.

edit (added): and like it or not, the decrease in the complexity of bioware games is a direct result of their desire to have cross-platform releases. one need only look at DA2 to have evidence of that. if ME3 continues that downward spiral of depth in exchange for a larger market share, whether by choice or EAs direction, i too will stop buying their games.

 

[Kermi]

Oh no! Mass Effect 3 has a huge range of options to cater to all different kinds of players!

Hey, have you ever considered the N7 Assault Rifle will still be in the game not not as origin-exclusive content? No? Didn't stop to consider that one?

As for Origins, well, I don't deny EA are dicks which is why after ME3 I'm planning of avoiding EA games as much as possible, but since I play most of my games on the 360 it doesn't really effect me.

Meh. Your choice. Your money. Whatever.

 

[RatRace123]

Eh, I've got it pre ordered and I'm keeping my pre order, but some of your points have merit.
Honestly I'm not expecting ME3 to be better than ME1, ME2 wasn't, for me at least.
But I still enjoy the series and I'm excited for the end of the trilogy. I'm just not expecting it to be better than the first.

 

[meepop]

Ok, I have Battlefield 3 (With Origin) And I have McAfee. No Spyware detected at all. Of course, I'm no computer whiz, but...Anyway, the Origin thing can be laid to rest. I can almost-entirely guarantee that there are no problems. Plus, Steam is almost the same way. The ToS is what states all of this, and Origin's ToS is a bit more friendly now. You're seriously going to let something as pathetic as DRM prevent you from playing a game?

 

[blind_dead_mcjones]

Why is it that nowadays every single person who decides to not buy a game feels that they need to make a thread telling all of us that they're not buying a game.

We really don't care.

more to the point, why is it that not only people feel the need to whine about every single little bloody thing they don't like and use it as justification to cry 'ruined FOREVER' but they do this before the game is even released.

 

[Forgetitnow344]

This is absolutely absurd. Even when posters point out that Origins can look at pretty standard stuff, you're still butthurt about it? I mean, all of those things can be found by many other services (such as System Requirements Lab, which I know many people here use), as long as you opt in to actually USE the service. Don't want it? Don't use it. Do you know why you need Origins for that? It's exactly what Steam does. You need to authenticate your copy of the game in order to play it. This is exactly what PC games do now, it's just now on consoles. This only means bad things for people who have siblings, but that's how it goes for PC games too. You have to play the game on the same Xbox (I assume in the same User Profile, but I'm not sure). What's different is FROM MY UNDERSTANDING (not 100% sure), you can purchase multiple online passes. So if I want to play the game on my profile and my brother wants to play it on his, he can purchase an activation code. I'm not aware of PC games being this generous.

As for the Three Modes, stop whining. Stop painting EA as this big, malevolent force that's going to burn your video games and rape your sister. Your gameplay experience will not be hurt by the existence of easier ways to play the game. If you really have such a huge moral aversion to its existence, maybe you're just a bit too elitist and self-righteous to even understand what fun is. If games should all be in their pure, unadulterated form, why do mods exist? Gamers have been changing the way their games work to suit their needs for as long as games have existed. This is just something Bioware has done to make things easier for mentally or skillfully casual players who want to put up $60 for a truncated experience. If they're hurting anyone, it's themselves.

 

[aashell13]

I've never preordered a game, nor bought one on launch day. This policy has served me well; and I have no intention of modifying it for ME3, even though I'm looking forward to it.

I don't mind a multiplayer mode, so long as I'm not penalized for avoiding it like the plague.

Being upset because the assault rifle was left out is just dumb.

Origin I do have a major problem with, but word on the forums is that the physical standard edition is origin free, so if that's true i'll pick one up that way.

 

[Omnific One]

I agree with the OP to a point. I really hope it's good, but I'm gonna wait for the reviews before I buy it.

 

[8a88leph1sh]

I'm sick of everyone saying "oh no I'm not going to buy this game anymore cause they've added stuff to it blabklahdgkha."
seriously? If you like the first two games I guarantee you'll like ME3. they've BROUGHT BACK some of the old rpg stuff like upgrades and customizing armor. They've tightened up combat. The multiplayer that DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PLAYED. new elements, new characters, old characters everything is going to be in this game. of course they are trying to broaden their base. THEY ARE A BUSINESS. They do, in fact, want to make money. but that doesn't mean they are going to totally fuck over the core fan base that has supported them all this way. but if you're not going to buy it cause you like to QQ and don't trust bioware's mass effect department even after they brought us two of the greatest games of this generation then fine but you don't need to tell the rest of us about it cause we DON'T CARE

 

[Jimmybobjr]

Wait, wait wait wait!

MASS EFFECT 3 REQUIRES ORIGIN TO PLAY?!

Bugger that, The first to games werent THAT good!

 

[Silas13013]

You need to actually read that before getting your knickers in a twist. It just makes you look like an idiot.

IP address: collected by everything that connects to the internet.

Operating system: collected by nearly everything by proxy of what web browser you are using. You aren't going to be using a safari configured for macs on a windows system but if everyone is now running macs, they want to know so they can sell to the most people

Application usage: yes, they want to know how often you use their services

Software: the games you downloaded?

Software usage: how often you play them?

Hardware: apparently you don't seem to understand that there are a lot of different computers out there with different hardware and they need to know what people are using so they don't develop something that puts BF3 graphics to shame only to have no one on earth run it.

There is literally nothing there even slightly out of the ordinary nor is there anything in there that lets them root through your hard drive. So keep wearing your tin-foil hat and calling EA the Illuminati, I'm sure Jesus will return on his alien spaceship and let everyone know you were right.

What games I play, what software I use, and so on, is none of EA's business, unless I decide otherwise. I don't let the grocery store sales lady rummage through my fridge and I don't let the appliance store vendor take a stroll through my bathroom in order to be allowed to use their groceries and appliances respectively. And it's why I keep my door locked even when I'm home, because I can't be bothered to let anyone who has 5 minutes trample through my apartment, and it's why I have my curtains closed because my private life isn't something I'm prepared to show to just anyone. And gaming is part of my private life.

So twist it as much as you like, this isn't a case of tinfoil hats, it's a case of people being upset when their privacy is being breached.

It is a case of tinfoil hats. EA does not access anything other than stuff related to the running of origin. Stuff like your IP address and OS still have to do with the running of Origin. And Steam does the EXACT same thing. It collects info on you and reports back to valve. What do you think cookies on web browsers are? Anytime you use the internet you are sending most of the stuff EA is collecting. And they looking at stuff related or Origin, not what porn you are so intent on protecting. You analogies make no sense. A more accurate one would be credit card companies keep track of your spending and how you use their card. They don't go through your mail to see what catalogs you are buying. If you don't want EA looking at Origin related stuff then don't use Origin. But also don't go saying they are rooting through your files when they can't and don't and have gone well out of their way to make people see that but people like you keep up with the conspiracy theories that everyone is out to get you.

THEN FINALLY, and this is the mac daddy issue I'm having with ME3, It's owned by EA, so it has online passes and you are required to sign up for EA Origins in order to play the game. If you don't know the EA origins scandal by now, signing up for an account with them is basically giving EA permission to put spyware on your computer, so that they can watch your online activity whenever you're online, and they can go snooping thorough your hard drive whenever they want to. I know this last part isn't bioware's fault, but it's still a gargantuan issue, and a huge arguing point for why I won't be picking up Mass Effect 3.

Oh gods... how I love that argument. It's so ridiculous it's actually funny. You use Steam? You use Windows? You use a web browser? Great, You have 3 times as much "spyware" as Origin. If You have iPhone you are even "spyware'ed" in Real Life. You know what Origin does? It scans the file structure to check for games that associated with Origin. It doesn't read the files, only checks whenever they exist.

But, as always, people will believe what they want... after all They are watching. They have the satellites, watching each of Your moves. Don't let Them catch You. Remember Area51....

You agree that EA may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer (including the Internet Protocol Address), operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware, that may be gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, dynamically served content, product support and other services to you, including online services. EA may also use this information combined with personal information for marketing purposes and to improve our products and services. We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you. IF YOU DO NOT WANT EA TO COLLECT, USE, STORE, TRANSMIT OR DISPLAY THE DATA DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE APPLICATION. This and all other data provided to EA and/or collected by EA in connection with your installation and use of this Application is collected, used, stored and transmitted in accordance with EA?s Privacy Policy located at www.ea.com. To the extent that anything in this section conflicts with the terms of EA?s Privacy Policy, the terms of the Privacy Policy shall control.

Unless something has changed (which it very well might have) agreeing to the origin TOS gives origin permission to examine every file on your computer and that they can sell it. Also, unlike Steam, there is no way to opt out of it.

snip

And you need to actually read conversations before you but in, it makes you look like a pretentious douche. I was responding to someone who said that Origin only looked at files in the Origin folder.

That's all it does look at, which is why you are an idiot. Ok fine if you want to debate specifics if you save games in folders other than Origin it will scan those too. But Origin just looks at stuff related to it, the games on it, and the system running it (meaning the OS and hardware specifics) It's not piracy that makes developers shy away from PC, it's crap like this where people freak out over stuff that has literally no impact on anything outside of running the game. ME3 is just as much spyware as Origin is under your logic because it has to read what hardware you are using and interface with it. Call the ghostbusters!

 

[Zen Toombs]

-snip-

Sorry mate, I wish you felt better about this situation. While most of the things that you mentioned could be problematic, I don't feel like they actually will. I trust Bioware, and think Mass Effect 3 should turn out quite well.

I hope that after the game comes out your fears turn out to be unfounded, and that you get the chance to finish the Mass Effect series.

 

[Vegosiux]

Stuff like your IP address and OS still have to do with the running of Origin. And Steam does the EXACT same thing. It collects info on you and reports back to valve. What do you think cookies on web browsers are? Anytime you use the internet you are sending most of the stuff EA is collecting. And they looking at stuff related or Origin, not what porn you are so intent on protecting. You analogies make no sense. A more accurate one would be credit card companies keep track of your spending and how you use their card. They don't go through your mail to see what catalogs you are buying. If you don't want EA looking at Origin related stuff then don't use Origin. But also don't go saying they are rooting through your files when they can't and don't and have gone well out of their way to make people see that but people like you keep up with the conspiracy theories that everyone is out to get you.

As I said, they have no business doing even that unless I allow them to do so. And you can tell "Nope, not gonna let ya" to Steam, but why are we even talking about Steam, you don't know whether or not I'm using it?

I've stated what my take on the whole Origin business is, and that's it, I don't care what other people put on their computers. And some random person on the net saying I'm a "tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist" isn't going to do much to change my take on it.

 

[Silas13013]

Stuff like your IP address and OS still have to do with the running of Origin. And Steam does the EXACT same thing. It collects info on you and reports back to valve. What do you think cookies on web browsers are? Anytime you use the internet you are sending most of the stuff EA is collecting. And they looking at stuff related or Origin, not what porn you are so intent on protecting. You analogies make no sense. A more accurate one would be credit card companies keep track of your spending and how you use their card. They don't go through your mail to see what catalogs you are buying. If you don't want EA looking at Origin related stuff then don't use Origin. But also don't go saying they are rooting through your files when they can't and don't and have gone well out of their way to make people see that but people like you keep up with the conspiracy theories that everyone is out to get you.

As I said, they have no business doing even that unless I allow them to do so. And you can tell "Nope, not gonna let ya" to Steam, but why are we even talking about Steam, you don't know whether or not I'm using it?

I've stated what my take on the whole Origin business is, and that's it, I don't care what other people put on their computers. And some random person on the net saying I'm a "tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist" isn't going to do much to change my take on it.

I feel like I may have misunderstood what you were arguing. You are perfectly within your right to not let Origin look at itself (best wording ever) by not using it. My point is that Origin isn't any more intrusive than Steam is. Your point is that you still don't like that. These are not mutually exclusive So I apologize for the tinfoil hat comment, as it appears you are not one of 'them'.