Anthem: Bioware's next Mass Effect-like IP

[Edge-]

It is frontloaded demo filled with awesome set pieces. Cut short just before the game falls flat down on its face.

So...every demo ever? Who would have ever thought developers/publishers would want to show their product at its best for their free demo to try to get people to buy it.

[Lahis]

So if I like Anthem and want to play it, I shouldn't because EA is the publisher? If that is the case you better re-evaluate everything you do in life. there's probably numerous companies owned by bigger corps. that you purchase things from or use their products without realizing what a monster the umbrella company is... My intention is playing Anthem is because it looks fun and I want to play it. If EA is supported in the process I don't really care. They aren't clubbing seals in the arctic or something with the money they get from my game purchase... I'm not going to punish myself by not playing a game I want to play, or punish Bioware who I like, just because they are owned by EA.

You're right. Umbrella corporations are literal hellspawn and make most Vote-With-Your-Wallet protests ineffective.

HOWEVER, EA is not owned by anybody. Thus boycotting them and their bullshit is easy.

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So...every demo ever? Who would have ever thought developers/publishers would want to show their product at its best for their free demo to try to get people to buy it.

Which is why demos are worthless for evaluating the product. Doesn't matter if the frontside of the turd has been polished blindingly shiny, when by turning it around you'll find still moist and steamy pile of shit on the other side.

[Edge-]

Which is why demos are worthless for evaluating the product.

If you go in thinking that's how the "whole game" will be, yeah. If you go in looking at it as an example of the "best" the game can offer, it's fine. It's all about understanding context and setting expectations.

Are we to the point now where things that are generally agreed upon as positives for consumers, like demos, are now evil and bad because it's EA?

[Gorsameth]

The Demo will still show off basic gameplay. Running around shooting stuff, you can try that out and see how it feels and that is important aswell and I will certainly be trying it.

I'll just hold off on actually buying it until I see how the end game is playing out.

[Lahis]

If you go in thinking that's how the "whole game" will be, yeah. If you go in looking at it as an example of the "best" the game can offer, it's fine. It's all about understanding context and setting expectations.

Are we to the point now where things that are generally agreed upon as positives for consumers, like demos, are now evil and bad because it's EA?

Some other companies might be worth the benefit of a doubt after a demo, but not EA.

[kaelleria]

Some other companies might be worth the benefit of a doubt after a demo, but not EA.

Ok. EA killed your family. We get it.

[Edge-]

Some other companies might be worth the benefit of a doubt after a demo, but not EA.

Again, you're taking the position that because it's EA the demo is bad and misleading. When in reality it's literally how all demo's are handled.

This is the kind of irrational EA hatred that makes it hard to take folks seriously. If you're going to be so blinded by rage, then you're always going to have an extremely skewed position that treats even perfectly normal things as somehow evil and insidious.

[Big Thanks]

Again, you're taking the position that because it's EA the demo is bad and misleading. When in reality it's literally how all demo's are handled.

This is the kind of irrational EA hatred that makes it hard to take folks seriously. If you're going to be so blinded by rage, then you're always going to have an extremely skewed position that treats even perfectly normal things as somehow evil and insidious.

Agreed
Its tiresome to see this constant hate on EA and some companies.
We all know about the Star Wars lootbox drama...but they changed it for petes sake. They took a step back. WE WON.

Im starting to see a patern here.

The internet has realized that it has POWER. Power to change history and companies via feedback and outrage on the internet.
And what to people do with this power? Abuse it ofcourse.

The internet has become a monster.
I agree we need to fight for what is good and sometimes fight against big corporations taking advantage of us.
But this is getting out of hand. Its constant hate at this point.

[Eleccybubb]

Agreed
Its tiresome to see this constant hate on EA and some companies.
We all know about the Star Wars lootbox drama...but they changed it for petes sake. They took a step back. WE WON.

Im starting to see a patern here.

The internet has realized that it has POWER. Power to change history and companies via feedback and outrage on the internet.
And what to people do with this power? Abuse it ofcourse.

The internet has become a monster.
I agree we need to fight for what is good and sometimes fight against big corporations taking advantage of us.
But this is getting out of hand. Its constant hate at this point.

Oh please. The internet had nothing to fucking do with the BF2 lootbox change.

Disney stepped in and told them to get their shit together because TLJ was on it's way and the bad publicity would not have helped.

So yeah says a lot when the company that owns the franchise as a whole has to step in to deal with shitty business practices.

EA are a terrible company. They have ruined multiple franchises and studios after acquiring them. They ruined what is arguably one of the best RTS series for me with Command and Conquer mobile and shoving lootboxes into it.

[Edge-]

Oh please. The internet had nothing to fucking do with the BF2 lootbox change.

Disney stepped in and told them to get their shit together because TLJ was on it's way and the bad publicity would not have helped.

And the bad publicity was coming from?...the internet. From players who were pitching a fit (rightfully so) and making a ruckus, which ended up getting picked up with by media who ran with the criticisms (again, rightfully so).

I don't think we've ever actually seen confirmation that Disney was involved in the MTX change though, have we? It doesn't matter either way, the internet was absolutely the catalyst for the backlash and eventual change to the games monetization.

So yeah says a lot when the company that owns the franchise as a whole has to step in to deal with shitty business practices.

Said company that owns the franchise green lit the monetization approach to begin with, Disney is stupidly protective of their IP's and nothing happens in any game using them without their approval. Unless you sneak it by them and they never discover it (sup Marvel Heroes : P)

They knew about this before, they only responded specifically to the internet backlash.

EA are a terrible company. They have ruined multiple franchises and studios after acquiring them. They ruined what is arguably one of the best RTS series for me with Command and Conquer mobile and shoving lootboxes into it.

Nobody is arguing that they haven't slaughtered many beloved studios and IP's, holding onto them while doing nothing to support them. But that doesn't mean that literally everything they do in everything is bad by default simply by virtue of them being EA. That's an irrational, unreasonable position to take.

[kaid]

As gross as it makes me feel, i am currently of the opinion that EA seems to be making the best moves for consumers when it comes to the industry juggernauts. At this time you can't really trust anything Activision-Blizzard is doing. This is the primary reason i keep telling my friends I am CAUTIOUSLY optimistic for Anthem. I guess if you get your stocks slammed and reviews bombed enough, you make changes.

They are a company that wants to make money. But the debacle of the last starwars battlefront game and how bad the loot box fiasco screwed them on that game has to be a big enough warning that hey maybe lets not do that again. Honestly a game like anthem has super easy modes of monitization in way of custom fancy skins for the mechs that has zero effect on player power but something people would spend money for. No reason to hide those in lock boxes just put them up front in a store and let people play pretty mechy dress up if they want.

[Big Thanks]

They are a company that wants to make money. But the debacle of the last starwars battlefront game and how bad the loot box fiasco screwed them on that game has to be a big enough warning that hey maybe lets not do that again. Honestly a game like anthem has super easy modes of monitization in way of custom fancy skins for the mechs that has zero effect on player power but something people would spend money for. No reason to hide those in lock boxes just put them up front in a store and let people play pretty mechy dress up if they want.

Fortnite made 2.4 BILLION dollars just with cosmetics this year.

I think they are setting a good example for other companies
I never played the game...but is setting a good example? I guess.

[Bugg]

I work for a big multi-national software company. I can tell you with absolute certainty that the guys on top, the ones that make 10.000x my salary have no clue of what the people that actually do the work do. They just see pie charts, read reports from their subalterns, get feedback from other people at their level or close to that. If they get an idea, they just shout it down the line and smite whoever they want. Usually 'bad' decisions leave 'a field of bodies' as in, the working guys suffer. But rest assured the guys on top get payed handsomely as usual. Zero fucks given.
The ripples that a 'developer' as you guys keep calling them (that's actually the working guy with zero decision power) tries to make, are invisible high up in the clouds where the leaders are.
Up there there's a totally different world.
In the end the guys on top are in the business of making money. And they always do.

[kaid]

Fortnite made 2.4 BILLION dollars just with cosmetics this year.

I think they are setting a good example for other companies
I never played the game...but is setting a good example? I guess.

And anthem has mechs I mean if you can't sell awesome looking fancy mech skins and tints and patterns then you just need to hang up your game producer hat and find a different line of work.

[Lahis]

I work for a big multi-national software company. I can tell you with absolute certainty that the guys on top, the ones that make 10.000x my salary have no clue of what the people that actually do the work do. They just see pie charts, read reports from their subalterns, get feedback from other people at their level or close to that. If they get an idea, they just shout it down the line and smite whoever they want. Usually 'bad' decisions leave 'a field of bodies' as in, the working guys suffer. But rest assured the guys on top get payed handsomely as usual. Zero fucks given.
The ripples that a 'developer' as you guys keep calling them (that's actually the working guy with zero decision power) tries to make, are invisible high up in the clouds where the leaders are.
Up there there's a totally different world.
In the end the guys on top are in the business of making money. And they always do.

Yeah, this.

Bioware might want to do good for consumers with this game, but some Suit several seats above them with little to no knowledge about games will decide how much the game will fuck us over.

[kaelleria]

I work for a big multi-national software company. I can tell you with absolute certainty that the guys on top, the ones that make 10.000x my salary have no clue of what the people that actually do the work do. They just see pie charts, read reports from their subalterns, get feedback from other people at their level or close to that. If they get an idea, they just shout it down the line and smite whoever they want. Usually 'bad' decisions leave 'a field of bodies' as in, the working guys suffer. But rest assured the guys on top get payed handsomely as usual. Zero fucks given.
The ripples that a 'developer' as you guys keep calling them (that's actually the working guy with zero decision power) tries to make, are invisible high up in the clouds where the leaders are.
Up there there's a totally different world.
In the end the guys on top are in the business of making money. And they always do.

Tanking stock prices and other multinational corporations telling them to knock it off generally gets those guys up at the top to make different decisions.

So does potential government regulation.

[bloodwulf]

They are a company that wants to make money. But the debacle of the last starwars battlefront game and how bad the loot box fiasco screwed them on that game has to be a big enough warning that hey maybe lets not do that again. Honestly a game like anthem has super easy modes of monitization in way of custom fancy skins for the mechs that has zero effect on player power but something people would spend money for. No reason to hide those in lock boxes just put them up front in a store and let people play pretty mechy dress up if they want.

This pretty much. They realize they can grossly monetize games like FIFA, and they are open about their intent on that. Anthem feels like they are going a bit more cautious. Does that mean 6 months from now they might surprise us? Sure. But i feel this system is fine with skins/visual effects being in a shop, hell those are the type of MTX i tend to support in games like POE.

[Edge-]

Yeah, this.

Bioware might want to do good for consumers with this game, but some Suit several seats above them with little to no knowledge about games will decide how much the game will fuck us over.

Again though, remember: Acquisitions are a two way street. Everyone loves to seem to pretend as if BW had no say in being purchased by EA, as if EA held a gun to their head or something and forced them. That's not correct. BioWare chose to be acquired by EA and operate under their banner, knowing full well EA's history with murdering IP's and popular developers.

[Sixnalia]

Friend pre-ordered their copy, so I'll get to try out the demo next week with one of his friend codes.

Hopefully it is good, and it'll be a good test to play it with some friends.

*fingers crossed*

[yasiru]

You're right. Umbrella corporations are literal hellspawn and make most Vote-With-Your-Wallet protests ineffective.

HOWEVER, EA is not owned by anybody. Thus boycotting them and their bullshit is easy.

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Which is why demos are worthless for evaluating the product. Doesn't matter if the frontside of the turd has been polished blindingly shiny, when by turning it around you'll find still moist and steamy pile of shit on the other side.

Again, I only care about Bioware's games, not EA. I have barely played any EA games that they developed themselves, except for maybe some I have forgotten about 20+ years ago or something. if you hate EA so much that you have zero interest in a game developed by a company under them, then why are you even posting in this thread? If it were me I wouldn't even be reading a thread I had no interest in, much less posting. Or is this just a case of you "needing to tell everyone how much EA stinks?"