Aleens: Coloneeal Mareens

[Vauban]

I'd say lot of the hate that Bioware gets is not solely because of the last 3 games themselves, each having a myriad of problems in it's own right. I thinks it's the companies' attitude toward its customers and how it conducted itself when met with any kind of feedback that could be remotely considered negative. That's what ultimately made me decide not to buy another Bioware game until I either pirate it to see if it's good or until the gaming community reaches a consensus.

DA:2 was alright but there were huge flaws. ME3 was enjoyable until the you know what, loved the genophage sequence. TOR was when I got hit with buyers remorse full force. I got my moneys worth out of it but it just felt like a beta and we were sitting waiting for the game to actually be released.

All of this was nothing compared to how the Bioware reacted afterwards. I could go into that but I don't feel like typing 10+ pages. They made me lose all respect for them. Bad games are something every company has to put up with at some point. Hopefully the company will learn from its mistakes and make a better game next time but what you don't do is treat your customers like garbage and refuse even constructive feedback.

This is where Gearbox could still turn things around. If they listen to their customers and don't treat them poorly then they will be willing to purchase future games and support the company, but that all depends on how the company reacts. I hope they can turn things around. I enjoyed Borderlands, stayed the hell away from Duke Nukem and was considering buying A:CM until I heard about this. I would hate to see this company stop making good games and go the way of Bioware.

 

[ChristopherT]

I'm not fond of Gearbox, the only games I know them for are Duke Nukem Forever, Borderlands 1 n 2, and now Aliens: CM. If they can handle the backlash and come out of this alright then I'll consider thinking they might be able to entertain. I just don't care for Borderlands, it seemed so empty to me, the weapon "numbers" was just a silly stupid sales pitch, as well as some small things - I did however really enjoy the Zombie Island DLC, the monsters were fun, and the lack of fast travel was interesting to have there - and Borderlands 2 just doesn't appeal to me after 1.

I'm gonna Stephanie Brown the following Bioware rant, 'cause it's a Bioware rant...Bioware + Rant

Spoiler

As for the Bioware, thing. They did it to themselves, an amount of journalists didn't help maters, but still. The blow over is only as bad as it was and is because of the eruption that resulted from the backlash of the ME3 ending. Not so much the ending itself(though that didn't help), not the fans voicing their displeasure, but Bioware's treatment of their fans and the media mindset to protect Bioware, it was all just so stupid. I wouldn't care if Bioware stopped at saying that it was their game, they made it, it's their story, the end - that would be fine, I wouldn't be happy with the end, boo hoo, I'd move on. But they didn't, they then started against the fans, so fuck them. I'm butt hurt, whatever, there's just a line, and I think bioware and some journalists crossed it. And those journalists who called out the fans for whatever reason "whiny" "entitled" "cry babies" - fuck you too.

I feel like I need to re-install AvP 2 on my PC now. Comic made me smile though, sadly(?) one of my childhood drawings is still on my mom's fridge.

 

[Olas]

I wonder, what are those 3 games they mentioned to have turned the fans against BioWare?
Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age 2 are obvious, but I have no idea what the third is.

Probably Star Wars: The Old Republic. Perhaps they weren't the homeruns people were expecting but anyone who really thinks these are 'bad games' needs to go and play an actual bad game for once to get some reference.

 

[Warachia]

snip

So I'm clearly missing something, when did they turn against their fans exactly?
I guess everyone here is also just going to ignore that extended cut DLC too then? If you don't like it fine, but don't pretend they didn't try to fix a big mistake.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Considering how bad Aliens is apparently, and how mad gamers can get. Based on the comparison to Bioware, Gearbox should be burned to the ground by now. Honestly, I think the meteorite that hit in Russia was just gamer rage that missed.

If A:CM had had two previous games telling you how good the third one was going to be, that'd probably be the case.

 

[ChristopherT]

snip

So I'm clearly missing something, when did they turn against their fans exactly?
I guess everyone here is also just going to ignore that extended cut DLC too then? If you don't like it fine, but don't pretend they didn't try to fix a big mistake.

They did put out the EC, I've heard some people say that the everyone dies ending is a big FU to the fans - and I disagree with that, it's the only ending I like. But bringing that up doesn't wipe away all the negative that Bioware employees had to say about the fans before releasing the EC and possibly (memory fault) even after (at that point I was just bored of the fighting and it was hard to read through everything to even make out what was being said). Bioware employees did however say negative things about their fans, they did 'treat' the fans in a negative manor. Yes, the EC, and that's good, it was free, there's been free Multiplayer DLC, they have seemed like they're trying to pull out of the crapper, but that's all they can try to do, isn't it? I'm not saying the vocal fans were easy to deal with, I read some of the Bioware forums, some fans can be nasty little buggers, but as a company, in my eyes, they need to rise above that, and they didn't.

 

[Warachia]

snip

So I'm clearly missing something, when did they turn against their fans exactly?
I guess everyone here is also just going to ignore that extended cut DLC too then? If you don't like it fine, but don't pretend they didn't try to fix a big mistake.

They did put out the EC, I've heard some people say that the everyone dies ending is a big FU to the fans - and I disagree with that, it's the only ending I like. But bringing that up doesn't wipe away all the negative that Bioware employees had to say about the fans before releasing the EC and possibly (memory fault) even after (at that point I was just bored of the fighting and it was hard to read through everything to even make out what was being said). Bioware employees did however say negative things about their fans, they did 'treat' the fans in a negative manor. Yes, the EC, and that's good, it was free, there's been free Multiplayer DLC, they have seemed like they're trying to pull out of the crapper, but that's all they can try to do, isn't it? I'm not saying the vocal fans were easy to deal with, I read some of the Bioware forums, some fans can be nasty little buggers, but as a company, in my eyes, they need to rise above that, and they didn't.

Before the EC came out I was looking through their forums trying to see if it was going to be free or just to find anything about it, none of what they (employees) said came close to that gay relationship argument between the dragon age 2 writer and the fans, and considering how vile a lot of the forums were (at the time) it sure surprised me.
The only thing I can remember about them saying after the EC about the fans was Casey Hudson called the forums vile, a bad idea to be sure, but he had decent reasons to, for the most part the project leads need to watch what they say to fans, that's it.

One more thing: "they have seemed like they're trying to pull out of the crapper, but that's all they can try to do, isn't it?" What else could/should they possibly do, let it sit there and run away from it?

 

[ChristopherT]

Before the EC came out I was looking through their forums trying to see if it was going to be free or just to find anything about it, none of what they (employees) said came close to that gay relationship argument between the dragon age 2 writer and the fans, and considering how vile a lot of the forums were (at the time) it sure surprised me.
The only thing I can remember about them saying after the EC about the fans was Casey Hudson called the forums vile, a bad idea to be sure, but he had decent reasons to, for the most part the project leads need to watch what they say to fans, that's it.

One more thing: "they have seemed like they're trying to pull out of the crapper, but that's all they can try to do, isn't it?" What else could/should they possibly do, let it sit there and run away from it?

What the employees, or mods said may not have been all that bad overall, it was just enough for me as someone new to Bioware to just put them on the back burner and get a bit pissed off. That being said i think some of my dis-like for Bioware comes from the journalists, and at the time how big things were blown out of proportion. Before ME3 I never visited the Bioware forums, nor had any opinion on Bioware, I had only played Mass Effect 2, then 3 - have not touched any other bioware game other than KOTOR, which I couldn't even connect with the company. So my first glimpse of them was at one of their worst times, and the whole thing wasn't pretty. Maybe just bad timing, but it has not sat well with me, but I don't have a list with their names on it, it's something I barely ever think about.

One more thing: "they have seemed like they're trying to pull out of the crapper, but that's all they can try to do, isn't it?" What else could/should they possibly do, let it sit there and run away from it?

no, they did the best they possibly could, but the mess was huge no matter how much of it was their fault, the mess was just too large. Not saying they can't be forgiven or shouldn't be, just I have no interest besides a KOTOR 3 in Bioware.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

My best friend is playing it and he says it reminds him of Left for Dead. The multiplayer is fun but the quality of the game is not worth the $60 price tag.

Also they have released some graphics tweaks for PC that were turned off because of the console port. That at least explains some of the disparity in the trailer.

 

[A Curious Fellow]

People need to stop calling Bioware games bad in places where I can read it.

I'm starting to take it personally.

 

[Orekoya]

Blaming Gearbox for DNF is unfair. They didn't make the whole game, they just stitched it together from whatever bits 3D realms had. Or maybe not, I have neither the time nor enthusiasm to look deeply into how much Gearbox actually made of the final product. I actually think Gearbox should be congratulated for making gaming history by releasing the definitive "game that will never be released". It might have been a colossal turd (I haven't played, nor do I intend to do so), but merely finishing it and releasing it in stores deserves a tip of a hat from me.

Actually Gearbox did very little beyond some minor polishing. Triptych Games did most of the actual stitching it together from what was salvaged from 3D Realms. Between that and releasing it in stores for sixty dollars they didn't do anything worth a tip of the hat from me.

 

[Lieju]

I don't mean to inflame, but I wonder how any of the last three Bioware games qualify as even remotely bad. One of them is technically The Escapist's latest Game of the Year. Nothing makes me more sad in the games industry today than the amount of shit Bioware gets for slight flaws in otherwise great games. Especially in the RPG genre which I always considered quite tolerant of big flaws in otherwise great games (see Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, any Fallout game). Especially especially when compared to stuff like DNF and (apparently) ACM that has the same price tag. But that's just me.

I think a part of it is that people expect more from Bioware.
I mean, I love DA2, but I will admit it has HUGE issues and I wish they would have taken more time to make it. I critique it because I have hope that Bioware can do better.

Critiquing something like DNF is kinda pointless; everyone knows it's shit.
And personally I don't care about the IP.

Considering how bad Aliens is apparently, and how mad gamers can get. Based on the comparison to Bioware, Gearbox should be burned to the ground by now. Honestly, I think the meteorite that hit in Russia was just gamer rage that missed.

If A:CM had had two previous games telling you how good the third one was going to be, that'd probably be the case.

Isn't it 'officially canon' with the Aliens-movies, continuing the story?

 

[shintakie10]

Blaming Gearbox for DNF is unfair. They didn't make the whole game, they just stitched it together from whatever bits 3D realms had. Or maybe not, I have neither the time nor enthusiasm to look deeply into how much Gearbox actually made of the final product. I actually think Gearbox should be congratulated for making gaming history by releasing the definitive "game that will never be released". It might have been a colossal turd (I haven't played, nor do I intend to do so), but merely finishing it and releasing it in stores deserves a tip of a hat from me.

Actually Gearbox did very little beyond some minor polishing. Triptych Games did most of the actual stitching it together from what was salvaged from 3D Realms. Between that and releasing it in stores for sixty dollars they didn't do anything worth a tip of the hat from me.

Honestly thats why I have no respect for Gearbox at all. You can't blame them for makin a shit game when they didn't really make a shit game. You can blame them for releasin said shit game for full price knowin full well that it was a piece of shit. The only "positive" in their favor is that they were pretty open with the fact that they were tryin to rip people off, but that's a pretty shitty positive if you ask me.

The fact that they've now done this twice should set off alarm bells in every gamers head, hell every person who buys game should have those warnin bells goin off.

 

[WindKnight]

Blaming Gearbox for DNF is unfair. They didn't make the whole game, they just stitched it together from whatever bits 3D realms had. Or maybe not, I have neither the time nor enthusiasm to look deeply into how much Gearbox actually made of the final product. I actually think Gearbox should be congratulated for making gaming history by releasing the definitive "game that will never be released". It might have been a colossal turd (I haven't played, nor do I intend to do so), but merely finishing it and releasing it in stores deserves a tip of a hat from me.

still, they snatched it up and gave themselves something else to play with when they should have been focused on Borderlands 2 and Colonial marines.

And lets not ignore the fact that Randy Pitchford seems to genuinely not get why people found the game dull, boring, unpleasant or offensive.

But then he was touting Colonial marines as being totally true to the aliens mythos and setting, but it took a last minute petition in a game in development for six years to get female options in multiplayer.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Sonic Chronicles

AAAUUUUGGHHH!!!!

WHY?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO REMIND ME OF THAT ABOMINATION?!?!?

It was atrocious!

The beginning was passable, with pretty good dialogue for a sonic game and some decent, but clunky combat. At first, the only issue I had was with the terrible sound design (bad quality midis that felt like they were recorded the night before release, and corrupted sound effects for opening chests which happens after EVERY BATTLE >_<)

And then the middle of the game happens. Suddenly, it goes from a funny sonic RPG with good dialogue between the sonic characters to a space RPG that just happens to reluctantly co-star sonic and friends. All the good dialogue dries up and becomes very rare, and the closer to the end it got, the worse the writing was. And the gameplay...oh gosh the gameplay...The clunky, but servicable combat form the beginning dries up and literally became "have sonic do his solo attack, have tails/creap heal the party's FP, have knuckles break the enemy's armor for damage, and have the fourth guy you're forced to bring along to deal with the map hazards combo with knuckles to break armor for more damage, and if he can't, just do whatever. Fail to do this every turn and you DIE". This would have been maybe ok if it was just bosses, but no! This was for normal enemies too! ;_; Every fight was agonizing. Not to mention they dragged on and on and on because every time you used a skill you had to do this elite beat agents style minigame and if you goofed it up, you goofed up the whole move. >_<

And then a rushed, lame conclusion, followed by a cliffhanger ending, followed by the characters going "oh wow, it looks like we're in a pickle! I wonder what'll happen to us in the sequel!". *rage face*

I could make a better game in two weeks in RPGmaker! ....Actually I think I DID make a better game in two weeks in RPGmaker! I just got done making a game for a contest, and I honestly think my end result is better than the sack of *expletive deleted* that bioware shoveled out there with "Sonic Chronicles". >: (

...*breathes in* Sorry. I just really hate that game and cannot believe I spent money on it.

 

[Kermi]

As far as I was aware Bioware only released one bad game, Dragon Age 2. ME3 was a good game with an ending that people bitched about, not one that was objectively bad. Old Republic was not bad, nor was Bioware ultimately responsible for it's direction.

If you didn't like ME2 or 3, maybe you're not a BioWare fan. And that's ok. No one ever said you had to be.

 

[Jhonny Malkav]

Can i pweeease pwease have HD version of the second panel? I wanna print it and put it on my wall!

 

[G3]

Great, so a company making its bones on OPEN WORLD innovation pumps out a linear POS that just reinforces the problem that no one makes good games out of our favorite brands. And yes I include Batman.

What's it going to take?

 

[SecondPrize]

I still don't get it. I like the game. It's not great by any means, and the final product should have been like the demo, no matter how long that took, but I still had fun with it.

Is there something wrong with me? Perhaps. After all, my standards for a videogame's quality have been shown to be lower than some others on multiple occasions. Dead Island is a particular case in which I liked a game far more than I logically should. Hell, remember area 51: Blacksite? A fairly enjoyable weekend's play, I thought.

But so much of what is supposedly wrong with the game simply isn't subjective. The technical faults, all that stuff. But I still just don't see it that much. I see the poor AI, I see the shatteringly bad graphics and screen tear, I definately see the terrible story, but for some reason it just plain doesn't bother me as much as it should, and don't get me wrong, it most certainly should.

I may be confused by this for years to come. I'm actually wondering whether I should trade it in before I come to my senses and stop enjoying it, but I know if I trade it in before that point, I'll just end up picking it up again later.

Really, I shouldn't let it bother me too much. So I bought a game that most people hated, and I liked it. So what? Good for me. The more it happens though, the more I feel stupid. It's like I turned up to a party with everyone drinking fine rums and I'm just there enjoying some cheap white cider that almost certainly shouldn't be fit for human consumption.

Have I become a conoseur of bad games in the same way I already am a sucker for a bad movie? I didn't think such a thing was possible.

The game journalism industry just appears to be piling on, and many posters here will not have played it at all. If you're having fun, then it's good. Just don't expect a good trade-in value if you try and sell it before too long.

 

[MopBox]

I think what everyone likes to forget is that Borderland was a suprise hit. I liked the game, but it was made to be shovelware and it just took off by the grace of god. What else has gearbox actually made outside of the series?

How exactly is Borderlands shovelware? I really wish to see your logic behind that. Gearbox also made the Half-Life expansions, which were well recieved, and the Brothers in Arms series which was a moderate success as far as I know.

Well... maybe shovelware was a bit harsh, but that game wasn't intended to be an all-star title. It was a surprise hit. Success by accident.