Poll: Will you stop buying Bioware?

[Bara_no_Hime]

Also, how is this biased? All I'm doing is asking people (in an objective manner) what they think. I'm not trying to convince people that Bioware are bad or anything.

Your poll question is "Will you seriously stop buying Bioware?" That could be taken one of two ways - either "Will you please stop buying Bioware?" or "Will you actually do something as silly as no longer buying Bioware?" Either sentiment is biased - one pro and one con.

Your poll options tend to make me think it was the former. Not because of the "Yes" options, but because of the lack of proper "no" options.

Your only options for people who plan to continue buying Bioware games are "I don't care about Mass Effect 3" or "this debacle makes me want to buy Bioware even more!"

One sounds dismissive (or only addresses Dragon Age / Old Republic fans), and the other sounds sarcastic. Why would all this crap make me more likely to buy in the future?

I plan to keep buying Bioware games because I quite enjoyed Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3. Did they both have flaws? Yes. DA2 had one particularly bad character choice and some repeated dungeon scenery that made little sense. ME3 has a bad/confusing ending that seems to imply things that I don't believe its creators intended. But did those flaws prevent me from enjoying the games? No. At most, they reduced a pair of great games down to merely good.

Even flawed, Bioware still makes better games than pretty much any other company out there (except Atlus).

 

[Ninjafire72]

Your poll question is "Will you seriously stop buying Bioware?" That could be taken one of two ways - either "Will you please stop buying Bioware?" or "Will you actually do something as silly as no longer buying Bioware?" Either sentiment is biased - one pro and one con.

Your poll options tend to make me think it was the former. Not because of the "Yes" options, but because of the lack of proper "no" options.

I only said 'seriously' because as I said in my op, I was doubtful whether anyone would actually stop buying Bioware games. It doesn't mean I am implying any persuasive sentiments, all I'm saying is "Will you really really stop buying? Or are you jst saying it?".

Your only options for people who plan to continue buying Bioware games are "I don't care about Mass Effect 3" or "this debacle makes me want to buy Bioware even more!"

One sounds dismissive (or only addresses Dragon Age / Old Republic fans), and the other sounds sarcastic.

True and true, although it does make sense; again if you read my op, you'll see that I'm posting this in response to the ME3 ending affair. If you are still going to buy from Bioware games then you clearly don't care for the negative PR the game is getting; therefore you actually like the game or at least don't mind the ending. I'll admit that option could be clarified to say "I don't care about the ending" but meh.

 

[Kae]

I already don't buy Bioware, though I have nothing absolutely nothing against those guys, in fact I quite like them, but I don't buy anything by EA, period, so yeah I don't get Bioware, last EA thing I bought was Spore and I didn't know about the DRM and didn't have Intenet, I was really confused for not being able to play a single player game on my PC, anyway, no but not because of Bioware, it's because of EA.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

I'm a lot more against EA than Bioware though. I wouldn't have any problem with buying Bioware even after what's happened, but now they're controlled by EA, so I probably won't

 

[Frybird]

I loved most of ME3 (and don't think that the ending deserves that much more attention than to say "it's kinda disappointing) as i did with the other two games. I didn't like Dragon Age 2, and Dragon Age 1 wasn't really for me either. I found Jade Empire "okay", and i liked KOTOR, although i'd never ever consider to buy The Old Republic.

So...i don't know...maybe? Probably?

I'm not really one to "boycott" any company because of things in the past. I might be more careful when buying, but if the reviews sound good and i'm interested, i will consider buying it, no matter if it's from Bioware, Obsidian, EA (everyone's favorite punching bag that still manages to publish a lot of quality games) or Ubisoft.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

Really depends on what they make next, the only series from them that I really enjoyed was Mass Effect, and despite the ending I was incredibly satisfied with the hundreds of hours i got out of the series

 

[Skoldpadda]

I already haven't bought Mass Effect 3. A big part of the draw of the previous games was how all your choices transferred and would count towards the final tally. In ME2 I saw alarming signs that those choices actually wouldn't matter, and it turns out I was right. The only thing left now is a nice-looking shooter, with way too little RPG-elements, way too much emphasis on sex, and a storyline that's gone completely batshit, that will cost me heaps in retail, plus Xbox-live for the codes for some of the on-disc content, plus "essential" DLC. It's not worth it.

Should they do a KOTOR 3 or a Jade Empire 2 (which they won't), I expect them to fuck that up too.

So no. Unless I hear from trustworthy sources that they have redeemed themselves, I will not buy their products again.

 

[Rblade]

are the endings THAT terrible.... I didn't play the game but I honestly can't understand how an unorthodox or unexpected turn of events can completely nullify what is in my understanding one of the best made rpg's of the last decade.....

 

[Caffiene]

Other: Already did.

I loved ME1, but wasnt excited enough by ME2 for a day purchase - I was waiting for it to come down in price (here in Aus). Details of the story disappointed me, so I decided to put off buying unless it came out as a Steam $2.50 sale.

Since then, EA came out with Origin. Between Origin and not being so excited by Bioware anymore, I didnt even consider buying ME3. I dont trust EA to still have my games available in a few years time if I buy on Origin, and Bioware games havent been worth that fuss.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Today's BioWare is no longer the company that made games that fans wanted to play, the most innovative RPG developer not afraid to challenge us. Now they make games for shareholders and innovation and challenge are gone.

Don't mistake me, ME3 was a great game but suffered from having been "Call of Dutied" (designed around Hollywood-style set pieces, obligatory turret sequences, the horrid US military jargon, chest high walls, etc) and of course it was let down by the ending, which tragically is what everyone will remember about it. And where are the puzzles? Even ME1 had that power-stack puzzle on Noveria, still not a scratch compared with trying to get to Singing Sword in BG2 f.ex. But the hardest thing in ME3 was "push highlighted button". Combat should have more than one approach to it, instead classes (while fun) are all one-trick ponies.

Dragon Age II similarly was good but wasn't as good as Origins. Origins had YEARS more life in it, by way of expansions or true sequels. Instead we got a LITE version of it which played like an MMO that was rushed, copy/pasted level design that seemed to me, to be taking a leaf out of the Halo school of game design (create 15 seconds of fun gameplay, and repeat it over and over again). But they abandoned Origins and any chance of expansions presumably because EA shareholders weren't getting enough dividends.

I won't even start on online passes, nickel-and-diming DLCs, Day 1 DLC, Origin requirements and the other s**t EA force them to pull. I still have hope in the form of Bethesda, Obsidian and CD Projekt, though Obsidian in particular make great games badly. The RPG is dead, long live the RPG.

 

[Vrex360]

I will still buy some Mass Effect 3 merchandise. Specifically the play arts kai figures of Ashley, Garrus and Shepard that have been approved and the prototypes displayed on Mass Effect's official facebook page.
They can't dissapoint me because I've wanted Play Arts Kai figures of my favorite characters of Mass Effect for a long time and I want Ashley, Shepard and Garrus to be on my shelves.

I'm realistic enough to admit that as much as I'd want a happy ending, it's probably not going to happen and if I can't have one then well, I can have the action figures. That's a more realistic 'want', I think anyway.

 

[Chaos42]

well im probably not buying anything new from them. all in all i think its more EA's influence over the group. But thats just my feelings. either way im probably going to avoid EA games except for maybe the next mass effect (4) if they make something -nothing they can cash in stays dead-and im thinking of dragon age not that the costs of it have gone down a bit. but other wise this has made me unhappy with them in general -now they can redeem themselves but they are going to have to work for it in my view.

 

[Jaeke]

If it interests me, yeah. They can't have as big a fuck up as Mass Effect 3's ending again... can they?
CAN THEY?!

That's what they said about DA2 :\

 

[ms_sunlight]

*sigh*

I just ordered SW:TOR off Amazon last night, and I don't normally play online games (with an exception for Minecraft). So yes, I would and I have.

I try not to buy Nestle products. I don't buy Coca Cola. When video game companies start, you know, exploiting the third world or condoning killing people, then I'll start boycotting.

 

[Triangulon]

I have never bought games based upon the developer. If it looks good and I think I will like it I may buy it. Simple as. That is not going to change.

 

[somonels]

No, make a good game I want to own and I'll buy it, NWN needs some new friends.

 

[Snotnarok]

Depends on what they make, I still can't wrap my head around people whining about .001% of a game when the rest of it they loved. The company doesn't matter, it's the game that sells me, and if Bioware happens to make another game that I like well, yeah I'm going to buy it.

Why would a company influence your sales? "Wow this game is amazing! ...Wait it was made by THAT company...welp I guess the game isn't good after all!"

 

[Tallim]

I stopped buying Bioware stuff after ME2, nothing about that game gelled with me at all. I'm really not surprised at all to here they screwed up the ending.

EDIT: To clarify it was ME2 that made me not want to buy any more Bioware not just skip ME3

 

[mireko]

That's a bizarre accusation! I can't even afford BioWare. I'm not EA, that would be ridiculous.

A more serious post: I don't see any reason to write off a developer for a game unless it's something seriously vile (racism, rape, etc). You can really never know what the next game by a developer will be like. Game critics and writers can give you a pretty good idea of what a new game is like (don't just check scores), so you can usually tell if this new thing is something you might enjoy.

Unless, of course, you're talking about not buying their next game for moral reasons. Again, if we're not talking about something actually morally evil (racism, rape, etc) this is fucking stupid.

 

[Mauso88]

I haven't bought a BioWare game since DA:O. Seeing their current path they seem to be taking, I'm not about to start again any time soon.