For the good of video games, Anthem needs to fail hard

[Jester David]

https://www.destructoid.com/mass-effect-2-player-choice-statistics-are-surprising-188362.phtml
https://kotaku.com/5992092/two-thirds-of-you-played-mass-effect-3-as-a-paragon-mostly-as-soldiers

From statistics, only half the people who played ME2 finished and only half imported a save.
That went down for ME3, where only 40% imported a save from ME2.

That means 60% of players DID NOT play ME3 worrying about choices from previous games mattering.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Yes, because that's the ONLY reason ever one would not import a save from the previous game. :/

 

[Jester David]

Guarantee you you're wrong. Absolutely no one in real life who I know played ME3 had anything kind to say about the ending. And they're not the type who troll forums.

Nope.

https://www.destructoid.com/mass-effect-2-player-choice-statistics-are-surprising-188362.phtml
https://kotaku.com/5992092/two-thirds-of-you-played-mass-effect-3-as-a-paragon-mostly-as-soldiers

From statistics, only half the people who played ME2 finished and only half imported a save.
That went down for ME3, where only 40% imported a save from ME2.

That means 60% of players DID NOT play ME3 worrying about choices from previous games mattering.

So right away were're looking at the protests being some percentage of 40%. Less than 40%.
Small. Vocal. Minority.

And then blew it all up in the end regardless, making it, again, not matter.

Choices like curing the genophage and other elements were always going to be optional and have no effect on the main plot. The game didn't expect you to get to "100% completion" before letting you finish. There were always going to be choices that had no impact on the final story.
That doesn't mean they didn't matter...

Again, not a small number of people. And it was so "successful" that the much older SimCity 4 (!) instantly shot up the Steam best-seller charts in response to the utter debacle of the most recent SimCity.

And that couldn't be because that's the ONLY SimCity game on Steam and you can't buy the other SimCity games on Steam.

It was also so "successful" that gamers flocked to Cities: Skylines in DROVES when it released. C:S is still releasing new content and getting millions of new players, and meanwhile the latest SimCity is dead in the water. So "successful."

Which also came out two years after SimCity. You think that might be a factor?
Oh... it's also on Steam, which is a much bigger platform than Origin, and would be subject to a lot of Steam sales.
But it still ended up selling fewer copies than SimCity.

You haven't proven that it's not the majority.

I just did.

Dumb as I think the Battlefield 5 controversy is, it WILL have a pretty sharp impact.

The women soldiers one?
Yeah... pretty sure a lot of people will buy the game BECAUSE of that controversy. So... yes.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Nope.

https://www.destructoid.com/mass-effect-2-player-choice-statistics-are-surprising-188362.phtml
https://kotaku.com/5992092/two-thirds-of-you-played-mass-effect-3-as-a-paragon-mostly-as-soldiers

From statistics, only half the people who played ME2 finished and only half imported a save.
That went down for ME3, where only 40% imported a save from ME2.

That means 60% of players DID NOT play ME3 worrying about choices from previous games mattering.

So right away were're looking at the protests being some percentage of 40%. Less than 40%.
Small. Vocal. Minority.

That doesn't prove your point in any way. You're acting like that's the only reason ever one would have for not importing a save. Incredibly disingenuous.

Choices like curing the genophage and other elements were always going to be optional and have no effect on the main plot. The game didn't expect you to get to "100% completion" before letting you finish. There were always going to be choices that had no impact on the final story.
That doesn't mean they didn't matter...

Actually, yeah, that's exactly what it means. It means everything you did, connected by the world-building that had gone on in the series, was instantly vaporized, with no choice in the matter regardless of the color you chose at the end. And that's all it was, a color choice.

And that couldn't be because that's the ONLY SimCity game on Steam and you can't buy the other SimCity games on Steam.

Why would it be? People disenchanted with SC 2013 just wanted a functional city simulator without the always-online garbage and microtransactions. So they logged onto Steam to get it. Simple explanation that you discarded because it didn't fit your pro-EA narrative.

The fact SimCity 4's Steam sales only spiked AFTER the SC2013 debacle only furthers the point.

But it still ended up selling fewer copies than SimCity.

NOPE.

SimCity: 2 million https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-24-simcity-sold-over-2-million-copies

Cities: Skylines: 5 million http://www.vgchartz.com/article/272904/cities-skylines-tops-5-million-units-sold-on-pc/

 

[Jester David]

That doesn't prove your point in any way. You're acting like that's the only reason ever one would have for not importing a save. Incredibly disingenuous.

It's not disingenuous. It just contradicts your argument.

Again:
* Two million more copies sold than ME2 and three million more than ME1
* 60% did not have the import achievement. Not chose not to import for a game, but did not have it on their account.
* Half the players of ME2 did not finish the game.

The majority of players of ME3 were casual players who did not import and had none of the choices they had made in previous games—for the minority that even played said games—had any impact on the story.
And of the 40% who did import, and presumably did finish the game, not every one was unhappy with the ending. Even if the majority of those fans *did* hate the ending, that's still something like 21-30% of the audience. A small fraction.

I've talked to a few ME3 players. Most were just fine with the ending. Others were more cranky that the original motivation for the Reapers was changed, but that would have mostly just changed the dialogue choices on the Citadel and not impacted the cut scenes.

Actually, yeah, that's exactly what it means. It means everything you did, connected by the world-building that had gone on in the series, was instantly vaporized, with no choice in the matter regardless of the color you chose at the end.

Which would be terrible as not everyone wants to do all the side quests and get to 100% to unlock the ending.

And the DLC fixed that very nicely with the montage of the consequences of all your choices. Because that's all that was needed.

And that's all it was, a color choice.

Watch again. There's a BUNCH of small, subtle changes dependant on your readiness rating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqGLDXbG90Y
The "nothing but colour" was a reactionary argument made by fans who hadn't actually seen any of the other endings.

Why would it be? People disenchanted with SC 2013 just wanted a functional city simulator without the always-online garbage and microtransactions. So they logged onto Steam to get it. Simple explanation that you discarded because it didn't fit your pro-EA narrative.

The problem with SimCity wasn't that it was always on. It was connectivity problems with the server, which occurred at launch and were then solved. Had the server worked at launch and not disconnected people NO ONE WOULD HAVE CARED. Because it was 2013 and people didn't even go offline to use the washroom.

NOPE.

SimCity: 2 million https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-24-simcity-sold-over-2-million-copies

Cities: Skylines: 5 million http://www.vgchartz.com/article/272904/cities-skylines-tops-5-million-units-sold-on-pc/

So... you're quoting the sales numbers of SimCity from four months after its release and comparing them to sakes from City: Skylines from three years after its release.

You don't maybe think that SimCity could have moved a few copies in the intervening five years?

 

[Gladius Legis]

It's not disingenuous. It just contradicts your argument.

Again:
* Two million more copies sold than ME2 and three million more than ME1
* 60% did not have the import achievement. Not chose not to import for a game, but did not have it on their account.
* Half the players of ME2 did not finish the game.

The majority of players of ME3 were casual players who did not import and had none of the choices they had made in previous games—for the minority that even played said games—had any impact on the story.
And of the 40% who did import, and presumably did finish the game, not every one was unhappy with the ending. Even if the majority of those fans *did* hate the ending, that's still something like 21-30% of the audience. A small fraction.

* Those links you cited didn't include the percentage of people who finished ME3, and thus would've even got to see the ending in the first place.
* Those few millions who played ME3 as their first ME game are kind of irrelevant as far as their opinions on its ending are concerned, if any number of them even finished it at all. It's like watching Return of the Jedi and suddenly having an opinion on Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back.

I've talked to a few ME3 players. Most were just fine with the ending. Others were more cranky that the original motivation for the Reapers was changed, but that would have mostly just changed the dialogue choices on the Citadel and not impacted the cut scenes.

Your anecdotal evidence vs. mine. Every single ME3 player who finished all 3 games that I've talked to hate the ending.

Which would be terrible as not everyone wants to do all the side quests and get to 100% to unlock the ending.

And if those quests weren't finished, then the ending you get could ignore it fine. But if they were finished, they needed to be recognized. The original ending failed to do that.

And the DLC fixed that very nicely with the montage of the consequences of all your choices. Because that's all that was needed.

It was an improvement, but it still didn't erase the intense dissatisfaction from having all 3 colors = kill and destroy everything.

The "nothing but colour" was a reactionary argument made by fans who hadn't actually seen any of the other endings.

No, it wasn't. It was confirmed to be nothing but color when players who got this ending or that ending came together and discussed it and found out they were all the same stupid thing.

The problem with SimCity wasn't that it was always on. It was connectivity problems with the server, which occurred at launch and were then solved. Had the server worked at launch and not disconnected people NO ONE WOULD HAVE CARED. Because it was 2013 and people didn't even go offline to use the washroom.

People wouldn't have cared? Really? So why is the PS4 kicking the Xbone's butt this console generation, then? Always-online was a MAJOR turn-off to would-be Xbone buyers.

Contrary to what you believe, many gamers still play single-player games offline. To not even have the OPTION of an offline mode ON A SINGLE-PLAYER GAME was stupid on EA's part. And then a few months later you had a few intrepid gamers debunk EA's lie that the game needed to be online by design.

You don't maybe think that SimCity could have moved a few copies in the intervening five years?

Considering the vast majority of a game's sales do take place in the first few months, especially one from a AAA company (which EA is and Paradox isn't), no, I don't think so.

 

[Janx]

Well, my wife loves the smurf out of BioWare and plays the stuffing out of all the Dragon Age and Mass Effect games. All of them.

She probably won't touch Anthem if it is online only, as she prefers single player.

So.

Maybe watch your tongue and speak with some consideration that other people like things you do not.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Why the hell is everyone talking about the ending of that awesome co-op multiplayer horde game Mass Effect 3? That game didn't have an ending. The closest it got to an end was soloing platinum tier Reapers with a Carnifex, man.

 

[Jhaelen]

It wasn't a "small segment." It was the vast majority of Mass Effect fans.

You are definitely mistaken there, unless your definition of 'Mass Effect fan' happens to be 'everyone who disliked Mass Effect 3'.

Those are multiplayer games. EA has made online mandatory even for single-player games (see the SimCity debacle, for example).

You mean like Blizzard? How dare those EA dudes follow Blizzard's example!

On the other hand, if Anthem fails, and Battlefield 5 fails, and whatever other microtransaction-riddled projects fail ...

Whether you like it or not, micro-transactions are here to stay. They help ensure that the video game company makes a profit, allowing them to produce more games in the future. It's literally a small price to pay

Guarantee you you're wrong. Absolutely no one in real life who I know played ME3 had anything kind to say about the ending. And they're not the type who troll forums.

Wow, a personal anecdote serving as proof - I'm impressed!
Or, I would be, if I weren't able to counter that with a personal anecdote myself: A buddy of mine who is a big Mass Effect fan (who even managed to convince me to buy the game myself) felt that ME3 wasn't as strong as the previous two, but still definitely worth playing.

 

[Gladius Legis]

You are definitely mistaken there, unless your definition of 'Mass Effect fan' happens to be 'everyone who disliked Mass Effect 3'.

Nope. I am right.

You mean like Blizzard? How dare those EA dudes follow Blizzard's example!

Did you miss the SINGLE-PLAYER part in your feeble attempt to be condescending? Of course you did.

Whether you like it or not, micro-transactions are here to stay. They help ensure that the video game company makes a profit, allowing them to produce more games in the future. It's literally a small price to pay

You seem proud to be part of the problem with AAA video gaming today.

Wow, a personal anecdote serving as proof - I'm impressed!
Or, I would be, if I weren't able to counter that with a personal anecdote myself: A buddy of mine who is a big Mass Effect fan (who even managed to convince me to buy the game myself) felt that ME3 wasn't as strong as the previous two, but still definitely worth playing.

And he is wrong.