A cheap and easy way for Bioware to attract new customers

Maybe EA could get a third party to put together a re-mastered 4k Mass Effect collection bundle (including Andromeda) for 60 bucks in time for the holidays for XBO:X and PS4 Pro.

That would be a great relatively cheap way of sweeping the old controversies under the carpet, attracting new and old customers and getting Andromeda into the hands of as many people as possible.

Having a customisable female Shep was the reason I first picked up ME1. I would likely have played it eventually anyway but it is the reason I got it at release. At the time it was a missing feature that I really wanted.

That said, I feel like the MEA marketing was pretty clear that both Sara and Scott existed. I don't think many people would have missed that.

Not in the magazine reviews. 85 on average. Well deserved, I would say. DAI was hands down the better game. Storywise, companionwise and in the love for detail being displayed.

Anthem has showcased being able to play as both genders an to be brutally honest BioWare prob realised themselves only a change in direction would draw in new blood in sufficient numbers hence Anthem.

Ppl on these boards might no like it but i can see DA4 being the last BioWare game using there current formula an tbh it about time they should've left it behind after ME3, the ME universe would've been better served with a ME game built like Destiny, for me a natural evolution after the successful ME3 MP.

All that matters is "Is it a good game"

I think it's absolutely should be mentioned that you can play a customizable male or a female Ryder. TBH, if it sais Sara or Scott, it would be a turn off for me, as it implies a set protagonist. Obviously, I am BioWare's fan, so I know they are the only ones pretty much who let you customize your hero, but if someone's just browsing, I think it's important to make it crystal clear that you can play whatever Ryder you want.

+1 I actually feel that I will not be purchasing DA4, despite it being "by the book", but getting more and more enthused about Anthem, b/c with the writing cast there it might end up with a bunch of great short stories and the cool protagonist dialogue, i.e. the closest the ME2 which I liked by far more than DA3. A lot of folks say DA4 will be much like DA3, and I feel that I am gonna pass, because one time playing DA3 is enough.

Eh. If you ask me, I would say the BioWare should showcase all of the improvements that they have made and let us all know what exactly they will improve going forward.

That, and after the game is patched to perfection, tease and release DLC. That would not only bring back people who were jaded by ME:A's state at release, but also breath new life into the game as well.

Those kinda things ring as far more important to gamers than pandering to specific sexes.

I don't know where you were at. That game was hyped as shit before release. It only got more flak after TW3. No one neglects it. I like MEA better, DAI is filled with terrible game design in most fronts, but it's not a bad game.

To be fair their marketing strategy would have worked out okay if they actually did have something mind blowing.

The problem is that the follow through of the "don't talk about anything" way of doing things is to have a heavy ramp up just before release and generate maximum hype, then release the game with no time for the hype train to slow down(which is something that can happen if you announce it too early and don't have things to continually show off).

Only they followed up "don't talk about anything" with "still don't talk about anything", and the game released to a lot of controversy over animation issues instead of any actual hype generated by marketing.

and now anybody researching the game is going to come across the dozens of articles and videos talking about that controversy rather than any potential good points about the game.

This seems like a silly idea, but do you think it'd be possible to do some "Story patches"? Stuff like fixing the issue of having SAM do everything for Ryder. This was one of my biggest complaints with ME:A's story.

I wouldn't call it a silly idea as much as I would call it a controversial one.
With how subjective story is, I think they would risk pissing off preexisting fans if they did that.
The example you brought up never bothered me, but I looked at it as a interesting advancement in transhumanism and not a cop out.

See how two people can view the same piece of writing completely differently? It's a truly interesting phenomenon, and a pretty concrete reason as to why story patches could potentially do more harm than good, imo.