The Anthem Skepticism Thread

Let me guess, this is just an article about the other article that was on Kotaku?

This is how clickbait works in the gaming industry, yes?

What we know about Anthem is this.  Its an online game that you play with others (unknown if you can play solo) and you get into different mechs and fly around the maps where you can fight creatures.  That is what the video showed us.  They haven't talked about characters, story, or other elements you are just assuming because they used the word Destiny. 

The problem is with that very same article this little gem was in there "Online is necessary, or very recommended if you wish to achieve a long-term success" which to me means they are going to be designing for online as well which to me means other players and if that means other players it means not a single player game.  That is pretty much what would happen to BioWare if they said anything, but since its CDPR they are put on a trophy because of it.

People have to understand BioWare says nothing because people won't listen to what they say anymore so its a "why bother", look at Dragon Age: Inquisition and the garbage around the content that was cut out of the game, when BioWare said that they removed it to make sure the game worked on all the platforms people didn't want to believe them and made their own reasoning.  How about DLC for Andromeda BioWare said "we will say more when we can" that wasn't good enough.  Just because you want them to say something doesn't mean it will be what you want them to say even if it confirms what you want to hear if it isn't said 100% perfectly it will be twisted to the negative and then I would expect moderators around her will be merging bunches of threads of people deconstructing the comments to prove the opposite is true.

The article, as well as lots of other people, seem to pin all Bioware's problems on EA. Yes EA do cause issues but there are games they publish that are received quite well, Battlefield 1 comes to mind. I think it's fair to say Bioware did drop the ball but they have their 'best people' on this project.

I worry about the future of Mass Effect and Dragon Age but ultimately I don't think it will be EA's fault if they do get axed.

/opinion

Traditional how?  Bioware has been all over the map storytelling-wise recently.

Depends on what you think of how they play with their customers.  If BioWare released a video four years before they did anything more about a game people would rip them apart accusing them of playing games because it was a teaser and then they went completely dark on the subject.  For me the "12 Free DLC" for The Witcher 3 was a PR game because it was basic content except for one or two things, but they and their hard core fans kept talking about how much we were getting.  I cannot imagine the outrage for a Mass Effect game that you had to wait three months for a NG+ option or how people would complain that an outfit wasn't good enough.

1) I do not need to assume anything to know that this is another Destiny/The Division style game. It is pretty obvious what Bioware/EA is trying to do with Anthem and the genre they are trying to penetrate.

2) This has nothing to do with CDPR being put on a trophy. If you actually read the tweet, this is what CDPR said, "Worry not. When thinking CP2077, think nothing less than TW3 — huge single player, open world, story-driven RPG. No hidden catch, you get what you pay for — no bullshit, just honest gaming like with Wild Hunt. We leave greed to others." CDPR has made it specfically clear that Cyberpunk 2077 with a Single player at it's core, while at the same time featuring online elements. As far as I am concerned, Bioware has not made any similar stance regarding Anthem.

3) There is a reason why people won't listen to what they say anymore. Bioware has lost goodwill and trust with gamers. Once upon a time, Bioware was also on this same "pedestal" that you claim CDPR is on now. During the time of BG, NWN, and KOTOR and going into Mass Effect 1, Bioware was the king of the hill and people trusted what Bioware said because they had games like KOTOR, NWN, and BG to back them up. However this was pre-EA and then came Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3's ending, and finally Andromeda. So it is no surprise that gamers take what Bioware says with skepticism. When you had Bioware devs blaming the fans for not agreeing with their artistic view (ME3 ending) or closing down the official forums to run away from critisim, you loose the trust and goodwill of the fans. 

Well said.

Hasn't Bioware already stated Anthem is to be a shared world experience? Furthermore the demo they showed off showed group play, not SP play. I think it's pretty clear Anthem isn't meant to be SP focused and people are getting their hopes up in thinking it will be. At best players might get an option to play SP, but in a multiplayer focused game, few ever make SP co-exist well with a multiplayer aspect to it. There are certain things where a group makes the mission easier or it's a flat out requirement. 

Dragon Age 2 gave us three distinct personality "tones" for us to choose from.  Mass Effect 3 had complaints of way too much autodialogue and a set personality for the character.  Dragon Age Inquisition gave us two male and two female voices to choose from and only emotional reactions at specific junctures of the story.  

And that's just the stuff with voiced protagonists.  Leaving aside Light Side/Dark Side/Open Hand/Closed Fist/Paragon/Renegade/Approval/Disapproval/Friendship/Rivalry options.  Or lack of them.



Hyperbole much?


Have WHAT?  What formula?  What story?  ME2 or MEA?  KOTOR?  NWN?  DAO?  Or DAI when they have to add lines to encourage people to leave the Hinterlands? 


Heck, will we be level 1 nobodies fleeing wolves like in Baldur's Gate when at the start?  Will there even be NPC companions?  If so how customizable will they be?  Will they banter?  Will the player be gathering rat ears for newbie gear?  How much will this "shared world experience" affect the storyline? Heck how long IS the storyline?

1) I am glad you can deduce what an entire game is going to be like after a short video and some twitter comments.

2) They also said that it will be online or you will need to be online to focus that was in the exact same article you posted. Why should they, you said they don't have the trust of gamers anymore so why should they say anything when gamers won't believe them anyway. You cannot have it both ways, you cannot go talking about how they haven't made any comments and then say why should anyone trust what they say. If you want to have them talk to us you need them to actually think it will mean something and not just have them say something so you can rip it apart.

3) That is exactly why they don't talk to us. People whine their games are all the same, but when they try different thing people then whine they aren't the same company anymore. People were complaining about BioWare not being the same with Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 1. Mass Effect 1 was prior to EA and the majority of development of Origins was also prior to EA but the same complaints as post-EA are there. I cannot read people's minds so I don't know why they closed their forums. Show shutting down a forum means you lose the respect of your community and fans? Or going back and altering the ending to address the majority of feedback they got alienates their fans as well?

The wonderful world of the "artistic vision" argument. As far as I ever saw one person said that and they never blamed the fans for anything it was "we stand behind their artistic vision of the game" that came from one of the people that was vilified until they left EA and then became a saint again.
Link Now if you have another post for where they blamed the fans I would be interested otherwise I think you remembered it incorrectly.