Should bioware do one final shepard game?

I never said you have to. I just find it extremely unlikely that this poll represents reality. Even for this here corner of the internet.

It’s more likely that it accurately represents the consensus of this forum. I’d be interested to see a poll that has more exposure to the fandom at large than this site, but I think it’s fair to say that the data given has more weight than mere suspicion rooted in bias. 

Sure there’s a reason: the data gathered. Unless there’s something quantifiable to measure against it, like instances where the poll itself has been proven to be compromised by users exploiting logins or IP’s or whatever else is necessary to skew the numbers, then all we have is a personal narrative that’s being defied by other users. You don’t have to like it, but dislike doesn’t mean anything. It’s no different than saying “I believe FemShep is the more popular choice”, when the data we have suggests quite the opposite.

The poll's result gives me faith in this fan base tbh.

On the contrary I think it's people's love for Mass Effect that has resulted in the poll.

Your views and hopes for the franchise do not align with the apparent popular consensus - that's fine man. We've all been there.

me too tbh.

Yeah for me it's the samre as for me ME is a lot like Star Trek in that it's about the ideas and the universe itself that is the story the protagonist  just serves as  our eyes and ears in it. Shepard did a great job in the 3 games they were involved in it. For me it's now Ryder's turn. I personally liked what Bioware tried todo with Andromeda was it perfect no but then nothing ever is 100% perfect and there wi ll aslways be flaws if you look closely enough  in any form of media. But I have faith that Bioware can learn from the mistakes made with Andromeda and improve on it going forward into MEA2 or whatever the next ME game is. Personally I hope it is MEA2 but that's not for me to decide. Only thing I can decide is whether I want to play it or not when it comes out

I still play the trilogy heck I'm in the middle of a trilogy run this very momen tas I'm in the middle of the Omega DLC for ME3 so no one can really argue I never liked Mass  Effect we just have different opinions on how we think they shopuld proceed. So ultimately imo it should be up to Bioware to decide not us given they're the ones with the facts and figures.They're also the ones who have the plan for wha tthe yplanned or ideas the yhad on how to proceed from here as well. So I'm happy to wait and see what those plans aer before I make any other choices on whether to stay invested or not.

Forums have never displayed the overarching opinion of a series. Go to YouTube (many more people) or other social media outlets. Andromeda was widely criticized as trash and most people would prefer to go back to the Milky Way in some capacity. Forums in general are an echo chamber for one side (not just this one, in general they are) and that one side criticize the opposite viewpoint(s) so they can remain in their said echo chamber. 

I don't think that's universal.


The same casual people that care for the protagonist of a ...
*looks at Half-Life 2 Episode 2 release date*
... 13 year old game. And as much as people liked Alyx, they still wanted Freeman back. Furthermore, if you can't capitalize on Mass Effect with Shepard, what hope do you have to do it with a literal nobody for a protagonist, with Bioware's current reputation. I don't think it worked that well for Andromeda and Bioware had a better name in the community, 3 years ago.

True. Bioware had a chance there. A entire audience that had been left disappointed by Destiny and/or Warframe, Division etc. with no real alternatives and very little previous overlap with Bioware. Fans of the genre with no real affiliation to Bioware, or interest in their past. And they're gone now. From Anthem at least and I doubt they'll have much trust for Bioware in the future.


The KH fanbase is crazy, if you come across it. I have. You have no idea how crazy they are about it and how deep they've delved into the spin-offs and the sequels. Surely, people have dropped out in the meantime, drop off is a natural thing for all fanbases, but as we see with Bioware and ME, this hasn't been exactly the case.


And that was Andromeda.


Well, if the point is to make Fortnite, Bioware can make Mass Effect-nite. But it would already be competing with Apex Legends. Or make Minecraft. Mass-Craft. At some point, Mass Effect needs to be Mass Effect. And if you're going to make a Mass Effect game to make Andromeda again, which was criticized for the way it was written and didn't resonate with the YA audience in any way other than memes, you further lose in the newer generations getting into gaming and the old fans as well. Comic books and movie franchises, so far, have shown us that ditching the old fanbases for new ones, rarely goes over well and usually ends with everyone dissatisfied. Not saying Bioware shouldn't do it, they are welcome to try, but I can't think of an exception, at least not off the top of my head, that transitioned smoothly, effectively and painlessly. Not to mention that Bioware's attempts at it so far have not been very successful.


I can't attest to that. Maybe. It's possible. I found it to be way too generic, even in the reveal, to actually care, but who knows.


Well, for one, name another Bioware character to make an appearance in a Hollywood blockbuster, name a franchise that didn't benefit from the return of its iconic character, name one of the bitter, disenfranchised fans that wouldn't want a ME title that undoes the damage that ME3 did, with another adventure featuring Shepard?


Well, one of the heavy criticisms of Andromeda were the characters. I get that the people that liked Andromeda, liked its characters, but again, that's like saying Kamala Khan is a hit among the 15k people who buy her comic books. Those are cancelation numbers and Andromeda hit that quota as well. So a return to the cast that was well liked and was fun to hang out with, would be an immediate step up in the eyes of the fanbase.


Even if the game looks nice, they will want to have a guarantee of a good time, especially since the previous time they had a good time was 2010. At least, that was the last ME title that didn't end in a controversy of some sort. So "new protagonist" and "new crew" won't be a guarantee in anyone's eyes. They'll just think "we're getting a new flavour of Ryder and co".


Well, then the game would have terrible writing and shit combat regardless of who is in the game, so I don't see how making a cast of literal nobodies that no one will like can be a plus for that game.


Many ways to do that. My favourite is a interim game between ME2 and ME3, that solves most of the problems and allows for a different ME3. Think of it as a post ME2 DLC. If you buy it, then Bioware has to remake ME3 to accommodate it. It's "optional" and just as canon as the experience you already got. And maybe you can continue from there, into a ME4, if you want. Or, if it fixes Bioware's rep, go back into Andromeda and make your new crew and protagonist.


There are tools for that. I wouldn't write it off completely.


We've seen each new game trend worse, since ME3. I doubt the next DA will fare that much better. Unless something crazy happens. I mean, get Keanu Reeves to star, or something, I don't know. And while "trending" isn't indicative of sales, it's a pretty good measure of interest for projected sales. Right now, it's looking bleak. Maybe the Anthem Next release will turn things around, but that's ... I'm not holding my breath for that one.


I doubt anyone cares about the sequel to a 2014 game today, let alone in 2023-24, when it will release.


It could save ME. And could, subsequently, save Bioware.


DA can limp them to the next title. It's not going to be the huge hit Bioware needs. Again, unless they do something absolutely crazy with it. Which I don't see them pulling. It's impossible with the franchise as it is.

*Cough* I voted "no" not out of love as you say, but because I never really liked Shepard in the first place.