New Mass Effect Teaser Trailer

It'd be hilarious if the wrinkles turn out to be meaningless. Like, they brought the face model in for a new scan, and everybody just forgot that she ages faster than Liara.

I think, since the game is going to be a "Live Service" and a lot of the game's income will be cosmetics, or at least expected to be so, Bioware needs to provide incentive to dress up your character and squad. Meaning that Bioware will need to provide incentive to players to pay the premium to deck up their squadmates.

Personally, I can't see myself paying to buy this game, under this premise, with another squad of Peebees and whatnot. Considering how "well" the last few Bioware squads have been received, they must be very optimistic that this crew will not only hit it off with the fans, but they will also spend money on them to look good. And they need to do this to keep the game funded and further content developed. So I see the next game needing to achieve these things
- Compete in the LS segment
- Compete with the solidified leaders of the segment, i.e. Destiny 2 and Warframe
- Compete in content with games that may have up to 10+ years in support behind them
- Recoup the cost of development at launch as the bare minimum, in net revenue
- Engage the player base with the PC and squad to retain players
- Engage players so much as to invest heavily in cosmetics for these characters
- Do this without any returning character power, outside of Liara and to link the Milky Way with the most poorly received title in the franchise

And regardless of how you personally feel about Andromeda, it is evident that the public at large was not thrilled with Andromeda.

With that in mind, how well do you see the next game in the franchise, from a purely commercial standpoint, competing in the segment? Under these circumstances, I can only see Liara, in the role I can see her having, carrying the game so far. Bioware will need to offer something exceptional on many levels to stand a chance, let alone to be competitive.

I don't think it's wise to use teaser trailers as a rubric for how close a game is to arrival. Cyberpunks trailer initially debuted in 2013, and its only now that it's released. I only see ME5 arriving sometime during - or after - 2026.

You know, I miss the good old days when fans wouldn't bend over and just except having character customization options ripped out of the game, to be resold to you again. Especially RPGs. 

My only point is that a teaser trailer shouldn't be indicative of the final product.

Yea, the something wrong, is called micro-transactions. It's the second greatest lie ever told. THis idea that video games are so horrifically, god awfully expensive to make that these games literally need them or else they'll go out of business. It's just as much BS now as it was then, but fans have just let themselves come to believe that lie, and let these companies constantly push the line, and make their tactics more and more egregious as time goes on. 

Fans have come to convince themselves, that character customization, is a less important aspect of video games, than progression or skills, as a way to mentally justify and accept forcing us to pay for skins we've already paid for. No one wants to accepts it, and those who do just shrug their shoulders in either indifference or defeat, and just accept the shitty reality that we, the fans have allowed to happen. 

But if you want the solid gold chaps with the pink speedo you pay extra.

YOu would be surprised about some of the people I've talked to in real life lmao

At this point in the live service discourse, frankly, if DA4 and the next ME continue in this same vein, I think I might be fine. The major installment has a full story, we get a few smaller story installments to build new lore and set up future stories, some cosmetic DLC - that would be what we've already received previously. Just as long as the failures of SWTOR and Anthem stay far enough away.

I've talked to people too in real life and they said the opposite. They normally like the cool skins or want to support the company they like.

This is an outrage!
You read that in Udina's voice.
Now you are imagining Udina in solid gold chaps and a pink speedo arguing with Sparatus.
You are welcome.