There's plenty of evidence suggesting that Demos reduce game sales, not increase them. * One way to mitigate that is by making the Demo available to those who already have 'skin in the game' via preorder or Origin/EA Access.
They got stung by the raw Mass Effect Andromeda footage being mocked before launch, so perhaps they want really safe tests, betas and then a Demo with an invested audience first to polish the game good.
Sure, people who would like to try a demo to decide to buy, will be disappointed but as we've established, Demos are counterproductive anyway, so no loss. I think the Demo is really about testing and polishing, and only after prior testing and polishing.
Games are part of a rapidly shifting market; the change of which has been put on steroids ever since the Internet became big, so personally, I find (not you, just overall) arguing over what demo was or should be based on what it was a bit strange, if not unproductive. Times have changed and so did the distribution or access to demos or betas - and given that you've presented a compelling case that previous approach didn't really work, why should they stick to it? In fact, they pretty demonstrably don't anymore, given the relative dearth of demos.
With that said... I think we may be seeing a relative rise of a number of demos if they're going to be used as ways to incentivize people to try subscription services. It's a way of a console exclusive I guess - even if people won't stay for Anthem after giving it a try, there will be those who will stick around to play other games available in the Vault.
With that said (2), I don't really think that Bioware puts a demo on EA Access to 'play it safe'. After all many issues (and memes) arose specifically after the 10-hour MEA trial was put on EA Access. So you'd think that if they were so stung by it, they wouldn't be trying to put a demo (I guess the major lesson they got is that a demo may be better than a trial?) and limited the distribution to select people or audience. But nope - they're doing EA Access again; the very same thing that didn't work for them before, at least not as much as they'd like. I guess they have confidence in Anthem and the level of polish the early showings will bring.
Last Edit: Sept 3, 2018 11:17:20 GMT by midnight tea
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
There's plenty of evidence suggesting that Demos reduce game sales, not increase them. * One way to mitigate that is by making the Demo available to those who already have 'skin in the game' via preorder or Origin/EA Access.
They got stung by the raw Mass Effect Andromeda footage being mocked before launch, so perhaps they want really safe tests, betas and then a Demo with an invested audience first to polish the game good.
Sure, people who would like to try a demo to decide to buy, will be disappointed but as we've established, Demos are counterproductive anyway, so no loss. I think the Demo is really about testing and polishing, and only after prior testing and polishing.
Games are part of a rapidly shifting market; the change of which has been put on steroids ever since the Internet became big, so personally, I find (not you, just overall) arguing over what demo was or should be based on what it was is a bit strange if not unproductive. Times have changed and so did the distribution or access to demos or betas - and given that you've presented a compelling case that previous approach didn't really work, why should they stick to it? In fact, they pretty demonstrably don't anymore, given the relative dearth of demos.
With that said... I think we may be seeing the relative rise of a number of demos if they're going to be used as ways to incentivize people to try on subscription services. It's a way of a console exclusive I guess - even if people won't stay for Anthem after giving it a try, there will be those who will stick around to play other games available in the Vault.
With that said, I don't really think that Bioware puts a demo on EA Access to 'play it safe'. After all many issues (and memes) arose specifically after the 10-hour MEA trial was put on EA Access. So you'd think that if they were so stung by it, they wouldn't be trying to put a demo (I guess the major lesson they got is that a demo may be better than a trial?) and limited the distribution to select people or audience. But nope - they're doing EA Access again; the very same thing that didn't work for them before, at least not as much as they'd like. I guess they have confidence in Anthem and the level of polish the early showings will bring.
This demo is atleast going to be different in that it's not the start of the game and you can't continue the progress into the game when you actually getting it. And with Origin Premier now, the Early Access is no longer a 10 hr trail but the whole game actually coming out to people earliar. So it's a bit different from MEA.
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Dun @dun31533839 @biomarkdarrah Hello! I'm not sure if this has been asked, are we not getting a beta? I saw the demo is slated for the 1st of Feb. But haven't seen anything about a beta
Mark Darrah @biomarkdarrah We will be doing something. No details yet (including scale of availability)
ThommyGunn @tfthommygunn If I stay out in the world for several missions before returning to Fort Tarsis, will I potentially miss certain conversations or story bits? Or will ft tarsis let us catch up when we return without missing something. Thx
Jonathan Warner @bio_Warner No, the is exactly what we are avoiding with Our World My Story
DJ Granblue @djgranblue @bio_Warner Now that the story focus is out of the way, will you be showing off some dungeons or elder content next for #AnthemGame? 😊
AleXsiMuS @alexsimus93 For people that don't care about the binary dialogue and just want to go out in the World of Anthem, how will their choices/consequences be chosen for them?
Mark Darrah @biomarkdarrah You can either not engage in those conversations at all (in which case the conversation never happened) or you choose
Macc @m4cc_10 @bio_Warner @gamblemike so do you end up missing out on side mission quests by not engaging?
Perhaps that's true. However, N7 is correct. The Hero of the Story is based on our choices with the NPCs at Fort Tarsis. That is like saying you are the hero of high school based on the choices you made.... Kinda blah, no?
Well... no. Unless you think that one of few scattered hubs where people can survive and build some semblance of civilization in an otherwise very hostile environment is comparable to high school?
I mean... are you saying that a hero can only be a hero of the story if they're saviors of the whole world or something? Or their actions in one, but potentially crucial place can't have ramifications for world/civilization at large? I mean... by that logic the Champion of Kirkwall or even the Hero Of Ferelden are also heroes of high school, given that their actions were regional or focused mostly on one/few places.
I guess it all boils down to the definition of hero, such as:
(1) In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods. (2) A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war. (3) A person noted for special achievement in a particular field: the heroes of medicine
Bio has defined it as "the hero of the story" which is not the same as "the hero of Anthem", for example. To further illustrate my understanding (rightly or wrongly) the hero of the story is a Freelancer that gains influence via successful quests and NPC interactions. Hawke, certainly gained influence "above his station" but this did not make him the hero, rather defeating the Arishok made Hawke one.
This hero of the story dilutes the meaning of hero, imo. It's marketing designed to promote the game. The Pax West panel alluded to "the rich characters" and may very well be. However, the panel did not define / tell how this hero will evolve interacting with "deep chars. & questing" ( I may have missed it though, from the streaming video) . Somehow, I doubt Bio has defined this hero of the story as when a player talks to n NPCs, influences, x number of them and succeeds with quests A, B, C and D. If this is the case, by all means, say so Bio. I will accept that definition. But, the studio has not, and probably can't because the marketing team has nothing to go on except vapourware.
Alem Sinner PT @alem_Ant @biomarkdarrah From the new batch of info the Ranger now has a "Muster Point" is this in gear category(active skill) or like a passive skill? #AMAAAA
Mark Darrah @biomarkdarrah There is a third active gear slot that we haven’t really discussed yet
Mark Darrah @biomarkdarrah The 2 agents we didn’t show at PAX are: -Brin (Sentinel) you can listen to victor_Krengel gush about her on the panel -Tassyn (Corvus) she is the one who says “I’m someone you want to know” in the trailer. More on them later
Well... no. Unless you think that one of few scattered hubs where people can survive and build some semblance of civilization in an otherwise very hostile environment is comparable to high school?
I mean... are you saying that a hero can only be a hero of the story if they're saviors of the whole world or something? Or their actions in one, but potentially crucial place can't have ramifications for world/civilization at large? I mean... by that logic the Champion of Kirkwall or even the Hero Of Ferelden are also heroes of high school, given that their actions were regional or focused mostly on one/few places.
I guess it all boils down to the definition of hero, such as:
(1) In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods. (2) A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war. (3) A person noted for special achievement in a particular field: the heroes of medicine
Bio has defined it as "the hero of the story" which is not the same as "the hero of Anthem", for example. To further illustrate my understanding (rightly or wrongly) the hero of the story is a Freelancer that gains influence via successful quests and NPC interactions. Hawke, certainly gained influence "above his station" but this did not make him the hero, rather defeating the Arishok made Hawke one.
This hero of the story dilutes the meaning of hero, imo. It's marketing designed to promote the game. The Pax West panel alluded to "the rich characters" and may very well be. However, the panel did not define / tell how this hero will evolve interacting with "deep chars. & questing" ( I may have missed it though, from the streaming video) . Somehow, I doubt Bio has defined this hero of the story as when a player talks to n NPCs, influences, x number of them and succeeds with quests A, B, C and D. If this is the case, by all means, say so Bio. I will accept that definition. But, the studio has not, and probably can't because the marketing team has nothing to go on except vapourware.
So your point basically boils to "since marketing didn't yet delve deep into the story or didn't show us PC story progression* I'm just going to assume that there's really not much there to begin with". *something I am pretty sure Bioware especially wants us to discover on our own as much as possible.
I mean... really?
Also, what is this?:
Freelancer that gains influence via successful quests and NPC interactions. Hawke, certainly gained influence "above his station" but this did not make him the hero, rather defeating the Arishok made Hawke one.
What in Anthem's current presentation even gives you an idea that what makes Freelancer a hero is just 'gaining influence via successful quests and NPC interactions'? What makes you think that the PC basically won't have a story arc or won't have moments in the narrative that will define them as a hero, in a similar way Hawke or other Bioware heroes did?
Because, from my perspective and from what little we currently saw, I see no reason whatsoever to go to such absurd lengths to... dunno, basically try the damndest insult Bioware's storytelling in their future title(s).
Last Edit: Sept 4, 2018 15:25:02 GMT by midnight tea
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
Michael Gamble @gamblemike I want to clarify this, as the title simplifies it far too much. Anthem has a main story and that story concludes. But it also allows us to continue the storytelling soon after launch, and keep the world alive and changing and fresh. New adventures, characters, and fun.
Today @grlfreitas2 So... Live service styled games?
Michael Gamble @gamblemike We released dlc for mass effect and dragon age. Do you consider that live service ? What’s the difference between that and content updates?
Arik ten Broeke @sagegenesis Live service story updates? So if I finish ME1 and think I know the story of Shepard vs the Reapers, I actually don't because the story keeps going on? Never any real closure or accomplishments because the rug can be pulled out on the next patch day? Yuck!
Michael Gamble @gamblemike Nope. That’s not it at all. You still get closure and you still get finality. But characters don’t all cease to exist once the game is finished. They live on, and so do their stories
Anthem @anthemgame Freelancers! We’ll be breaking down the latest Anthem updates over the next few weeks. Right here on the official #AnthemGame Twitter.
AleXsiMuS @alexsimus93 For people that don't care about the binary dialogue and just want to go out in the World of Anthem, how will their choices/consequences be chosen for them?
Mark Darrah @biomarkdarrah You can either not engage in those conversations at all (in which case the conversation never happened) or you choose
Macc @m4cc_10 @bio_Warner @gamblemike so do you end up missing out on side mission quests by not engaging?
Mark Darrah @biomarkdarrah No.
That contradicts what the EA Anthem article says, but it wouldn't be the first time the EA website was wrong.
"Developing your personal story adds to the missions you can take into the shared world"
EDIT: Hmm, I suppose "adds to the missions" might not mean "adds missions" as I originally thought. Maybe it means adds another dimension to missions, like in radio chatter?
Last Edit: Sept 3, 2018 19:13:28 GMT by PapaCharlie9
Inquisitor: Is that innuendo? Sera: No, it's at the front!
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