BioWare cancels Dragon Age II expansion, asks for fan feedback on franchise’s future

Posted on March 20, 2012 by John Scalzo

Dragon Age II was released more than a year ago and while many players were disappointed in the new direction the series took, the adventures of Hawke still had plenty of fans. However, it looks it wasn’t enough as Executive Producer Mark Darrah has confirmed (via Twitter) that an expansion for the game, titled Dragon Age II: Exalted March, was recently canceled.

Afterwords, Darrah ventured into the BioWare Forums (a scary place nowadays) and revealed a little more about the future of the franchise. According to the developer, Dragon Age II won’t be completely forgotten as BioWare will try to complete Hawke’s tale in a future game.

He also confirmed that the Dragon Age team will be listening very closely to fan feedback and incorporating it into Dragon Age III:

We’ll be attending a number of conventions and gatherings, including PAX East in April. The most valuable thing we can get out of those meetings is to hear from you on those same topics – what does Dragon Age mean to you, and where would you like to see it go? We’re excited to hear what you have to say!

Interesting. Was this the plan all along or did the Mass Effect 3 backlash rewrite BioWare’s entire culture?

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Dating site wants to go steady with struggling retailer GAME Group

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Melissa Niedringhaus

A British dating website for gamers revealed earlier today that they approached troubled retailer GAME, and offered to transform the group’s 600 stores into “dating zones” in an effort to attract new business.

According to industry analysts, GAME Group needs the equivalent of $160 million to stay afloat or it will have to cut 10,000 jobs. To make matters worse, three of its key suppliers, Electronic Arts, Capcom and Nintendo, are refusing to do business with the retailer, and it’s stock of new titles has dropped dramatically.

In light of these events, Date A Gamer has offered to set up branded areas in each of GAME’s 600 stores where single gamers could meet and hook up. They’ve proposed one-hour dating sessions, twice a day, free for it’s members.

UK entrepreneur and TV personality Tom Thurlow, creator of the website, hasn’t heard back from Game HQ, but remains “optimistic” about a partnership. He considers it a “no brainer”, because there is a “clear demand” among single gamers for a dating service like Date A Gamer, and it would be a huge market for GAME to tap into.

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Disney brings Brave to consoles, DS, PC this Summer

Posted on March 19, 2012 by John Scalzo

Pixar’s next movie, Brave, opens on June 22. As you’d expect for one of the Summer’s biggest blockbusters, it’ll receive a tie-in game published by Disney Interactive.

Brave will be available for the DS, PC, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 sometime this Summer (probably in early June). The game asks players to “run, jump and battle their way through the rugged landscape of mythical and mysterious Scotland” as the movie’s main character, Merida:

A third person action-adventure, Brave: The Video Game expands the tale beyond the movie’s storyline. Gamers can play as Merida, an expert archer and heroine, and in the console versions, players can also play as other entertaining characters from the film. In addition, they will be able to go on quests through a magical world and solve puzzles to uncover secrets.

If that doesn’t convince you to give Brave a shot, how about this: the PC, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 versions will include a Bear Mode where you, yes, play as a bear.

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BioWare “considering” a new ending for Mass Effect 3

Posted on March 19, 2012 by John Scalzo

It just goes to show you, some companies actually take the phrase “the customer is always right” to heart. Even though it was never considered the foundation of good business and is even less applicable in this case.

In a post on their Facebook page, the team at BioWare has revealed that they are still “collecting and considering” all fan feedback regarding the ending. The developer has also made made no decisions on whether or not they’re going to change the ending or offer a “good” ending to fans dissatisfied with the ending as is:

We would like to clarify that we are actively and seriously taking all player feedback into consideration and have ruled nothing out. At this time we are still collecting and considering your feedback and have not made a decision regarding requests to change the ending.

Many Mass Effect 3 will no doubt greet this news with cheers of joy. And they’re likely the very same people who complain about all the unnecessary changes George Lucas has made to the Star Wars trilogy over the years.

Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

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EA killing online multiplayer for Burnout Revenge, EA MMA, others

Posted on March 19, 2012 by John Scalzo

Electronic Arts has announced another round of online multiplayer server shutdowns. As always, the publisher claims that these games are played by less than 1% of all players who play EA games online.

Notable among this batch is EA Sports MMA, both for how recent it is (it was released less than 18 months ago) and because of the fact that it required an Online Pass for its multiplayer mode.

I suppose it can debated whether EA has to right to shut down a for-pay multiplayer server, but for now, here’s the rest of the server shutdowns:

  • Boom Blox: Bash Party (Wii)
  • Burnout Revenge (Xbox 360)
  • Create (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
  • EA Sports Active 2.0 (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
  • EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp (Wii)
  • EA SPorts MMA (PS3, Xbox 360)
  • FIFA Soccer 10 (PSP, Wii)
  • The Godfather II (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
  • Need For Speed: ProStreet (PS3, Xbox 360)
  • The Saboteur: The Midnight Club (PS3, Xbox 360)
  • Spare Parts (PS3, Xbox 360)

All of the games in the above list will go offline on April 13, 2012.

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Microsoft working on a new “AAAA” game

Posted on March 19, 2012 by John Scalzo

I guess grade inflation isn’t just for review scores anymore.

A job listing at Microsoft Studios has revealed that the consolemaker is in the early planning stages of a new “AAAA” game. It appears that the Executive Producer hired to fill this position will be in charge of staffing a brand new team with Microsoft Studios.

The job listing didn’t reveal any other details about the game or even confirm its in development for the Xbox 360. For all we know, the extra “A” is a clue that this this job listing is referring to an Xbox 720/Xbox Next game.

Or I just really wanted to make that “grade inflation” joke.

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One |

FTC complaint filed against EA over “terrible” Mass Effect 3 ending

Posted on March 19, 2012 by John Scalzo

This has got to stop!

“El_Spiko,” a user on the BioWare Forums, has informed the community that he has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Electronic Arts over the “terrible” ending of Mass Effect 3.

He wrote (any spelling errors were in the original post):

“After reading through the list of promises about the ending of the game they made in their advertising campaign and PR interviews, it was clear that the product we got did not live up to any of those claims. This thread has a great compilation of their claims.

Clearly, none fo these were represented in the ending. If anyone else wishes to file a complaint (the more there are the more likely the FTC will take action) just go to FTC.gov and fill out a complaint form in the Consumer Protection section.

This is not somethign I was happy to do, but after the terrible ending that was in no way the product that had been advertised to me and the lack of any kind of response from Bioware/EA to address this, I felt it was one of my only recourses. I’ll be returning my copy of the game before the end of my 30 day return policy if the ending still hasn’t been addressed by then.”

For the love of Shepard, please do not follow this guy’s lead and complain to the FTC about Mass Effect 3. It will only waste their time and the tax dollars of the American public.

The FTC’s mission is as follows: “To prevent business practices that are anticompetitive or deceptive or unfair to consumers.” No where in there does the Commission promise that you’ll like the product you buy. Just that you won’t be deceived before you purchase it. And EA never “promised” a great ending to Mass Effect 3. They may have hyped it up, but thanks to the legal concept of “puffery,” this kind of hype is allowed and expected.

I’d quote the end of Billy Madison here (you know the line), but really, what’s the point?

[Source: Gamepur]

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Kojima working on the “shining moment” for the Metal Gear franchise

Posted on March 18, 2012 by John Scalzo

Hideo Kojima held court at the Smithsonian American Art Museum yesterday as part of the kickoff festivities for their new exhibit, “The Art of Video Games.”

During the hour-long panel discussion, appropriately titled “A Conversation With Hideo Kojima,” the famed developer was asked about his life, his career, and his plans for the future. Naturally, he was also asked about his thoughts on the Metal Gear franchise, including what he thought the “shining moment of accomplishment” from the series was. His answer surprised many in the audience.

Kojima said that he couldn’t say too much, but “this year or next year, I am working on something that I think will become the shining moment” for his career and the Metal Gear series. He also said that he’ll be 50 next year and that he wants to create that moment now.

Kojima has always maintained that his next project is Project Ogre, an open-world game where players hunt demons. But it appears the developer (and his team at Kojima Productions) is hard at work on a supersecret Metal Gear game, perhaps even Metal Gear Solid 5. Awesome!

The Smithsonian recorded “A Conversation With Hideo Kojima” and a video is available after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

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