DonutFinn's Blogs

EA vs Mass Effect

Mass Effect is the first game in what was originally going to be an Xbox 360 exclusive trilogy, developed by expert RPG developers BioWare – the company responsible for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games.
Then the jerks at EA bought BioWare and changed everything. Being the money-crazed gits that they are, EA decided that instead of allowing BioWare to just continue with their original plan to bring an epic sci-fi trilogy of role-playing games exclusively to the Xbox 360, they would turn Mass Effect from an epic adventure to an epic cash cow, which will probably kill the recently established, critically acclaimed brand, before even the release of the second game. EA decided to release a PC version of Mass Effect in May with a supposedly revised and more efficient interface. Mass Effect is an excellent game, winner of over 70 awards and many 10/10 ratings. It has a great interface, especially with the wheel system which works better with the 360’s joystick then it ever will on PC – if EA even decides to keep the wheel system.
EA also made another announcement: they may not stop once the original trilogy is complete; instead EA says that the Mass Effect series will continue for a long, long time. Yes EA has done a…well, an EA. In just the same way that EA bought Maxis and turned Maxis’ Sims games into one of the biggest gaming cash cows in history, EA will most likely milk the Mass Effect franchise to death, cheapening one of the greatest Xbox 360 games ever made into a new Sims. It’s disgusting that the biggest games company in the world (until Blizzard merges with Activision to become Activision-Blizzard) would do that to such a great game. It’s obvious that EA has no idea what to do with a truly great franchise, except milk it to death.

The thing is Microsoft had a deal with BioWare to publish Mass Effect exclusively for the Xbox 360, but BioWare retained the IP (intellectual property) for the series, and when EA bought BioWare (and Pandemic for that matter) they got all of BioWare’s IP so they can now decide what to do with it. Hopefully we won’t see EA doing what they do with the NFL licenses; bringing out a new Mass Effect game once a year, each time introducing incremental improvements. Knowing EA I wouldn’t be surprised. One thing’s for sure, shipping Mass Effect for PC under the EA brand, which is what they’re going to do, is going to weaken the brand.  In my opinion and I think I probably speak for a lot of other Mass Effect fans, EA should just keep their noses out of the Mass Effect franchise and let BioWare do its job.

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ReplyPosted by Ubercuber on 5 December 2008, 11:28AM

Slighty OTT thinking ME could go the way of Madden..

But Mass Effect is a great game. I looked forward to playing it during work. Im really looking forward to the sequel if they can tighten up a few of the issues. Like the bloody elevators.

 

ReplyPosted by Rapidity on 5 December 2008, 01:44PM

I'd be interested to know if anyone has save Mass Effect to their 360's HDD & whether it improved the loading times?

 

ReplyPosted by itachi27 on 5 December 2008, 01:59PM

Reply to post by Ubercuber on 5 December 2008, 11:28AM
Slighty OTT thinking ME could go the way of Madden.. But Mass Effect is a great game. I looked forward to playing it during work. Im really looking forward to the sequel if they can tighten up a few of the issues. Like the bloody elevators.

Damn those elevators so much time waiting...

 

ReplyPosted by Srassy on 5 December 2008, 02:48PM

It's pretty cool how you can say "done an EA" and you still know what people are talking about.

 

ReplyPosted by chinaman71 on 5 December 2008, 02:52PM

Reply to post by Srassy on 5 December 2008, 02:48PM
It's pretty cool how you can say "done an EA" and you still know what people are talking about.

sooo tru lol

 

ReplyPosted by Grunt of God on 5 December 2008, 04:06PM

Wow, that's alot of 'Cows' without you acutally refering to Bovines...

 

ReplyPosted by rider211 on 5 December 2008, 04:32PM

hmmm this blog is actualy quite interesting

 

ReplyPosted by JTO on 5 December 2008, 07:46PM

I've always been a fan of EA's yearly updates to their sports franchises, the constant changes help keep things fresh (even if just cosmetic sometimes).

As for their treatment of other licences, you could probably take some solace in their recent record. Introducing new IP's like Mirror's Edge, Deep Space and Army of Two, an enormous amount of free updates for Burnout Paradise, and a solid effort at making a decent console Battlefield game in Bad Company.

EA has been pretty good lately, now here's hoping a new SSX game comes to the PS3 and 360 soon.

 

ReplyPosted by Blazedown on 5 December 2008, 09:44PM

Nah what happened to "Future Cop: LAPD"? That game was friggin awesome!

 

ReplyPosted by Daniel1987 on 6 December 2008, 10:46AM

Funny how people keep bashing EA.

And yet you wonder why they are the huge company they are, and why you are sitting at home in front of your PC.

 

ReplyPosted by JojoTheRain on 6 December 2008, 12:59PM

Quit yo jibba-jabblin'; you ain't hurt!

What I'm saying is:
At least Mass Effect is still being released.
and
It's not like you HAVE to get it for PC.

 

ReplyPosted by Slide on 7 December 2008, 10:27AM

5* for the fact you are completely right. I bought it two days after release and fell in love with it! The fact EA has now obtained BioWare, well frankly they're screwed. I just pray TOR is good, like KOTR good...

 

ReplyPosted by calafenrir- on 7 December 2008, 02:17PM

i know i say this alot but to true,to true

 

ReplyPosted by Bigbcbob on 7 December 2008, 05:08PM

poor ea leave them alone

 

ReplyPosted by Mr.Deflok on 8 December 2008, 05:54AM

-Mirror's Edge
-Dead Space
-Spore

These are just a few of EA's excellent titles. The company has changed considerably since the cliche of sayig they produce the same crap annually became so widespread.

Sure, Sims, EA Sports and Spore will churn out updates and expansions but there's a market for that sort of thing and what comes out is usually quite good.

 

ReplyPosted by Shuyin on 8 December 2008, 12:41PM

mass effect was a great game and bioware is a great company so EA should just piss off lol

 

ReplyPosted by Ruptunex on 11 December 2008, 09:29PM

Reply to post by Mr.Deflok on 8 December 2008, 05:54AM
-Mirror's Edge -Dead Space -Spore These are just a few of EA's excellent titles. The company has changed considerably since the cliche of sayig they produce the same crap annually became so widespread. Sure, Sims, EA Sports and Spore will churn out updates and expansions but there's a market for that sort of thing and what comes out is usually quite good.

I even made a blog about it. Feel free to check it out. I think it';s rather good and it shows how EA are doing their best to change.