I guess I won't be contributing much to this thread, since I'll definitely not be getting this when it releases.  *Traveller cries for Bioware...*  

..but anyway, I see it's releasing on March 6, 2012

[size= x-small](What wouldn't I give for a good old-fashioned Bioware RPG)     << Hmm, I see the forum isn't quite 100% yet...

Why are you not getting it?

Because you need to install Origin (EA's electronic store) and because it might not be released on Steam, a lot of people don't like the idea that every developer will have it's own program to run their games. 

Although I do agree, i will still buy ME3. The other games are among my most favourite games, so i just have to see how this incredible story ends. I'm building 2 completely different characters to be prepared for ME3's release.

Still I refuse to buy Crysis 2 or any other recent EA game because of EA's dickhead behaviour

I'm not saying I won't ever get it, but for the first time ever, I'll not just rush out and get the newest Bioware game as it releases on the market.

This time I'm going to wait and see what happens with the Origin delivery thing and DRM and so on. 

I really don't like what I see re Origin:  here's some examples of what I don't like: >>Origin users are identified by their unified Origin account, which supersedes an EA account and may be canceled if left unused after 24 months if there are not any premium games on it.<<

and:

<<Origin guarantees download availability for at least one year after purchase^[3], and there is no limit to the number of times a game can be downloaded.<<  Only a year?

and:

>>>The Origin store redirects users to a regional store and charges a different price depending on the location of the customer and declines payments from foreign account holders when a consumer uses a VPN to access another region's store to pay that regional price. One justification for this is that it allows the game to be sold for a lower price in regions of the world that cannot afford the higher prices in the first world nations. However, as a result of regional differences and economic currency fluctuations, these prices may be dramatically different. For example, Medal of Honor: Airborne costs $21.15 AUD in the United States but costs $99.99 AUD in Australia as of July 2008[5], Spore costs £22.21 GBP (£26.11 after Sales Tax) in the United States but costs £39.99 GBP VAT included in the United Kingdom as of September 2008, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 costs 599 RUB ($20) in Russia, $49.99 in USA and $63.50 in Denmark as of February 2010 and more recently Battlefield 3 costs $80 AUD in Australia but costs $60 USD in the United States, representing a 30% markup with a current currency exchange rate of 1 USD to 1.05AUD. <<

and

the whole thing that everything EA publishes are going to be origin exclusives - that's monoply,

and

all those controversial thingies about them monitoring your usage and being able to use/sell it for marketing, and : >>"EA also reserves the right to edit, refuse to transfer and/or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, in EA’s sole discretion.”

<<  They may have removed the latter due to pressure, but it just shows you how the EA machine works, and their whole attitude.

Plus, I think EA will force Bioware to do something even closer to a shooter than ME2, especially when you look at the fact that multiplayer is going to be big.

There's nothing wrong with that, of course, I'm sure it will sell very well, and lots of people will love it; but it's just that I personally enjoy single player games with a strong focus on RPG elements and atmosphere + story.

..and that's why I feel rather sad, because that's something that Bioware used to be very good at - SP RPG's with lots of atmosphere.

Oh yes, and then there were these incidents, of course: >> Origin bans

Electronic Arts deleted repeatedly some players' accounts on Origin - thereby blocking users access to their purchased games -after having banned them from the Origin forums, contrary to the statements they made that the management of their forums was separated from the Origin platform itself, and in some cases for offenses which were deemed questionable by journalists. In one instance, user "Arno" was banned for using the term "e-peen" on the Origin forums. His conduct was punished by an initial 72 hour ban, followed by a permanent ban - although the user was eventually reinstated after the incident was made public.  <<

Well, after Mass Effect 2 I couldn't wait for the next game. But everything I've been hearing in the mean time has cooled my enthusiasm  quite a bit. The Origin situation would have been offputting, but not necessarily a deal breaker for me. But the talk of further stripping of the few RPG elements and emphasis on multiplayer was even more dismaying for someone like me who doesn't care in the least about multiplayer but longs for a solid, lengthy and memorable single player RPG experience. Doubt I'll preorder at this point, and will probably end up waiting awhile for a decent price break. Sigh....

Originally Posted By Andromus (13 JAN 2012 7:34pm)

Well, after Mass Effect 2 I couldn't wait for the next game. But everything I've been hearing in the mean time has cooled my enthusiasm  quite a bit. The Origin situation would have been offputting, but not necessarily a deal breaker for me. But the talk of further stripping of the few RPG elements and emphasis on multiplayer was even more dismaying for someone like me who doesn't care in the least about multiplayer but longs for a solid, lengthy and memorable single player RPG experience. Doubt I'll preorder at this point, and will probably end up waiting awhile for a decent price break. Sigh....

 

Oh how lame! a pre-order without any benefits for the customer. When will they learn that customers at least need some incentive to buy something 3 months ahead. 

In that case i too might wait a bit to see what other players think about the game 

For me Dragon Age 2 was the game that made me not considering pre-ordering ME3. I'm going to wait for the reaction from some of the fans of the genre before I put down my money (and hopefully the price will have dropped a bit by then). 

Origin is catching some flack even within the ranks of EA. According to a friend who knows some of the people working for DICE they are not very happy with how EA has been handling Origin. 

Originally Posted By Fnord (14 JAN 2012 2:50am)

For me Dragon Age 2 was the game that made me not considering pre-ordering ME3.

Yes, there's that too.  I also thought of that, but only after I'd posted all that other stuff.  I've decided rather not to say too much about DA2, though, since I'm probably judging it too harshly because I compare it to DA: O. Dragon Age Origin is one of my favorite games of all time. 

To be quite honest, I also enjoyed ME1 quite a bit more than ME2, but I know most gamers enjoy ME2 more, so I'll say nothing about that either. I just know what I personally like, and make my decision according to that.  All I know is that since EA bought Bioware, Bioware is not making games like they used to anymore.

Originally Posted By Traveller (14 JAN 2012 3:18am)
I've decided rather not to say too much about DA2, though, since I'm probably judging it too harshly because I compare it to DA: O.

I'm confused.  Why shouldn't you compare them? 

Originally Posted By JKing (14 JAN 2012 10:39am)

Originally Posted By Traveller (14 JAN 2012 3:18am)
I've decided rather not to say too much about DA2, though, since I'm probably judging it too harshly because I compare it to DA: O.

 

I'm confused.  Why shouldn't you compare them? 

 

Well...

I believe one should try and judge each game on it's own merit, not as compared to its predecessor.  In any case, to me personally, Bioware has been moving away from what I personally like in a game. That's not to say that what they're doing is necessarily bad, just ... you know, - bad (by implication) for me.

Originally Posted By markornikov (14 JAN 2012 2:10am)

Oh how lame! a pre-order without any benefits for the customer. When will they learn that customers at least need some incentive to buy something 3 months ahead. 

What actually do you mean by benefits? You always get benefits when you pre-order, otherwise no one would take the risk with EA products anymore.

I find it interesting though considering the timing of the upcoming release of KofA: Reckoning just a scant month before ME3, a game that to me seems more comparable to a DA game and since it claims to offer hundreds and hundreds of hours of gameplay (I assume that means 300+ hours) I get the impression that EA is under the mindset that it is catering to two different audiences.

I had not realized things were so bad with Origin. that is sad to hear.

what does e-peen mean? and why would Origin ban someone for using it?

strange goings on.

I have not tried Mass Effect 2 yet, have to do other things first, and i started getting promos and pre purchase nudges for Mass Effect 3 already

ah well.

Originally Posted By CrisGer (14 JAN 2012 6:57pm)

 

what does e-peen mean? and why would Origin ban someone for using it?

 

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/e/f/What-Is-Epeen.htm

It might be rather ugly to use that term, but the point is that the users banned from Origin lose access to the games they bought there. (Or this is what I've been given to understand) That's like saying:  "Ok, I'm taking your games back for using an unsulting word on my forum."

As I understand it, (and my info could be wrong) there's not a seperation of the forum from your identity as game owner. They should seperate use of their forum from access to games bought there, at least.

@ CB:  Yes  KofA is a game that I'd also been looking at with sad greedy eyes.  All those yummy dev team individuals  (from previous D&D, Tales of the Sword Coast Black Isle games etc.) involved there.

Originally Posted By CB (14 JAN 2012 2:02pm)

Originally Posted By markornikov (14 JAN 2012 2:10am)

Oh how lame! a pre-order without any benefits for the customer. When will they learn that customers at least need some incentive to buy something 3 months ahead. 

 

What actually do you mean by benefits? You always get benefits when you pre-order, otherwise no one would take the risk with EA products anymore.

 

 

No discounts, no extras and you're not getting the game any sooner, so it's purely beneficial for EA who get their money a few months ahead.

Unless their marketing is that bad, that they don't mention the extras on the pre-order page

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/01/05/mass-effect-3-pre-order-bonuses-include-bonus-armour-rifles-shotguns/

I realize many of you reside overseas but here amazon.com also gives you a ten dollar credit on a future purchase of virtually anything.

Originally Posted By CB (15 JAN 2012 10:21am)

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/01/05/mass-effect-3-pre-order-bonuses-include-bonus-armour-rifles-shotguns/

 

I realize many of you reside overseas but here amazon.com also gives you a ten dollar credit on a future purchase of virtually anything.

Heh, well there's a good example of discrimination according to global areas...

Originally Posted By Traveller (15 JAN 2012 11:02am)

Originally Posted By CB (15 JAN 2012 10:21am)

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/01/05/mass-effect-3-pre-order-bonuses-include-bonus-armour-rifles-shotguns/

 

I realize many of you reside overseas but here amazon.com also gives you a ten dollar credit on a future purchase of virtually anything.

 

Heh, well there's a good example of discrimination according to global areas...

Oh now i see it, origin doesn't list any bonus material, only the official site does.

bad marketing indeed 

But extra weaponry doesn't convince me either, so i'll await what other players think of the game

Originally Posted By Traveller (15 JAN 2012 11:02am)

Heh, well there's a good example of discrimination according to global areas...

Yeah, we're just special in so many ways. (

Just don't remind me that the last adventure game I bought sat in customs for two weeks before it was noticed.

Originally Posted By CB (15 JAN 2012 1:17pm)

Originally Posted By Traveller (15 JAN 2012 11:02am)

Heh, well there's a good example of discrimination according to global areas...

Yeah, we're just special in so many ways. (

Just don't remind me that the last adventure game I bought sat in customs for two weeks before it was noticed.

 

Yep, the Germans especially, certainly have an advantage over the US as far as Adventure games go, I suppose.  And not just AG's , mind, they get preference with many CRPG's as well.

Ugh, the difference in the voice acting between the German and English voice acting of Dead Mountaineers Hotel, left me feeling pretty green - (around the gills and with envy)

Still - games and even films tend to be cheaper in the US, even when you factor in the exchange rates.  (That's if you can find them in the US.  

thanks for that link Traveller, i am now enlightened as to that term ..

when will Mass Effect 3 be out? does anyone know?  Is it going to continue the same story line?

In a completely brilliant marketing move...

Yeah, they did something very similar previously with DA2. :/

http://kotaku.com/5875094/i-reckon-mass-effect-3-in+game-goodies-will-do-wonders-for-the-kingdoms-of-amalur-demo/gallery/1

Originally Posted By CrisGer (15 JAN 2012 4:39pm)

thanks for that link Traveller, i am now enlightened as to that term ..

 

when will Mass Effect 3 be out? does anyone know?  Is it going to continue the same story line?

Originally Posted By Traveller (13 JAN 2012 7:48am)

I guess I won't be contributing much to this thread, since I'll definitely not be getting this when it releases.  *Traveller cries for Bioware...*  

 

..but anyway, I see it's releasing on March 6, 2012

 

 

 

I think the storyline is continueing, yes.

KoA seem to need all the boost it can get right now. While you see the game on a lot of advertsiment banners, who outside of the core CRPG crowd actually knows anything about it? My guess is that unless the game starts getting top score from a lot of reviewers, then it will sell less than expected, EA might even end up losing money from it. 

I did by the way watch some of the trailers and the video where they explained how combat would work in KoA, and I'm actually less interested in it after doing that. It just does not look all that interesting. 

Also, there are a lot of question marks about Origin. Not only do we have the whole banning issue (where some people got banned for being mentioned in posts by people who got banned..), but we also don't know exactly how long the platform will exist. EA does have a bit of a poor track record when it comes to keeping servers up and running, taking them down just a year after the games release. Also, there seem to be some serious technical issues with the platform right now (steam also had them when it was released), which makes it rather unappealing to start using the service right now. Also, I've heard a lot of people saying that they are not interested in using yet another download service like this (and I also feel a bit apprehensive about it. I currently use GOG, Steam, Gamer's gate & Desura, two of which have their own clients, and I really would have preferred to cut it down to two, but all 4 do offer their own things)

I absolutely loved Mass Effect 2, but it looks like I won't be getting ME3.

Origin's current Terms of Service and EA's forum/account idiocy are unacceptable, and that's all there is to it.

If Origin becomes less intrusive, or ME3 becomes available for purchase AND play without requiring Origin, then EA can have my money, and not a day before.