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Bioware Employee Caught In a Review Scandal Over Dragon Age II

Matthew Sims — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:20:56 +0000

As if it wasn’t hard enough trying to be a decent game writer and trying to give people honest opinions about what games they should and should not play, some fool over at Bioware has to go and give gamers one more reason to distrust reviews and scores.

A Bioware employee, who goes by the name of Avanost on Metacritic, was caught reviewing Dragon Age II on metacritic and whaddya know, he had a glowing review of the title, which many reviewers and even the game’s musical composer have criticized for feeling rushed. Here’s what he had to say about the game.

“The immersion and combat of this game are unmatched! A truly moving and fun epic. Anything negative you’ll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference. For what it is, it is flawlessly executed and endlessly entertaining”

Already this is looking a little sketchy, because anyone who actually plays games and reviews them honestly would never say things like “overreaction of personal preference” because that is just plain stupid. That’s like saying that anyone who doesn’t like Halo just must not like space marines. Did you ever think, Avanost, that some people might not like it because there are things that are bad about it? Redundant combat, unattached characters and a lacking plot are just a few complaints that I’ve heard from players. Regardless, there is no excuse for tarnishing a whole community just to get a few more sales of your game. Shame on you.

Now, the review has been taken down (as is only fair), but it just goes to show that you have to be careful about integrity in this industry. Really it’s a shame.

Source: [Dragon Age 2 Conspiracy - Reddit]

Mortal Kombat Reboot Banned in Australia

Bryce Wilson — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:29:07 +0000

The latest and goriest entry into the Mortal Kombat franchise has been refused publication in Australia, due to failing Australia’s outdated and problem riddled classification process.

The report came from an anonymous person who received an email claiming that the game “will not be released in Australia”. Furthermore, all promotional posters and products must be removed from shops and all current standing pre-orders must be canceled and refunded. The email did state however that this decision may be overturned in the future but for now all the mentioned steps are necessary.

An official statement from Warner Bros. is currently pending and we will update you when we know more. One thing is for sure though, this will further fuel the file for the great R18+ debate.

UPDATE: Warner Bros. just issued their statement. It reads;

The highly anticipated video game Mortal Kombat, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) in Australia, has been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board and will not release in Australia. We are extremely disappointed that Mortal Kombat, one of the world’s oldest and most successful video games franchises, will not be available to mature Australian gamers. WBIE would not market mature content where it is not appropriate for the audience. We understand that not all content is for every audience, but there is an audience for mature gaming content and it would make more sense to have the R18+ classification in Australia. As a member of the iGEA, WBIE is reviewing all options available at this time.

To all my Australian gaming friends, just import the game from overseas – don’t support a government that wont support you. Let me know what you think about the potential banning via the comments below or Twitter – @DrjftGaming.

PC Version of Bulletstorm Requires Persistent Internet Connection (Or Maybe Not?)

Sam Naylor — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:49:38 +0000

UPDATE: Apparently you won’t need a persistent internet connection to play – only to install and play online. People Can Fly has said whoever fucked up the product disclosures page will be shot in the balls for extra points.

The PC version of Bulletstorm will require a persistent Internet connection, according to EA’s product disclosures page.

The document reads as follows:

“PERSISTENT INTERNET CONNECTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIRED TO PLAY. ”

Those evil, evil words are underlined in blood by the need to install Games For Windows Live, a service which no sane person has ever had a good word to say about.

I hear that for their next game EA are planning to literally kick all paying customers in the balls and give all the software pirates a free cake.

Via Dtoid

Website Preys On Lazy Gamers Promising Playful Tester Jobs With Free Soda

Dylan Duarte — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 07:10:39 +0000

Do you want to make $150 a day doing nothing but playing video games and drinking soda, regardless of a college education? Well do ya, punk!?

Don’t you go anywhere! You sit your fat, soda-guzzlin’ ass in that chair for two lousy minutes while I tell you about the most amazing job opportunity of a lifetime! Where are you going? Get back here!

If you decide to get a job in videogame testings, the most awesomest job in the world, you will:

Get to Play NEW Video Games (Whoa!)
Get PAID to Play NEW Video Games (This keeps getting better!)
Get PAID to Play UNRELEASED Video Games before anyone else (Holy hell I didn’t think it could get any better!)
Get FREE Copies of Video Games (You mean the one I’ve been playing for six months straight?)
Get Cheat Codes, Level Secrets, and other “bugs” that only game testers know about. (Do those even exist in the information age?)
Get vital Real-World experience working with various departments such as development, marketing, manufacturing, and get “your foot in the door” to this industry. (I’m going to get my foot in your ass.)

But wait! You might not want this radical job if you HATE videogames. Oh, you don’t? Then you definitely want this job. And you’re almost kind of a little bit but not really guaranteed to make at least $20/hour to start off! And the sky is the limit! That’s right! After a few years testing games, you might be making the sky/hour!

This is the greatest job ever created. What will it take for you to believe me? A polygraph?! I’ll do it!

Alright, enough of your bullshit, you dastardly website. Game testing is a job, that’s for sure. Will you test awesome games? At some point in your career, probably. You will, however, cut your teeth on games like Winx Club, Sims Online, Michelle Kwan Figure Skating, My Frogger Toy Trials, and Girl’s Only Secret Diary. These are all games friends of mine have tested.

If you want a career in game development, than yes, get a job in game testing. And it will probably be just as shitty as any entry-level job, at least for a while. But it will get your foot in the door. The website doesn’t lie about that. There seems to be this weird game being played by the industry where they continue to pretend that being a game tester is an absolutely amazing job when everybody is completely aware that it’s not.

I included the above website screenshot so that you could see what the website looks like without actually going to it. Not only is the information there completely misleading, but it’s offering a pay service/guide that helps you land game testing jobs, if I’m understanding it correctly. It’s not very clear. What is clear is that plently of people have gotten game testing jobs by applying like normal adults rather than going through some shady service.

In the interest of fairness, the link to the site in question is below. Before clicking it, please note two things:

1 – This is one of those sites where, if you close it or navigate away, they ask “ARE YOU SUUUUUUURE” and take you to some other page with other offers.

2 – This site really, really sucks.

http://mygametesterjobs.info/

Latest Episode of Penn & Teller’s Bullshit! Tackles Violent Video Games

Demi Adejuyigbe — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:30:19 +0000

Violence and video games is a topic almost as old as time itself, and we’re all getting tired of hearing people discuss whether or not violent video games are a stimulant for violence & aggression. While the entire gaming community will probably answer that query with a resounding, unanimous “NO”, many analysts and therapists alike disagree. The comedic, critical duo of Penn & Teller recently tackled this topic in the latest episode of Showtime’s Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, and the outcomes of the so-called “investigation” might surprise you.

The first part of the episode is embedded above, courtesy of Kotaku, and the second & third parts are embedded after the jump. Everyone’s favorite Floridian makes an appearance in the episode, but unfortunately, they made him out to some sort of game-hating misanthrope, rather than the forthright, but misguided man he seemed to be when I heard him speak at SGC last week. While I enjoyed the episode, and thought they made a lot of good points, I could’ve done without the crying kid at the end. Luckily, no one at his age probably watches or even gets Showtime, or the kid would be teased for life.

Sorry, The Last Boss Fight Costs Extra — Some Devs Willing to Ship Incomplete Games

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:31:08 +0000

A few days ago I published an article talking about the impact of used game sales and rentals on developers. The piece revolved around comments made by Frontier Developments’ founder, David Braben and his idea to create two price points/versions of a game — a model he compares to the film industry.

I really disagreed with the idea as well as the notion that the used game market is the root of the problem. Instead, I discussed an alternative solution which involved DLC content or “additional incentive” to buy a game new. That said, never in a million years did I think devs would be willing to consider making a vital part of a game — such as a final boss fight — accessible only via DLC.

Well, if you believe the comment made by Epic Games president, Dr Michael Capps, it seems that this concept has its share of supporters:

“I’ve talked to some developers who are saying ‘If you want to fight the final boss you go online and pay USD 20, but if you bought the retail version you got it for free‘. We don’t make any money when someone rents it, and we don’t make any money when someone buys it used – way more than twice as many people played Gears than bought it…”

Are you shitting me? A game that ships with no accessible ending? That is the best solution these assholes can come up with? Screw over the gamer? When I said that I supported DLC content as added value — I meant it. Added value doesn’t mean you strip away a game’s ending.

What a shame. If it ever comes to the point where large corporations start utilizing these types of tactics to improve their bottom line — I have one wish. I hope the greedy SOBs at the top all find themselves sick in a hospital bed at some point. Desperately in need of an organ transplant to live, they are greeted by a good doctor who walks in and utters the following words:

Sorry, organ donors are impossible to come by these days. Dr. Phil had a show on it. It seems that the lack of used products available to consumers has made people bitter. The overwhelming feeling is, if we can’t benefit from another person’s used stuff, then they won’t benefit from ours either. It’s a shame really — I wish there was more I could do.

Call me a sick fuck, but it would serve them right, and I sure as hell wouldn’t feel sorry for them. The moral o the story, be careful what you wish for.

Source: GI.biz

Used Game Market Not the Problem, Lack of New Purchase Incentive the Real Issue

Chad Lakkis — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:57:02 +0000

Look, I’ve been reading a heap of articles lately citing both the Eurogamer and GI.biz sit down with Frontier Developments’ founder, David Braben, and I simply couldn’t take it anymore.

For those of you that missed the hoopla, Braben’s gripe is that the used game market will eventually kill the single player aspect of games and force all developers to focus instead on multiplayer due to its high replay factor. While I agree that multiplayer does offer a much higher replay value, I certainly don’t agree with his proposed fix.

My argument is that for every game there are two versions. One is personal, not for resale and it’s made abundantly clear you can’t sell it. And it’s made available for something like GBP 25 [$40]. And a resale and rental copy, which in film is actually about GBP 80 [$130].

Huh? That has got to be the most ass backwards solution I’ve ever heard of. I understand the need for a developer to generate higher revenue, but handcuffing a consumer to their product is not the answer.

The better solution, which is admittedly more difficult, is to come up with incentives that motivate gamers to buy games new. Companies and retailers alike are already putting this plan into action. Look no further than the upcoming release of Gears of War 2 to see this in action. Those who buy the game new will get access to fan favorite levels from the original Gears. Other titles like LittleBigPlanet have been offering up tons of exclusive costumes, levels, and even real world branded merchandise for pre-order customers.

While both of these games have multiplayer aspects, there’s nothing preventing the creators of single player only titles from utilizing these tactics as well. They may not have the luxury of relying on an internet connected consumer, but that wouldn’t prevent them from embedding content into their games that requires a one time use code to unlock via telephone, smoke signal, bong juice, or bat signal.

The point I am trying to make here is that there are other options. And when you’re a company comprised of the type of talent and creativity capable of putting together an interactive game, I have a hard time feeling sorry for you. If you can’t think up ways to help strengthen your consumer bond without the use of restraints, you need to stop pointing fingers at consumers and retail chains and instead point them at yourself.

Chains like GameStop have every right to sell used games without developers pointing their fingers at them in disgust. Looking at the situation realistically, chains like GameStop will cease to exist as soon as more consumers begin to realize that they don’t need fancy middle man pawn shops, offering ridiculously low trade in value, in order to connect with gamers looking for used content.

Personally, you will never catch me selling a used game to a chain like GameStop, but that’s not because I don’t believe they should have the right to sell used products. It’s because I believe the price they offer consumers in exchange for their game is highway robbery. If I have games (or anything for that matter) that I want to sell, I use this lovely tool called the internet created by Al Gore in the 70s. And when I don’t feel like doing that, I whip up a yard sale sign and sit my ass in a lawn chair on my front lawn.

In closing, the solution is not to offer us less by doing away with single player content and it’s not forcing us to retain our copy by placing legal copy on the back of each box. Gamers will respond unanimously to one thing and one thing only — a superior product. If that means the addition of multiplayer, do it. If that means going above and beyond with extra promotional content, do it. Knapsacks, notebooks, pencil sharpers, condoms, lunchboxes, viewfinders — whatever it is — do it, do it, do it, do it.

Deliver a high enough quality product and gamers will not only never sell your title, they’ll worship your box art by framing it on their wall for the whole world to see.

Afterthought: Ok, my rant time is over. What say you loyal readers? Have I lost my mind? Is Braben on to something or should games come with boat loads of swag and other cool perks if we are willing to dish out the cash to buy them new?