Topic: Mass Effect, or: Why hoping for third party support on Wii U is a fool's game

[Spak-Spang]

You know what this is...it is simple actually.  It is stupid managers trying to figure out what to do...and Fing up, because these executives don't really understand about gaming and its audience. 

Act 1:  Wii U is coming out.  We should prepare some games for launch...what should we do. 

"Well, it is an unproven system...let's not spend too much money on the project...what is the biggest game we released last year?  Madden series is always big...ok, do a quick port of last year's with a new roster and throw in some Wii U exclusive screen stuff...next.  Well Mass Effect 3 is a huge game, use that."

"But...it is a trilogy..."  Who cares people will buy it...its big.    Wii U Mass Effect 3 is born.


Act 2 (Decision 2)  Hey Mass Effect 1 exclusivity with Microsoft is ending...we can now sell it on PS3.

Excellent release it as part of a trilogy...it should be easy to port that one game right?  And ME 2 and 3 are done.  Great compilation...create the game everyone wants to play...a seemless story. 

"Hey how about that Nintendo Mass Effect 3...won't this hurt that...we could port 1 and 2 other to the system...it actually wouldn't be too difficult."

"It won't hurt the sales...Nintendo owners don't buy other systems...don't be stupid."

[Adrock]

Tinfoil hat thought: What if this was the plan all along? Announce Mass Effect 3 for Wii U then a few months down the line announce that the Wii U version is actually the entire trilogy all for $60, kind of like those informercials that supposedly double or triple the value by giving you extra things when really that's pretty much the entire deal from the get go.

[Chozo Ghost]

Tinfoil hat thought: What if this was the plan all along? Announce Mass Effect 3 for Wii U then a few months down the line announce that the Wii U version is actually the entire trilogy all for $60, kind of like those informercials that supposedly double or triple the value by giving you extra things when really that's pretty much the entire deal from the get go.

That would be a smart move. Obviously they couldn't announce it was the trilogy coming to Wii U because that would have hurt sales of ME3 for PS360, so by announcing it as ME3 for the Wii U no one gets upset, and then at the last minute they can reveal that what the Wii U is actually getting is the trilogy all along.

Hopefully that's how it turns out, but we shall see.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Tinfoil hat thought: What if this was the plan all along? Announce Mass Effect 3 for Wii U then a few months down the line announce that the Wii U version is actually the entire trilogy all for $60, kind of like those informercials that supposedly double or triple the value by giving you extra things when really that's pretty much the entire deal from the get go.

I had that same thought earlier today, only in a different thread. (see below)

But there is an off chance that Mass Effect Trilogy IS the game coming to Wii U at launch, and that is the game they had planned all along. It might not have been shown off that way since publishing contract was still in effect and then they effectively get to reveal the game for Wii U twice and build the hype for release. (this is the only thing that would make sense).
The reason for the motion comic's existence would be explained away by the hope that people buying it for Wii U may have already played the first 2 games, but have no way of transferring over their saved games. Motion comic allows them to start off on the third game with similar status as they may have left off after the ME2.
we can only hope...

edit: directed @ Tendoboy

Unless you read the part where I said that ME3 may have been the game they were planning all along.... (as in what if there is no stand-alone ME3 for Wii U and the game they have been showing this entire time was the trilogy?)

it's doubtful, but that makes much more sense than purposely kneecapping their own release as it seems they are doing right now.

Could be waiting on the next wave of announcements at Nintendo's request....
("It might not have been shown off that way since publishing contract was still in effect and then they effectively get to reveal the game for Wii U twice and build the hype for release.")
but that is just based on the whole "what if" scenario.

[Adrock]

I see. You win this round (not counting all the other rounds you may have won).

All in all, it would be a great strategy for reasons stated too many times to need repeating. I probably wouldn't pick up the trilogy at $60, but I'd be tempted to get it eventually.

[Chozo Ghost]

$60 for the trilogy is only $20 per game, which is very reasonable.

[Adrock]

I didn't say it wasn't reasonable. However, I bought all 3 for my brother on 360 for $60 and I'm also currently fucking broke. What do you want me to do?

[UncleBob]

Whore yourself out for games and crack.

It's what I do.

[Adrock]

That's how I pay the rent. I need more money for drugs and games.

[Chozo Ghost]

I bought all 3 for my brother

I wish I had a sibling like you.

[Louieturkey]

Possible, sure.

It just seems weird that something co-developed by Microsoft would get the okay to be on other platforms even after 5 years....

The explanation is Microsoft's exclusivity expired. The game's coming out just over 5 years after the 360 version; the idea proposed in one of these threads that MS just didn't expect this generation to still be going on right now seems pretty plausible.

This I think is correct.  The leaked Durango documents pointed to a 2011/2012 release of the new system.  So it would make sense then that ME1 was available when the new system was released. 

[Louieturkey]

That's how I pay the rent. I need more money for drugs and games.

I heard organs can get you good money.  You only need one kidney after all.

[Chozo Ghost]

That's how I pay the rent. I need more money for drugs and games.

I heard organs can get you good money.  You only need one kidney after all.

Maybe, but isn't it good to have the other one as a backup in case the other one fails? I think we would all live longer if we had two hearts. We only have one, and then when it fails you die instantly. On the other hand, the Kidney is a less critical organ but we have two of them. Why is that?

[Louieturkey]

That's how I pay the rent. I need more money for drugs and games.

I heard organs can get you good money.  You only need one kidney after all.

Maybe, but isn't it good to have the other one as a backup in case the other one fails? I think we would all live longer if we had two hearts. We only have one, and then when it fails you die instantly. On the other hand, the Kidney is a less critical organ but we have two of them. Why is that?

Actually, you can live if you heart stops pumping on its own.  They now have life support systems and if the person is able to get a heart transplant, they can still live longer.  But yes, it's nice to have two kidneys, but people donate one of their kidneys to save other people's lives all the time.

[Chozo Ghost]

I know you can get a transplant and there are machines, but I'm just thinking how weird it is that evolution (or a divine creator if you prefer) set humans up to have two kidneys and so on, but there's only one heart even though the heart is basically the most critical and important organ other than the brain. So the less important organs you get a back up, but the most important one of all you only have one. I just think its weird how that is.

I've read in the Star Trek universe the Klingons have at least two hearts and stuff, and that was because of how they are warriors and always suffering injuries and stuff which makes them more resilient. Star Trek is of course fiction, but this makes sense. Why aren't humans like that? If Darwinism is about the survival of the fittest then having a backup heart is obviously something that would increase the fitness of an organism, so why hasn't this happened? Yet we have two kidneys and two lungs and so forth? Why?

[Stogi]

Any chance Ni No Kuni could be ported from the PS3 to the Wii u? Seems like a perfect console for RPG's.

[broodwars]

Any chance Ni No Kuni could be ported from the PS3 to the Wii u? Seems like a perfect console for RPG's.

"Could it?" I don't see why not.  "Would it?" Probably not.  Post-SNES Nintendo consoles have historically been especially pathetically bad when it comes to RPG support, and I don't see why a game that IIRC didn't sell very well in Japan would be ported to another console for it to fail on.  Frankly, I'm surprised Namco-Bandai is even bothering with an NA version of the PS3 game after how the Japanese version did (only a couple hundred thousand IIRC, which is poor considering how much money had to have gone into the game given the Gibli connection), though I'm glad they are.

[Stogi]

Really....it did that poor? Even the DS version?

[NeoStar9X]

I was honestly interested in Mass Effect 3. I have the first two on the 360 but I don't pay for Xbox Live Gold so continuing with the game there made no sense as the multiplayer is a big part of the 3rd game. I was willing to overlook the price considering it's a launch game, seemingly remasterd, and I was getting a discount from NewEgg. The stunt they pulled has really annoyed me to be hones. EA really is run in a very stupid way. I can understand wanting to have a title they can point to as an excuse to not further support the Wii U but to act like this and sabotage games before the system is even out is crazy.

Third party support was always going to be a gamble. There are some that treat this industry like a business while there are some that do indeed let their personal bias influence their actions in a negative way when it comes to Nintendo. The only thing I can do in response is not be taken advantage of. That means ignoring companies that clearly don't want my money or have any intention of actually earning it. Which is fine for me as it saves me money in the long run.

So going forward I'll just continue my policy of not buying EA games. Which should be easy since they don't want to put them on the Wii U at all or in a full fashion.