Bioware and PC games???

skavenhorde · February 6, 2007

I found out about Mass Effect from the news on this site and it looks really awsome but ONCE again Bioware has decided to only make it for the X-Box. They pulled this stunt last time with KOTOR. KOTOR was first released only on the X-Box and "at the time" they didn't have any plans to make it for the PC. I wanted to play a star wars RPG, so badly I went out and bought an X-BOX. Now, I haven't owned a console since the first Nintendo when I was a kid and refused to buy any new ones because they all tend to be the same button mashing stupidity.

Now they are doing it again only this time their promising 3 games in a series. Take a look at what the gamefaqs say about if their will be a PC release.
http://mefaq.sendu.me.uk/FAQ/MostFrequent

So now they want me to get the X-Box 360 to play their games. Well not this time. They can go get someone else to buy their game or actually in this case it's gameS. They promised two sequels

Anyone else buy an X-Box because of this or was I the only sheep dumb enough to do it?

Corwin · February 6, 2007

I do not own, nor never will own a console!!

If it's not on PC, then it's not worth playing, is my motto, but there are one or two here who will disagree with me!! :biggrin:

skavenhorde · February 6, 2007

That's a good motto to live by. I'm just glad that piece of junk plays my DVDs or it would of been a huge mistake. In all the time I've had the X-box I only bought 5 games and most of them were released on the PC later anyways. Like Fable, KOTOR, Jade Empire(will be released soon on PC) and two others that were not even worth remembering.

narpet · February 6, 2007

Corwin - I completely agree with you... I've been playing PC games since the early 80's and I will always be a PC gamer. If companies ever actually completely abandon the PC (like the console crowd swears will happen every year) that's OK because I've got enough games on my shelf to last me a lifetime (but PC gaming will always be around).

Acleacius · February 6, 2007

It's very weird to see info about ME on RPGWatch, since it's a 360 only title but I guess there are console owners here on RPGWatch, dunno as I have never, nor will I ever get one.

It's bad enough m$ is willing to kill their own chiild but I sure the hell won't help.

msoltyspl · February 6, 2007

I wanted to play a star wars RPG, so badly I went out and bought an X-BOX

That's one of the main points after all

(go and buy new Microsoft toy)

Personally I hate consoles. When I recall what they did to deusex, thief, or even recently - elder scrolls series, it's ... depressing

zakhal · February 6, 2007

I bought ps2 for 120€ (the small version) to get the many good RPGs it has that were never released on PC. I cant see myself buying 360 just for mass effect though. There needs to be many more games like that first and the price of the console should drop too.

Sorcha Ravenlock · February 6, 2007

We own a PS2, but it hardly ever gets used. I was hoping it would open up a different gaming library for me, but there are hardly any games on it I like. I found JRPGs just aren't my thing, and since I'm mainly an RPG player, I tend to wander back to my PC after a while.
I also find the contollers awkward (I suppose it depends on what you are used to though) and I prefer sitting behind my desk in our comfy gaming room when I play.

Anyway, the point I'm getting to is: 'No, I won't buy an Xbox just for Mass Effect'

Truth to tell, so far Bioware has released all it's console titles on the PC as well, even though it might take longer then on the Xbox.
So I'll wait. I mean look at Jade Empire, where the game got a big polish-up before being released on the PC, in the end we will get an even better version then the X box did

zakhal · February 6, 2007

Sorcha Ravenlock said:
I also find the contollers awkward (I suppose it depends on what you are used to though) and I prefer sitting behind my desk in our comfy gaming room when I play.

I thought that too before I started my 8+ hour desktop job. After spending most of the day sitting on a desk looking at computer screen and using mouse&keyb, a console with 32" LCD screen and comfy sofa doesnt feel like that bad choice at all. My mousewrist praises the gamepad.

I didnt like JRPGs before either (allthough I had many friends how did) but then last spring just somthing ticked and now Im all over them. Allthough I have liked som console games before like zelda on 8bit nintendo and som playstation games while serving in the army.

txa1265 · February 6, 2007

skavenhorde said:
They pulled this stunt last time with KOTOR. KOTOR was first released only on the X-Box and "at the time" they didn't have any plans to make it for the PC. I wanted to play a star wars RPG, so badly I went out and bought an X-BOX.

OK ... you've completely lost me ...

KotOR for PC was released within ~4 months of the XBOX version, and PC Previews had been around for more than a year before the XBOX version came out!

I don't know about when the XBOX version was announced, because I wasn't into RPG at that time, but since I was a PC gamer and into Star Wars games I heard about it, and when it got close (spring '03) I started tracking info and then got into NWN as a 'prep' for KotOR.

I would say Mass Effect is more like Jade Empire - there were no plans on the table when JE was released for XBOX ... just hopes in our minds.

Alrik Fassbauer · February 6, 2007

Sidetrip : Who owns a console ?
Only if you are interested in this discussion.

narpet · February 6, 2007

zakhal said:
I thought that too before I started my 8+ hour desktop job. After spending most of the day sitting on a desk looking at computer screen and using mouse&keyb, a console with 32" LCD screen and comfy sofa doesnt feel like that bad choice at all. My mousewrist praises the gamepad.

That's exactly what I was afraid would happen when I started my career as a software developer over 15 years ago. I was a passionate PC gamer (mostly CRPGs) and I was afraid that if I spent all my time at work looking at a computer screen for over 40 hours a week, I would lose my interest in gaming.

Luckily for me, my PC gaming addiction knows no bounds. My fears were put to rest when I discovered that I could spend 10 hours a day writing code, and then come home and have that same urge to get in several hours of gaming on my PC.

Even today with a wife and 2 young children I play as much as I can... I just have to do it after work, and after I put the family to bed for the night...

txa1265 · February 6, 2007

Alrik Fassbauer said:
Sidetrip : Who owns a console ?
Only if you are interested in this discussion.

Now you did it - I put up a thread and poll here!

PatrickWeekes · February 6, 2007

I'm happy to chime in with longwinded explanations per usual, but the short answer is "Yes, 360 Exclusive, because that's what Microsoft paid us a bunch of money to do." At the time we made the deal, we needed the money. The Exclusivity deal was worth enough for BioWare to be able to make Mass Effect AND work on Dragon Age, which has no publisher and thus has brought in no money. So if you hate the idea of Mass Effect and want it to suck and die, please remember that without Mass Effect, there'd be no Dragon Age.

I don't love putting out console exclusives, but I very much love putting out BioWare-specific IPs. Going exclusive on the Xbox (Jade) and the 360 (Mass) let BioWare do that. For me, that makes it money well spent.

Corwin · February 7, 2007

Oh, I agree with the business side and I'm pleased it helps fund DA, but I think M$ is short-sighted. They should perhaps release it exclusively on the 360 for 3-6 months and then offer the PC release. That way they get the best of both worlds and don't annoy the PC gamers!!

skavenhorde · February 7, 2007

txa1265 said:
OK ... you've completely lost me ...

KotOR for PC was released within ~4 months of the XBOX version, and PC Previews had been around for more than a year before the XBOX version came out!

Sorry about that I meant FABLE. I bought X-Box for fable because at the time IT wasn't planned for PC. KOTOR was the first game I bought since it was already out that's what confused me.

Those ads for fable back at the dot were one of the reasons I found out about it and decided to buy it but man everytime you came to the dot the whole ad would play. Too bad the hype surrounding the game was more impressive than the actual game itself. Don't get me wrong I liked it but man when the developers were saying that you could plant trees and they would grow with you and tons of other extra goodies well it didn't come near to what they were talking about.

Anyways thanks for the correction, but I do live in Taiwan and the game releases over here are a bit screwy. Sometimes their in English, sometimes in Chinese and sometimes their in Japanese. So I wasn't taking any chances KOTOR was going to be released in Chinese. At least on the X-Box I knew I would get English.

skavenhorde · February 7, 2007

PatrickWeekes said:
So if you hate the idea of Mass Effect and want it to suck and die, please remember that without Mass Effect, there'd be no Dragon Age.

I don't want it to suck and die, just the opposite because pretty much anything that Bioware does I love. I'm just mad that it's only on the x-Box 360 because it looks so damn cool!! Unfortunatly that's how Microsoft loves to do business, I guess. I just won't pay for another console so I can get the only game I would like on that console.

On funny thought though,I have bought both the x-box and PC version of KOTOR. Had to buy the PC version later because of all the mods for it looked awsome and now I'm getting Jade Empire for PC when it's released because that game rocked on x-box and any new content for it is worth paying the price again. Some might say I'm stupid for buying it twice but who cares compared to junk out on the market, it's definatly worth it.

txa1265 · February 7, 2007

skavenhorde said:
Sorry about that I meant FABLE. I bought X-Box for fable because at the time IT wasn't planned for PC. KOTOR was the first game I bought since it was already out that's what confused me.

Ah - makes sense. I had heard about Fable, and was excited about potentially great RPG's, but thankfully waited to read reviews which answered the 'should I buy an XBOX to experience this' question very quickly

fatBastard() · February 7, 2007

Mass Effect FAQ (the link provided by skavenhorde) said:
But I take a look at Mass Effect which is already 3 games that I want to own (the original, plus our announced 2 sequels), I look at the content that'll be available for ME through Xbox Live ...

So even before the first game is released Bioware has announced 2 sequels AND additional downloadable content in between as well...

I really hope that Mass Effect will be a success and everything but I have to admit that to me personally it is looking less and less appealing every day. First of all: with 2 announced sequels already I really don't think that a PC version seems likely anymore. And secondly: Even if a PC would be made then there is the now episodic nature of the "Mass Effect Series". I mean, announcing not one but two sequels BEFORE the first game is finished reeks of cliff hanger endings and that is not even counting the additional downloadable content (Ship paint?, landing gear hub caps?

).

Dhruin · February 7, 2007

Acleacius said:
It's very weird to see info about ME on RPGWatch, since it's a 360 only title but I guess there are console owners here on RPGWatch, dunno as I have never, nor will I ever get one.

It's bad enough m$ is willing to kill their own chiild but I sure the hell won't help.

My policy is that we cover all "western" RPGs - and all bets are off for a game or developer of interest, which BioWare most certainly is.

We decided to take this path because, while we are largely a PC-oriented site, it was clear consoles would become more and more important with key developers like BioWare and Obsidian increasingly developing for those platforms. I thought it was important to cover (the likes of) BioWare's new titles and support new CRPG fans without throwing ourselves into JRPGs, which just aren't our thing.

Comments are always welcome on whether this is the right policy, by the way.

Bioware and PC games???

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