Dragon Age 2 - Deadspace 2 Cross Promotion

Maylander said:

Like azarhal said: Same developmer and genre. Only the setting was different. In this case everything is difference, hence why it's so surprising. There is no relation whatsoever between Deadspace and Dragon Age other than sharing the same publisher.

In any case, I'm not going to start bashing it or anything - I just found it somewhat surprising. I really didn't see it coming, it was definitely a "HUH?" moment for me.

Click to expand...

You are of course right.

*Note to self*
Don't attempt to be clever just before the weekend.

Alrik Fassbauer said:

Conspiracy theory or not, I have suddenly the suspicion it could have something to do with the probable ban of Dead space 2 here in Germany … I wrote elsewhere that EA tries to instrumentalize German gamers by providing them with a blank petition form from their (EA's !) homepage which can be used by gamers to protest against the decision to check the "18+" category used here in Germany. A game without it would be effectively banned, because it wouldn't be able for purchase anywhere, practically.

Click to expand...

Wai..What? Germany was planning on banning Dead Space 2? Lol, that's just too funny. Warhammer is popular there and perfectly fine yet DS2 isn't?

Good on EA for sticking it to those Hypocrites. Seriously, if Warhammer and its lore can be sold in Germany then they don't have a leg to stand on when trying to take the moral high ground.

I found this: Dead Space 2 Green Lit for Germany

It seems they didn't like the friendly fire aspect of the game. This made my night. The absurdity of it is exquisite.

As for the DA2 campaign it's dumb, but everything about the PR for DA2 has been ludicrous.

I don't get the hate. At worst it's a lighthearted novelty. There is no possibly way anyone could make the argument that 'this DLC is content that should have been in the game!'. So....what?

Are games really such a serious business that some artist can't make a gag armor set and they give it away to pre-order customers without people treating this as 'another sign of how shit EA is'?

Also, they seem to be reinforcing the feeling that these are all THEIR games.
"Look! In our game, we put references to our other games!" Maybe you're supposed to look at Mass Effect 3, and think - Wow, EA sure has great games! This is something that has been bothering me for a while; how much longer before Bioware becomes just EA RPG or EA Canada or something?

Perhaps it's just me, but I always thought it a little rude when the publisher's logo would appear first, instead of the developer's, during game startup.

Naked Ninja said:

Are games really such a serious business that some artist can't make a gag armor set and they give it away to pre-order customers without people treating this as 'another sign of how shit EA is'?

Click to expand...

Maybe you're right, I'll admit there is some overreacting in it - but you know, when we're talking about a money-grubbing monster like EA, everything is suspect.

Alrik Fassbauer said:

I wrote elsewhere that EA tries to instrumentalize German gamers by providing them with a blank petition form from their (EA's !) homepage which can be used by gamers to protest against the decision to check the "18+" category used here in Germany.

Click to expand...

Haha, that's actually priceless! I approve of this.

Krzychu said:

how much longer before Bioware becomes just EA RPG or EA Canada or something?

Click to expand...

I don't think it will happen, it's more the opposite that is happening: BioWare is eating EA RPG. WarHammer Online forums are now on BioWare Social Networks...

Hilarious and remarkably stupid.

I wonder if Bioware will ever release a game I'm interested in.

skavenhorde said:

Wai..What? Germany was planning on banning Dead Space 2? Lol, that's just too funny. Warhammer is popular there and perfectly fine yet DS2 isn't?

Click to expand...

Well … Warhammer is mostly seen as a table top game. Not as a video game.

I really can't say how popular the Warhammer video games actually are here in Germany.

Dead Space 1 had its problems, too. It almost became banned as well. The strongest criticism games that are banned usually get is this : killing, nothing but killing of humanlike creatures. In Dead Space, as far as I understood it, what you fight against also looks very much like humans.

C&C 2 or so for example is infamous here in Germany, because the makers had to make "Androids" of all of the troops and the protagonists - because if they had been humans, the game would have been banned.

I don't know what's with all of these war shooter things, but they are only sold - as far as I known 18+ as well.

These decisions are carried out by the BPJS, based on the "act for the protection of the youth", roughly translated.

You can read the basic information on the BPJS here : http://www.bundespruefstelle.de/bpjm/information-in-english.html

You can find a PDF document explaining their conduct of reasoning on that page as well. In English language.

What worries me most, by the way, is not the banning and everything around it - but the fact that EA tries to actually use gamers as a convenient tool to get their business decisions through ... Because a banned game is eventually a huge loss of money. And this i something they want to prevent.

To put it very cynical, it's to me like a ... person using a teenager as a "living shield" in order to blackmail a bank into giving him or her the wanted money.

@Alrik Fassbauer: Didn't you also have zombies instead of humans in Carmageddon, back in the days?

Alrik Fassbauer said:

What worries me most, by the way, is not the banning and everything around it - but the fact that EA tries to actually use gamers as a convenient tool to get their business decisions through

Click to expand...

But wouldn't gamers want to oppose banning anyway? Of course EA wants to be able to sell these games, but the players also want to be able to buy them, no? In the end, both sides want the same, even if it's EA. That's why I find it funny in a twisted way.

Yes, you are right.

But I still have a bad feeling over this. A very bad feeling.

It`s bizarre how in Germany you get one extreme stance while in Japan they aren`t exactly shy of violence + Nazi references/themes are totally acceptable in media.

Alrik Fassbauer said:

Conspiracy theory or not, I have suddenly the suspicion it could have something to do with the probable ban of Dead space 2 here in Germany … I wrote elsewhere that EA tries to instrumentalize German gamers by providing them with a blank petition form from their (EA's !) homepage which can be used by gamers to protest against the decision to check the "18+" category used here in Germany. A game without it would be effectively banned, because it wouldn't be able for purchase anywhere, practically.

Click to expand...

why would Dead Space 2 be banned in Germany?

That armor looks completely out of place in DA2, and would be downright silly to use, imo. I know it probably doesn't bother most people at all, but I want my immersion as intact as possible.

I'm actually looking forward to Dead Space 2 more so than DA2.

JDR13, yous so right Dead Space 2 is going to be superior to DA2 in every aspect of gaming. When the makers of DA2 get there hands on the Witcher 2 they are going to be embarrassed and sorry they pumped DA2 out the door.

JDR13 said:

I'm actually looking forward to Dead Space 2 more so than DA2.

Click to expand...

Then you'll love the Hawke: Space Marine of Kirkwall bonus armor for Dead Space 2...Available only if you preorder DA2 and Deadspace 2 from Gamestop!

The more I try to forgive Bioware they pull crap like this. I don't care what anyone says EA buying Bioware was a bad move. They lost there independence. Just wait and all this dlc crap will available in one nice torrent.

Couchpotato said:

Just wait and all this dlc crap will available in one nice torrent.

Click to expand...

Yeah - but still, there`s an EA salesman IN MY CAMP!

zadokAllen said:

It`s bizarre how in Germany you get one extreme stance while in Japan they aren`t exactly shy of violence + Nazi references/themes are totally acceptable in media.

Click to expand...

Here in Germany the thing is this :

In films, movies (TV, Cinema) -> Nazi symbols etc. can be shown. Because Films fall under the category of "culture".

In games, this is not allowed - because games fall into the category of … well, just games.

Here in Germany, sex is widely accepted, but violence is not. The direct opposite to the U.S. - that's why many Germans often express their disblief that in the U.S. violence is so much tolerated.

Because of the Nazi regime, we Germans have become very sensitive towards violence, bullying of minorities etc. Guns, for example, have a very, very strict regimentation : Guns are ONLY allowed for policepersons, soldiers, and in general people with a special "passport" which allows them to have guns (hunters, for example). There is not a thing like the american right for everyone to have a gun.

The philosophy - as far as I understood it - is this : minimizing violence by strongly restricting the ownership of guns - in general.

Since the gun rampage (right word ?) of the town of Winnenden, the laws have become even more strict : Owners of guns MUST have a security container for their guns ! Because the boy who did this gun rampage in Winnenden took a gun from his father - who is currently on court trial because several people have claimed the rampage could have been hindered if he had been locking his guns safely away. More on it here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnenden#2009_School_shooting_incident

spiraling69 said:

why would Dead Space 2 be banned in Germany?

Click to expand...

Because a) of the violence, and b) because you shoot at "humanlike beings". Plus the friendly fire factor might also be a point there, I guess.

Alrik Fassbauer said:

Here in Germany the thing is this :

Click to expand...

I should know, as your neighbour

I meant mostly videogames... And I do prefer German approach, even if it`s vastly exaggerated. The "what war?" thing that Japanese sometimes do is bit uncomfortable...

The mix of Dead Space and Dragon Age is definitely weird. Alrik may be right that this is a way for EA to get a few more gamers to pressure their representatives. I wonder what BioWare thinks of having one of their games used as a tool like that?

Couchpotato said:

They lost there independence. Just wait and all this dlc crap will available in one nice torrent.

Click to expand...

Not that this even REMOTELY justifies stealing their product.