Dudes a brand manager, not a designer or producer.  He's a marketing guy there to sell units.

Unfortunately, this game is still going to sell millions, continuing the downward slide in interactivity in WRPGs.

Some of the things he said sound ok, but he is a little oddly dismissive of the first game. Definitely not a "trainwreck", although the interviewer does kind of suck. 

He's just a PR guy trying to sell the game to people who were intimidated by the rpgness of Origins. They don't market to hardcore fans because they'll buy the game no matter what.

Always keep in mind EA/Bioware PR stinks.

Any DA2 interviews/previews without Mike Laidlaw = bleh. 

Marketing Manager. He's not gonna be able to explain the game in a way a returning player will necessarily be hyped for, and sadly it doesn't seem like they care. That being said, Bioware has been trying to make their games more accessible since ME2. It's no surprise the marketing manager would stress these concepts as that's what his job is to sell.
 
It doesn't matter as much to me, though. As long the game is good, fun, and has a good story I will be ok with it. I know the purest are really upset by this, though.
 
 It was really upsetting hearing him say nonsense like "zooming out ruins the fidelity" and (paraphrasing) "having all the lore was a waste of assets". These are things he should probably keep his mouth shut up about even if the company feels that way.

I'm surprised that the interviewer was even able to speak with his mouth full of **** like that.  The Marketing Manager even complimented him for essentially doing his job and shamelessly promoting what they wanted and downplaying any complaints.

You guys are the worst kind of grognards.  
 
Honestly, it's Japanese versions of you guys that have trapped that entire island in design principles from 10 years ago.  Because if a company didn't make a game like Monster Hunter, you'd fold your arms and stick your lip out.

The only way Origins ever looked good was in the tactical camera mode. But it doesn't work for the console control scheme and it requires special attention to detail to drop certain bits of geometry from the environment. But rather than say, "This was too much work and consoles are our priority, suck it up PC guys," they couch it in marketing slang trying to excuse the tactical view as useless.

I suggest people actually watch the interview, Bwast is greatly exaggerating and misinterpreting alot of what this guy is saying.

" You guys are the worst kind of grognards.    Honestly, it's Japanese versions of you guys that have trapped that entire island in design principles from 10 years ago.  Because if a company didn't make a game like Monster Hunter, you'd fold your arms and stick your lip out. "

" @Wrighteous86:  As someone who sank over 100 hours into Origins, I didn't read a single book. I just can't fathon why anyone would consider that essential. If it was essential, it wouldn't have been optional.  And can someone tell me how this is the exact same game as Mass Effect 2? Apart from "You can pause to issue commands also dialogue wheel." In Mass Effect have to move from cover to cover whilst shooting aliens.  Plus I'd love someone to give me a game that's like Dragon Age 2, where I have a details dialogue tree for a fully voiced character that has branching storylines that effect the world, combined with the tactical pausing/hack and slash gameplay. Fuck yeah I need more games like that! : D "

" @Bwast:  They made their spiritual succesor, Dragon Age. Now they're doing something different. If they had marketed Dragon Age 2 like this, I'd agree with you. But they made it very clear that they were trying something new out. Sequels that don't change things up are just expensive expansion packs. "

" @Bwast:  So basically this is another "I don't like Bioware anymore" posts?  Shouldn't there just be one sticky post for this or something?  I am sure this guy makes no game design decisions and there is no proof anything he says matters.  Guess what, a lot of people in game design think that browser games and one console is the future and best way games should go....who cares.    Wait until a game comes out to judge it and if it's not your cup of tea just complain and move on.  "

" @Abyssfull:  I never said that nobody else read the books. The dude said that reading the books was essential and I told him that I enjoyed over a 100 hours without it, so it's not essential. But hey, way to go with misreading that I hate the books and think they shouldn't be in the game, I suppose?  And yeah, you just described a Bioware RPG. KOTOR games had you choosing a gender with the option to be a goody goody or an evil badass. They cut the thing they had in one game that effected the tutorial level, not a huge thing to me, at any rate. They're weaving a tighter story this time and I think it'll be just as great as the story of Origins. "

" @Bwast:  They made their spiritual succesor, Dragon Age. Now they're doing something different. If they had marketed Dragon Age 2 like this, I'd agree with you. But they made it very clear that they were trying something new out. Sequels that don't change things up are just expensive expansion packs. "

Man, I just love how people brush off the fact I proved why their whole "Dragon Age 2 sucks because now I'm just a named hero, and all I can do is select gender" is silly by pointing them towards KOTOR and how that's how Bioware has always done it.
 
You're right guys, we weren't talking about KOTOR. But then I brought it up with a valid point and you all dimissed it because you are 100% set on being angry about the removal of that feature that only appeared once that gave you slightly more customisation over your character. If you're just going to blanket dismiss something, I'm out.

I never played any of the Dragon Age games, but considering the amount of time I spent reading the random useless lore books from Morrowind and Oblivion, I'll just say that guy can go to hell.

Also, someone said something about Monster Hunter in here: That game is awesome.

" @Abyssfull:  I told you what Kotor has to do it with, very clearly. Don't try and escape my point about ALL Bioware RPG's main characters being identical.  And man, why would you talk to companions during missions? In Dragon Age all that got was a "Well ... we're not in camp, but FINE, we can do about the same stuff as we would in camp but I won't answer some of it." "

" @Wrighteous86:  I didn't read any of those books, save maybe one, because most of them are largely uninteresting and when I'm playing a video game and in the progress of moving a story forward, I don't want to stop what I'm doing and read a chapter of an unrelated short story.  I played Dragon Age three times over, and I'm reading one of the novels right now.  But no, I didn't read any of those stupid books because that would be ridiculous.  And scrolling text on a television screen is not how I want a story told to me.
 
Do you seriously think Origins is different?  Literally, it's a clone of Baldur's Gate and PC games from the early 00s.  And it hasn't stopped existing.  You are mad because of change, because it didn't stay the exact same as it was in the first one.  You're acting as if you can't ever play Origins again.  It's a competely impossible argument to say you love change and that's why Dragon Age II should be the exact same.  'Every other game on the market' and 'change' are two distinct arguments, think it through.
 
If you actually believe Dragon Age II plays like Mass Effect, I'd suggest you try playing more games.  I suppose Devil May Cry is identical to Gears, right?
 

@DeeGee

" Man, I just love how people brush off the fact I proved why their whole "Dragon Age 2 sucks because now I'm just a named hero, and all I can do is select gender" is silly by pointing them towards KOTOR and how that's how Bioware has always done it.  You're right guys, we weren't talking about KOTOR. But then I brought it up with a valid point and you all dimissed it because you are 100% set on being angry about the removal of that feature that only appeared once that gave you slightly more customisation over your character. If you're just going to blanket dismiss something, I'm out. "

" You guys are the worst kind of grognards.    Honestly, it's Japanese versions of you guys that have trapped that entire island in design principles from 10 years ago.  Because if a company didn't make a game like Monster Hunter, you'd fold your arms and stick your lip out. "

" He's just a PR guy trying to sell the game to people who were intimidated by the rpgness of Origins. They don't market to hardcore fans because they'll buy the game no matter what. "

"@Bwast:  They made your game, for you!  It's there, and now you're throwing a fit because they didn't keep making your game until the end of time.  The only way you can even possibly have a leg to stand on is if they changed Origins, and they haven't.  You haven't purchased Dragon Age II, they owe you nothing, but you've decided that you're going to get flustered because a new game was released that isn't identical to Origins.  Every time a sequel is released that isn't identical to the previous, there are people like you to cry RUINED FOREVER and I just don't get it. "

" @Abyssfull:  Wait a minute, you think it's a necessary feature to be able to stop what you're doing and have a long conversation about nothing with your team members everywhere rather than in one place?  That 'feature' drove me absolutely nuts, when I'm trying to pick shit up after a fight and have to tell Oghren that I didn't actually want to talk to him... and then try to pick it up again to have Oghren ask me what it is I want.  Furthermore, once you exhaust all their dialogue trees, they don't have anything to say anyway, but you still get locked up in the dialogue menu with the only option being "Nevermind".  That was infuriating.  If I want to talk to those idiots, I'll go back to base and chat it up, not while I'm on a mission.
 
Original Mass Effect was almost as bad, as I have Tali and Liara yelling "Take out those hostiles!" "Not now Shepard!" when I'm just trying to sprintor snap to cover.  Also, I really love how people are upset that the main character has a preselected last name.  You ever played this game, Dragon Age: Origins?  You get preselected last names too. "

Watched this a few days ago, what a fool.

" @Wrighteous86:  I didn't read any of those books, save maybe one, because most of them are largely uninteresting and when I'm playing a video game and in the progress of moving a story forward, I don't want to stop what I'm doing and read a chapter of an unrelated short story.  I played Dragon Age three times over, and I'm reading one of the novels right now.  But no, I didn't read any of those stupid books because that would be ridiculous.  And scrolling text on a television screen is not how I want a story told to me.
 
Do you seriously think Origins is different?  Literally, it's a clone of Baldur's Gate and PC games from the early 00s.  And it hasn't stopped existing.  You are mad because of change, because it didn't stay the exact same as it was in the first one.  You're acting as if you can't ever play Origins again.  It's a competely impossible argument to say you love change and that's why Dragon Age II should be the exact same.  'Every other game on the market' and 'change' are two distinct arguments, think it through.
 
If you actually believe Dragon Age II plays like Mass Effect, I'd suggest you try playing more games.  I suppose Devil May Cry is identical to Gears, right?
 
@Bwast:  They made your game, for you!  It's there, and now you're throwing a fit because they didn't keep making your game until the end of time.  The only way you can even possibly have a leg to stand on is if they changed Origins, and they haven't.  You haven't purchased Dragon Age II, they owe you nothing, but you've decided that you're going to get flustered because a new game was released that isn't identical to Origins.  Every time a sequel is released that isn't identical to the previous, there are people like you to cry RUINED FOREVER and I just don't get it. "

" @Brodehouse said:

"@Bwast:  They made your game, for you!  It's there, and now you're throwing a fit because they didn't keep making your game until the end of time.  The only way you can even possibly have a leg to stand on is if they changed Origins, and they haven't.  You haven't purchased Dragon Age II, they owe you nothing, but you've decided that you're going to get flustered because a new game was released that isn't identical to Origins.  Every time a sequel is released that isn't identical to the previous, there are people like you to cry RUINED FOREVER and I just don't get it. "

I don't know where you are getting this entitled attitude from. Maybe you're just an asshole. Dragon Age 2 isn't identical. It isn't even in the same stratosphere. The guy himself says that it's a completely different game.  
 
How would you feel if a restaurant said "OK guys we all know you like tomato soup and no one makes it anymore. So here's what we are going to do! We are going to celebrate the good old days of tomato soup and bring it back! Yeah! Go us!" So we all get really excited and eat the tomato soup. It's great. We love it. Then, later we come back and they say "Oh, sorry, bud but tomato soup sucks. Everyone likes mushroom soup now!" Then you look around and see a scad of restaurants that serve nothing but mushroom soup when all you want is a little tomato.  We all get a little upset.
 
I know they don't owe me anything but I feel a little betrayed when they make a game designed specifically for reviving a specific type of game, then make the sequel entirely different and casually dismiss everything about the first. If this game wasn't called Dragon Age, I would be 100% okay with this game. There's no reason for this to be called Dragon Age 2.  
 
@Jack268: HEY GUYS LOOK AT ME POSTING THIS PICTURE WITHOUT READING THE THREAD! AM I COOL YET? "

" Unfortunately, this game is still going to sell millions, continuing the downward slide in interactivity in WRPGs. "