@TotalEklypse: Ah, the classic internet warrior. Making the Giant Bomb community a nice place to be. It's nice to meet you.

I'm not a big fan of the ME franchise, but what Firefly plots did ME steal (plots that are more or less unique to Firefly)?

I think ME3 is going to be the game I'd hoped ME2 would be. Not that I hate ME2, I love it and recently bought it on PS3 to play through again. It's just that ME felt like it needed to be scaled back a bit with the RPG elements and the weapon/armor upgrades and ME2 felit like Bioware said "Shit, we'd better cut that RPG crap to the bare minumum." ME3 seems to have found the perfect balance.

I have my ME3 CE pre-ordered and, regardless of how it turns out, I'll be happy to see the Mass Effect trilogy conclude.

How many Brad-bucks are you willing to bet on that?

I guess I am kinda worried since it seems like Bioware have forgotten their ways with the less than great Dragon Age 2 and perhaps a too big focus on combat in Mass Effect 3 (although I can't say that for sure until I play it - it just seems like that to me). I'll remain cautiously optimistic.

Kind of baffles me how this thread remains open while all of the others that were based off of it were locked.

@Evilmetal said:

@HaltIamReptar: Sure today publishers have eroded the difference between physical and digital version, by making people with physical copies still go through the procedures of logging in and making accounts with either Steam or Origin. Functionally I'd say there is a difference, certain freedoms are removed. The digital version says that you must login; you must be a member; you must be a privileged user, and not some random guy anymore. When EA talks about 'connecting with their customers' they really mean it. In the past you'd go buy the disc, install it, and play it. If after that point you wanted to be 'connected' with the developer/publisher, you had the ability to voluntarily initiate the connection. Today you are forced. The developer/publisher, whether you like it or not, has the power to data mine information about yourself. This action prepares the user to accept a world where you are always observed and can be put under scrutiny for your actions. There are several articles online that discuss the connection between mental deficiencies and playing video games. Can you imagine, for example, someone using the statistics of your play time to diagnose you? "Oh, you've played X hours of video games across your various gaming accounts. Research a,b,c,d, etc, say you are diagnosed with a mental disease." EA forcing Origin, with a massive library of entertainment, on customers shows the path gaming and society is going; that your actions are tracked and databased, where's the protection of privacy for the person? These companies talk about 'respecting your privacy'. They respect your privacy while at the same time violating it. They are ridiculous scum bags.

I'm not interested in this conversation at all. Also, it has nothing to do with what I posted. I'll take a step back to clarify, as I'm sure that there is miscommunication here.

@mazik765 said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

@Clutch414 said:

@WinterSnowblind: Portal 2 and The Orange Box aren't Valve games?

Again, they're not on there.

Perhaps they are in certain countries though.

They appear for me, but they are only physical copies. I don't see any digital option.

There is no distinguishable difference between a boxed copy of a Valve game and a digital copy other than the box. You literally cannot play any post-Steam Valve game without Steam legally.

I wasn't talking about the implications of DRM, I was talking about the literal reality of Valve games. If you're still insistent on this conversation, I am really, really confused.

I'm nervous, as I was with 2. I still like the original the best. I'm steering clear of all the fucking PR bullshit this time. No more "Shepard's dead!", then, "Or is he?!", then, "No. He isn't.", then, "OR IS HE?!!?". I fucking hate marketing.

If Mass Effect 2 is any indication then of course it will.

I'm going to be skeptical until it comes out...THEN WHO KNOWS.

Im leaning towards B.

@Evilmetal said:

@HaltIamReptar: Sure today publishers have eroded the difference between physical and digital version, by making people with physical copies still go through the procedures of logging in and making accounts with either Steam or Origin. Functionally I'd say there is a difference, certain freedoms are removed. The digital version says that you must login; you must be a member; you must be a privileged user, and not some random guy anymore. When EA talks about 'connecting with their customers' they really mean it. In the past you'd go buy the disc, install it, and play it. If after that point you wanted to be 'connected' with the developer/publisher, you had the ability to voluntarily initiate the connection. Today you are forced. The developer/publisher, whether you like it or not, has the power to data mine information about yourself. This action prepares the user to accept a world where you are always observed and can be put under scrutiny for your actions. There are several articles online that discuss the connection between mental deficiencies and playing video games. Can you imagine, for example, someone using the statistics of your play time to diagnose you? "Oh, you've played X hours of video games across your various gaming accounts. Research a,b,c,d, etc, say you are diagnosed with a mental disease." EA forcing Origin, with a massive library of entertainment, on customers shows the path gaming and society is going; that your actions are tracked and databased, where's the protection of privacy for the person? These companies talk about 'respecting your privacy'. They respect your privacy while at the same time violating it. They are ridiculous scum bags.

I'm not interested in this conversation at all. Also, it has nothing to do with what I posted. I'll take a step back to clarify, as I'm sure that there is miscommunication here.

@mazik765 said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

@Clutch414 said:

@WinterSnowblind: Portal 2 and The Orange Box aren't Valve games?

Again, they're not on there.

Perhaps they are in certain countries though.

They appear for me, but they are only physical copies. I don't see any digital option.

There is no distinguishable difference between a boxed copy of a Valve game and a digital copy other than the box. You literally cannot play any post-Steam Valve game without Steam legally.

I wasn't talking about the implications of DRM, I was talking about the literal reality of Valve games. If you're still insistent on this conversation, I am really, really confused.

@themangalist said:

@CptBedlam said:

@MormonWarrior said:

Great shooter with deep RPG elements is a good thing to me.

You're talking about Stalker? ME never had deep rpg elements. ;)

You're talking about Fallout 3?

No, because:

@themangalist said:

@CptBedlam said:

and Fallout doesn't even have good shooting :/

And yeah, Stalker had pretty complex inventory management, ME doesn't even have that (ME1's inventory was a joke).

phew!!!! thank GOD i read this thread. just cancelled my pre-order and will save myself £35.

thanks for the heads up.

@Rohok said:

I am greatly worried about the no-STEAM policy EA has adopted recently because of their desire to get 100% of our well-earned dollars for their DLC instead of having to give STEAM a small cut. If they did this, they should be giving us discounts because they no longer have to pay a cut to STEAM. But because they're not, they're not doing it to connect directly to their community like they claim in their PR, they're doing it to get more money. Luckily, I started my Mass Effect adventures on the 360 so that's where I'll be buying the final installment. A little disappointing I won't be able to complete my STEAM collections of Mass Effect and Crysis, however.

Otherwise, I've never held high standards for Bioware games. Many people are fooled by the illusion of choice Bioware presents us but I, however, am not. I recognize that in all Bioware games, whether it was KOTOR or Mass Effect, you're given two paths that end in the same destination. There really is no decision making or big choices in any of the games, so I've never really held Bioware on a pedestal because of that. Dragon Age 2 wasn't a disappointment for me, and neither was Mass Effect 2 because I knew Bioware wasn't a saint company that has come to save us from the evil clutches of terrible, poorly written video games. All Bioware games are are smokes and mirrors; elaborate digital magic tricks that get us from point A to point B in the most elaborate, twists and turns possible.

I won't be disappointing with Mass Effect 3 because I know what I'm getting. I'm getting a linear video game with the illusion of choice, a great story, great characters, and some solid third person shooter action similar to Gears of War which I find very enjoyable. Mass Effect 3, like Dragon Age 2, will be video games that will be played, enjoyed, and that's it. Besides if I started holding high standards for any video game the only games that would sit on top are games like Mount and Blade, Skyrim, ArmA 2, and various other little gems most large communities seem to miss out on. Otherwise I enjoy all games for what they are.

Mass Effect 3 will only suck or disappoint you if you expect more than profit motives from Bioware. And if you expect more than that you're naive, and that's okay. You'll become jaded soon enough. I'm looking forward to finishing the story of my character and talking about it with friends.

im greatly worried too. in fact i've not slept for 4 days.

this is why i've never played starcraft or wont be buying D3 as they won't be on steam and for some fuck stupid weird reason il only buy games on steam...

This pointless fail bait of a thread is gonna get locked any moment now, but just remember...

I CALLED IT YOU GUYS!

I'm gonna take a big crap, around half seven tomorrow, I'm calling it

@Cloudenvy said:

Oh god, you totally have @Swoxx 's old avatar....Confusing.

I got weirded out as well. I have already contacted my attorneys!

@DanHammett said:

@jetsetwillie All being said, im still getting the game

why would you buy a game that going to either suck or be extremely disappointing.

is it so you can get straight on the internet to give your opinion, if that's the case we all know you don't need to of played a game to have an opinion on it.

I will never understand the people who talk endless shit about any unreleased game. It's one thing to have bought the game excited and been disappointed (though that's usually a need of expectation management)... To be angry and balling your fists months before release and then play it anyway? It's something I'll never understand.


I'm keeping very low expectations for Silent Hill Downpour, which I would love if it was incredible, but everything I've seen kind of leads me to think it won't be. But I'm not prowling that forum shouting about how they've wronged me, if I felt that way, why would I buy it and play it?

Also, if you ever feel like pirating 'sticks it to the man' you're just a worthless fucking criminal getting by on other people's hard work, like the piece of shit who mugs girls for their iPods.

Let's form cynical, unsupported, irrational opinions (based on promotional information) for a game that hasn't even been released, and then share them on a forum, provoking angry responses!

Or not.