In response to Mark Darrah's Tweet On Anthem

[Overloaded_Wolf]

*Due to not being able to change the title of the post, this is no longer about the video from The Quartering. This is a discussion directly about the tweet from Mark Darrah and the wider discussion that is surrounding it*

***Thank you to the moderator who was able to change the title of this post, much appreciated***

Upon reading Mark Darrah's post on twitter I was at first extremely upset that they would change the economy, but let's break down this tweet to really understand what's going on, as you should look at a post in its entirety instead of pick and choosing micro components.

So how's the Anthem demo different from the game?
- we start you in the middle
- no tutorials
- no pilot picker
- balance is super different
- economy is completely different
- 6 weeks less bug fixes
- with only 1 story arc, I think the mission/stronghold/freeplay balance will be off a bit
- slightly less nuanced PC controls
- we've renamed a few things for clarity in the main game

Let's start with starting in the middle of the game. Many games in the past have done this to give a full feel of how the game will play, because playing from the beginning in the demo does not do the game justice. So with starting from the middle, it is expected that you already know how to play and have a general understanding of the mechanics. While this may seem detrimental to the game that is being demoed, just having little on-screen prompts for attacks and abilities is enough information for players to understand how to play (apart from the usual mechanics of moving and looking). Now "not being able to pick your pilot" was elaborated in a later reply in that you won't be able to customized the pilot of the javelin. This is perfectly fine since you are mainly focusing on the mechanics, having to customize your character would take away from the larger overall picture of how the game feels when playing. Now, with starting the game from the middle, this can lead to some balance changes since they have to estimate at what power will you be at this point of the game. This is completely fine as it mostly a way to get a feel for the game and upgrades and loot drops would be limited for the sake of not having the entire game being part of the demo. Now for the most controversial point, the economy. Unfortunately, no disrespect to Jeremy, I feel he has made a bigger deal of this than it needs to be. An elaboration on the economy change, They have gone and made it so that we have access to items and weapons more readily and get stuff faster. This is due to the limited time we have with the demo. This has nothing to do with mtx or sneaking in mtx later down the line, since they have continuously claimed that mtx's will only be for cosmetic only items that you can earn with paid or earned in-game currency. The only economy that is being changed for the demo is the in-game economy, nothing else. Am I clear? Good, now onto the next point. Less bugs, good. Having only one story arc, they know that they have to balance our character around this part of the game so it will be given that there will be some balance issues during the demo, nothing to go crazy over. Less nuanced PC controls are a nice welcome since I felt that during the Alpha it was difficult to fly and that the sensitivity was different on the axis's. And renamed a few things for clarity is always a welcoming fix.

I was also taken to a negative viewpoint when reading, but after taking a step back, this news about the demo is just fine. Is it making the game easier in the demo, yes! Is it a problem, no! Demo's do not have to be overbearingly difficult and should be able to show the game for what it is in its most basic form. The demo's may be made easier, but I heavily doubt they are making the review copies to be the same as the demo copy of the game. If you have any thought's I would like to hear them.

[Zoltor]

yeah but if Anthem flops it won't be the end. It will just be the true herald of it's demise. Assuming the worst case, they'd still likely survive for several more years while downsizing. They'd then probably just sell of IPs and close. That could take many years.

And yeah, when your Fifa players are pissed you know you are actually the worst. HOWEVER, I will miss their god awful E3 presentations if that happens.

Also makes me wonder why don't they just sell their studios instead of closing them? Visceral was good, and bioware is pretty good too. I dunno, just a thought that never crossed my mind until now.

Oh we're way past that point I think, EA is in such bad shape, their BSing doesn't even work on shareholders anymore, and the shareholders are seeing the problems for what they truly are for once in their lives, things are that bad for EA.

Nice it let me reply

[^Hellersche]

I challenge you on that Dragon Age: Inquisiton was a good game and it's from 2014 and btw that is subjective if a game is good or not.

[^Hellersche]

Well i don't buy Multiplayer Competitive games anymore but Anthem is PVE only for now atleast but that is subject to change in the future, but for now im happy and will enjoy the hell out of that game with my Friends.

[Merlin]

I dunno, I think EA has too much negativity around it now. I really think this'll be the straw that breaks it's back. Last I heard, even their sports fans are starting to get up in arms against them, so they might not have that to fall back on anymore. If EA manages to screw up a game as beautiful and amazing as Anthem I think that'll be the last straw for the public at large and they'll be really hard pressed to get customers for ANYTHING...

yeah but if Anthem flops it won't be the end. It will just be the true herald of it's demise. Assuming the worst case, they'd still likely survive for several more years while downsizing. They'd then probably just sell of IPs and close. That could take many years.

And yeah, when your Fifa players are pissed you know you are actually the worst. HOWEVER, I will miss their god awful E3 presentations if that happens.

Also makes me wonder why don't they just sell their studios instead of closing them? Visceral was good, and bioware is pretty good too. I dunno, just a thought that never crossed my mind until now.

[DJFlare84]

Unfortunately, I don't see EA falling from this as they can always give Bioware the boot if it doesn't succeed with pre-order sales, day one sales, or week one sales. If after week one they haven't met their projected earnings rate, they will call it a failure and that will be the end of it.

I dunno, I think EA has too much negativity around it now. I really think this'll be the straw that breaks it's back. Last I heard, even their sports fans are starting to get up in arms against them, so they might not have that to fall back on anymore. If EA manages to screw up a game as beautiful and amazing as Anthem I think that'll be the last straw for the public at large and they'll be really hard pressed to get customers for ANYTHING...

[Tonic]

Title changed as per request of the OP

[Overloaded_Wolf]

Well, I hope at least that if Anthem dies, EA will ALSO die with it.

... then hopefully some other company can pick up the license for it and make it good. The game has so much potential. I actually enjoyed the VIP Demo when it wasn't crashing or freezing on me...

Unfortunately, I don't see EA falling from this as they can always give Bioware the boot if it doesn't succeed with pre-order sales, day one sales, or week one sales. If after week one they haven't met their projected earnings rate, they will call it a failure and that will be the end of it.

[DJFlare84]

This game will be the least bad thing from EA in a while, but once it only sells like 8 million instead of 30 million, they will close bioware. They always do.

I'm not happy at this, I'm just being honest about how it looks. I hope the game is actually good, but I think the sands of time will claim this game. RIP Bioware.

Well, I hope at least that if Anthem dies, EA will ALSO die with it.

... then hopefully some other company can pick up the license for it and make it good. The game has so much potential. I actually enjoyed the VIP Demo when it wasn't crashing or freezing on me...

[Merlin]

While there isn't a problem generally with waiting, it's that first week of sales that really matter to the publisher and company associated with it. If it doesn't sell well on release, shareholders will see that as the company unable to maintain the playerbase and make a profit. Thus, more falls in stock and EA going down the gutter. While this is a little bit more simplified of an explanation, its does show that AAA game companies live and breath off early release and pre-orders. It would take a massive immediate shift to assure shareholders are still getting their money's worth. The expected outcome would have to be the sales would grow over time, not have a major spike in purchases in the first week and slowly go down as time goes on.

honestly screw the shareholders of EA, they are the worst. This is why once EA and actiblizzard bottom out I'm going to probably buy some stock. It is the ultimate form of "vote with your wallet". If you buy enough stocks to have a vote in the company then you are able to fix the failings of these publishers in a more realistic way. I don't know if gamers will ever care about stock outside of laughing at the idea however, so I don't know. To an extent I do feel that you really have to put your money where your mouth is in these situations. I'm the type to tell people who preorder and complain to suck an egg and lie in the bed they made for themselves.

As you said, they focus way to hard on short term success, and that is what has led to the crash. Just pump enough propaganda into brains and create preorder FOMO to sell people a product before they can see a review where all the god awful bugs and boring gameplay are shown off. I hate to say it, but unless they see profit as the result of thinking long term, I doubt we will ever see truly good AAA games again. Its just really gone off the rails in the past decade.

[Overloaded_Wolf]

Well how about we just don't pre-order anything anyway and just wait out reviews from trusted sources? it's not like they can run out of digital copies.

I also don't think Jeremy's distrust of Anthem precisly because of the publisher behind it is to far fetched, if anything everything that starts to smell and has to do with publishers like this should almost never get the benefit of the doubt since they have pulled alot of fast ones before.

I say again wait and see, there should be no rush to get the game.

PS: no such thing as "free DLC" exists, getting out content patches is/should be normal for any type of game in the genre unless they want the game to die within a year

While there isn't a problem generally with waiting, it's that first week of sales that really matter to the publisher and company associated with it. If it doesn't sell well on release, shareholders will see that as the company unable to maintain the playerbase and make a profit. Thus, more falls in stock and EA going down the gutter. While this is a little bit more simplified of an explanation, its does show that AAA game companies live and breath off early release and pre-orders. It would take a massive immediate shift to assure shareholders are still getting their money's worth. The expected outcome would have to be the sales would grow over time, not have a major spike in purchases in the first week and slowly go down as time goes on.

[Agolf_Hiller]

Well how about we just don't pre-order anything anyway and just wait out reviews from trusted sources? it's not like they can run out of digital copies.

I also don't think Jeremy's distrust of Anthem precisly because of the publisher behind it is to far fetched, if anything everything that starts to smell and has to do with publishers like this should almost never get the benefit of the doubt since they have pulled alot of fast ones before.

I say again wait and see, there should be no rush to get the game.

PS: no such thing as "free DLC" exists, getting out content patches is/should be normal for any type of game in the genre unless they want the game to die within a year

[Merlin]

I think CleanPrinceGaming said it best. Well, he said a COUPLE of things I really agree with.

1. EA has motivation not to fuck up Anthem. It has "this is literally their last chance or they are fucking DEAD" motivation. This is their Final Fantasy and I believe that.
2. Anthem deserves a shot, but it also deserves any scrutiny of ANY severity leveled on it by ANYONE, including people like Jeremy. It's just a hurdle they have to deal with.

the problem is that with how publishers work, and seeing BLOPS4 adding MTX later, people are not going to give the game a chance until maybe 1-3 months on once it is clear they aren't going to be adding stuff to ruin the game for them. This is still EA, and people are more weary of EA than any of the Giants.

While I agree, this is pretty much the only chance EA has to salvage their reputation, it is perhaps too late even if the game were top tier. Sadly from all the video I've seen of the demo, it isn't very appealing. It just looks like they tried to take borderlands, and strip away what made it exciting, and then just threw you into Halo Master Chief armor and said "and you can fly!". Its not a common genre, the FPSRPG and for good reason. It mashes together two genres that generally are not even close, one that is about quick reactions and your skill while the other is about planning, strategy and long dramatic encounters with some degree of grinding. It was amazing that Borderlands did it well, and when people compared Anthem to Warframe I knew this game was toast. You can't compete with free and free that has a head start of years in terms of content.

I can see us all looking back on this game in another 5 years and shaking our heads. I remember the first time I heard of the game it sounded like the best thing since sliced bread, but then the real thing has left me deflated. The demo shows us that even with the supposed changes that will be in the final build, it can't change the core of the game. The core of "meh". I think Jim Sterling's video had the right vibe. It doesn't look awful, it doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look amazing. You can't float a boat on anything less than amazing when all your resources are on that ship weighing it down.

Also the Trilogy from our boy Charlie on his inability to log in was hilarious. That bad PR won't do the game any favors. Even if the servers run perfectly day 1, the damage is done, you couldn't even play the "demo". A demo mind you that you had to pay the whole game for, so IMO it was a pre-order bonus.

This game will be the least bad thing from EA in a while, but once it only sells like 8 million instead of 30 million, they will close bioware. They always do.

I'm not happy at this, I'm just being honest about how it looks. I hope the game is actually good, but I think the sands of time will claim this game. RIP Bioware.

[DJFlare84]

I think CleanPrinceGaming said it best. Well, he said a COUPLE of things I really agree with.

1. EA has motivation not to fuck up Anthem. It has "this is literally their last chance or they are fucking DEAD" motivation. This is their Final Fantasy and I believe that.
2. Anthem deserves a shot, but it also deserves any scrutiny of ANY severity leveled on it by ANYONE, including people like Jeremy. It's just a hurdle they have to deal with.

[Dub-Z]

I already knew I didn't want it because it reminds me of games like Haze and Fuze where creative control was entirely dictated by executives and focus testing, and the suits give me this "Bionicles going through puberty" vibe.

Someone said on twitter during last E3 that it looks like one of the fake games you see on the screen in PC monitor advertisements. Savage. Ether.

Never really had any interest in Mass Effect, not feeling EA (apart from A Way Out last year), not that big on Bioware usually, and I already don't play Destiny 'cause it's not my bag. The almost guaranteed prospect of being a half-baked, greedy lifestyle game compounds with all that to = ZERO interest.

So I pretty much just watch youtuber vids about it to see if there's a trainwreck to watch and am not influenced to do something I already wasn't interested in.