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The past few days have been a strange out-of-body experience, as I have been awake for long stretches but not exactly cognizant of anything around me. This is the situation when one is presented with a large game and a clear timeframe for a comprehensive playthrough before the review must be written and posted. It’s not the most pleasant experience -- my eating patterns get muddled and my eyes start to hurt -- but it’s not all that bad either, as being that absorbed in a game is a benefit I can only claim when it’s an act of obligation, not choice.
If you haven’t figured out, the game is Mass Effect 2, which I will not comment on until the review is posted on Tuesday. Patrick Klepek will chat with me about the game as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m warbling about it on Soapbox too.
That being said, ME2 has significance outside of the game itself. In light of the acclaim and sales of the first outing, one could term the franchise a “blockbuster,” making the late January release date something of a curiosity. Really, it’s the first of many curiosities including BioShock 2 and other major titles releasing in the early part of the year, which traditionally has been reserved for smaller and less notable releases. If ME2 is a strong seller, we could see a wholesale change from the heavy emphasis on the holiday season for major releases to a more even spread throughout the year -- something I’ve been advocating for some time now. Given that the average age of a video game consumer is in their late twenties, a reliance on holiday gift-giving to trigger purchases seems naïve and a product of the games industry once being lumped with toys.
If ME2 or the other major releases don’t sell as well as expected, which could happen not due to quality, but a preponderance of strong titles being released too close to one another at a time of the year when people tend to be more conservative with their pocketbooks, we could see this glorious experiment come to a tragic end. From where I’m sitting I cannot tell how it will all shake out but, at the very least, This January, February, March, and April will be months to remember.
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autofaux
I'm incredibly psyched for this game. I am still playing Mass Effect to this day, and I am struggling to stifle my anticipation. I have confidence in this title's success, in spite of its release window.
WildfireFox
'I understand the complaints with the combat and glitchiness i do... but a weak story?... did you not finish the game and give up after eden prime or what?'
Did you not read the part where I said the end boss was pathetic?
Mancer1516
Well I am going to brave the frosty Minnesotan winter and grab myself a copy some time next week...so thats one drop in the bucket.
Notafanboythatiknow
I read the article again and you are right, Adam is not saying weather the game is good bad. He is dealing with a game review from a game that has built tremendous expectations. I should not have over reacted and I apologize for my misunderstanding of the article.
My final comment is that Mass Effect should do well since titles like MAG, Heavy Rain and God of War III are PS3 exclusives. XBOX 360 owners will have to chose between Mass Effect 2 and Final Fantasy XIII. There are many games in Q1, but not all of them will be 4 or 5 stars.
TheDrunkardHu
idk, i accidentally pre-ordered dante's inferno outright, to get that little figurine. then i realized that ME2, AvP, and Splinter Cell were coming out really soon... so now i'm thinking of pre-ordering ME2 first, instead... but then i won't get my dante figure.... awwwwwwwe!! why do they have to hit when i don't have enough money to get them all?!?!!?
Goldmember25
The first Mass Effect sold well enough when it was released in November of '07, so I don't think there will be any problem with Mass Effect 2's sales, it's just that it may impact the sales of games around it (Bioshock 2 comes to mind mostly because it's being released 2 weeks later and it's not a console exclusive); as for game releases in the first quarter of this year in general, Mass Effect 2 may indeed start a trend if it performs better than expected, and even if it doesn't: Bioshock 2/God of War 3 most definitely will (although I'm more partial to Bioware's sci-fi opus than anything to start a trend, mainly because it has one of the most compelling and realized stories in videogames thus far....but that's my opinion so take it as you may)
bestclipfan
I am pretty sure ME2 will sell very well. From what I have heard there have been a very large amount of pre orders and Bioware has been doing a very good job advertising the game everywhere making sure everyone is aware of it. Hell even Time magazine mentioned it in it's top 5 releases for the month (and Time is about as main stream as you can get). I am not at all afraid of the quality of this game and I expect it to get resoundingly good scores from all reviewers, which will be followed by very successful sales numbers.
Oposingthumb
He pretty much said this game is amazing(which I imagine it is). It got a 9.6 on IGN. I will be buying this game, no question.
Topshonuff
Ok, Mass Effects 2 won't have a problem of sales.. All the die hard gamers that loved the 1st one, will buy it.. Just like Modern Warfare 2.. Even though your saying from the Holidays people will have less cash, people will find a way to buy this game.. I knew about this game like 6 months ago and put money to the side for it.. People will buy less crap and pay for better quality games.. This game will have a high replay value.. Modern Warfare 1 & 2, why it's longevity is the online multiplayer game.. While Mass Effects Franchise Longevity will be it's story and the different endings that you select.. This is pure quality game that is truly worth $60.. Consumers are getting smarter about buying games because we have people like G4tv, XPlay, and IGN helping regular people choosing quality items.. So my Opinion, Mass Effect Franchise will be Gold and sell there games without worries.. If I had to choose between Mass Effects 2, Splinter Cell, or Final Fantasy? I would gladly buy Mass Effects 2.. Then Splinter Cell.. I'm actually tired of Final Fantasy Franchise it's the same crap but with more rainbows and weird story lines..
bmben
Hey Adam.. How about your thoughts on why the ganing community is so obsessed with the economics of the industry. There are some obvious reasons, such as the return of well liked IPs and innovation, but you don't see movie critics discussing whether an indie flick will be seen or not. Music seems to currently think that obscurity is a virtue. Outside of the expense and wariness of publishers to back untried ideas, how much of this do you think was caused by the 80s crash? I heard on Feedback that Psychonauts was actually profitable, but how profitable does a game need to be in relation to its development? As a matter of fact, why aren't we told development costs the way the movie industry reports theirs?
Notafanboythatiknow
@gamigumbi and all the bloggers,
I did read the article and realized it was mostly about the ripple effect of such games in the market. However, the first paragraph bothered me when Adam says that the upcoming release of Mass Effect is causing him to have trouble eating and sleeping.
I get that Adam is very passionate about video games. But why treat Mass Effect as the second coming of Jesus. Shouldn't Adam be anxious every time a AAA game is released. I cannot imagine how our beloved Mr. Sessler will feel when Project Natal comes. Natal could forever screw gaming as we know it.
wardo29
I think its amazing how well adam hints nothing about his thoughts and feelings for mass effect 2 while he speaks for a whole 4 paragraphs nearly entirely on mass effect 2. I imagine this game will be amazing and solid candidate for GOTY. WOOT MASS EFFECT!!!!1
2Ð
I'm so jealous, I wish I was reviewing Mass Effect 2 nao :3
I agree with our good sir Adam about the market. Although I'm dying from the wait, I am glad ME2, Bioshock 2, AVP and Dragon Age expansion are not all coming out @ one time or I would have to pick between a few at a time. I have a crazy few months in gaming heading my way, as Adam says :3
StrongestSaiyan
Also, games could all benefit from spreading themselves out. Waiting for the end of the year could actually hurt sales since several big games may come out and they will be competing for the same money being spent on gifts.
StrongestSaiyan
I'm a big proponent of spreading games out through the year too. I'm old enough that if I want a game, I use the money I earn from my job to buy it. I'm not going to wait for Christmas and then ask my parents to buy me five or six games. If it comes out, and I want it, I'll get it.
IcemanMX
There is nothing more tragic than a great game that does not sell well. Unfortunately, the realities of clustering AAA games together have to struggle with the point Mr. Sessler made about too many choices and too few funds. Yet, there is another downside worth mentioning; time.
When your job is to play games (or when you are in college), time is less of a problem than it is for others of us whom have full-time jobs, wives, jealous fiances, and pets with urinary attention deficit disorder. For me, the biggest problem with so many good games being released in a confined schedule is so little time to play them. I am at the point in my life where I am well off enough to be able to afford all the consoles and games and downloadable content I could ever want, but I would trade my weight in gold if I could stop or slow down time to truly enjoy the fruits of a great developer's labor.
-M
zenmastersamuraimonk
it kinda sucks that ME2 is comeing out so early in the year seeing as how every scifi game comeing out this year is probably going to be held to mass effects standards, could we be looking at the game of the year already. maybe but theres still alot of contenders including bioshock 2 and not to mention metroid and halo later in the year so the end of the year awards are bound to interesting.
PCTech714
I think a lot of people forget that the holidays are also a big time for people who are not in school to buy new games because a lot of us get considerable time off from work.
At my last job, I was on-call 24/7, so my gaming time was limited, but before that, I worked an 8-5 desk job and had almost two full weeks off between the 3rd week of December and the 1st week of January. Plenty of time to buy and play new games.
duhreetoh
He didn't say anything about whether the game was good or bad. He merely called it a blockbuster, which can be inferred by it's budget alone. And in terms of budget, this game is definitely a blockbuster.
Also, I don't remember Brutal Legend being presented as the next great hack and slash, but I do remember enjoying it immensely. I must be uninformed.
Notafanboythatiknow
Not to sound like a douche-bag, but how come you are so hyped about a game that has no come out yet Adam. Usually you wait until the games comes out to extern your opinions. I am not a fan of these games, but if I were, I might pre-order this game based on your strong opinions Mr. Sessler.
I know that buying a game will be my decision, but I will feel deceived if a hyped up game turned to be a disappointment. Remember how Brutal Legend was presented as the next great hack and slash game and turned to be a RTS (nothing against RTS's, but many of us were deceived).
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