Forums are a public space to exchange on a given topic. You can disagree with me without going completely overboard, and the thread as a place here, as long as it's about the game. You don't want to see the thread, you don't read it, simple as that.

I don't have an issue with it. As noted by others, it's out of the way and is part of the many 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink' moments in the game. And in the end, all it does is give you a discount on some games you may or may not be interested in.

It's not the heavy-handed approach that was in Dragon Age, where it was "Hey, I've got a quest for you, can you help me out? Great! Just grab your credit card and we'll get through this little unpleasantness of purchasing BioWare point first".

As long as it's out of the way and doesn't taunt you with a quest that can only be completed if you pony up some real world cash, I don't have an issue with it.

Oh Dragon Age was clearly on another level altogether. It was one of the worst attempt at in-game marketing (not advertising, like someone pointed out earlier, sorry for that) I've ever seen.

I guess the funny part about that is when so many people were up in arms when BioWare announced their plans to market DLC in-game, I was one of the few that said "Wait and see. Maybe it won't be that bad". I'm quite content with my big slice of humble pie, as - after seeing it in action - I think it's absolutely horrible.

I have been an IT professional for more than 15 years now and I know just how imperfect the world of IT is. Your expectations, as quoted above are in my opinion (call it a professional option) unrealistic. Especially that your application of guild is wrongly aimed as you are having a go at a developer, who is one of many links in a chain.

So in the end, I simply wonder how do you manage to turn your PC on and "deal with it" or play ANY video game on ANY platform currently on the market... because in my opinion the state in which majority of them is delivered is much worse than what we have here.

Please note that the above comment was not intended on offending you personally in any way or fashion, it simply was a counter opinion to your views presented.

As a game developer or a professional you must be familiar with classics such as, Torremt, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Date, Morrowind, or how about "The Longest Journey", Neverwinter Nights 1, KOTOR. All these games were done the right way, with DRM limited to a simple disk check and no in game ads and no Internet requirements or....hold on to your hats...in game advertising. the bugs there were fewer and easier to deal with. This in my opinon was the golden age of PC Gaming, when developers were taking risks and were trying to prove how good RPG could be in part because RPGs were dead from a business standpoint so they couldn't afford to do what many developers are pushing now; in game ads risking alienating the audience. While the games above had a few quirks, sure, but nothing as frustrating or trying of patience as what's been reported here. (As a professional, esepcially gaming, if applicable, I suspect you know your history)

What I "preach" is based on what has already occured and keep hoping will occur in mainstream gaming again; a 1st class game done without funny business. You may be defending your industry (are you a game developer or work in a different branch). If you work in gaming, you may want to take a step back and see a bigger picture. I have great respect for game developers and have worked with a few. I also know the politics and temptation to do things that in their hearts they know better. My hopes of finding those who believe in the golden age of gaming appear to be in the independent dgame eveloper sector; doing work in many ways at a higher level of quality than the "big boys", save perhaps graphics, which are not my key criteria for a game. (Heck so many game made for PSP, Nintendo DS, and Android) Some professional game developers have argued that pushing of expensive, high end graphics is causing other things to slide downward, including profitability. You may wany to check out "Age of Decadence". This looks very promising. Perhaps this will respark the fire that Bioware appears to have lost ; passion of just making the best game you can, and forgetting the high pressure sales nonsense. (they sold out to EA to horrible effect as you know)

I am not offended, just puzzled at how anyone would defend poor judgement, which has corrupted what could have been a true classic. You need to remember, many of us truly believed in CDP before we saw the flawed result. What I've learned from all this is, big budget development is fruaght with peril, as more often they can get too big for their britches and then try to squeeze blood from stones. It happend to Bioware after EA, and it may be happening to CDP. As to how I just turn on my gaming PC, simple, Internet Free, Indie, and GOG. (with scanners on Linux boxes and firewall :D)

are people aware that video game size get tens to hundreds times larger (9Gb compared to 700mb , or 1gb) ?

are people aware that piracy has actually increased at exponential level ?

are people aware that food and gas has increased by over 11% in the last 2 years in the US ?

And the computer game prices, I believe has been consistently the same during the 2 years.

YOU ARE ALL HARD HARD HARD WHINING CUSTOMERS !!!!!!!!!!

GO TO COLLEGE, TAKE 1 PROGRAMMING CLASS AND GET A TASTE OF 500 LINES OF CODE FOR YOURSELF, AND SEE IF YOU CAN WALK IN THE SHOES OF THESE GAMEMAKERS

YOU BITCHING OVER A SIMPLE ADVERTISEMENT IN GAME WHILE EVERY WEBSITE OVER THE INTERNET HAS A LEAST 1 ADDS. WHAT A JOKE !

COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAINNNNNNNNNNN

Replying to jlibster:

I have been playing Video Games for 28 years now (I am 35 and I started at 7). I have seen a raise and fall of Origin, Westwood and many other respected developers. The last two mentioned (and let’s make it three with an addition of BioWare) we have Electronic Arts to thank for and Electronic Arts is a Publisher (a keyword here).

Furthermore I have seen in game advertising in Magic Carpet (Intel inside computer), I have seen secret codes in in game loot leading to advertising website in ID Software games, band promotions in Sacred and that is before I get into product placements in many others.
When I compare E3 speech from BioWare and the sheer amount of blowing smoke up their very own ass to a honest “Making of…” Witcher 2 as presented by CD Projekt I once again wonder about the fairness of your observations (or are you just beating up a little guy because you can?)

And here you are actually arguing about out of a way and non-story related character, who while in game universe, indirectly mentioned a website address. And you call that a poor judgement. I cannot fathom how you arrived at that opinion and I certainly do not want to degrade this conversation by invoking Godwin’s law when selecting an adequate way to describe that very opinion of yours (this is not meant as an offence).

I do however wonder if you frequent those forums (especially those of EA) and complain appropriately and proportionally (according to the “excess” or “breech” of some sort of unspoken agreement) on how things should be done there as well, because in my short time there I have certainly not seen comments of this type (this goes towards my comment about the fairness of your comments).

I believe you seem to hold very black and white point of view of the industry, one that belongs in BioWare games. The facts are different (in my opinion) companies (large and small) have to fight for exposure due to ever increasing and more below the belt cutthroat and downright false advertising, bought reviews and ever increasing number of products versus a finite time available in an average gamer’s life… for sometimes there is no second place (“in game of thrones you win or you die”).

All these are very bad things and very bad directions however given the fanatical fanboys and the state of the industry I do not believe they will change. In the end any company is in a business and while they may be concentrating on making an outstanding product driven by an outstanding story (and consider financial gain secondary) they are still in business and need to make money in order to turn a dream into a reality. Because (and I am sure this does not come as a surprise to anyone) a world revolves around a mighty dollar (figuratively speaking).

I am a vivid pen and paper role player, one that has game mastered many outstanding (my players comments) campaigns both science fiction and fantasy. I simply love writing those stories for my player audience. Yet I still have to work in order to survive in order to have a roof above my head and food on my table in order to be able to actually run those games and for that I need money because one cannot live on dream alone. Therefore I find your previous comments basically contrary to the realistic outlook on life I just presented here.

In the end I do not disagree with your idealism… on a contrary, I support it… I applaud your ethics and I am glad to see that there are still people out there that keep one eye on those values but I also know this is an unreachable goal, a perfect picture… because the second eye has to firmly rest on the realism of the world in which we exist. The form of, the content of and the criticism in your comments seem to demand that "unreachable goal", that "picture perfect" to be a reality "here and now!" and considers any deviation from it to be an instant deadly sin for which clearly there is no excuse...

I do not know your circumstances or situation well enough to take my comments any further, so this will have to do.