A leaked Sega document took the Internet by storm yesterday with a number of amazing revelations, most notably the hint that Dreamcast and PS2 games could be heading to the PS3. Buried among all the juicy gossip and fanciful ideas were some pretty harsh criticisms of Alpha Protocol, comparing the game unfavorably to Mass Effect and claiming that the game is "barely RPG."
"We’re not really sure how much this gentleman played of Alpha Protocol, or what his ideas of an RPG are," retorts Obsidian marketing manager Matthew Rorie. "Suffice to say, the game is 100% an RPG; we don’t really make any other kind of game. You earn XP, you get levels, you choose your skill progression, you modify your weapons, you interact with NPCs (or kill/sleep with them), the world reacts to the choices you make in pretty dramatic ways, etc.
"As for what he said, obviously we enjoy any feedback that we can get, but without knowing how much of the game he played (and I seriously doubt that someone as busy as a product evaluator for Sony is going to be playing through an entire game if it’s as long as Alpha Protocol), it’s hard to judge what he meant by those comments. Suffice to say that Alpha Protocol is going to tickle your RPG tastebuds when it’s released."
I think the most interesting thing here isn't so much what Obsidian said than the fact that Obsidian said anything. This certainly lends credence to the whole leaked document, as I am sure Obsidian would've refuted the entire thing if there was no chance it was genuine. Either way, this document is causing a real stink and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Contest:
7:00 AM on 09.23.2009
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I'll side with Bioware over Obsidian anyday of the week. KOTOR I > KOTOR II.
But again are these games really competing?
I also find KOTOR one and two both to be good.
Also just noticed Jim's avatar pic changed. Very Sean Connery 'James Bond', you sexy devil you!.
Video games definition of roleplay used to be game play heavyily dependant on stats and probability, often with rich storyline (or an attempt at) to draw one in, in a way that stats and probability is unable to. Now days in video games term having "role play elements" can mean anything from dressing a character in a fetching outfit that makes them resistant to rape, to blasting yo' brains out with new colour effects.
My point? ..err. Just something that bothers me. These games shouldn't be called RPG's, they should be called "earn XP and choose your skill progression" or EXPACYSP for short, or maybe just RPG... oh fuck it.
As are most videogame genre's titles are particularly vague.
-Strategy
-Action
-Adventure
-Shooter
-Simulation
@Volomon
I'd say Strife got the ball rolling but I'd be splitting hairs. But yes DE pretty much set the standard and I was making ironic commentary as a Sega rep may have seen DE today.
Ever since Icewind Dale, Black Isle/Obsidian has always been tagging along behind BioWare like a little brother (with the obvious exception of the Fallout games), but I definitely think they've made it work for them. There are obvious comparisons to be made to Mass Effect with Alpha Protocol, most notably the shooter-RPG style gameplay and the radial menu conversation system, but they've put their own spin on it, like they always do, and it'll be unique enough to distinguish itself from ME and ME2. And, far more likely than not, it'll be pretty darn good in it's own right.
Just because some moron tried to emulate him by spouting moronic statements doesn't mean it deserves coverage.
And yes, I just pointed out that the moron who played ME is indeed a retard.
KOTOR2 and NWN2 had some really interesting game mechanics and the stories were more interesting than KOTOR and NWN, but both KOTOR2 and NWN2 came out buggy as all hell.
this is not to say i think obsidian>bioware. i think bioware is better because being a great game maker isnt just having a great story and great mechanics, but also not biting off more than you can chew, and making a game that executes well.
@triclops41
You seem to know your RPGs