If you can't read the text in Mass Effect 2, buy a new TV. In a recent message board post about the problematic tiny text issue affecting SDTV owners, BioWare revealed that it can't patch the problem. "We understand that on some (SDTVs) the smallest text in Mass Effect 2 can be difficult to read," project manager Michael Gamble told readers. "While this was not an intentional result, it was a byproduct of the enhancements to the user interface."
"After investigating potential solutions, we have determined that while this issue does affect a small portion of SDTV owners, we are unable to resolve it for Mass Effect 2 through a title update."
If its any comfort, Gamble said that the developer will look into this issue with future Mass Effect games. But hopefully by 2012 you'll have already bagged that 56" flying plasma HDTV you've always wanted.
Bioware, the text is REALLY small [BioWare official forums, via Eurogamer]
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Contest:
2:40 PM on 02.05.2010
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I...I don't understand it. I know it might cause the occasional spacing issue, but...this seems like a major bug, if it has made me return games immediately because the text is unintelligible (see: Rising, Dead).
I love my 15 inch CRT TV, go f*ck yourself...
Don't understand why some TV's have the problem and some don't. I understand why SD sets do, since the resolution isn't native to the display, but all HD sets should, in theory, display it fine.
So if you have 500 bucks for a new TV, a Vizio 32in 1080p set might be your answer, apparently.
Honestly, I have trouble with some games on my new 37" HDTV.
I'll never understand why most developers haven't had the foresight/programming skill to design around this, at least during this transitional generation.
Also, I wholeheartedly second the scorn leveled at Methos.
Nobody, in my book, gets a pass for ruining the experience of a primary audience because of their lack of empathy, understanding of their users, or failure to do the right research and implement those findings.
Of course, I do this for a living, so it gets me especially worked up when designers flat out ignore their audience or refuse to do well by them.
It's a really huge mistake, people could be fired over things like this.
On the flip side it should be a no brainer that some people will be playing your game on a SDTV and its bullshit they didnt know it. Even then on my 42" HD Samsung LCD the text is fucking small, I think its one of the best games Ive played in the last few years but they really screwed a couple of things up... But thats just Bioware being Bioware.
And really Brad, a plasma?
People looooove to blame the big bad moneymakers. Text size is absolutely fine on HD btw, and I have bad eyes. A.Get a real TV or B.Get Glasses or C.SHUT UP
Same BS non-issue
Shut the fuck up and buy a cheap HDTV, you caveman.
:D?
As for the small text I could read it but barely (32 inch SDTV). It made the codex useless and the email a cunt but still I managed. I mostly didn't read anything except the conversation options where the font color was more problematic the the text size. I wish Microsoft would make it mandatory for the text to be readable on an SDTV.
I have learned to live with small unreadable text for the past 4 years. I think I can manage another month and a half.
Also, Lysergio, I rarely ever say something like this but I'm gonna go ahead and use my "One Free Dick Comment" token and personally tell you to fuck yourself with barbed wire.
The text is too small at times for more people than it should be and to me, that's an issue. Maybe Mass Effect 3 will fix this. It's a shame too cause I dont read a lot of the flavor text that I would normally read.
HD setup for under 50 bones.
I'm not saying Bioware is right, just trying to offer an alternative to spending hundreds of dollars.
There is NO developer error you idiots.
Yeah, I know exactly what you are talking about. Nice community indeed.
Don't make developers drag the rest of us down because people think they can't afford to get away from peasant-vision.
I'm sorry for not being rich.
fix that shit.
Besides, by adding an option to make the text larger, it's not like it would be hurting your experience of the game would it? People saying such an idea is stupid have simply never had to work with substandard equipment. This is coming from someone with a 42" HDTV now, but had to use a 20" LCD for a really long time.
So Lysergio, fuck you. I own a HDTV and I'm still affected.
So you have the thousands to spare on a new TV, good for you but blaming others for not have a large income is just stupid.
Baybe they would ranter buy ten games over a long period of time rather than one TV with no new games to play it on.
Don't impose your life on others. The game functions for you, why stop it also functioning for others?
I could only afford 3 games last year because of my economic situation. Luckily things are better now, and I could afford to get a new TV.
And Lysergio, you are a hypocritical dick.
Or instead of forcing me to buy a new TV maybe they could put themselves through the painful agony of a larger font option.
Sorry but not everyone can/is going to buy a new tv sothey can see the fucking font on a video game. If your poor little feelings are hurt then maybe you shouldn't be such a prick. I have no sympathy for someone who's telling the rest of us to "Get a tv or shut up." If you're expecting me to just buy that and not be even slighty peeved you're even more detached from reality than I thought.
And I'll reiterate I don't care how much a new HD tv is. That's no excuse at all. Unless the devs are packaging their shit with the tv I apparently need then as the customer I'm expecting it to work fine on my tv.
I'm happy for you and your position. Congratulations. But the fact remains that the lack of an option is bullshit. Just as bullshit as the lack of dedicated servers in PC games.