BGII was how long ago? And KOTOR was a PC/Console co-release, albeit with bells and whistles for the PC version. I loved the BG series to little pieces and thought KOTOR was very good, but, IMHO, Arx Fatalis, Gothic 2 or Silent Storm (okay pushing my luck calling that an RPG but it has elements) have entertained me more than any of NWN did (I play mainly SP, bought the expansions and dloaded some fan made stuff (probably better than the official campaigns) but at the end of the day I just found NWN flawed somehow.)

There won't be any Xbox exclusives anyway. There'll be delayed PC releases. You'll still be able to play the games, just a year later with better graphics. (fingers crossed...Fable....)

EDIT: spelling. I'm sober and care about these things right now. Soon fix that, going to get a beer.

This comment was edited on Apr 20, 16:02.

In any event it doesn't matter. Nature abhors a vacuum. If Bioware stop making PC games somebody else will take the opportunity to shine and replace them.

That doesn't mean, however, that what comes in to replace them will be anywhere NEAR as talented as Bioware...
Obviously this is a personal decision, and yes, I thought the NWN official campaign stank to high hell (although I'm more and more beginning to believe that was out of an effort to keep their scripting simple for fear of bugs ruining it, rather than a lack of creative talent), but Baldur's Gate II and KotOR are some of the FINEST RPGs I have EVER played. In fact, I rank both of them right up there with Ultima 7 Serpent Isle.

Since Origin was raped to death by EA, noone has come up with the sheer vision and originality of the Ultimas anymore. Similarly, I'm pretty sure that if Bioware was to go the way of the dodo (excuse me, Bungie), there's just be NOBODY there to fill that void.

No thanks. Fuck, if needed I'll buy TWO copies of Bioware's next RPG.

I'm DYING to find out what their next PC - IP will be though. My fondest, fondest hope is for some form of Shadowrun / cyberpunk setting.

Creston

Microsoft would fucking LOVE for ALL OF US to move our gaming crack over to their shitty console, so they could stop having to support games on the Windows platform

Naw, they'd be even happier if they could just move everybody over to a proprietary API so they could charge developers license money. The Xbox loses money on every unit sold, and hopes to make up the difference in software sales (for which MS gets license fees, not to mention selling development kits.) If there was a secure extension to Windows and a fairly solid hardware standard for PCs that could run it then MS could sell the software for your desktop PC and collect the license fees on the games you buy. Given that most of this gaming will be on-line that would probably be where the focus of the security system would be since we all know any security will be hacked to bits in no time. Ie MS would sell you the software to turn your certified PC into a super-Xbox, capable of doing whatever it already can, plus offering a stable gaming and media platform to developers and content providers.

Might happen. Remember there's a dept in MS devoted to bigging up PCs as gaming machines, working hand in hand with the DX people.

In any event it doesn't matter. Nature abhors a vacuum. If Bioware stop making PC games somebody else will take the opportunity to shine and replace them.

Like some others have been asking, would a MS buyout be such a bad thing? Development costs are going up exponentially; the days when Two Guys From Andromeda can plop out top shelf titles of industry-leading quality are way behind

I wouldn't exactly call Bioware the proverbial "two guys working out of their garage", ger. I have little worry about their financial stability, after selling MILLIONS of copies of both Neverwinter Nights and KotOR.

While I agree that as a publisher Microsoft is better than, for example, EA and *$&$)*%&%$)*%&GRGHcuntholes (read Infocunts, still can't bear to call them Atari), neither EA or Infogrames have anything to gain by moving all their IP strictly to console. Microsoft does.

Microsoft would fucking LOVE for ALL OF US to move our gaming crack over to their shitty console, so they could stop having to support games on the Windows platform, turn that strictly into office / networking use, and be able to charge a thousands bucks a license.

End of conspiracy theory (and I didn't even come up with it myself...)

The simple fact is, I love my PC RPGs. I also love my Final Fantasy. I don't want the two to mix. I can't even imagine playing a Baldur's Gate or similar title on the fucking Xbox, and for fun I fucked around with KotOR on the Xbox for a bit, and I'll take the PC version any day thank you.

IF Microsoft was to buy Bioware, either Bioware would turn Xbox exclusive, or they'd be allowed to bring out straight-to-PC ports, which as we all know (Hello Ex Deus!) suck the fucking suck.

But, like I said, it seems to be once that time of the year again.

Creston

Whoah, slow down there kiddo. Look at Halo, look at the limitations placed on Gearbox, and ask yourself whether or not you're confusing Microsoft with someone else.

Limitations? I wasn't aware. Must have missed that.

I can't believe you guys are more interested in dnd online than darkfall. Its owns all.

But maybe Bioware will reveal their PC-only IP. We can only hope.

Must...Hop...On...Bandwagon...ghhh....Microsoft...Is...Evil....ughhh.

Billy War-Bucks Strikes again...

When will these console n00bs realize this HURTS gaming more than it benfits.

Micro$oft will buy you all!

Whoah, slow down there kiddo. Look at Halo, look at the limitations placed on Gearbox, and ask yourself whether or not you're confusing Microsoft with someone else.

ouch, good point.

still, compared to other publishers MS does have the better track record. My main point was this isn't as bad a situation as people are making it out to be.

Having said that, Bioware with all its success should be in the same position as Valve, 3DRealms, iD, Digital Extremes etc where they could afford to finance their own work and choose a publisher at their leisure on a per-title-basis. Having to answer to "the man", no matter how generous "the man" turns out to be still puts them in a position of giving up their creative control. Must be a helluva pile of cash MS tossed at their feet.

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New sig under construction.

...I would be willing to bet the PR Gods allow this to be "official" come E3.

Really enjoying Painkiller, surprisingly,
Ray

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I love you, mom.

Microsoft has backed some pretty good titles, so you won't see me bitching. Compared to great titles that get cancled at the last second because the publisher got cold feet...

WOOO! C'mon Outwars II! Wooo!

There's a man out there I haven't seen in 15 years who's trying to kill me.

Gearbox sucks, nuff said.

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“The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn. Ok?"

Not to mention they don't have a reputation for rushing titles out before they're ready. I still maintain that regardless of how they market their OS, MS games division has always been a model game publisher.

Whoah, slow down there kiddo. Look at Halo, look at the limitations placed on Gearbox, and ask yourself whether or not you're confusing Microsoft with someone else.

Microsoft has backed some pretty good titles, so you won't see me bitching. Compared to great titles that get cancled at the last second because the publisher got cold feet...

Not to mention they don't have a reputation for rushing titles out before they're ready. I still maintain that regardless of how they market their OS, MS games division has always been a model game publisher. I just hope it remains that way now that Ed Fries is gone

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New sig under construction.

When it comes to games Microsoft is centered on the Xbox, they couldnt care less about the PC right now...this, IF it were true, would NOT be good news for PC Gamers...dont kid yourself, just because Microsoft is in both markets doesnt mean they are focusing on both.

Started playing NWN again, was deeply disappointed to hear that they wouldn't be showcasing, or even teasing about NWN 2 at E3...

This is great news you idiots, this means that all BioWare games will be Windows exclusives, no more stupid macintosh/unix ports! WOOT!

Yeah, now they'll all be crappy X-Box ports.

Like some others have been asking, would a MS buyout be such a bad thing? Development costs are going up exponentially; the days when Two Guys From Andromeda can plop out top shelf titles of industry-leading quality are way behind. With MS behind you, at least there's not much risk of being jettisoned by a foundering parent company desperate to cut costs just to stay in business (e.g. BIS and IPLY).

Unless the ongoing barrage of AT suits ever manages to really slice up MS, that is.

And as also mentioned, MS PC titles have always been of generally good quality. There's some letdowns like AoM and Freelancer, but not really any direct-to-bargain-bin fodder.

I was refering to the xbox versions. Graphically MechAssault is 10 times better then Mechwarrior 4 4a 4b etc, Midtown Madness 3 again another game in the series which is now xbox only, and Crimson Skies High Road to Revenge, also 100 times better then the original and also xbox only.

From a buisness stand point it makes sense to make them xbox only with not even a PC port but the thing is I rarely buy Xbox games and even then I wait for them to drop in price. Last game I actually paid full price for was KOTOR and I beleive it was worth it, but I recently picked up Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance and a few other games and haven't really touched them, yet I just reinstalled Vice City Yesterday to play around with some new mods.

Microsoft has pretty much said "Screw you" to PC Gamers in favor of the Xbox, and with that I hope companies like BioWare keep being independant.