Mass Effect Andromeda Now available to Preorder Digitally

Upvotes to both A Blue Illusion and HairyLoveSpuds for some very lively commentary!

For me personally, I love the convenience of having my Xbox One library set out before me, in alphabetical order, in its own proprietary cabinet. Conversely, "inconvenience" means exhaling as I lurch forward to select another classic from the bench! Mass
Effect Andromeda's Steelbook will join an elite group of games who have their steelbooks bunched together - In alphabetical order (obvs):

DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED

DISHONORED 2

DOOM

FALLOUT 4

FORZA HORIZON 3

GEARS OF WAR 4

HALO: THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION

MAD MAX

MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA [PENDING]

MIRROR'S EDGE CATALYST

QUANTUM BREAK

RECORE

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER

THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT

Touchy-feely s'more! ❤

 

Blue.................... I Love you..... <3

It has been so long since there has been a sensible discussion involving two people with decent minds........

I get where you are coming from mate, I have a PS4 and a PS4 Pro, so i have now started considering buying some game digital, as my boy plays them. So with that i whole heartedly agree with you. I am getting it physical on PS4, because it's not my boys thing,
and i can enjoy it in 4k.

And yes, i am going to fall in love with an Asari again...... <3

 

@HairyLoveSpuds, UGH! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT??

You took a block quote from A Blue Illusion and requoted it even though you were the first to update the thread! I wanted to quote you but because I'm hamstrung by Microsoft Edge (thru Xbox One), I could *not* delete the block quote you quoted verbatim without
a bunch of lag that made me want to slit my throat or otherwise throw in the towel before deciding to address your quote directly. UGH!!!

"Blue................. I Love you..... <3"

WUT? Are this a bromantic proclamation of MAN LOVE? What is happening here??

If I had the means to quote you directly, I would have addressed the references to "PS4 and PS4 Pro", but I cannot, so what I will do is bring up a quote from the current issue of OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE [Australia], which I quickly perused today (or yesterday,
wherever the time zone tolls). In its 40-page cover story, "2017 Game Plan", OXM delivered this nugget of Xbox-centric greatness: "Crackdown 3 carries the dreaded 'Holiday 2017' release date [translation: hopefully sometime around Christmas]. This news was
softened by the confirmation that the game will run at 4K resolution on Xbox Scorpio. Hopping around a magnificent future city and then crushing fools under a skyscraper in crystal clear 4K-O-vision... 'Holiday 2017' can't come soon enough."

Unless I've missed something, you're big-noting Mass Effect Andromeda running on PS4 Pro, while conveniently overlooking the fact that an optimized version is no doubt headed to Scorpio! In fact, I can confirm as much, because OXM's "2017 Game Plan" winds
up with a two-page tip of the hat to Scorpio, in which Mass Effect Andromeda's Creative Director, Mac Walters, says: "We have a strong service plan for Mass Effect which will continue past our release date. If we do a GAME OF THE YEAR edition or a future edition
that's something we'd definitely consider looking at."

He's looking at XBOX SCORPIO. Unless I'm sorely mistaken, this is the Official Xbox forum. We are categorically *not* looking at PS4 or PS4 Pro in the big picture projection here! (And I am seriously venting! )

 

@HLS... right back at ya and for the same reasons! But I have to say, how dare you accuse me of having a decent mind!? >.<

As soon as I can get myself over the fact that it won't be Liara T'Soni, I'll be doing the same thing. Oh who am I kidding, I know I'll probably have multiple play throughs and choose a different LI each time just to see them all play out. Hope you have
as much fun as I plan to have with it.

Oh and BTW @BluSwirl... it's a forum bro thing. You wouldn't understand... lol

 

Only human relationships for me.

Ashley Williams... until I sent her to her death.

Then Miranda Lawson on the rebound.

 

Hey Blu, How's You....?

I am a gaming nut, so have most consoles from now and from yesteryear, going all the way back to the Binatone, which only had paddles and a few switchs. and i still have most. Thank you for the news that MEA will be optimised for the Scorpio as well, when
it comes out, and there is the crux, i have a PS4 Pro, and PS4 and Xbox One, The logical decision if i want to see it running now is to buy it on PS4 and run it through my Pro, for the best experience currently available on console. (not including PC, because
i only have a small gaming rig for all those little games....

I am sure when the time comes, i will sell my Xbox One, and buy a scorpio, but until then, it's going to be PS4 for Mutli-Plats.

I am not a person that subscribes to one console, when you can have all, and get the exclusives for each one. Especially with the likes of Halo, Last of Us, Forza, Gran Turismo, Etc, Etc. Why miss out on a game, just to spite yourself because you are fixated
on a single console.

Long may consoles Reign...

 

Huh... if my money and time budgets would allow, I'd probably have a PS console in addition to my Xbox as well.

"Why miss out on a game, just to spite yourself because you are fixated on a single console." - Indeed.

 

Hey, HairyLoveSpuds, am fine thanks. Took a chill pill since I last posted so don't mind the outburst.

Am not so much fixated on a single console as fixated on a need to keep up with the the demands of technology. I've mentioned elsewhere on these forums that I've budgeted for this year's obligatory 4K UPGRADES - courtesy Project Scorpio and the associated
upgrade path required to 'feed' the beast (UHD TV and HDCP 2.2 compliant A/V receiver). I take it in order to get the best result from your Pro, you've similarly had to invest (or divest yourself of funds)? That wouldn't be a dealbreaker as such if I wanted
to throw a bunch of money at Sony to get the best of their platform, however it comes with two VERY SUBSTANTIAL caveats:

1. I've held onto my PS3 purely because it's a killer Blu-ray player. I live in Australia, therefore it's a 'Region B' territory, which means BD playback should be dictated by my region. However, because my PS3 has a dual voltage output (it's a Region A
model manufactured in China), I have instead bypassed the rules and amassed a Region A library. Why? There's a few reasons, but primarily I get access to theatrical releases and/or arthouse films not available in my country (eg, American Honey has released
to the US market, but has not yet screened theatrically in Australia - if it does at all).

1a. By extension, if I wanted to continue my Region A lineage, I would've naturally looked to PS3's successor (PS4) for the privilege. But here's the thing: with 4K becoming the latest thing, I should instead be focusing my future needs on a UHD library,
right? Well, that won't work for me because SONY DON'T ALLOW UHD PLAYBACK! Whereas my 'future-proofed' Xbox One S (and ultimately Scorpio) *do* accommodate UHD, plus there's the handy bonus that all UHD discs are region-free (ie, one less reason to choose
a Sony player if it was an option).

2. Those platform exclusives you speak of aren't really a do-or-die proposition. You mentioned a couple of titles (The Last of Us and Gran Turismo), but how long must dedicated fans wait before they materialize? Certainly, TLOU2 won't be this year, and Sony's
racing fraternity have waited FOREVER for their latest whiff of rocket fuel. Of the other exclusives that would "sell" a PS4 for me, there's only Gravity Rush 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Detroit: Become Human. Needless to say, I'm not big on cherry-picking.

At risk of going OT, I'll leave it there, although I could've added that *none* of Sony's SKUs aesthetically appeal to me. Looking back at the halcyon days of Sega Dreamcast, I've always favored the purity of WHITE consoles. If I'm fixated on anything, it's
color co-ordination! (P.S. Yes, I'm well aware that there's a new PS4 SLIM that's a lovely shade of white, but that's not exactly a Pro, is it? Either way, I just don't like the look of any of their current range!)

 

Wow Swirl, You won't by a console, because it is not aesthetically pleasing, That is a bit naive and perhaps ****. too miss out on games because a console doesn't meet a certain look. Don't get me wrong, the look is a good quality, but to me, it's all about
the games, games, games.

As much as your comments give merit and argument. They still sound anti Sony. I mentioned just 2 exclusives, How many exclusives does the Xbox Brand have coming out compared to Sony. And if you take into consideration, if i changed my GFX card in my mini
rig to upgrade i wouldn't need an Xbox because they will all be available on the PC.

have a look at the domionation Sony has over Xbox and consider their considerable sales advantage as well. List of Video Game Exclusives - Gematsu

I don't mean to be picky, but i am a picky person, i cannot understand why Microsoft with all of their money decided to buy Minecraft with however many billion it was, when they could have purchased several in house gaming companies and made some serious
exclusives, they seem to be dropping the ball in my opinion on fresh new ideas, and rattling out the same IP's with a number attached to the end. They seem to be cancelling more than releasing..,.

 

You know you've agitated a perp when they start calling you by the LAST part of your gamertag (similar to RL when someone abruptly refers to you by your surname)! Brings back memories of the bad old days of PS Home, when aggrieved 'suitors' would take
offense to a lady AVATAR turning them down, and continued to send hate mail until you blocked their ****! One of the best insults ever afforded my gamertag - and showing a very creative curl of the tongue from the (ab-)user - was when he kept me calling me
"Cinnamon Swirl" in a public space! Ooh, that's just NASTY. *searches for poo emoji but comes up short*

HairyLoveSpuds, it's actually *not* a "bit naive and perhaps **** (Another cuss word? For shame!)" to place style over substance when you're weighing up a consumer purchase. People do it all the time with their smartphones, or when modding their PCs (never
did see the point of mechanical keyboards when my *white* Microsoft Wired 600 gets the job done at a fraction of the price). How a thing looks corresponds to their emotional investment with the product; which is presumably why Microsoft has ushered in custom
controllers. Freedom of choice, aight?

You asked how many exclusives Microsoft has compared to the competition? Answer: I do not know, but funnily enough, I just got done reading the latest edition of GAME INFORMER, and in their final page round-up of the Top 50 Games of 2016, they give a statistical
breakdown of platform exclusives "by the numbers". Obviously, the numbers are skewed in favor of the fifty games *they* chose, but it's an interesting metric because it shows PC / MAC / LINUX games leading with [6]; 3DS [4]; PS4 [3]; IOS / ANDROID [2]; and
XBOX ONE, WII U and PS VITA all tailing with [0]. This is despite the fact that, of their chosen games, 35 appeared on PC, 33 on PS4, and 31 on Xbox One. By that metric, it appears that platform "exclusives" weren't heavy influencers of a game's popularity.

Am I worried that two of my favorite Xbox One "exclusives" (ie, ReCore and Quantum Break) didn't make the cut? No, because everybody's taste is subjective. Which is why I care less for what's shifting numbers on the other platform when my primary console
is still giving me a reason to boot up every day! Before writing off Microsoft's first-party titles, let's see what goes down at E3, shall we?

 

I mean no wrong by saying the 2nd part of your name. I apologise most profusely if you think so.......

The word was (a n a l) - as in to be very finnicky, precise, not a cuss word if used in the correct sentence and terminology. And that is how i used it.

I am not writing of anyone 1st Party Titles, surely you can see the illogical option of purchasing Minecraft and the studio for $2.5 billion dollars, and then have to can, what looked like a rather decent title, that was promised ages ago. There is no logical
reason why Microsoft cannot fund the game and development of it.

And yes, if you are into games in a big way, you really do, and should own each console and a PC, and mobile device, etc, etc. Because you could have missed the one game that keeps you going for years (Mine is Rocket League, which i have on all 3 systems,
and i would never have tried had it not been free with PS+). That is the holy grail, not just having the diverse selection of games, that owning all systems brings, but finding that rare gem that keeps you wanting more, and does not stop when you complete
it. And it doesn't always have to be AAA (Trials, i am looking at you - still play it now, Trials HD especially)

 

"Go to my discussions" = aka "lifesaver" = becuz that's TWO MONTHS of my life that suddenly disappeared into a vacuum.

So, here we are on the cusp of a brave new world called Andromeda and all I'm seeing is a BACKLASH! A nest of vipers intent on savaging the legacy of Mass Effect! I paid for an EA "early access" to the game I've been waiting FOUR YEARS (OR MORE) FOR and
all I'm hearing is that it's not good enough. It's BioWare's B-team on the job; it's a mockery of everything that came before; it's facial animations that are (apparently) broken and a combat system that isn't really there yet. HELLO? It's been FOUR YEARS
(OR MORE) people! It's Mass Effect! It's a frickin' jaunt around the galaxy. It's interspacial relations; it's a deep dive into another part of the BioWare metaverse that really shouldn't come with caveats.

Honestly, gamers today have never been more "entitled" - there was a huge outcry over the denouement of Mass Effect 3. IT SHOULDN'T END THIS WAY! We paid *into* the lore! We are "entitled" to MORE!!! WTH? Hand on heart, I'm an Xbot... I don't need to be
waylaid or preoccupied with anything other than Microsoft's best of breed. I look at the other side and I'm seeing unqualified praise for Nioh; for Horizon ZD; for Nier Automata; and Yakuza and blah de blah! Finally, we make it to next *nexus* of the Mass
Effect turnpike and all I'm hearing is that "entitled" gamers aren't that impressed!

WTH? Maybe you need to dial it back, take a step back into another console generation and take stock of the here and now. Mass Effect Andromeda is categorically *not* a broken game. It's the same but different! GET USED TO IT. Get on board or buy a Switch.
Whatevs.

 

What bugs I've seen are minor and easily fixable with a patch. I swear some people complain for the sake of complaining.

I partially blame EA and BIOware for caving in and appeasing these people who hated the ME3 ending with an added DLC ending. Don't give them anything!

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the game. Its a shame EA Access only gives members 10 hours with Andromeda.

 

Is it really entitlement to expect the best a studio can provide?

The animations and attention to detail in Andromeda is worse than in Battlefield 1 and that's a shooter where those things take a back seat to the action. Is it really entitlement to expect a role playing game, a Bioware role playing game, to excel in those
areas?

Why are some so devoted to a game or company that people expecting better are branded by them as 'entitled.' Why are people entitled for not wanting obvious bugs in the game when it comes out, why are some so happy to follow a 'the company will fix it later'
doctrine.

All I will comment about the Mass Effect 3 endings is that the execution was terrible and the Extended Cut is what the endings should have been at release.