RPGs to Rule the World

[GameBanshee News]

Edge Online takes a look at some of the hot upcoming RPG games from both the East and West regions. Their top Western RPGs consist of Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origins, Alpha Protocol and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, action RPG top is Fable II, Rise of the Argonauts, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Fusion, and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. The top MMOs are WoW: Wrath of the Lich King, DC Universe Online, Warhammer Online, and Free Realms.

What was once a very PC-centric genre is now everywhere, thanks in large part to the constant efforts of longtime genre stalwarts like BioWare and Bethesda. In moving to consoles and handhelds these games have taken on some of the “local flavor,” so to speak, with some becoming simple while others take on more action game elements. Yet most of them can trace at least some of their lineage back to, say, the SSI Gold Box games.

1. Fallout 3
X360/PS3/PC
Bethesda/Bethesda
Oct 7, 2008
Bethesda’s thorough re-envisioning of the beloved cult series Fallout is positioned to be the breakout hit of the holiday. Here’s a case where the cachet of long-starved Fallout fans represents the bare minimum of the market. This game has impressed in every public showing with its wide variety of emergent, visceral gameplay—that combined with the compelling post-apocalyptic environment makes for a title that appeals across the breadth of the adult male demographic. It’s an exciting product that, with the marketing campaign it deserves, should top sales charts well in 2009 and push the multi-million unit mark.

2. Dragon Age: Origins
PC
EA/BioWare
TBA 2009
RPG stalwarts repulsed by BioWare’s action-oriented turns in Mass Effect have been waiting forever for Dragon Age: Origins. It’s been seen as a return to the developer’s “good old days” when Baldur’s Gate tickled players for hundreds of hours. Of course, this is entirely BioWare’s intention—this is, after all, an M-rated dark fantasy for adult gamers, and if you like you can play the whole game with the camera situated in classic Infinity Engine isometric. Of course there are many concessions to modernity as well, so it should be extremely competitive—it’ll do a million worldwide if it releases in all the European languages simultaneously.

[dragon wench]

This game has impressed in every public showing with its wide variety of emergent, visceral gameplay—that combined with the compelling post-apocalyptic environment makes for a title that appeals across the breadth of the adult male demographic.

Pretty much says it all... I'm surprised they haven't thrown in a bit of post-apocalyptic porn as well..

[Soontir Fel]

Fallout3 will be the best game ever and we all will turn into stone!

[Fiberfar]

Mmmph, I'd rather be stoned before Fallout 3 is released, then

[DesR85]

Of course there are many concessions to modernity as well, so it should be extremely competitive—it’ll do a million worldwide if it releases in all the European languages simultaneously.

So, what if it sells less than that?

Anyway, I'm not really enthusiastic about the RPGs listed there aside from Fable 2.

[Brother None]

Originally Posted by DesR85

So, what if it sells less than that?

That'd be a bummer. I don't know the figures, but I'm guessing I'm not far off if I say Fallout 3 has to sell 1-1.5 million copies to break even.

[Lady Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by dragon wench

Pretty much says it all... I'm surprised they haven't thrown in a bit of post-apocalyptic porn as well..

Maybe they did. In that case I hope it's at least not as juvenile as in The Witcher.
The original Fallouts had brothels, so why not? Bring it on. That would unstone even Fiberfar.

[dragon wench]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

Maybe they did. In that case I hope it's at least not as juvenile as in The Witcher.
The original Fallouts had brothels, so why not? Bring it on. That would unstone even Fiberfar.

I don't care about skin in a game if the title at least has substance. I concur that the Trophy Cards in The Witcher were truly silly, but *shrug* I can live with it because I liked the game as a whole. Bethsoft's version of Fallout looks like it has about as much depth as a puddle in the middle of drought season.

Actually, I don't care about nudity or (consensual) sex in games at all... doesn't bother me in the slightest. It are excessive and gratuitous violence that cause me concern.

My comment was more directed at the very obvious audience that the Fallout devs are clearly aiming for... the type of male who tends to avoid thinking with the head on his shoulders.

However... I'm not sure we should do anything to unstone Fiberfar, at least this way he's controllable...

[Siberys]

Bethsoft's version of Fallout looks like it has about as much depth as a puddle in the middle of drought season.

That can actually be quite a bit from a different perspective.

My comment was more directed at the very obvious audience that the Fallout devs are clearly aiming for... the type of male who tends to avoid thinking with the head on his shoulders.

Well most of the time we men have one hand under the computer desk

Sexual situations and nudity I'm okay with, if they fit the game. If you play a Grand theft auto game where your the sexy thug women love, or a big winner from las vegas game where you buy a hooker, ok that makes sense. However, I absolutely HATE modifications that add nudity to a video game. It was the third mod made for titan quest, and probably top ten for oblivion. What's worse, they were the most downloaded.

It was just sad.