BioWare had two panels at PAX East with both being most anxiously anticipated likely by the studio itself. They've had it rough the past few months, online form vitriol aimed at in-house writer Jennifer Hepler, to the endings of Mass Effect 3, to baggage still carried by fans in the wake of Dragon Age 2 — even more than a year after the game's release.
No one kniew what to expect and the reports and recaps of both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age panels yield some surprising results, indeed.
At the Mass Effect panel (read the Penny Arcade Report's recap here), studio producer Mike Gamble reassured the audience that the team is happy to be producing the Extended Cut DLC; that's it's not just going to be a cheap slide show that puts art to paragraphs from a wiki, but a wealth of content that both the cinematic team and the writers are putting their efforts into.
At the Dragon Age panel (a video recording of which can be seen here), Dragon Age 2's lead designer Mike Laidlaw welcomed fans and thanked them for their support it was good to "step away from the goddamn internet". He and his accompanying panelists assured their fans of three key points they will improve on: equipment for party members, and end to the re-use of levels, and choices that really matter and take into account players actions in not only the forthcoming Dragon Age game, but their actions in Origins and DA2 as well.
Both teams reiterated one of BioWare's keys to sucess through the years: They're always listening to player feedback, so keep it coming.
As fan, this all wonderful to hear, but what's more marvelous: the reactions of the fans that attended and the way both teams were regarded. BioWare is one of few studios truly adored by gamers for what they do; this is something the very vocal minority on the internet would have you believe the opposite of.
The reality displayed at PAX sits in stark contrast to the dark picture painted online, on forums. For me, it's a beautiful thing to see and read about.
