>>131871768This post misses the point. Whether or not using stock photos in game is reasonable or industry standard is not the point.
The points are as follows:
1) Revealing Tali's face through just a photo is insulting and is basically inviting trouble like what has transpired.
2) If you're going to use a stock photo, use one that is not so easy to just google right up and ruin the fantasy for everyone.
3) The Photoshop effort that was done on the photo is utterly atrocious. I have no artistic skill whatsoever, and am horrible at Photoshop, and I am 100% certain I could recreate the shoop that Bioware did.
4) Tali isn't some tangential, unimportant character -- she is integral to the story of the entire trilogy. She has a fanbase. She is practically iconic. To suggest that she, as a character, doesn't deserve more effort than googling up a stock photo and then spending under 2 minutes to Photoshop the photo, is downright ludicrous.
5) All of this is on the heels of Bioware making a big deal about revealing that Tali's face would be unmasked for us. They had MONTHS to prepare for this. Now tell me, do you think the Tali's Face Project took any more than a grand total of half an hour? And that's being generous.