Mass-Effect posts

So far the games in BioWare's Mass Effect RPG series have been strictly single-player based affairs. The upcoming third game in the sci-fi series will continue that trend with no multiplayer features planned. But could BioWare see itself making a Mass Effect MMO game one day?

Reporting from Game Informer's recent print preview of Mass Effect 3, VG247.com states that BioWare's Casey Hudson admitted, "A lot of people say that they want to see an MMO, I think that kind of makes sense for this universe." He added, "I think Mass Effect has that quality to it. If you get rid of the Reapers and win that, wouldn't it be amazing to just live on the Citadel or just take a ship to Omega? That makes sense."

The Mass Effect RPG series will be getting its own animated feature film in 2012. The game's publisher Electronic Arts announced today that it will be teaming up with FUNimation to produce the movie which will be animated by Japan-based T.O Entertainment, Inc.Casey Hudson, the executive producer of the Mass Effect game series at developer BioWare, will be an executive producer of the movie.

Details about the movie's plot have yet to be revealed but the movie is scheduled to be released via download and DVD sometime in the summer of 2012. EA has already released two animated movies based on the Dead Space series and plans to do the same for BioWare's Dragon Age games.

The universe of BioWare's Mass Effect RPG gaming enterprise is going to get even bigger this fall. And no, we are actually not talking about the release of Mass Effect 3. We are talking about Mass Effect Deception, the fourth prose novel set in the same universe.

Publisher Del Rey announced this week that the book will be released sometime this fall. The author will be William C Dietz who has lots of experience in writing novels based on games. In the past he has written novels based on StarCraft, Halo, Star Wars: Dark Forces and more.

Mass Effect 3 is Bioware's next highly anticipated game, and their latest DLC offering is bridging the gap between Mass Effect 2 and its upcoming sequel. Put into a situation where he must stop a Reaper attack on a Mass Relay, Shepard apparently must rescue somebody from a prison, fight off corporate thugs and Collectors alike, and do all the things we expect of him. In short, it's pretty much a standard BioWare DLC trailer. Lots of style, a teensy bit of gameplay, and a hook to make you want to buy the add-on.

Download Mass Effect 2 'Arrival DLC' Trailer
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Dark Horse Comics has already released two mini-series based on BioWare's Mass Effect RPG series and it looks like more are coming. Newsarama reports from this weekend's C2E2 comic book convention Dark Horse Comics reps have confirmed that a third Mass Effect comic book mini-series is due out later this year.

Details about the mini-series have yet to be revealed but since Mass Effect 3 is due out late in 2011 its likely that the comic could tie into the storyline for that game. During the panel Dark Horse reps said they would like to do even more game-based comics including perhaps some Dragon Age comics (rival IDW released a Dragon Age mini-series last year)

Way back in December 2009, The DC Direct action figure division of DC Comics announced plans to release action figures based on BioWare's Mass Effect sci-fi RPG series. The first series of four figures was supposed to be released in August 2010. However there have been lots of delays since the first announcement with the release date pushed back to February 2011 and now to April 2011.

That isn't making BioWare very happy. In a post on BioWare's message board (since deleted) a BioWare rep states, "We are all, including Treehouse, BioWare, and yourselves extremely frustrated with DC Direct. Their handling of this issue has been extremely unprofessional and disrespectful to fans. Once we get the ME2 Action Figure shipped we will not be working with DC Direct again." Indeed a previously announced second set of Mass Effect figures is no longer listed on DC Direct's web site.

[Via Bleeding Cool]

Mass Effect 3 is already one of the most anticipated games of 2011 and this week it was revealed that BioWare's third game in the sci-fi RPG series will be getting a high profile movie composer who will be making his game soundtrack debut with Mass Effect 3.

According to an interview over at The Quietus web site, Clint Mansell has confirmed he will be composing music for the game. He made his movie soundtrack debut with Darren Aronofsky's π and since then he has composed music for a number of films including Smokin' Aces, The Wrestler and most recently Black Swan. He even handled the soundtrack for the movie adaptation of Doom. One of the tracks he composed for the movie Requiem For A Dream has been used extensively as music for a number of other movie and TV trailers.

[Via IGN]

Some countries call December 26 Boxing Day; others simply call it, "A day to rest up after eating all that Christmas dinner." Whatever you call it the Steam PC game download site has a new batch of price cuts that will last until 1 pm Eastern time on Monday. Today's deals are all repeats of one day price cuts from Steam in the past week.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light - $5.10
Wings of Prey - $5.99
Dead Rising 2 - $19.99
F.E.A.R. 1/2 - $9.99
Super Meat Boy - $3.75
Borderlands - Save 50 percent off original game and DLC
Assassin's Creed II - $14.99
The Witcher - $4.99
Mass Effect 1/2 - Save 50 percent off both games
Darksiders - $9.99
Battlefield Bad Company 2 - $6.80
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - $29.99

The founders of one of the most successful game developers of all time will be getting a big honor in 2011. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced that BioWare's co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk will be the latest game developers inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame. It will be the first time in the award's history that it will be given to two people in the same year. The award will officially be presented during the AIAS's annual DICE Summit on February 10 in Las Vegas.

After getting their medical degrees, Drs. Muzyka and Zeschuk founded BioWare and since then have given us some of the best PC and console games ever made. Titles like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect,and Dragon Age Origins have cemented the developer's reputation as one of the best, if not the best, RPG maker in the industry. At the moment the developer has three games scheduled for release in 2011: Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3 and the long awaited MMO Star Wars The Old Republic.

[Via email press release]

The biggest threat to face the Mass Effect universe is that of the Reapers. Merciless, emotionless biomechanoids, they exist only to harvest more sentient life to propagate their species. While there are no real concrete details for Mass Effect 3 yet, one of the obvious major plot points is the return of the Reapers. This trailer explores what this means, especially for the people of a battered and bruised Earth. While a British soldier is helping out all he can, Shepard is mysteriously absent from the fight, and it looks as if Earth will fall. All in all, it's a slick cinematic trailer, just as we expect for the initial reveal.

Download HD Mass Effect 3 Teaser Trailer
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