bioware posts

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.

Do you like free games? Of course you do. Do you want a free game when you purchase a game that you are already pretty sure that you are going to get anyway? Of course you do. That's why BioWare is offering such a deal if you buy its latest game Dragon Age 2.

From now until April 30 anyone who purchases Dragon Age 2 will receive a download code to get the PC version of BioWare's sci-fi RPG Mass Effect 2 for free. Yep, totally free. BioWare says that it's a "thank you" for making Dragon Age 2 a sales success. Which is cool and all but we just like the whole "free game" bit. The BioWare web site has more info on how to claim your free Mass Effect 2 PC download code.

With the "Arrival" DLC expansion, the high-action Mass Effect 2 comes to its conclusion and the way is open for Mass Effect 3 to release in the fall. Admiral Hackett gives Shepherd some face time this time around, as opposed to being a disembodied voice, and asks him to embark on a special covert mission. It involves tracking down a spy captured in Batarian space who has information on a massive Reaper invasion coming to wipe out all life in the galaxy. The evidence not only proves definitively that the Reapers are coming, but details the launching point from where all life in the galaxy will be exterminated.

Download the Mass Effect 2 Demo (1.87 GB)
Check out all Mass Effect 2 downloads

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
Check out all Mass Effect 2 downloads

BioWare games have never been shy about protraying sexuality. But a gamer who wrote on the BioWare forums claiming that the developer is forgetting the "Straight Male Gamer" in its latest title Dragon Age 2 got a spirited defense from the game's main writer David Gaider.

The forum poster claimed that the romances in the fantasy RPG " ... were designed to appeal to other groups foremost, Anders and Fenris for gays and Aveline for women given the lack of strong women in games, and that for the straight male gamer, a secondary concern." Gaider fired back, stating, "The romances in the game are not for 'the straight male gamer. They're for everyone. We have a lot of fans, many of whom are neither straight nor male, and they deserve no less attention."

He added, "In this case, are all straight males left out in the cold? Not at all. There are romances available for them just the same as anyone else. Not all straight males require that their content be exclusive, after all... Romances are never one-size-fits-all, and even for those who don't mind the sexuality issue there's no guarantee they'll find a character they even want to romance. That's why romances are optional content."

When Star Wars Galaxies came out, the MMO made the huge mistake of making players work extremely hard to achieve the status of Jedi Knight. That won't be the case for BioWare's upcoming and long awaited MMO Star Wars The Old Republic. In the newest trailer released for the game, we get to see how the Jedi character progresses in the game via different types of armor.

But that's not important. What's important is that this pure gameplay clip shows lots of Jedi action with single and dual light sabers making short work of a Jedi's enemies. It doesn't get better than that.

Last week there was a lot of "he said, she said" accusations about the PC version of Dragon Age 2's DRM set up. A self-appointed watchdog web site called Reclaim Your Game claims that the PC port of BioWare's RPG sequel had used SecuROM without revealing that fact to consumers. BioWare reps denied that, stating that the PC version used a release control software made by the same company that also made SecuROM but that the two were not the same product.

Now Reclaim Your Game has fired back, saying that Dragon Age 2's use of the company's release control product is just another form of SecuROM, stating, "Contrary to what EA and Bioware have stated, SecuROM Release Control is implemented in Dragon Age 2 without Consumer notification through its Game Packaging, Manual, Readme and EULA." The organization also claims that it won't help BioWare with "fixing" this situation while at the same time offering its services to other game publishers and developers.

[Via Blue's News]

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)

After lots of rumors and hints from developer BioWare, the team has now finally announced the final downloadable mini-expansion for its hit sci-fi RPG Mass Effect 2. Titled Mass Effect Arrival, the DLC will be released on March 29 for the PC.

The DLC's storyline will see Mass Effect's major hero Commander Shepard heading into deep space on a secret mission to locate a person who has info about the upcoming Reaper invasion. It's likely that the DLC will serve as a prelude to the story events in Mass Effect 3 due out late in 2011. Fans of the series will see the return of a familiar character in Mass Effect Arrival; Admiral Hackett who is voiced by actor Lance Henriksen.

Mass Effect Arrival will cost 560 BioWare points (about $7) for the PC when it's released.