masseffect
Latest
Mass Effect screens dazzle the eyes
Mass Effect's official site has a batch of new screens that showcase some close ups of the character models, whilst throwing in some action shots for good measure. These are really coming along and are a feast for the eyes. The faces look lifelike and have amazing levels of detail. Obviously, BioWare is putting the Unreal 3 Engine to very good use for this expansive title. Go check out the screens and tell us those make you plan on picking this up when it arrives in September-ish.[Thanks, Tyler]
Rumor: Mass Effect 'delayed', due in September [update]
A CVG report asserts that the Xbox 360's role-playing space opera, Mass Effect, has been "delayed" until the horrifyingly distant month of September. Of course, having never had an official release date to begin with, it seems exceedingly impatient to consider the game delayed just as its first potential release window is revealed. Though there have been hints pointing towards a May or June release, September would be the first month Microsoft and BioWare have openly committed to -- if indeed the report is wholly accurate.We'd prefer a month that was sooner (like April), but it seems the utterly blinding level of light bouncing off all the shiny spaceships, futuristic weapons and revoltingly moist aliens in the game just isn't enough for BioWare to stop polishing. The only worrying aspect of such a September release is that it would be awfully close to the August arrival of Hironobu Sakaguchi's Blue Dragon. Having access to both time-consuming RPGs within 30 days could prove socially, economically and hygienically disastrous for fans of the genre. Curiously, when asked for comment on the September date (which could specifically be for Europe), the Mass Effect publisher only offered, "Microsoft has not announced a release date for Mass Effect."Update: "We have not made any official announcements regarding release timing for Mass Effect," adds Microsoft. "At this time, any information about the game's release date is purely rumor and speculation."Joystiq contacted CVG for clarification. We were politely informed that the information originated from a Microsoft employee and that it has yet to be "officially" announced. In other words, we're waiting on that official announcement letting us know we have to wait until September for the game -- point being, we're waiting.
Mass Effect pushed back, may arrive in September
BioWare's golden child of an RPG Mass Effect may have been bitten by that dreadful delay bug. CVG is reporting that during a Microsoft held event this morning they learned, in quite unofficial terms, that Mass Effect has been pushed back from a Summer release to sometime in September. Quite frankly we shouldn't use the word "delay" since there was no official release date set, but our collective consciouses expected the game to come rather soon. So, until official word gets out or this is cleared up, we'll err on the safe side and re-program our brains to expect a September release.
Final Mass Effect transmission is ... final
Last week we told you about those viral Mass Effect emergency transmissions and today we're semi-pleased to announce that the final transmission was posted. Embedded above is the "Final Emergency Transmission" and to be honest, we still have no clue what the point of all this YouTube video fun was for. Maybe it was Mass Effect's marketing team planting seeds of Mass Effect'ness into our brains and nothing more, but we've come to expect more from viral campaigns. But, in the end, we have three blurry and compressed Mass Effect videos. Yup, it'll do for now.
Bioware explains those icky Mass Effect screens
The other day we posted about new Mass Effect screenshots hitting the intertubes and some of you noticed that they weren't all that pretty. Honestly, when we posted them we didn't notice the obvious lack of prettiness factor that Mass Effect has come to epitomize and therefore didn't touch on it. Anyway, you guys weren't the only ones to notice the degrade in quality, because CVG ran a story about all the ugliness. And today CVG got a response from Bioware agreeing that these screenshots are fugly, but having an answer to why they are in an explanation that goes a little like this;"The whole truth of the matter is that the person at BioWare who took those screenshots made a mistake. People in our industry don't admit this much, but we do make mistakes. The person took those screens at the last minute as they were needed for the article. He did take them in game from areas of the game that worked and then he sent them off... He didn't clear them with Casey and the ME team though."Indeed, those screenshots came from the game, but came from an unfinished non-representative portion of the final gameplay. Which, we might say, is quite comforting. So, in response to all this talk, Bioware released another Mass Effect screenshot representative of the actual game as seen above. Great communication and transparency of the development process always clears things up, thanks for the honesty Bioware.
New Mass Effect screenshots emerge
Are those Mass Effect viral videos just not giving you enough visual stimuli? Does your inner fanboy just yearn for more? Well, you can thank Gamespot for coming up with four brand new Mass Effect screenshots for you to look at. In these screens you'll notice not only a fair share of specular bloom goodness, but a whole bunch of those long legged spider creatures. Hopefully these screenshots will feed your insatiable appetite for Mass Effect content and if not, you could always analyze all that fansite kit goodness. Make the jump for more screenshots.[Thanks, DjDATZ]
Emergency transmission: Mass Effect viralness
Tiz the time of year for grass to grow, showers to fall, and viral marketing to begin. And Mass Effect seems to be joining in on the swing of things by starting its own viral fun over on the inter-tubes of YouTube. YouTube member Spectre2183 posted two "emergency transmissions" and in the first one (embedded above) you can see what looks to be helmet cameras shooting all the action of an intense battle. The quality isn't all that great, which was probably intentional, but you can easily see some Mass Effect characters and gameplay. Also, further giving proof this is real marketing goodness, Spectre2183 has only posted these emergency transmissions and joined the YouTube community on March 26th. The second transmission is embedded after the break and be sure to tell us what you think this viral marketing will end up leading to.[Thanks, Jason]
Bioware offers Mass Effect fansite kit for ... fans
Fans who are eagerly anticipating Mass Effect's release and want to start their own fansite will be happy to know Bioware just released an official fansite kit. This beautiful and functional fansite kit comes complete with wallpapers, avatars, screenshots, renders, logos and website GUI elements. It's pretty much a complete Mass Effect website in a box, just add water and mix vigorously for three minutes. On a side note, why can't we get over how darn pretty this game looks? It's simply stunning.
New Mass Effect screen shots
BioWare released a new batch of Mass Effect screen shots during GDC, but we must have been too busy actually watching the game to realize it. As usual, the new shots show off an enormous level of detail. In these shots we get some close up detail of several characters, including Mass Effect's robotic enemy race, the Geth, and a nomad race, the Quarians (pictured). The more we see of Mass Effect, the more we slaver for its arrival. Hit the "read" link to check out more screens. If you haven't already, you should also check out our eyes on preview of Mass Effect and our audio interview with BioWare's Dr. Greg Zeschuk.[Thanks, DjDATZ. Via TeamXbox]
Mass Effect collector's edition sighted
Our friends at Xboxygen managed to snag an image of the European box art for Mass Effect. All in all the art isn't terribly interesting, and it's more or less identical to the American box art. There is one key difference though, this box art has a gold tone to it and it has the words "Limited Collector's Edition" emblazoned across the top. This is the first we've heard of a special edition. We don't know what it will include, but it's a fairly safe bet it will come in a special case and include an extra DVD or two. Who knows, maybe it will ship with a bonus planet or two.What would it take for you to spend an extra 10 simoleons on a collector's edition?
Fancast Xtra -- BioWare interview with Greg Zeschuk
We got a chance to sit down with Dr. Greg Zeshuk, president of BioWare, to talk about Mass Effect. The interview was conducted by Joystiq's Ludwig Kietzmann. We captured the audio, which you can download on MP3 (Fancast subscribers will receive the audio automatically). A breakdown of our discussion can be found after the break.
Microsoft's GDC information blowout!
For those of you looking to find information on some of your favorite upcoming Microsoft Game Studios or XBLA games, just take a look at what Xbox.com has to offer. Over on the GDC section of Xbox.com you'll find a bunch of downloads for games like Forza 2, Blue Dragon, Mass Effect and Shadowrun. You can download fact sheets, press releases, and screenshots for those games including XBLA games like Schizoid, Eets Chowdown, and Jetpac Refuelled. So much information, so little time ... but get downloading because everyone knows you care.
GDC 07: Mass Effect eyes on
We sat down with Bioware's Ray Muzyka to check out the first hour of Mass Effect. Great games, he said, are memorable because of emotional moments. Muzyka stresses that Mass Effect will provide players with a truly cinematic, emotional experience. As if to prove his point, the demo takes place on a crisp HD display with a very loud surround sound speaker system. Muzyka picks up a control, starts the demo, and we begin Bioware's latest adventure.
GDC has Mass Effect demo, books in May
Mass Effect will be demoed at GDC '07 next week, although BioWare and Microsoft aren't revealing any details on what we'll be seeing or whether or not it will be playable. Fortunately, our very own Richard Mitchell will be attending the event and has now been essentially cornered into giving you a hands on report on what he sees and hopefully plays in regards to Mass Effect. Then again, we don't see reason why he wouldn't tell you about it in the first place.Also worth noting is the recently announced prequel novels by game writer Drew Karpyshyn, and they will help flesh out the backstory on the Mass Effect universe. The first book, Revelation, will go on sale in May for $7.99 USD. So, will a couple books and some hands-on reporting hold you over till the early summer release?[Via XboxAddict]
Mass Effect not too massive for one disc
In the latest Mass Effect developer blog on IGN, BioWare project director, Casey Hudson, answers a few reader questions. The first question is the one that many will latch onto, though it is perhaps the least important: will Mass Effect fit on one disc? The answer is yes, but barely. Hudson admits that the team originally thought fitting the game on one disc would be a herculean task, but some technical wizardry came through in the end. Other more interesting questions followed. First, the game will support custom soundtracks, which should please all the Live jerks that put their music on so loud it comes through their headsets. Second, Mass Effect's lead character, Commander Sheperd, is highly customizable -- much more so than in KOTOR. Players will be able to choose the sex of the character, hair, facial features, and skill set. Not only that, but there will be plenty of gear in the game that affects your appearance as well. In other words, your not stuck with the brooding, shaven Sheperd you see above.What sort of character will you create?[Via Joystiq]
Mass Effect to fit snugly onto one disc
The limits of DVD storage capacity are being tested, but will not be maxed out by Mass Effect. During a Q&A update, project director Casey Hudson confirmed that Mass Effect "is a monstrous game. In fact, there was a time -- not too long ago -- when we pretty much scoffed at the idea of fitting onto one disc. But, there's an art to optimizing the data that goes on a disc"; Mass Effect will fit onto a single disc -- "but just barely."So what happens if and when an Xbox 360 title spills onto that bothersome second disc? Will it be an issue? Will we actually suffer when we peel our bodies away from the couch to swap discs partway through a game (or perhaps when switching between single-player and multiplayer)? When does a nuisance become a deal breaker -- when is it so not "next-gen"?[Via 1UP]
Mass Effect prequel novel announced
Mass Effect lead writer Drew Karpyshyn has been working overtime, penning two novels that will tie into the Xbox 360 action-RPG trilogy. The first, Mass Effect: Revelation, is described as a prequel novel following Alliance Commander David Anderson as he uncovers a "sinister conspiracy" that spans a galaxy of uncharted worlds. Ooh, nothing like a lil' cliché sci-fi lit to get you in the mood...The Mass Effect novels will be published by Del Rey, an imprint of Random House. Revelation is due in May, followed by the second book Mass Effect: Revolution (TBD).
Bioware: Mass Effect is "Jack Bauer in space"
Speaking with MTV's Stephen Totilo, BioWare's Ray Muzyka lays out the company's vision of where games are heading. What does Muzyka see as the future of storytelling in games? Eyes. More specifically, Muzyka believes that realistic eyes (and emotional expression overall) are very important for good storytelling. Speaking specifically of Mass Effect Muzyka notes that characters will look you over or nod their heads, communicating without speaking at all. "You don't need to have dialogue," says Muzyka, noting that an emotional moment needs no words. In describing the overall tone of Mass Effect Muzyka calls it "Jack Bauer in space." "You have complex moral choices to make. You're out to save the galaxy. You're going to have to do things that don't seem like they're good to do that." Finally, Totilo asks Muzyka if there is a one artistic moment that serves as the benchmark that games must reach in storytelling. Said Muzyka, "in Schindler's List, that moment where you see the little girl in the [red] dress ... and then you see her later [among the dead]. For me, if you can convey emotion to that level in a game then we've succeeded. For us that's our goal." Wow. Lofty goals indeed. Do you think storytelling in games will ever be on par with literature and film? Does it even have to be?
Mass Effect is going to be one big RPG
Last week TeamXbox interviewed Ray Muzyka of BioWare about Mass Effect and how big the game really. In the interview Ray claims that Mass Effect will be "about 40 hours or so for the main story, so it's going to be a good-sized BioWare RPG". He also stated that "off the beaten path, there's probably another 20 or 30 hours or so of stuff". Good golly, it's looking like Mass Effect will be the RPG behemoth that we were always hoping for. With how the game looks, possible talk of sequels, and hearing how involved the game really is, RPG fans will be in for a huge treat when Mass Effect releases this year.[Via Gamespot forums][Thanks, dpcough]
Jade Empire: Special Edition goes gold
The "Special Edition" part referring to the PC (and potentially politically correct) version of BioWare's KOTOR-but-with-Kung-Fu epic, Jade Empire. The 2K-published RPG, which now boasts higher resolutions, improved AI, an extra difficulty level, an art book and a poster, has officially gone gold and should be in North American stores by February 27th. Europe will receive the game a few days later on March 2nd. Of course, no Jade Empire press release is complete without referencing IGN's frothing demand for the 2005 Xbox release. It scored a 9.9, you know.
