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Mass Effect 2 on PS3 outfitted with Mass Effect 3 engine
Mass Effect 2 will have "improved graphics" on PlayStation 3, BioWare claims on the most recent company podcast. The improvement isn't simply a benefit of the PS3 version being released a full year later, but also stems from the fact that the PS3 version employs Mass Effect 3's version of Unreal Engine 3. "We actually created the engine for Mass Effect 3 and used that to make Mass Effect 2 on PS3. So we took the content, the story, and all of the other assets that made up Mass Effect 2, and we put it into the Mass Effect 3 engine," producer Jesse Houston explained. He added that the controls have been update with the PS3 controller in mind ("you can switch it back to the old Xbox [layout] if you'd like"), and the patches that ended up on 360 and PC will be "rolled up" into the PS3 version (faster planet scanning ahoy!). Also, if you were worried about a possible launch delay for whatever reason, the BioWare folks noted that the game on PS3 has "gone gold" (read: it's done). And if you're still on the fence about ME2, well, you're a crazy person ... but you'll also be happy to know that a PSN demo arrives on December 21.
12 Days of Joyswag: Mass Effect 2 tin, with games, books, and a print!
To celebrate the holidays, we're kicking off twelve straight days of giveaways from now through Christmas day. And while we say it's to celebrate, really ... we're simply getting rid of some of the larger packages around the ol' office. Which gets us to our second prize: A fancy Cerberus-branded tin full of Mass Effect 2 goodies. Want Collector's Edition copies on both Xbox 360 and PC? You got it. How about three Mass Effect novels, to further immerse you in the world of BioWare's space opera? Also in there. Lastly, if none of that manages to tingle your fan-ny bone, we're pretty sure the print of the Normandy SR2 will do the trick. Ogle it all in the gallery below, and enter to win in the comments below that. %Gallery-111485%
Alan Wake, Mass Effect 2 and Limbo among Time's best games of 2010
In collating the top ten of everything in 2010 (excluding the top ten recursive jokes about top ten lists), Time has picked some of its favorite video games from the last twelve months. Among the top ten are science fiction stalwarts Halo: Reach and Mass Effect 2, the elegant and creepy Limbo, and iPhone finch fling-em-up, Angry Birds (which just makes it in, having launched at the very end of 2009). Time's top choice is Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake, which is praised by writer Evan Narcisse for its mature craft and metaphoric gameplay. "Its mix of meta-awareness and Hitchcockian suspense make Alan Wake a unique and fun experiment and one of the best games of the year." Alan Wake's devoted fans are likely to agree: Time couldn't have picked a better game, and the game couldn't have picked a worse time.
Mass Effect 2 lands on PS3 Jan. 18 in US, Jan. 21 in Europe
Speaking exclusively to IGN, Electronic Arts has given Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3 a solid release date of January 21 18 in North America and January 21 in Europe (that's in twenty eleven, folks). As previously revealed, BioWare is including a gaggle of bonus content with the Blu-ray version, not to mention a brand new "interactive comic" that fills players in on the story of Mass Effect 1. Given what we heard today about Mass Effect 3, we're just hoping everyone has enough time to catch up before a whole new outerspace epic arrives.
Gaikai enters closed beta, we get an exclusive first look
This is Mass Effect 2, running on a netbook -- a stock Eee PC -- with a single core Atom CPU that wouldn't dare to dream of actually processing the game. It works because the sci-fi opera's not taxing that silicon at all, but rather a beefy server miles away, streaming processed and compressed video frames direct to the 10.1-inch screen. It's called Gaikai, and if you're thinking it sounds just like OnLive by a different name, you'd be half-right. However, this streaming game service has a radically different business model which doesn't cost players a dime. Rather than provide a library of titles and charge you for on-demand, Gaikai will power game advertisements that let you actually play their games. If that sounds like an idea you'd like to hear more about, then we've got a treat for you. We spoke with founder David Perry about what the service can do, got an exclusive hands-on with the closed beta, and an extensive video walkthrough to boot. After the break, find the whole scoop. %Gallery-108541%
Mass Effect 2 DLC on PS3 explained, interactive comic confirmed
As rumored over the weekend, Mass Effect 2's PlayStation 3 iteration will come packed with "6+ hours of bonus missions" -- rather than being PS3-exclusive bonus content, however, it'll comprise the game's three big expansions: Kasumi: Stolen Memories, Overlord, and Lair of the Shadow Broker. EA corroborated the news this morning by releasing the game's PS3 box art (found in full below the break), which clearly details its contents just inches above Miranda's flowing locks. BioWare producer Jesse Houston also took to the company's forums to clear up what exactly will be on the Blu-ray disc (and what will be downloaded). "Of course Mass Effect 2 will be included. On top of that, Lair of the Shadow Broker, Project Overlord, Kasumi: Stolen Memory and the Blood Dragon Armour. Also included is, as on Xbox 360 and PC, an access code to the Cerberus Network. This will give you instant access to the same great lineup of Downloadable Content such as Zaeed and Firewalker." Furthermore, he confirmed an "interactive comic" will ship with ME2 on PS3, cursorily detailing it by saying, "BioWare Edmonton (the group that made Mass Effect 2) teamed up with the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics to create an interactive backstory. While I can't release all the details about this yet, what I can tell you is that we want to create a stunning visual experience that not only tells the core story elements of Mass Effect 1, but also is fully interactive allowing you to be faced with some of the major choices which will have consequences your Mass Effect universe. This interactive comic's initial release will be exclusive to PS3 owners who would be otherwise unable to realize the full effect of choice in the Mass Effect universe and will be included on the Cerberus Network." He also -- somewhat ambiguously -- described additional, exclusive DLC for PS3 owners, explaining that, "There will also be some DLC Bundles, such as the Aegis Pack as well as exclusive both Free and Paid DLC for all PlayStation 3 owners such as the Recon Operations Pack." Perhaps in an attempt to calm the seething forum member responses, the post was later edited with the explanation, "While I can't go into details, all of this content is or was available to Xbox/PC owners, but otherwise wouldn't be available to PS3 owners. More details about this will be released later." Though EA/BioWare have yet to give it a price, retailers are currently putting the DLC-packed release at a regular $60.
Rumor: Interactive Mass Effect comic will fill in players of PS3 Mass Effect 2
The "seamless introduction" that will ease PS3 owners into the rich backstory of Mass Effect 2, first hinted at when the game was announced this past August, may have been uncovered recently in the BioWare Social Network forums. A moderator recently posted a quote from BioWare's Casey Hudson from the latest issue of German gaming mag Play3, in which he reveals the PS3 version of the game will have an interactive comic from Dark Horse, that lets players make the big decisions from the first game while quickly seeing how those decisions play out. The forum post also claims that Hudson confirmed the PS3 version of the game will come with the game's three main expansions, "Kasumi's Stolen Memory," "Overlord" and "Lair of the Shadow Broker," and will include a voucher to download all the content currently available on the Cerberus network. Finally, the post quotes Hudson as saying the game will include an exclusive mission which clocks in at around six hours in length. Sounds like a pretty tall order for the game's PS3 port. We've contacted BioWare to see if they'll comment on the post's legitimacy.
BioWare Docs talk Dragon Age, Mass Effect, The Old Republic plans
BioWare co-founders Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Muzyka have their fingers in a lot of pies (which are made of giant RPGs) -- in a recent interview with Eurogamer, the duo explained how the developer's attention is split across its catalog of franchises. On the subject of Dragon Age 2, the Doctors explained that they're focusing on expanding the universe they've created, rather than telling a chronological story. "It's probably fair to say it's less precise than the Mass Effect trilogy concept," Zeschuk explained. Speaking of BioWare's spacefaring RPG, Muzyka explained, "We're still working on stuff in the Mass Effect universe actively," with Zeschuk adding, "We have a pretty long DLC plan for Mass. We're still doing lots of stuff there." The Doctors also addressed their tremendously costly MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, with Muzyka saying "It's a big bet, but it's the right kind of bet to make for EA," and Zeschuk adding "Hey, entertainment's risky by nature." That's certainly true -- just ask The Adventures of Pluto Nash. Check out the full interview for more of the Doctors' insights on BioWare's upcoming projects.
EA discounts Mass Effect, Dead Space and more for PC Halloween sale
EA's mobile offerings aren't the only games the publisher is marking down in honor of this most spooky holiday -- the EA Store currently has half-off deals on PC blockbusters like Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Dead Space. Peep all the temporarily low prices below.
Mass Effect 2 DLC discounted next week on XBLM
On a quest to spend at least 2400 Microsoft Points before the month is out? BioWare, it seems, wants to help out -- both Kasumi's Stolen Memory and Overlord DLC packs for Mass Effect 2 are dropping to $5 a pop (down form $7), as part of next week's XBLM deal. It may be called the "Deal of the Week," but in this case, we prefer calling it "The Obvious Purchase."
EA giving free game to disgruntled APB buyers [Updated]
reddit_url = "http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/27/ea-giving-free-game-to-disgruntled-apb-buyers/"; Tweet Ticked off about the recent closure of Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin? Well you're not alone, and surprisingly enough it seems like Electronic Arts has heard your cries for justice. According to reports from CVG and SavyGamer, the publishing giant is ponying up a free download from the EA Store for customers who purchased APB via Valve's Steam digital distribution platform. The list of possible freebies is nothing to sneeze at either, as it includes BioWare darlings Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins, as well as Spore, The Saboteur, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and several more. There's currently no word on refunds or compensation for those who purchased the ill-fated urban crime MMOFPS from retail outlets or other digital shops. [Editor's Note: Having just gone through this process myself, I can tell you that it's easy and virtually painless. Simply visit www.ea.com, choose your country of origin, visit the support link in the upper right hand corner, and log into your EA account. Once that's done, click the "contact us/email us" button to create a new question to ask the EA support representatives. Select APB as the game in question and tell them that you own the game, where you bought it, and that you'd like to take advantage of their refund offer. The representative will ask you to make a list of games you'd like (pre-order titles are excluded and only games in the EA store are being offered) and that's it! Once you send your list, they'll give you a game (most likely your first choice) and you can download it using their instructions. ~Seraphina]
GameFly selling God of War 3, Mass Effect 2 and more for under $20
GameFly is currently running a decidedly insane sale on used copies of a handful of 2010 blockbusters until this Friday, September 17. If you've got $20 to spare, you can grab Darksiders, God of War 3, Alpha Protocol, Mass Effect 2 or Dante's Inferno -- all with free shipping to boot.
Mass Effect 2 Shadow Broker DLC review: required reading
"The Lair of the Shadow Broker" is the perfect epilogue for Mass Effect 2, adding closure to an important story arc, and offering a brief glimpse at the potential of Mass Effect 3. It's essential content for the Mass Effect fan: not only does the DLC push the canon forward, it provides some of the most thrilling action in the franchise thus far. There's a new alien race, a new Spectre, the best boss battle in the series, heck, there's even a car chase. It's a thrill ride, albeit a brief one. Liara's return in Mass Effect 2 has had a rather divisive effect amongst fans, many of whom found disliked her unexpectedly dark turn. The prequel comic Mass Effect Redemption offers some insight into her drastic personality change -- her search for Shepard's body led to a messy exchange with the Shadow Broker, a mysterious entity that's been teased throughout both Mass Effect games. The DLC gives you new information on the Shadow Broker's whereabouts, courtesy of Cerberus, which gives you reason to return to Liara on Illium. Exactly who is the Shadow Broker and what does he do with the information at his disposal? How does Liara want to exact her revenge? These questions are all finally answered. %Gallery-100178%
BioWare fixes 'Shadow Broken' Mass Effect 2 DLC for PC [update]
PC players eager to penetrate the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" in today's Mass Effect 2 DLC release have hit a snag. The new content is apparently incompatible with Windows 7 64-bit systems (update: all systems), as reported by Big Download. "I haven't said anything as we are working on the issue," noted BioWare community coordinator Chris Priestly in response to countless complaints (no really, countless complaints) on the official forums. "I understand you are all irritated by this, but we want you all to play, so we are working hard to determine and fix whatever is causing this." Update: Priestly has created a new thread tracking the issue. Apparently, the original download was corrupt and prevented "all" PC users from playing the new content. That file has since been removed from BioWare's download section (though it's harmless if you did download it). "We are working on a fix for the issue and will get a working file up for PC users ASAP," Priestly assures, without knowledge of a more specific ETA. Update 2: Priestly delivers the good news: "Lair of the Shadowbroker should now be fixed for the PC and should be able to be downloaded now for both the PC and Xbox 360." %Gallery-100178% [Thanks, Killer rin & Daniel]
Half of Mass Effect 2 players imported a save (and other stats!)
Mass Effect 2 Executive Producer Casey Hudson has shared some juicy statistics about the game with IGN. Basic takeaways are that people really did treat the game as a "shooter," with the soldier class chosen more than every other combined. Also, the women's lib movement for intergalactic saviors still has some work to do, with 80 percent of players choosing the male Shepard. The "anonymous player data" collected by BioWare is obviously meant to inform the studio in designing future titles. For example, players skipped 15 percent of conversations in the game, most of the time in "non-critical moments like in the hub worlds." Hudson says that if the company found people skipping 80-90 percent of the lines that they'd have to "reevaluate the work" the team put into digital acting -- and we'd have to reevaluate why people are playing Mass Effect in the first place. Check out IGN's piece for more on how the stats support current decisions and influence future projects. %Gallery-100178%
PAX 2010: A taste of the cosplay
What's up now, Comic-Con? PAX really brought it this year in terms of cosplay. There were street fighters, Spartans, zombies playing Rock Band and quite possibly the best Tali and Garrus we've ever seen (above). Hit up the gallery below and check 'em all out!
Waging WAR: Finding the sandbox
In this installment of Waging WAR, Greg takes a look at Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning from a few different angles and goes in search of the proverbial "sandbox" in a game that contains neither sand nor boxes. Somewhere along the line during my childhood, I developed a habit for playing games with nearly every game I've ever played. I can even remember a time in my early teens when I sat down with a few friends and collaborated on making our own version of battlechess. Pages of chicken-scratched rules and several dice results-tables later, and we were off and running for a solid week of the most entertaining chess matches I've ever played. Or there was that time with The Sims when I started creating experimental families and then leaving my computer on overnight and not interacting with them, just to see how successful they could be without my help. I could bore you for hours on end with examples of how I twisted the rules and made my own games from the games I've played. I suppose I can blame my penchant for metagaming on my early introduction to pen-and-paper roleplaying (i.e., D&D 1st Ed., to be specific). All I had was a sheet of paper, a handful of dice, a description of the world around me, and my imagination. By its very nature, PnP gaming is sandbox gaming. The reason I'm bringing this up now is that, until WAR, I had pretty much been able to "find the sandbox" in any MMO I was able to get my hands on. Whether it was building hardcore Dungeons & Dragons Online characters, roleplaying in City of Heroes, or achievement-chasing in World of Warcraft, I've never really been troubled with finding something to do when the grind started to wear me down. But now, with WAR, I'm finding most of my old tricks for MMO metagaming just aren't working. To read about what I've tried, and why it didn't work in WAR, follow along after the break.
Mass Effect 2's Shadow Broker DLC exposed by new trailer
"You haven't been the same since I came back, Liara." Millions of Shepards were frustrated when they got the cold shoulder from Mass Effect 2's Liara. Next week's "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC will finally give you "the chance to continue a relationship with Liara." But, as evidenced by this new trailer, you're going to need to chase down a lot of bad guys along the way. Thankfully, you'll be equipped with a new hovercraft.
Waging WAR: RvR packs, the "wait and see" edition
This week Waging WAR rides the double rainbow of gameplay customization via downloadable content and takes a cursory glance at the RvR packs being teased by the folks behind the development of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Let's follow along and see what Greg can unleash this time. It is difficult to talk about the future of WAR right now. Not because it doesn't have a future, but because the availability of information regarding it is not exactly easy to find. Actually, information on the future of WAR is all but non-existent, surrounded by controversy on all sides, and steeped in rumor, speculation, assumption and misinformation. The best I can put together is that we, as players, can look forward to some sort of set of three different "RvR Packs" allowing us to "customize" our gameplay experience moving forward. The packs have been called "Power," "Progression," and "Personality." What exactly each contains is a mystery, although the few talking points I was able to find regarding these RvR packs are speculatively disappointing at best. Although Carrie, Andy, and anyone else involved with the Mythic development team have said time and time again that they are not discussing moving toward the free-to-play business model, what they're proposing with these customization packs looks suspiciously like the item shop established by Turbine, implemented in Dungeons & Dragons Online and soon in Lord of the Rings Online as well. V.I.P. membership, anyone? Although concrete information is scarce and difficult to find, let's take a look at the most commonly referenced points of interest after the break.
Enter Mass Effect 2's 'Lair of the Shadow Broker' on September 7
Your Mass Effect 2 party has been waiting patiently outside of the Shadow Broker's lair for weeks now, playing the sci-fi equivalent of Pokemon (it's actually still Pokemon) on their five-screened game systems to pass the time. An announcement from BioWare reveals that you'll be let in on September 7, when the new "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC is released on PC and Xbox 360. It'll cost 800 Microsoft Points or 800 BioWare Points ($10). The announcement mentions five new achievements, new research, and the Shadow Broker intel center -- but here's where it gets interesting. The new DLC will "give fans from Mass Effect 1 the chance to continue a relationship with Liara." The Shadow Broker is going to be so upset when he finds out people are sneaking into his lair for hanky-panky.%Gallery-100178%
