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The Daily Grind: Are you (still) interested in a Mass Effect MMO?
I just finished playing through Mass Effect 3 for the second time, though it was my first time through the extended cut ending and all of the DLC. Speaking of, thanks for reminding me what it's like to enjoy BioWare games via that sugary sweet Citadel story, guys. Much appreciated. Anyway, we've talked about a possible Mass Effect MMO before, of course. But it's been a while and it's obviously fresh on my mind. So how about it, Massively readers. At this point in time, would you be interested in a Mass Effect MMO? Why or why not? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Soapbox: The inevitable Mass Effect MMO
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I don't know about you, but I've yet to play Mass Effect 3. This is not by choice, mind you, and now that I've returned from the wilds of last week's GDC, it's time to settle in for another 30-hour tour with Shepard and company. What does this have to do with MMOs? Well, nothing really, except that BioWare hasn't exactly closed the door on a Mass Effect title. On the contrary, the company's dynamic doctor duo have hinted at the fact that this, ahem, theoretical game would need to be somewhat different from the firm's maiden MMO voyage. At this point I think an ME MMO is inevitable, so join me after the cut to discuss whether BioWare can really break the mold with its second effort as well as what that effort could look like.
BioWare doctors discuss Mass Effect MMO
The fast-approaching Mass Effect 3 hype bomb doesn't have much to do with MMOs, except maybe it does. Gamespot cornered BioWare doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka and asked the duo point-blank about a Mass Effect MMO, and the answer might surprise you. "It's daunting, but the neat thing is it would lend itself to a different type of gameplay. It's fun to think about," Zeschuk told the website. Does that mean that the so-called fourth pillar of MMO story won't factor as heavily into the theoretical title as it does in Star Wars: The Old Republic? It's anyone guess at this point, but Muzyka offers a further fanboy nugget that hints at the possibility of a new direction for BioWare MMOs. "When you deliver a game, and you deliver it for a player, you have to capture what they think is the possibility space," he explains. "You need to let them do everything they think they should do, and you can't block them from doing anything they think they should be able to do. You have to nail all the features and content that should be in that possibility space."
This Week In MMO: Night at the movies edition
This Week In MMO is all about movies: how some games compare to movies and which movies will be made into games. The BioWare doctors hinted at a Mass Effect MMO once again, but what does our panel of hosts think? Mike B, aka Fony of ZAM, believes that the Mass Effect intellectual property is very similar to the movie industry, such that Mass Effect can take a few years of downtime, then just like some movie remakes, bounce back even stronger as an MMO. What about movies becoming MMOs? Jasmine Hruschak, of Gamebreaker's The Sanctum, is scared of any movie becoming a game. Traditionally, these platform conversions are disastrous, according to IRLJasmine. However, Gary Gannon agrees with Avatar director James Cameron's sentiments and believes that the world of the Nav'i could one day be comparable to the world of World of Warcraft. Catch all this and more movie-to-MMO comparisons after the break on Gamebreaker.TV's This Week In MMO!
BioWare open to the possibility of a Mass Effect MMO
If you've been among the vocal crowds demanding that BioWare stop fiddling around with that "Star Wars thing" and get on a Mass Effect MMO as soon as possible, today might be your day of vindication. It turns out that BioWare's co-founders are very much open to the possibility of an online edition of its popular Mass Effect franchise. Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk recently fielded the ever-popular question in a much more upbeat tone than ever before. Zeschuk says the studio will evaluate a potential Mass Effect MMO in the near future: "You never know. I think once The Old Republic is done, we'll take a fresh look at the market." "We're focused very much on The Old Republic, Mass Effect 3 and Wrath of Heroes, and all the other things we've announced, and haven't announced, but we also have the opportunity to look at our franchises in a way we haven't ever before. There are lots of new platforms and lots of new business models," Muzyka added. Mass Effect: The MMO is one of those speculative rumors that seems to never die. Analysts have predicted that such an MMO could top Star Wars: The Old Republic's numbers.
MMO Roundup: RIFT referral program, The Old Republic launch confirmed, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Activision Blizzard posts record profits, WoW subs declining Activision Blizzard hasn't just been surviving but thriving, posting a record profit for the first quarter of 2011 -- $503 million in net income, more than $100 million over the year before. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Blizzard Entertainment was responsible for a large portion of that profit, bringing in $170 million all by its lonesome. You may have already read about this on WoW Insider, but it's always worth checking out the perspective of the larger MMO scene. Star Wars: The Old Republic launch window confirmed EA's financial results report was released to the public last week, and alongside the various bits of fiscal information is one important tidbit for fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic. On page 17 of the document, you'll find "The Packaged Goods title release schedule excludes Star Wars: The Old Republic, which is expected to launch in either Q2 FY12 or Q3 FY12," where Q2 FY12 and Q3 FY12 correspond to July through September and October through December, respectively, of this year. RIFT begins Ascend-a-Friend referral promotion Beginning today with the advent of patch 1.2, RIFT subscribers will be able to Ascend-a-Friend into the ranks of the Defiant or Guardians, providing the newly Ascended with a seven-day free trial as well as linking the two players' accounts together. Referral bonuses include an adorable, corgi-like non-combat pet and a badass flaming horse mount. Analyst predicts a Mass Effect MMO could top The Old Republic Still having geek dreams about a Mass Effect MMO? Your flights of fancy have another advocate, as an analyst thinks it could be not only feasible but extremely profitable to boot. In a recent investor's note, Janco Partners' Mike Hickey predicted that a hypothetical Mass Effect MMO could make more money for Electronic Arts than Star Wars: The Old Republic will. Massively Speaking episode 146 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include APB's open beta date, DCUO's "super servers," more Marvel Online details, SOE's hacker problems, and more! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
Analyst predicts a Mass Effect MMO could top The Old Republic
Still having geek dreams about a Mass Effect MMO? Your flights of fancy have another advocate today, as an analyst thinks it could be not only feasible but extremely profitable to boot. In a recent investor's note, Janco Partners' Mike Hickey predicted that a hypothetical Mass Effect MMO could make more money for Electronic Arts than Star Wars: The Old Republic will. Hickey made this claim based on the strength of BioWare's science-fiction series and the historical weakness of Star Wars games: "Looking forward, we believe BioWare could develop an MMO based on their highly successful Mass Effect franchise, which should have a considerably better (relative Star Wars MMO) margin profile, given the dilutive nature of the LucasArts royalty." So far, BioWare's been fairly coy on the subject of a possible Mass Effect online game, although it hasn't ruled out the possibility.
The MMO Report: ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL edition
Why is G4's Casey Schreiner hiding behind his notes in this week's MMO Report? Maybe it's that his insurance won't cover the liability of his stunning smile -- or that he simply forgot his contacts. Casey jumps on top of two of the most sensationalistic stories from the past week. The first is the saga of the World of Warcraft player who made it to max level without killing anything or completing any quests. Casey salutes her by saying, "If there was a Nobel Peace Prize for pointless dedication toward arbitrary obsessive-compulsive goals, you'd be a shoo-in. Grats." He's also intrigued about the possibility -- not probability -- of a Mass Effect MMO. "But you guys haven't still put out your first over-hyped MMO based an incredibly popular intellectual property. One disappointment at a time, gentlemen." The MMO Report also covers The Secret World's seven-year plan, The Old Republic's advanced class preview, Global Agenda's F2P move, and another dip into Uncle Casey's mailbag. You can watch Casey's mind unravel during six captivating minutes after the jump!
Mass Effect the MMO?
Could Mass Effect be an MMO? In a recent interview with Game Informer, Executive Producer Casey Hudson of BioWare says that the intellectual property makes sense for an MMO. We know that many Massively readers would absolutely pick up a multiplayer version of the series. Do the producers of the game think it is possible to transport the Mass Effect universe to the MMO space? Hudson told Game Informer, "We've been trying to think of a way that makes sense for people to experience Mass Effect with their friends. We haven't yet come up with a way to do that, so we don't have anything to announce at this time. But, obviously, multiplayer is something we want to do more of in the future as a company." We have to assume that Commander Shepard saves the galaxy once and for all at the end of Mass Effect 3, which comes out later this year. Is that world going to be interesting enough to continue? Hudson thinks so: "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." Whatever the case, we will have to wait for Mass Effect 3 to come out before any sort of official announcement, but that doesn't mean we can't hold out hope.
