BioWare has Mass Effect 3 "demo plans"

By Robert Purchese Published 11 July, 2011

Single-player or multiplayer?

BioWare has plans to release a demo for Mass Effect 3, a new tweet by series overseer Casey Hudson has revealed.

He told his followers to, "Stay tuned for news on demo plans in a few months."

What will be in the demo we don't know. Will it be single-player or will it be multiplayer, given that Mass Effect 3 is strongly rumoured to have four-player co-op?

The first Mass Effect demo released publicly was for Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3 in December 2010. RPGs are hard to cut into playable chunks that are indicative of the overall game experience.

Nevertheless, BioWare also chose to demo traditional fantasy RPG Dragon Age II earlier this year on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Mass Effect 3 was delayed from autumn 2011 to Q1 2012. Perhaps a demo could arrive in time for Christmas.

But you won't have to wait until then; you'll be able to play Mass Effect 3 at the Eurogamer Expo 2011 in London in September. Get your Eurogamer Expo 2011 ticket now.

Mass Effect 3 also has Kinect support.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (25) Latest comment 11 months ago

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  • Eraysor #1 11 months ago

    Only on Origin I bet...

  • RodHull #2 11 months ago

    Personally I quite liked what Capcom did with Dead Rising 2 and Case Zero, a rare instance of me actually bothering with a single player "demo". I was happy paying £3 for it as I knew I wouldn't have to replay exactly the same scenario as in the final game as most single player demos do. Plus by releasing it as an XBLA game it gave you achievement points and all. Granted this wouldn't work so well for multiplayer games especially if they're using a demo/beta release model (as in Halo 3/UC3).

  • Mentat_Idaho #3 11 months ago

    I thought Bioware categorically stated that there would be no multi-player in ME3?

  • HL706 #4 11 months ago

    "I thought Bioware categorically stated that there would be no multi-player in ME3? "

    I thought BioWare made RPG's. It seems we now live in a world where cats and dogs actually live together :(

  • nuanimal #5 11 months ago

    Four-player PG-rated heavy petting.

    Sold.

  • twoism #6 11 months ago

    I wouldn't be totally against a 4 player co-op mode, if everyone has to pick one of the main characters as to not break the narrative, and be able to manage their own inventory and skill sets. And as long as there aren't any generic capture the flag or death match modes.

  • braydee89 #7 11 months ago

    Co- op? yes. Frag- fest? hell no.

  • MasterOfTheStick #8 11 months ago

    Don't ruin my favourite game series bioware. Don't waste resources on multiplayer. Pretty please.

  • Aretak #9 11 months ago

    Another fantastic series being gradually run into the ground by EA. Now that the main trilogy is over they'll be able to drop all that silly RPG nonsense and turn it into a pure cover-based shooter, like they've been itching to do for four years. Can't wait for the yearly sequels.

  • HyperTails #10 11 months ago

    BioWare, I love you guys and think that you're the bestest company in the world, but for the love of God, DO NOT LET EA GET ITS MULTIPLAYER WISH!!!!!!

    Same goes for Dragon Age 3, no multiplayer for that either.

    And I could care less if the demo is the E3 demo or not, i'm itching to get my hands on this.

  • Centrifugal #11 11 months ago

    I don't understand Eurogamer's obsession with ME3 having multiplayer. It's not going to happen, Bioware have said this multiple times, and yet in every article about Mass Effect 3 there's always a little line reading "multiplayer?"

    It's a little annoying.

  • ChronoMizaki #12 11 months ago

    The only four player co-op I wouldn't mind is something similar to Firefight/Horde. Having six different classes and different builds in those would make co-operative a unique experience...

    ...or everyone would just be a soldier.

    But that's the only aspect of Mass Effect I WOULD play. I could care less for Deathmatch/Capture the Flag

  • HyperTails #13 11 months ago

    @centrifugal

    I agree, EG do seem to want Mass Effect 3 to have some crappy MP aspect. Looking around the other sites that have this article, none of them mention if it will be MP or SP. They just mention a demo and that's it.

    BioWare have said before though they are interested in exploring the MP space, i've even seen Ray Muzyka on camera saying it, and he's the boss.

    The only question is though, do BioWare really want it, or are EA giving them a little nudge?

  • kingmong #14 11 months ago

    Demo plans
    lisa needs braces
    demo plans
    lisa needs braces
    demo plans

  • apoc_reg #15 11 months ago

    Multiplayer and on rails sections........ so not hopeful :-(

  • Moribundman #16 11 months ago

    Ummm... Guys? They've confirmed they're including outsourced multiplayer developed independently of the main game (ACB stylee). Google it.

    Actually, how about I save you the trouble:

    http://www.computerandvideogames.com/307...
    Edited by Moribundman at 11/07/11 @ 14:24

  • jonbwfc #17 11 months ago

    @Moribundman

    An un-named source is not 'confirmed'.

  • Inmediasress #18 11 months ago

    Well here would fit the 'I told you so' but other than that it's no secret bioware is going downhill in terms of RPG, most obvious sing is that in ME you can't even make a face you like because only the premade one isn't as ugly as hell.
    Then there is the rest of the problem which is too numerous to list so I don't bother with it.

  • HyperTails #19 11 months ago

    @Immediasress

    Too long to list? Please name 7, then.

  • atiqulhussain #20 11 months ago

    "The first Mass Effect demo released publicly was for Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3 in December 2010. "

    Erm, no. Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360 was the first demo to be released! I remember the joy of playing it!

    A bit sloppy today, Robert!

  • tyrant1 #21 11 months ago

    Ive got a great idea for any multiplayer or co-op plans! Why not release it as an optional paid for DLC extra?

    I mean you can withhold single player content from the finished game to release afterwards for a price shafting single player gamers, so why not release a co-op multiplayer mode after the game is out for a price instead? That way the morons who want mutiplayer added to ruin Mass Effect (a 100% single player game, where even suggesting tacking on a stupid multiplayer mode at the END OF THE TRILOGY is a ridiculous idea) can have their way without ACTUALLY spoiling it for everyone who understands the prime aspect of Mass Effect should be a single player story driven game.

    They could also maybe tone down the amount of brainless action they force into the game as well allowing for better pacing that way.

    Failing that, maybe they could just leave any co-op/multiplayer aspirations for a new series or Mass Effect spinoff. Why dont they cram it into one of the ME spinoff games they supposedly have planned, so that way its there from the beginning and not thrown in at the final hurdle?
    Edited by tyrant1 at 11/07/11 @ 15:59

  • Collymilad #22 11 months ago

    Bioware if you release a MP only demo I will come round there and shove it up your ass.

  • Scopeh #23 11 months ago

    Multiplayer? what? when did??

  • arcam #24 11 months ago

    I mean you can withhold single player content from the finished game to release afterwards for a price shafting single player gamers, so why not release a co-op multiplayer mode after the game is out for a price instead?

    A big reason for adding MP is so that people don't just sell the game after finishing it. Making MP a paid extra doesn't really help with that.

  • ubergine #25 11 months ago

    Hopefully any Mass Effect 3 demo won't be an inventory-crippled demonstration of how inferior it is to the previous game. The Dragon Age II demo was just stunning in it's obtuseness.