Mass Effect confirmed for PC

By Robert Purchese Published 12 February, 2008

Polished up for keyboard audience.

Electronic Arts has ended speculation by confirming that it will release science-fiction role-playing game Mass Effect on PC.

It aims to be available across the USA in May, and will come with brushed-up controls to suit a keyboard.

This means you can assign your skills and abilities to hot-keys so you have less need to bring up the menu and pause combat. You can also re-map the controls as you see fit, enjoy a new user interface and inventory system, as well as high resolution visuals - although we're not sure if this means "higher than on Xbox 360".

There's also a new decryption mini-game to replace for the 360 controller button-matching original.

While EA is revealed as the publisher of this version, it appears Microsoft will be doing the honours in the future - suggesting it will remain exclusive to the Xbox 360 console.

"EA has struck an agreement with Microsoft to handle future publishing for Mass Effect," said EA Games boss Frank Gibeau. "We are looking forward to releasing Mass Effect on the PC this Spring and brand new titles in the future."

Mass Effect is the latest epic story from role-playing veterans BioWare. It follows the story of Commander Shepard, who finds himself at the heart of a humanity-saving science fiction quest.

We picked it as our eighth favourite game of 2007 (although personally I would have put it higher moan grumble), while you lot decided it was your fifth favourite of the year.

Head over to our Mass Effect review to find out more.

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.

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

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Comments (58) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JediMasterMalik #1 4 years ago

    Not too long to wait, really looking forward to the definitive version. ;)

  • Nylkran #2 4 years ago

    Well this came as a shock :p

  • kissthestick #3 4 years ago

    surprise surprise

  • orakio #4 4 years ago

    Huzzah! at last

  • Hunam #5 4 years ago

    Yay!

  • Gartt #6 4 years ago

    Happens every time...

  • Tejstar #7 4 years ago

    I have patiently held off buying the 360 version in anticipation of the PC version - great news!

    What with better textures and mods too this will be superb - here's hoping it's not a shoddy port...

  • Fitzmogwai #8 4 years ago

    Tabloid brohaha pt2 before you can say... er... Sexdows. Won't someone think of the, um, office workers?

  • john_silence #9 4 years ago

    I'm happy. I might even be able to find the planet I came from.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #10 4 years ago

    Wow. Floored by the shockingness of this news story.

    Mind you, I hope it stays Xbox/PC exclusive.

  • darc #11 4 years ago

    Funny, the very last site I hit was Bit-tech, who posted an article today indicating that this would remain XBox 360-exclusive. I guess they're just talking consoles there?

  • miiiguel #12 4 years ago

    what's a "definitive version" (apart of coming later) ?

  • bad09 #13 4 years ago

    Just picked this up on 360 yesterday,and it is an excellent game well recommended to PC or 360 owners.

  • miiiguel #14 4 years ago

    When is the anounced DLC coming up ?

  • Cylinder #15 4 years ago

    Woooo! Didn't realise it would be hitting PC so soon!

  • Erinan #16 4 years ago

    Picture me shocked! It was the last good reason to buy a 360 for me, I am glad that they finally announced the PC version.

  • sharpfish #17 4 years ago

    You see, with stuff like gears, viva, mass effect, assasins creed all arriving/arrived on PC at a cheaper price... this is the reason I don't look back with sadness at the death of my 360 and my subsequent selling up of my 360 games to recoup the costs of the £300 piece of shit hardware that kept dying on me (1 light before anyone asks, 3rd returned console - not covered for free by MS so they can kiss my arse if they think they are getting any more 360 cash out of me).

    Honestly, great news for PC (I love PC) but more reasons to suggest the honeymoon period for Xbox360 is over. Now if sony can ensure it's exclusives this year remain exclusive (and lets face it stuff like GT5 and wipeout isn't going to be on anything but PS3) then that's another notch in their bedposts in this 'turnaround' year for the console makers.

    I'm still underwhelmed by the technical prowess of the PS3's GPU from all the games i've seen thus far but what the heck, at least it doesn't die every few weeks.


  • George-Roper #18 4 years ago

    Hey Jedi, for this to be the definitive version wouldn't it have to be on the PS3?

    Hmmm?

  • Snidesworth #19 4 years ago

    No texture pop up? That might make it worth grabbing this game again. Then the 360 version can go off to a needy third party. Or get traded in.

  • miiiguel #20 4 years ago

    Mass Effect will be on PC, 360 is doomed.

    PS3 has won the "war"..., let's play Lair.

  • QPRHOOPS81 #21 4 years ago

    This sort of thing is why i will probally get a PS3. The 360 is a slightly (at the moment) better gaming machine but i have a good PC. A PS3 seems to compliments a PC better than a 360 does.

  • Dizzy #22 4 years ago

    "You see, with stuff like gears, viva, mass effect, assasins creed all arriving/arrived on PC at a cheaper price"

    PC, just like the 360 is a MS platform mainly. They want games on PC... it makes the PC more wanted and hence makes them money. Exclusive 360 is, in almost all cases, a timed exclusive. If you can wait 6-12 month no probs. I prefer to play the games a bit quicker ;)
    BTW same could be said of PC... a lot of the PC games eventually walk over to the 360.

  • miiiguel #23 4 years ago

    Dizzy, don't say that too loud, or some will stop playin PC games too.

    On the other hand, it'd odd to see games that don't sell ported to other platforms.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/08 @ 15:41

  • Cataferal #24 4 years ago

    Mass Effect without the frame-rate drops, absurd loading times, and screen tearing? I'm there.

  • Derblington #25 4 years ago

    While EA is revealed as the publisher of this version, it appears Microsoft will be doing the honours in the future - suggesting it will remain exclusive to the Xbox 360 console.

    I'm not sure you've read that quote correctly - it's reads to me that EA has struck a deal with MS for *EA* to publish and new games within the Mass Effect universe...

  • Artemus #26 4 years ago

    Another reason for me not to buy a 360.

  • Schiraman #27 4 years ago

    Yay! I'm surprised this is coming to PC so soon, I was fully expecting a two-year delay. I guess this means I don't need to buy a 360 afterall... :)

  • miiiguel #28 4 years ago

    Now that I thought about it it's realy just what I needed to sell my 360s, and publicize it in every thread I see. It's realy the game that ends all games, I don't need any other.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/08 @ 15:59

  • Freek #29 4 years ago

    I look forward to the media frenzy caused by a user made mod to make the game more sexually explicit, it's gonna be great :D

  • Agent_Llama #30 4 years ago

    Any chance they could patch the god-awful 360 inventory system whilst they're at it?

  • gaselite #31 4 years ago

    Hooray! Was holding out for this.

  • djed #32 4 years ago

    in space, no one can hear you scream... unless you use the Hot Space mod.

  • sharpfish #33 4 years ago

    @ Dizzy, the difference is I HAVE to own a PC, or rather I always will (and a decent one at that) so whatever comes out for it or doesn't is cool by me. However with the 360 I have to make a continued investment in £40 games on a system that is flaky to say the least, I've already lost enough cash on it thanks to shit quality control over the scaler/ana chip problem so i'f have to buy ANOTHER 360 to continue playing the decent games. Because most of the best ones come out on PC means the temptation to buy ANOTHER 360 just isnt there any more. My 8800gtx system will handle these xbox ports fine so long as they are done right.

    Wheras the PS3 does in fact compliment the PC better if you are a big PC gamer (like I am) as you are bound to get more exclusives that are ONLY on that console rather than on both your console and your PC. If MS gets money from me via the PC then fine, I just don't want to spend more money on something that's going to flash red lights at me every time I want to play a game.

    This is not ps3 propaganda nor PC elitism it's just common sense. Aside from Project Gotham Racing 4 I can think of NO games that I want to play on 360 that are not already out or will be out on the PC (or the PS3 - which ties in with the 'better compliment' - for ex GTA4 which is worth getting asap on consoles probably).

  • UncleLou #34 4 years ago

    Wow, miiguel's sarcasm attempts sound hilariously desperate. :)

  • sharpfish #35 4 years ago

    Oh and factor in that some games are actually timed exclusives on PC/PS3 and later on 360 (UT3 for example) makes the whole issue a lot less clear than it was this time last year.

    I know it's hard for some people around hear to believe we are not all fanboys but trust me i'm open minded, i've been banging on about how great the 360 is for the past 2 years and unfortunately it let me down 3 times until it wasn't financially viable to keep on spending on it. I have gamecube, DS, PC etc and I'm now waiting to see if Sony can actually deliver the goods this year and then may go on to buy a (price reduced) PS3. I have no loyalty to any mfctr, I go where the good games are and the good reliable hardware is and while the former may be true of the 360 the latter certainly isn't. I've learned that lesson and because i'm no fanboy of any system can quite easily 'scrap it' and move on to better built systems.

    If those games I listed hadn't made it onto PC at all then I wouldn't even have commented and would still say that 360 is the best all round system of the 3 current gen for games but only if you don't own a GOOD pc and are interested in Sony's exclusives like GT5 and wipeout etc.

    Seriously step out of the narrow view for a while and take an unbiased look at things, it makes sense.

    And 'miiiguel' you sound just like a fanboy, putting words into people's mouths and assuming you know their view on things. I have stated more than once that my 360 died on me and I felt cheated out of nearly £1k (games + add ons etc) but that's up to me, when you get shafted for £1k and all you can do is chuck it in the bin then i'm sure you'll be a bit vocal about it also, if it stops just one person getting fucked over by MS on this 360 sham then it was worth it. :)

    Have a nice day!

  • Nylkran #36 4 years ago

    "PC, just like the 360 is a MS platform mainly. They want games on PC... it makes the PC more wanted and hence makes them money. Exclusive 360 is, in almost all cases, a timed exclusive. If you can wait 6-12 month no probs. I prefer to play the games a bit quicker ;)
    BTW same could be said of PC... a lot of the PC games eventually walk over to the 360."

    No Starcraft 2 or Empire Total War on the 360, just that in my opinion makes the PC a better choice.

  • mull #37 4 years ago

    YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, now I have no need to shell out for a 360 in the near future.

  • Feanor #38 4 years ago

    Finally there's a way to view porn on a computer.

  • miiiguel #39 4 years ago

    sharpfish, I didn't put anything in anyone's mouth, I believe...

    Uncle, I never understood that "desperate" thing, but I'm portuguese, care to clarify? I'm desperate for what? So PC's don't get games? why? To play PS3 games? why? If I ever want that I'll buy another one (you don't know me, but believe me, If there's one thing I don't have is "money issues";)

    I just find funny why are so many threads saying "I don't need to buy a 360"; "I sold my 360 tomorrow".

    Anyway, what does this matter after all, my "desperation", your "skin problems" towards MS, the fanboysm to 360 or Sony? Nothing..., the train'll keep rolling. I don't see PS3's GT5 prologue fading away, not 360's GTA IV special content disapearing...
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/08 @ 18:19

  • miiiguel #40 4 years ago

    And I wasn't beeing sarcastic, I'll switch to PC (I was just waiting for this anouncement), but just because one needs Windows to play those, and I want to give money to Microsoft, I must admit.

  • hiddenranbir #41 4 years ago

    Are there any developers left that don't lie to their customers?

  • Killerbee #42 4 years ago

    Good news. And yes, for me too it's one less reason to think about buying a 360, since I'm pretty much set on upgrading my PC in the not too distant future anyway.

    Timed exclusives like this actually make a lot of sense - Microsoft get the benefit of using these releases to sell their console than once sales have started to tail off, they get a load more revenue from the PC release (well, not so much in this case since EA are doing the publishing, but for MS published games that definitely stands).

  • miiiguel #43 4 years ago

    "So tell me what the 360 is for again?"
    Nothing..., I just wish MS never released a console. we could've still be friends (kool, kool thing). All we ever do nowdays is talk about 360.
    Whata demoniac device.

    I'm going to sell all my 360s, I promise. I'll just play Lost Odyssey for a bit, I swear.
    Edited by 2 at 12/02/08 @ 19:46

  • Miths #44 4 years ago

    As much as I've been a die hard PC gamer in the past (my first console was a PS2 bought in late 2006 if I recall correctly), there's just no way I'm going back to PC gaming again (a few racing sims with my G25 wheel being the exception).
    Sitting in a comfortable chair in front of large HDTV is just so much better than sitting in a somewhat less comfortable office chair in front of a small 22" widescreen monitor - especially if you've already spent most of the day working in front of a PC.
    I've also rather taken a liking to using a gamepad rather than torturing my wrists and fingers with yet more mouse and keyboard work.

    Of course hooking up a PC to that same HDTV and sitting in that same comfortable chair is an option these days (with mouse and keyboard possibly making it a tad awkward), but if you're going that route you may as well just get a console anyway.

  • UncleLou #45 4 years ago

    Now we only need someone to point out how he thinks console gaming is so much more comfortable because he has only a shitty office chair and is working on PCs all day.


    Oh wait, already done. Mouse/keyboard debate now, then?

  • miiiguel #46 4 years ago

    In a nutshell:

    - MS get the heck out of planet Earth!
    - That's not possible, at this stage...
    - So use as litle as you can, and whine about evilness, and shit. Be particularly verbose whenever they lauch a new product (because Office and OS and shit is pretty useless by now. Put all your strengths in demonizing Zune and 360, and in a near future Yahoo)

    edit: great, not only my gf calls be a geek, now she laughs of my incredible bad english.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/08 @ 21:03

  • Cheapshot #47 4 years ago

    Mass Effect but without the texture pop-in and awful framerate, ta very much. I'm glad I waited.

  • Yaz #48 4 years ago

    sharpfish wrote: "this is the reason I don't look back with sadness at the death of my 360 and my subsequent selling up of my 360 games to recoup the costs of the £300 piece of shit hardware...blah blah blah"

    Oh pease, this really is getting silly now! For the past month or so, almost every topic you appear in you're telling the same tale of how 3 of your 360s died and therefore you now hate MS and you now hate the 360.

    Look, I can sympathise if someone says "Sorry guys, I liked the 360, it has some great games, but I'm disappointed after my 3rd 360 died, and so I've decided to sell it and I'm going to get a PS3 instead", and that's it, they move on. But to whinge and whine at EVERY opportunity is boring, pointless, and rather pathetic really.

    The 360 didn't work out for you, that's a shame but it IS time to forget it and move on. It's a games console, remember? :) The vast majority of 360 gamers have not had the level of problems you've had, and out of those that have, many are still enjoying their console because of the games.

    If you have your PS3 now, that's great, enjoy it and start talking about your experiences with it, but please, go on the Jerry Springer Show if you want to tell the whole world how the 360 ruined your life. ;)



  • iWolf #49 4 years ago

    Going to wait for the specs to become available before I get too excited about this *glares at laptop*

  • 7creature #50 4 years ago

    iWolf: Hopefully they will be lower than those for Assassin Creed... Now, come on guys, IF you require HIGHER specs than Crysis, than your game SHOULD look better than Crysis.

    miiguel: " So use as litle as you can, and whine about evilness, and shit. Be particularly verbose whenever they lauch a new product (because Office and OS and shit is pretty useless by now. Put all your strengths in demonizing Zune and 360, and in a near future Yahoo)"

    Hopefully Yahoo too :-P

    Hmm, I LOVE Office 2007, don't care about Vista (well, it will be the obvious part of future upgrade) and pretty much like Microsoft overally (don't care about those shiny consoles though) - mainly because their GUI has improved A LOT in past years. Well, best thing about MS is (IMO) the responsiveness of their developers (well or people in general) on MSDN forums (oh, and the fact, that MS software is generally supported by everybody who actually wants to profit :-)

    Bah, end of OT.


    Hopefully PC version of MA won't suffer from the same issues as KotOR and ESPECIALLY KotOR II - and by "issues" I am talking about various software and driver bugs and errors - crashes, missing cinematics (in ugly resolutions), graphic issues with various (mainly ATi) GPUs a so on. Check Bioware/Obsidian support forums for lulz...

  • muscleblade #51 4 years ago

    I prefer lying in my sofa playing Mass Effect on my HD TV. Not in front of my PC.

  • THEGREATMADMAN #52 4 years ago

    I did't expect this at all
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 09:43

  • Yaz #53 4 years ago

    muscleblade wrote: "I prefer lying in my sofa playing Mass Effect on my HD TV. Not in front of my PC."

    Exactly.

    As much as I enjoy PC gaming, consoles offer a different game playing experience, even for the same game.

  • theremon #54 4 years ago

    This is soooo typical...
    After a few "mixed" reviews, I'd thought I'd wait a bit before buying it for the 360. Which I eventually did. YESTERDAY!
    And next thing I know is they announced the PC version (which would have held me back from getting the 360 one).
    Me and my luck...

  • miiiguel #55 4 years ago

    theremon: to get the Full Effect play it i n your living room, with the lights out, and the sound realy loud, not on your office desk, unless you want the Dull Effect.
    So I say, you did the right thing.

    also: the combat realy improves if you play it on higher levels of difficulty. Only above Normal the Biotics matter, below that one can just gunshot all the way through - not funny.
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 11:18

  • theremon #56 4 years ago

    Hey miiiguel - thanks for the tips :)
    Still, being stuck with an old TV (no HD gaming for me), already having my PC & XBox set up in the living room and always playing with the lights out (since I gotta wait for the kids to go to bed, dinner yada yada - which translates to almost midnight for me) I guess I'm half way there :)
    In any case, I've borrowed the XBox-to-VGA cable from my friend JonFE and I currently have the 360 attached to my 2nd monitor and as for the sound... Sennheiser headphones (yummy...).
    So yeah, all of the above means that I may have to play sitting in front of my desk but I actually get to enjoy it quite a bit.

    Thanks for the combat advice too :)

  • Katsumoto #57 4 years ago

    Why don't you all just do the decent thing and stick Miiguel on ignore? He was the first addition to my list, and reading any thread with a vague connection to the 360 got so much less painful.

    I love how putting a monitor on a desk or putting a tv somewhere else is considered so integral. I play all my console games at my desk anyway...

    Anyway, this is excellent news - really wasn't expecting it this soon. Boo haa sucks to you fritzy

  • Tehren #58 4 years ago

    I'm going to buy it. Again. Just to show my love for this game. Sure, it wasn't perfect - but damn it was beautiful.