Mass Effect News

Xbox Game Pass gets Gears of War 4 in December, Microsoft has confirmed.

Remember 2005 British TV comedy series Extras, written by The Office duo Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant? The one where Gervais played an actor stuck making a living as an extra, and where a string of guest stars like Ben Stiller, Patrick Stewart and Samuel L. Jackson appeared? The late, great David Bowie even popped up in Series 2. Good, wasn't it?

BioWare has celebrated a decade of Mass Effect by releasing a new video featuring developers involved in the much-loved, now much-missed space franchise.

EA executive Patrick Soderlund sees no reason why Mass Effect shouldn't be revisited in the future, but said if it was, it would have to be in a fresh, exciting and relevant way.

BioWare's general manager Aaryn Flynn is leaving the acclaimed RPG studio after 17 years with the company.

His departure comes roughly four months after the launch of Mass Effect Andromeda, a game that debuted to lackluster sales and disappointing critical reception. Our Edwin Evans-Thirlwell called it "probably BioWare's worst RPG yet" in his review, and the tepid reaction to the game has put the sci-fi series "on ice".

Interestingly, Flynn's role will be replaced by the Mass Effect series' project director Casey Hudson, who left the company back in 2014 and accepted a position as project director at Microsoft Studios the following year, where he was to work on HoloLens projects.

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EA appears to have decided against releasing a Mass Effect trilogy remaster.

That's according to EA exec Peter Moore, who has poured cold water on the prospect in a new interview.

"Could we make an easy buck on remastering Mass Effect? Yes," he told IGN (around the 1hr 16 mark). Have a thousand people asked me that? Yes they have. Do we have... No."

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The Mass Effect series will be getting four new spin-off novels bridging the gap between the trilogy we all know and love and the highly anticipated fourth entry, Mass Effect: Andromeda, due in Q1 2017.

Origin Access - the PC service granting players loads of EA games, discounts, and early access to upcoming title for Ł3.99 a month - has added the Mass Effect Trilogy to its Vault.

UPDATE 11.16pm 4th April 2016: As predicted, the ad in question has now been removed from Donald Trump's Twitter account due to a copyright strike.

Writer Drew Karpyshyn has returned to BioWare. He left in 2012 - I interviewed him after his departure - to concentrate on his Chaos Born trilogy of fantasy books and, now that they're complete, he's decided to return.

Microsoft's most eye-catching E3 2015 announcement was the addition of backwards compatibility to the Xbox One. It means some Xbox 360 games will be playable on the console.

UPDATE: Microsoft's tech people confirmed to Eurogamer at E3 that Xbox 360 save files will transfer to Xbox One via the cloud. Old games you don't own will also be available to buy further down the line.

The small list of Xbox 360 games compatible with Xbox One in the Preview programme was shared.

Banjo Kazooie: N n B

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Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare has turned 20 today, but it doesn't look a day older than 19.

I'd love to visit BioWare headquarters in Edmonton, Canada, and now I sort of can. And I don't even have to leave my desk.

BioWare Edmonton and Montreal boss Aaryn Flynn has discussed the possibility of a re-mastered Mass Effect Trilogy, and polled fans on what features they would want included.

BioWare executive producer Casey Hudson has left the renowned studio after 16 years.

Sci-fi fans have spotted a familiar face in the BBC's new Doctor Who - an alien who looks a lot like Mass Effect squad member Garrus.

UPDATE 17/03 4.30PM GMT: The Epoch: Return Kickstarter campaign has been cancelled. It failed to gather enough fundraising momentum, making only $26,158 of its $150,000 goal.

BioWare has discussed internally the idea of remastering the Mass Effect series for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

A fan asked BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn on Twitter what he thought about a next-gen, 1080p, high-resolution texture, 60 frames-per-second version for PS4 and Xbox One.

Flynn's response: "We have discussed that internally. If we can put solid plans together we'll share."

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Remember all that hullabaloo about revealing lesbian sex in Mass Effect? However ludicrous the criticism, it's the sort of steamy content BioWare fans have come expect - love stories, love scenes, and often quite daring and progressive ones (for video games, at least).

Veteran BioWare designer Matt Rhodes has posted an array of Mass Effect concept art from throughout the sci-fi trilogy which hints at early ideas for the series' characters and conclusion.

Temper your expectations about the generational leap in graphics between this generation of console gaming and the next, urged BioWare art director Neil Thompson.

BioWare adventures are known for their romances. It's one of the first thing players talk about with their friends; "Who did you go for?"

David Gaider has worked at BioWare for 14 years. He first helped make Baldur's Gate 2 and now he's lead writer of the Dragon Age series of games. He's a part of the old BioWare and the new.

BioWare has called for fan feedback as it begins work on the next Mass Effect game.

BioWare's Mass Effect Trilogy bundle will include a limited selection of DLC.

BioWare has announced the Mass Effect Trilogy Edition, a compilation of all three Mass Effect games in one big box.

That means that PlayStation 3 gamers can finally play the original Mass Effect (published, back in the day, by Microsoft), just five years after it originally hit Xbox 360.

Mass Effect Trilogy Edition will launch in North America on "N7 Day" - that's 7th November if you're not BioWare, likely meaning a Friday 9th November in the UK.

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Drew Karpyshyn not only resembles Commander Shepard facially - he created him. Drew Karpyshyn was one of BioWare's greatest ever writers. He was lead writer of cherished Star Wars role-playing game Knights of the Old Republic, and he was lead writer of Mass Effect 1, 2, and all the books in-between (not Deception). Along the way, Karpyshyn also influenced Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire and massive storied MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic - a job that meant he couldn't be a part of Mass Effect 3.

2K Games boss Christoph Hartmann has gone and said something controversial. He's declared that only when games approach photorealistic graphics will they be able to broaden their genre-horizon and properly do nuanced emotion like Brokeback Mountain - rather than the Mission Impossible experiences we get today.

Drew Karpyshyn, the lead writer of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect 1, has retired from BioWare and video games.

BioWare isn't happy with the new Mass Effect: Deception novel either.

The just-released Mass Effect: Deception book has gone down like a lead balloon with Mass Effect fans. The novel is apparently riddled with canonical errors.

You-hoo, PC gamers, there's a juicy sale going on over at EA's digital distribution shop Origin.

BioWare wants your feedback again, this time for a prototype figure of Mass Effect 1 squad member and romance option Liara T'Soni.

Lady Shepard will feature on the Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition box, BioWare has said.

A Mass Effect anime feature film is currently being produced for a summer 2012 airing, BioWare has announced.

A fourth Mass Effect novel is on its way to bookshops, publisher Del Rey has announced.

Mass Effect: Deception will continue the story of enigmatic biotic Gillian Grayson, who was introduced in the second book in the series, Mass Effect: Ascension.

It's being written by one-man game tie-in factory William C. Dietz, who has also churned out books expanding the Resistance, Hitman, StarCraft and Halo universes.

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Mass Effect 3 may sound very different to Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 - BioWare has hired Clint Mansell, whose best work has been done partnering with celebrated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler and Black Swan), to make the game's music.

BioWare has published a taster of the forthcoming Mass Effect Evolution comic series, which promises to flesh out the backstory of its RPG franchise.

BioWare's gargantuan science fiction Mass Effect universe was designed from the beginning to provide opportunities to tell spin-off tales in comics and novels – but one area in particular could be ripe for further investigation: the Citadel.

A big screen adaptation of hit RPG series Mass Effect is in the works at Legendary Pictures.

BioWare bosses Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will work as executive producers on the film, along with Casey Hudson - who executively produced the games. There's no script just yet but Mark Protosevich, who wrote I Am Legend and Thor, is in talks to produce one.

Legendary Pictures' previous offerings include 300, The Dark Night, The Hangover and Watchmen. The company will work with Warner Bros. to co-finance and distribute the Mass Effect movie.

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BioWare bosses Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have apologised for restricting the BioWare Bazaar competition to North American residents only (but not those in Florida or New York).

The BioWare countdown timer we mentioned last week has run down and revealed... a North American competition to win PCs and merchandise.

BioWare once steered clear of sequels, but today the EA-owned company has a very different mindset.

BioWare co-founder Dr Greg Zeschuk has said the developer will continue to create games in the Mass Effect universe following the completion of the current trilogy.

BioWare staff writer Patrick Weekes has defended the way the developer structures stories in its games, picking apart a tongue-in-cheek, fan-made "RPG Cliché Chart".

BioWare is working to fix the bug that prevents the new Mass Effect DLC Pinnacle Station from being registered by the game - and therefore played.

The Swiss Xbox website has revealed the contents of the Pinnacle Station DLC for Mass Effect.

Three new Achievements have appeared for Mass Effect, which suggests the long-promised DLC is imminent.

BioWare's space opera Mass Effect has debuted at three in the Japanese chart this week, according to Media Create data translated mostly by NeoGAF.

BioWare has unveiled some of the new characters, locations, weapons and story details for Mass Effect 2.

You'll play as Shepard again for at least a portion of the game, according to an OXM preview read by NeoGAF. He will be "much bigger and more powerful" and "presented in a darker, grittier style".

We'll be able to recruit a new character called Thane, a smooth, suave assassin shown breaking another person's neck from behind in a screenshot. Plenty of characters will return from Mass Effect 1, such as Joker (voiced by Seth Green), and we'll also meet many new faces, such as a Krogan called Grunt and a tough and wiry Salarian scientist. There's to be an entirely new Drell race, too.

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Mass Effect 2 overseer Casey Hudson wants to take players to the most brutal parts of the universe in this upcoming "dark act".

BioWare has revealed Mass Effect: Jacob's Story for iPhone, a two-hour "animated presentation" that will introduce the characters and story of Mass Effect 2.

Microsoft has announced the addition of three new titles to the Xbox 360 Classics range.

ShopTo has told Eurogamer that a two disc edition of Mass Effect will join the discounted ranks of Classic Xbox 360 games here on 20th March.

BioWare has said the next downloadable addition to Mass Effect will be a Fight Club-style arena. Expect less of a focus on story, and more on gambling and good old-fashioned dust-ups.

A top Hollywood producer has snapped up the rights to turn Mass Effect into a movie.

Microsoft has significantly lowered the price of many popular DLC bundles on Xbox Live as part of a special promotion called Extended Play Download Days.

BioWare "is looking at" more downloadable content for Mass Effect, according to final boss Greg Zeschuk.

BioWare is considering doing DS versions of Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age, plus a couple of others.

The PC version of Mass Effect mission pack Bring Down the Sky is now available to download.

BioWare big boss Ray Muzyka thinks "the best" way to stamp out PC piracy is by offering lots of downloadable content.

BioWare bossman Ray Muzyka has said the studio will be creating more games based on the works of others in the future.

BioWare has decided it will now only ask for online authentication when you install your PC copy of Mass Effect or download additional content for the game.

BioWare has said you will not be able to play the PC version of Mass Effect without an Internet connection.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Bioware chief Ray Muzyka has said that the EA studio intends to bring innovation to massively multiplayaer gaming with its first MMO.

BioWare has said PC owners of Mass Effect will get Bring Down the Sky content for free when the game is released on 6th June.

You will need to register your game and join the BioWare online community to do so.

Bring Down the Sky was the rather disappointing content pack released on Xbox Live in early March.

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BioWare has delayed the release of Mass Effect on PC slightly so it can finish getting it up to the standard expected.

Electronic Arts is planning to show off titles such as Spore, Dead Space and Boom Blox at this year's Sci-Fi London festival.

BioWare boss Greg Zeschuk has said Mass Effect 2 will be a richer game than the original, promising to tie side-quests into the main story to make them more meaningful.

Microsoft has released the Bring Down the Sky downloadable content on Xbox Live.

EA has told Eurogamer that a European date for Mass Effect PC will be revealed "soon".

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".

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Microsoft Game Studios boss Shane Kim has confirmed that the Marvel Universe MMO has been canned.

Microsoft has revealed that more Mass Effect content will be available to download on 10th March.

Author Cooper Lawrence has apologised for publicly attacking the EA over the sexual content in Xbox 360 title Mass Effect.

Fox has bitten back at EA, claiming the publisher has ignored invitations to stand up and defend itself on TV.

Electronic Arts has written a letter to Fox News Channel asking the media company to correct alleged inaccuracies that appeared during a recent segment on Bioware's Mass Effect game.

Back from the rim and duly debriefed, Commander Kristan deemed his voyage on Bioware's hype-powered 360 battlecruiser Mass Effect an impressive eight out of ten experience for sci-fi action-adventurers. You can join in the 'healthy post-review debate' right here, if you dare.

Microsoft and BioWare have opened up the Mass Effect Limited Collector's Edition box to show us all what's inside.

First out is an essential guide to the universe known as a Galactic Codex. In here you will find all sorts of details about aliens and places you should visit as you save humanity. You can get a taste of what to expect on the Galactic Codex part of the official site.

Next to be wrestled from the box of memorabilia is an art book made up of concept sketches of the future, which have helped BioWare piece together a convincing sci-fi world. Some will be good, others may have been drawn by me.

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Mass Effect has earned itself a 12 rating from the BBFC for containing moderate violence and some steamy hanky-panky. About time, says us.

First-party 360 sci-fi opus Mass Effect will be released in November, Microsoft confirmed at its E3 press conference early today.

Microsoft has stayed close-mouthed over recent outbursts that Mass Effect will launch in Europe on 22nd June, telling Eurogamer this afternoon that it has nothing to announce.

BioWare has confirmed to Eurogamer it will be showing demos of Mass Effect at next week's Game Developer Conference in San Francisco.

Those of you keeping an eye on Bioware's latest, Xbox 360 exclusive RPG Mass Effect, can now watch a demo walkthrough video.

Bioware's continued saying exciting things about Mass Effect, it's real-time action-RPG for Xbox 360 - revealing that it plans to keep things ticking over between instalments in the trilogy by releasing premium content on Marketplace.

Bioware's revealed a bit more about Xbox 360 RPG Mass Effect - including the fact that it'll be playable at E3 in May.

Jade Empire and KOTOR developer BioWare has revealed the first details of Mass Effect, the new Xbox 360 title announced at the X05 event just last night.

Billed as a "science fiction action-RPG", the game puts you in the role of Specter, the leader of an elite strike force. You and your team have been tasked with fighting off the advancing armies of a legendary agent gone bad, and your journey will take you across many hostile alien worlds. And along the way, you'll find out that there's a much greater threat to deal with than anyone could have imagined...

It's all about choice-based gameplay, apparently, which means your decisions and actions will end up shaping the destiny of all life in the galaxy. In short, it's up to you whether you follow the noble path of righteousness or blat everyone you meet round the face. You can choose your character's appearance, too, and there's a whole range of equipment, weapons and armour to collect as you progress through the game. Combat, we're told, is of the real time squad-based tactical nature.

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Microsoft and Bioware have announced a brand new Xbox 360-exclusive RPG at the X05 event in Amsterdam.