MS fanboys were dealt a swift kick in the junk today when it was revealed that EA has taken control of the Mass Effect franchise and will take the game to the PS3. No word on when the first game will come out for the PS3 and whether Mass Effect 2 will be a simultaneous release, but the game will be on a Sony console one way or another.
Fans of the Halo Wars will have to wait until 2009 to get their hands on the anticipated RTS. The game has fallen out of the limelight and MS has made no major announcements about the game releasing anytime soon. Ninja Gaiden 2, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, and Fable 2 are all on time. It sucks we won’t get a new Halo game in 2008.
During a recent interview at the EA Games Studio Showcase in London, BioWare boss Ray Muzyka said the following about the Mass Effect content in the new PC version:
“It’s the same content, just in higher resolution,” he said of the alien sex scene in the PC version of Mass Effect. “So it looks really good, right? We’re happy and we’re proud of the content that’s in the game. We think it’s appropriate for the rating the game has – it’s a ‘mature’ rated game. It’s tasteful and it’s not gratuitous. It’s actually adult-themed content of relationships, mature relationships that are very realistically depicted and actually very appropriate as well, and very emotionally impactful.”
Good for Bioware! I am glad that they stand behind their product and are not afraid to push the enevlope and did not back down and cut it from their PC version of the game. To exclude the sex scene would have been horrible and a giant step backwards for video games in general. Mass Effect is one of the rare games that not only included nudity, but reallly incorporated it into their storyline. To hear this from Ray Muzyka just confirms my thoughts on the subject, the rating system is there for a reason and a game like Mass Effect that decides to include some mature content makes sense since it is rated M. I can only hope that Bioware continues to push the genre and the ratings board, there needs to be more developers with guts enough to stand up to the media and their narrow minded thoughts.
Looks like PC gamers finally get something to brag about for waiting when they get Mass Effect, what you may ask… a new HUD (heads up display). So you aren’t impressed? Neither am I, but hey at least you get something that differentiates the PC from the console version, some new maps or extras would have been better, but deal with it. Expect Mass Effect with it’s new PC HUD towards the end of May, be patient PC gamers.
Here is the official word:
BioWare today announces an entirely new Tactical Heads-Up Display (HUD) for Mass Effect on the PC. The new HUD allows players to access the Individual Squad Command, Biotics powers and Abilities and Weapons command interfaces all in one screen, and can be accessed simply by pressing the space bar. The new Tactical HUD makes executing a variety of important commands a very natural and quick experience so players can get back into the action. Read More »
This is funny on a couple of levels. Just shows the general way of thinking that people have taken with nudity in video games. They take something and spin it so that it seems dirty, OK the filmmakers went a bit over the top with the many male members on screen, but it was hilarious. I like how the alien was referred to as a penis as well, also try to pay attention to the scrolling news on the bottom of the screen. perhaps the funniest one was “South Korea names Starcraft as official religion.”
The fanboys are at it again over the news released recently that Haze, the anticipated shooter will be only coming to the PS3. There were grumblings that the can may have a future release on the 360, but those have recently been quashed. Furthermore, Mass Effect 2 looks to be a Xbox 360 exclusive as well, but only for a little while. The space based RPG which made waves for all the right and wrong reasons, looks to finish its anticipated trilogy on MS, but will then soon go to the PS3 says Bioware. It looks as if some developers are willing to spread the wealth while other want to stay on a single console. That ethos seems like a death knell for sales figures.
Just a reminder that you can now get some added content to satisfy your Mass Effect needs. We previously told you all about the new premium content pack, but today you can finally download it.
Batarian extremists have hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only you can save the human hostages on the asteroid and reroute it before it crashes into the world, killing millions of innocent civilians.
Remember, you need the Normandy Spaceship to access the new areas in the Bringing Down the Sky pack. So you’ll either need to start a new game or load up a save somewhere in the middle if you have one. Sounds like a pretty good use of 400 MS Points.
Finally some positive press for Mass Effect. After the whole Fox News fiasco, Mass Effect will be playable this May on the PC. This is great because ain’t no mods like a PC mods cuz PC mods don’t stop. RPGs are always great on PCs for that reason. The user can mess around with it. Expect tons of patches and DLC for this game. Hopefully, it will all port over to the Xbox 360.
Another word on the street, not confirmed yet, but almost a foregone conclusion. Mass Effect will be a trilogy. Alien menage a trois forecast is likely.
Remember that downloadable content pack we told you about for Mass Effect? Well, you’re going to need to be a couple hours into the game to use it. You’ll need your Normandy Spaceship to get to the new content in the game.
Here’s the problem with that: the spaceship isn’t available until about 2-3 hours into the game, and it’s also not available for the last hour or so of the game either (the Mass Effect galaxy gets closed off to the player after you complete the main story arc). So you’re going to need a gamesave somewhere in the middle to get able to quickly access the new content.
If you’ve beaten the game already, or if you haven’t gotten that far, I’d suggest putting in some time before the content pack is released later this week. That way you’ll be able to hop in and play as soon as your download is finished.
The first batch of downloadable content for the smash hit Mass Effect has been announced by Bioware. The new pack, “Bringing Down the Sky” will be available March 10th for 400 Microsoft Points.
“Bring Down the Sky” includes a new uncharted world that introduces the notorious and feared alien race of the Batarians. A Batarian extremist group has hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.
Your $5 should net you an extra 90 minutes of play time as well as an additional achievement to unlock worth 50 points. This is the first in a planned series of content packs for Mass Effect, so save up some money and time… you’re gonna need it.
Chances are you never heard of Cooper Lawrence and chances are you will never again. Last week she went on Fox News to promote her new book, The Cult of Perfection: Making Peace With Your Inner Overachiever. She decided to call Mass Effect, the hit space RPG, video game porn. She went on and on to insult the game simply because of a 60 second “sex” scene, where you see the ass of one of the female aliens. Having never played the game herself, she passed judgment. How did the gaming nation respond? Thousands of gamers when to Amazon and gave her book the worst possible ratings and reviews catapulting it into oblivion. After realizing you don’t get into flame wars with gamers, she recanted.
I recognize that I misspoke,” she said. “I really regret saying that, and now that I’ve seen the game and seen the sex scenes it’s kind of a joke. Before the show I had asked somebody about what they had heard, and they had said it’s like pornography,” she added. “But it’s not like pornography. I’ve seen episodes of ‘Lost’ that are more sexually explicit.
So from Loot Ninja, and the rest of gamer nation, Cooper, fuck you lady. Thanks for trying out. Maybe next year, Gilmore.
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