Tagged: mass effect

Mass Effect didn’t have non-humanoid aliens because it would’ve been costly

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There were quite a few alien races represented in the Mass Effect trilogy. Although they may have scales, blue skin, or might even look like roaches, they were basically humans with a palette swap. That’s disturbing, but considering how limited consoles were during this generation, that may have been a necessary step.

Apparently, BioWare thought the same, too, for they considered having non-humanoid squadmates in the games, but they discovered that it would have taken away from the rest of the game.

All the party members in the games were based on the humanoid skeleton because the development effort for non-humanoid playable aliens would have been great. Instead, the studio pushed to make a “larger, more polished game.” Also, all squadmates had to function like human characters in the sense that they’d have to be able to carry guns.

Honestly, I’d love to see the galaxy’s first Hanar spectre in the next Mass Effect game. Now, that would be freaking amazing! Also, I think next-gen consoles have more power and RAM that can be dedicated to render more than one type of “skeleton” in games.

Three Games Join Microsoft Classics Line

While most of us have all the big blockbuster games, there are always newcomers to introduce them to, and Microsoft is aiming at them with the expansion of its Classics collection in Europe by including three games – Halo 3, Mass Effect and Project Gotham Racing 4. They will be re-released on March 20 for just £19.99.

No introduction is really necessary for any of the titles. Halo 3 is essentially the most popular first-person shooter ever, amassing a huge following since its Xbox days. Mass Effect is the latest action-RPG from BioWare; exclusive to Xbox 360, the game has players travelling across the universe to save the world from a destructive civilization. Finally, Project Gotham Racing 4 is the latest installment in the street racing series.

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“We are delighted to add three of our finest titles to the Classics range, adding to the exceptional entertainment offering available on the Xbox 360 at outstanding prices,” said David Gosen Vice President of Marketing, Xbox Europe. “As we see more and more families looking to save money by staying in, Xbox 360 continues to offer high-quality home entertainment at fantastic value and consumers are clearly recognising this as we sail past 8 million console sales in Europe.”

Halo 3 Sells 5 Million, Mass Effect 1 Million

While talking to GameDaily BIZ, Microsoft corporate VP of marketing Jeff Bell revealed that Halo 3 has sold more than 5 million copies since the game’s release in September. The game totaled over 3 million copies in its first month according to sales figures from September.

Bell also noted that Mass Effect, BioWare’s Xbox 360-exclusive action-RPG, has also seen mass sales, shifting over 1 million copies within its first three weeks on the market.

Mass Effect Gold, Collector's Edition Detailed

Bringing good news to gamers (and to Ethan, in particular), Microsoft and BioWare today announced that Mass Effect has gone gold; they also offered details on the limited collector’s edition. Available through participating retailers, the collector’s edition will offer the following bonus materials:

  • A “Mass Effect” fiction book titled “Galactic Codex: Essentials”
    • A 36-page guide to the “Mass Effect” universe, including a Citadel timeline and a guide to all non-human races, biotics and the key locations in the Perseus arm of the galaxy
  • An additional “Mass Effect” art book titled “A Future Imagined”
    • A 36-page collection of BioWare’s concept art for the game
  • A bonus DVD of exclusive “Mass Effect” background material and additional content including:
    • “The Vision of “Mass Effect” documentary
    • “The Making of “Mass Effect” documentary
    • “Interactive Storytelling” documentary
    • “Inside BioWare” documentary
    • 18 “Mass Effect” themed gamer pics (three unique sets of six)
    • 16 dashboard themes (four unique sets of four)
    • Ten songs from the “Mass Effect” soundtrack
    • Five historical “Mass Effect” trailers from X05 through E3 2007 and the official TV trailer
    • A demo for “Blue Dragon” and videos for “Lost Odyssey,” “Halo 3” and “Halo Wars”
    • Design galleries featuring 600 concept images fully commented by the Art Directors

The highly anticipated Xbox 360-exclusive RPG is now slated for release in November. As expected, the collector’s edition will charge a $10 premium over the standard version.

Mass Effect Collector's Edition Detailed

Details of the collector’s edition for Mass Effect were revealed by Microsoft. The limited edition will include a tie-in novel called “Galactic Codex: Essentials,” an art book and a bonus DVD with videos about the art and interactive storytelling.

No pricing details were revealed, though it can be assumed that it’ll be a $10 premium over the standard version. The highly anticipated BioWare RPG is scheduled for release on November 20.