In the September issue of Australian 360, BioWare co-founder and CEO Ray Muzyka was discussing the future of Mass Effect and the possibility of multi-platform at the EA European Showcase. "We said we were committed to supporting Mass Effect as a franchise and have the trilogy on the Xbox 360, and that's still our goal", Muzyka told the magazine, later adding "we're always very ambitious in our goals and the most important thing is quality, so we're never going to compromise that."
The quote doesn't actually lead us to believe that the series will be exclusive because the word is never actually uttered. If anything it provides the insight that the series will always be on the Xbox 360 but Muzyka never says it will only land on Microsoft's console. As one reader points out, it's more of a nod to the entire trilogy making it out this generation.
Questions regarding the fate of Mass Effect have been in the air since Electronic Arts acquired the famed Canadian developer -- who hold the rights to the Mass Effect name and universe. With major companies going multi-platform to make up for costly development we'd be surprised if EA went this route. Unless of course a deal is in place that was made prior to the EA acquisition or shortly thereafter.
[via Xboxoz360]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-22-2008 @ 4:36PM
Trogdor said...
I doubt it will stay exclusive, it is EA after all.
Who cares anyway? These are going to be great games and the more people who get to play them, the more games Bioware will be able to make.
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7-22-2008 @ 4:39PM
LiqwidZero said...
Well, if we can remember that KOTOR 1 & 2 and Jade Empire are both Xbox only titles, and that Mass Effect is also an Xbox 360 exclusive, then we can deduce that Bioware loves the Xbox and the Xbox 360.
I don't see Bioware changing their stance. Bioware is EA's Lionhead. A big name production studio that has lots of free reign of its self from it's owner.
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7-22-2008 @ 6:17PM
CL34N3R said...
I agree with you, except KOTOR 2 wasn't made by Bioware, it was Obsidian.
7-22-2008 @ 9:33PM
NotoriousB-O-B said...
UPDATE!
Your wrong!
7-23-2008 @ 2:07PM
LiqwidZero said...
Congress has now instated "jackass laws" to prevent against jackasses, like this one here: "UPDATE! You're wrong!"
The Feds should be at your doorstep at any minute now.
7-22-2008 @ 4:40PM
bigmac375 said...
timed exclusive and bioware wont do the port.
you heard it here first.
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7-22-2008 @ 4:42PM
Xav de Matos said...
Well, yeah. If it happens then they will go the BioShock route and get someone else to bring it over.
BioWare is a little busy right now...
7-22-2008 @ 4:53PM
NeoK-182 said...
bioware said while promoting the PC version of Mass Effect that it will always be a timed exclusive to the 360 and any future release will be on the PC as well. as far as the PS3 goes, wouldn't surprise me if it eventually came out but since sony doesn't like spending money to get games anymore it might not.
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7-22-2008 @ 4:56PM
Sean said...
seems a bit silly to port ME2 without ME1 being ported first.
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7-23-2008 @ 10:34AM
BlackFreefall said...
Dead Rising 2 and Saint Row 2 went multiplatform while the first iteration of both franchises were exclusive to the 360.
7-22-2008 @ 5:06PM
Sentox6 said...
"...we'd be surprised if EA went this route."
Shouldn't that be "we wouldn't"?
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7-22-2008 @ 5:21PM
Xav de Matos said...
No, I'm talking about exclusivity.
So, we'd be surprised if EA went the exclusive route.
7-22-2008 @ 6:27PM
Sentox6 said...
Oh right. Reading comprehension ftw.
7-22-2008 @ 5:07PM
Dirty said...
Seems likely. I am sure the bioware has many clauses in their contracts this may be one of them.
With only developing for one console only allows them to maintain better quality from their titles.
The idea of a port done by another developer is possible, but bioware has to maintain their IP and protect it by not letting someone else screw it up. Having a poor port to the PS3 would reflect badly on them even if it wasnt them doing the port, Mass Effect is still tied closely with their name.
EA has been doing a few things different, Look at the recent Command and Conquer games. They are windows and 360 only. Possibly because its easy to do it on 360 and port it easily.
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7-22-2008 @ 5:26PM
Bravo6 said...
Timed exclusives are the way to go.
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7-22-2008 @ 5:35PM
Trey said...
I remember hearing that they were on a track to make the next two Mass Effects for the trilogy on the 360 when the first came out. It seems like they realized that they wanted to make the series accessible and that the story will be in full on the same hardware they bought for the first.
I think the big thing I want to hear out of Bioware is DLC. They teased us with the first pack. I've been holding off on a fourth play through till there is some more content. I'm still missing three complete characters achievements and more interesting content will help to avoid the more boring missions.
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7-22-2008 @ 5:45PM
The_Punisher said...
I would think it's going to be both, if only becuase EA = fail. If it would be, i'm not sure what version i would get. It would depend if the grpahics had a shitload of pop-in like one.
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7-22-2008 @ 5:50PM
E.J. said...
Since Mass Effect for 360 was published by Microsoft Game Studios, I'm sure Microsoft has some sort of exclusivity contract to publish the rest of the trilogy on 360.
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7-22-2008 @ 6:00PM
Jake said...
Almost certain to head to the PS3. Logicial now that the installed based are virtually neck and neck.
The only real losers in all of this, are 360 owners, who miss out on the 50 or so Studios that Sony own, producing great games Like LBP, Killzone2, Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, SuperstardustHD and so on...
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7-22-2008 @ 6:35PM
SadisticHam said...
Super stardust HD.
Rotfl, wow. You said good games and lost me beyond that, all i see is a bunch of over hyped average games.