Game News Mass Effect 3 Delayed Until Q1 2012

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; Mass Effect 3

<p><a href="http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/129/index/7294706" target="_blank">According to Chris Priestly</a> Mass Effect 3 will be delayed a few months.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Today we have confirmed that Mass Effect 3 will be released in the first three months of 2012. The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone&rsquo;s expectations.&rdquo;&nbsp; said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer Mass Effect series.<br /><br />We'll have more details about specific dates as we get closer to release.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Additionally, Mass Effect 3 will be aimed at &ldquo;Larger Audiences&rdquo; <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/05/05/mass-effect-3-aimed-at-larger-audiences/" target="_blank">reports RPS</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>&ldquo;One of the things that Ray Muzyuka and the team up in Edmonton have done is essentially step-by-step adjust the gameplay mechanics and some of the features that you&rsquo;ll see at E3 to put this in a genre equivalent to shooter-meets-RPG,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and essentially address a much larger market opportunity than Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 began to approach.</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re huge believers in the IP and are purposefully shifting it to address a larger market opportunity.&rdquo;</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/102707-mass-effect-3-to-be-released-q1-2012-screenshots-released.html">GB</a></p>

 

[SCO]

Hope it flops!

 

[Hysael]

Additionally, Mass Effect 3 will be aimed at “Larger Audiences”

How can that be larger than ME2 ?

 

[Insane Psychic]

Less skills, less weapons, less conversation, less characterisation, one-button-does-all! (Especially awesome things)

 

[Black]

Hope it flops!

High five! o/
For some time at least General RPG Discussion won't be spammed to hell with me3faggotry.

 

[l3loodAngel]

“One of the things that Ray Muzyuka and the team up in Edmonton have done is essentially step-by-step adjust the gameplay mechanics and some of the features that you’ll see at E3 to put this in a genre equivalent to shooter-meets-RPG,” he said,

So whats new?

 

[Coboney]

I guess someone somewhere realized in EA/Bioware headquarters thats rushing out DA2 didn't go so well so approved the waiting here..... maybe?

 

[saenz]

Additionally, Mass Effect 3 will be aimed at “Larger Audiences”

How can that be larger than ME2 ?

Clearly, ME3 will either be a Zynga-style facebook game or playable on mobile devices.

 

[curry]

Chris Priestly

Oh no. Isn't Chris Priestly the huge pile of fat and feces partially responsible for I want to be a dragon 2?

 

[Xor]

I kind of actually want ME3 to be a decent game. I mean, I don't have very much else to look forward to.

 

[Hellraiser]

Additionally, Mass Effect 3 will be aimed at “Larger Audiences”

How can that be larger than ME2 ?

2 words, facebook integration.

 

[Spectacle]

Less skills, less weapons, less conversation, less characterisation, one-button-does-all! (Especially awesome things)

ME2 is already less complex than Call of Duty. While it's certainly possible for them to dumb things down further, I doubt that will substantially broaden their potential customer base-

 

[ironyuri]

Looks like the Arrival has been....... delayed

 

[Befuddled Halfling]

Less skills, less weapons, less conversation, less characterisation, one-button-does-all! (Especially awesome things)

ME2 is already less complex than Call of Duty. While it's certainly possible for them to dumb things down further, I doubt that will substantially broaden their potential customer base-

You haven't thought it through. Let's go through some dumbing down together, and I'll explain how it will broaden their customer base:

- Infra red targetting of weapons --> saves having to aim the gun --> attract customers with slow reflexes
- Removal of galaxy map --> allow the story be fully on rails --> attracts customers who lack the IQ to navigate to a planet through the complex Cluster first, System next method (aka the clunky route)
- Removal of all weapons besides the SMG --> saves having to decide between sniper rifle and shotgun --> attracts customers who think their Shepard didn't look cool wearing a shotgun
- Removal of the Citadel --> saves spending time on non-combat --> attracts customers who don't like quests

Simples.

 

[Sulimo]

I wonder how much of the extra time they'll spend developing launch-day DLC's to sell to stupid people.

 

[Micmu]

I wonder how much of the extra time they'll spend developing launch-day DLC's to sell to stupid people.

As much as it takes them to cut out some parts of an already finished game and (re)package resource files; no planning ahead is required just a split-second decision from execs what is "appropriate" to be sold separately (to imbeciles) or make it an awesome omg irresistible pre-order/collector's edition bonus. With no shame whatsoever. Do you think they do it any differently?

 

[Sulimo]

How awesome would it be if they made Shepard a DLC-only character. Imagine the butthurt if the real protagonist is Conrad Verner or something, and they'd have to shell out an additional $20 for Shepard himself. It'd be glorious.

 

[Turjan]

I wonder how much of the extra time they'll spend developing launch-day DLC's to sell to stupid people.

As much as it takes them to cut out some parts of an already finished game and (re)package resource files; no planning ahead is required just a split-second decision from execs what is "appropriate" to be sold separately (to imbeciles) or make it an awesome omg irresistible pre-order/collector's edition bonus. With no shame whatsoever. Do you think they do it any differently?

Well, that is shamelessly obvious nowadays. In ME2, you could not enter the Normandy's starboard cargo bay without DLC from the Cerberus Network. You could not enter the port observation deck without additional paid DLC. This is already very much in your face with its "we left this out for you to pay extra" attitude.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

Aw fuck, ME got EA'd.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

How awesome would it be if they made Shepard a DLC-only character. Imagine the butthurt if the real protagonist is Conrad Verner or something, and they'd have to shell out an additional $20 for Shepard himself. It'd be glorious.

Hell, imagine the screams if Tali's romance is DLC.

 

[aries202]

Bioware games will not compete with the call of duty games, or even Uncharted, or Assasin's Creed - ever - in terms of sales. And by making bioware's rpg games more like the call of duty games, bioware is losing what made their games unique. And the reason why people where buying them in the first game - the story-driven games with character development etc. etc. that has rpg, exploration and some choice and consequences written all over them. I do think that the mind of the people have shifted, though. People today want original, unique and creative works, I think - both of the the developers of videogames and from say moviemakers and bookwriters (authors).

 

[Excidium]

As long as ME3 has female Shepard and EXTREME renegade options i'm going to play this shit. Mass Effect is my guilty pleasure.

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

Mass Effect 3 will do away with role-playing elements that don't "have a real impact in the battle", senior designer Christina Norman told Official Xbox Magazine today.

"We want to enrich the role-playing aspects of the game, while making sure that they're always meaningful in combat," she said when asked about how the faster, fluider combat gelled with the game's RPG systems.

They're doing away with what didn't exist.

 

[saenz]

Additionally, Mass Effect 3 will be aimed at “Larger Audiences”

How can that be larger than ME2 ?

Clearly, ME3 will either be a Zynga-style facebook game or playable on mobile devices.

No, seriously....

http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/102715- ... -year.html

 

[pocahaunted]

How awesome would it be if they made Shepard a DLC-only character. Imagine the butthurt if the real protagonist is Conrad Verner or something, and they'd have to shell out an additional $20 for Shepard himself. It'd be glorious.

I'm pretty sure if that ever happened there'd be a bunch of morons lauding bioware for providing awesome day one DLC.