Anticipation/hype for BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 is hitting an all-time high right now as we near the game’s release in just a few short weeks. Counting myself among the pumped, I noticed an interesting story over on Joystiq (via IGN) where Mass Effect Project Manager Casey Hudson went on the record stating that work on Mass Effect 3 is already underway and that the storied RPG developer is looking to make a “fairly short turnaround” in terms of the third installment’s release.
Obviously, it’s no surprise that work on ME3 has already commenced and the “short turnaround” thing s can mean pretty much anything, especially when you consider that it’s been over two years between the original Mass Effect and the soon-to-be-released sequel, but here’s my question; Is BioWare rushing this franchise along now that it’s gained notoriety and backing from EA? Is one of gaming’s most valuable IPs being treated more like a “Film” than a “Game”? Honestly, I don’t know, but there’s two ways of looking at this…
First, if you think of Mass Effect like a feature film from the BioWare/EA perspective, then you would certainly WANT to get the third and final installment out relatively quick to capitalize on the hype and generate as much interest/sales as possible. It’s like the Lord of the Rings flicks or something…keep em’ coming…keep milking that IP…Secondly, you can think of this from a different perspective…The Mass Effect franchise as what it is…a GAMING franchise. Unlike films, Mass Effect 2 could be heavily supported by DLC and a consistent stream of content to enhance/grow the world, characters, and story while seeing what gamers respond well to. After all, BioWare has already adopted this model with it’s recently-released Dragon Age franchise. Capitalizing on the opportunity to maintain steady interest while also gathering player feedback, a year or two of DLC could help shape the story/characters for the third and final installment (the plot of which is no doubt already written, but whose extraneous factors could still be refined). This is something you can’t really accomplish in the realm of films and an aspect of the ever important creator/player relationship that makes gaming so unique. The DLC support for the original Mass Effect was pitiful and I’d really like to see fans get what they crave/deserve with the sequel. Hell, new races, worlds, etc. can be introduced and through steady feedback, BioWare can offer some “fan service” by letting its community shape some of the content in the climactic conclusion.
So, there’s no real “news” here, but it’s interesting to discuss. Should BioWare focus on treating the Mass Effect IP like a “film” or a “game”. Obviously, I’m hoping that BioWare will attempt to conjure up new and innovative ways of progressing a valuable franchise like Mass Effect while taking into account the options afforded by the medium itself. I certainly don’t want Mass Effect 3 rushed along simply to get it out within the “hype” window, but I also don’t want to wait 3 full years for a true sequel. What do you all think? What would you like to see from BioWare/Mass Effect. Let us know in the comments below.
The analogy that you make with Lord of the Rings doesnt quite live up to what you mean Daniel.
Jackson already started with the movies in at least 1997 with pre-production and we didnt get to see the fist movie in late 2001. So thats four years already.
They did the bulk of the shooting in like 1999-2000 and then it is easier to bring every year a movie out. If you would say that it feels like Bay and the Transformers movies then it would be more acurate. Cause those movies feel much more like milking then Lord of the Rings (hell they were after all tide to the book of Tolkien which expanded at least the 3)
But back to your point. Isnt this the same thing as Valve with L4D2 and now also Batman Arkham Asylum 2? (and maybe even stronger then ME2 cause we dont have a possible release window)
If the game pics up rather quickly were ME2 and its DLC leaves, then i think it shouldnt be a problem if it is just as much a great game as the first part. Its about quality. In my opinion milking starts when things hitch a ride on a name and then it becomes mediocore(right spelling?) at best. If a quality game gets a sequel this fast(maybe, cause that i cant see really in what is stated by Hudson) and it is of the same high standard, no biggy and no milking and yes its still a game
I’d say that Bioware has acquired the freedom to release their games “when they’re done” now. So don’t worry about Mass Effect 3 being rushed. EA might annualize Sport Franchises, but they are more intellingent than doing that with games as big as Mass Effect (or Dragon Age for that matter).
ME3 is of course very likely, the rule of 3 is the rage nowadays, but I’d say wait for the sales numbers before jumping to it, and rest assured that you’ll have plenty of time to moan and beg for it in two years when you’re out of “Biowarine” and your local dealer has nothing to sell you until ME3 is out… Or maybe they’ll set up a second studio and start alternating between ME and DAO ? That’s quite possible after all, Blizzard does that.
I don’t think will see Mass Effect 3 for probably 2 years. I think Mass Effect 2 was suppose to come out in November 2009 but since Dragon Age got delayed they had to move it a couple of months. Witch is probably the reason why we are hearing about ME3 since they have probably been working on it for a couple of months atleast now. I’m a little sceptic of how much DLC we will get though, I think they are probably give us some so we won’t complain. And then when Mass Effect 3 comes out they will probably milk all they can with DLC since the trilogy is done. But I trust Bioware they have never let me down, yeah Dragon age isn’t the greatest game ever made but for some reason I’m on my second playthrough and have about 78 hours of total gameplay. It’s the sort of game u don’t think about when u don’t play it, but when u start the game suddenly 10 hours of ur life vanishes.
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I would be very surprised to see Mass Effect 3 coming out next year. I presume they wil have to design a whole swathe of new enemies, characters and weaponry. It’s a massive amount of work. My brother worked on just one of the Mass Effect E3 trailers and it took a huge team of animators many weeks to accomplish.
I do think ME2 has the chance to break new ground, it’s a real sci-fi opus, it’s practically everything you’d want from a Sci-Fi “game”. But more than that – ME2 could actually be the best slice of Sci-Fi entertainment ever created.
I hope the franchise makes a ton of money, the team deserve it.
It’s still a game, of course!
as much as i want to see how the triology ends i really hope they will support ME 2 better or let’s say “longterm” than the 1st installment, at least as far as DLC goes. there really was not THAT much wrong with ME 1(except this two short pieces of DLC) it is one of my favorite games of all time already and sparked this great franchise. like other poster said i really don’t think they will come up with ME 3 asap. we won’t get another full title until 2012 i think (two years from now) i also think the franchise could make their way to another platform (ps3) either before the third installment or never – which would make totally sence for EA’s “Milk the Cow” attitude. but i don’t care because i’ll play this one on my 360, stick with the achievements and will definitely import my savegame(s)
I’m always against rushing a game but if my whole experience with DLC has taught me anything is that more often than not they are worthless, overpriced, rip off schemes that rarely expand anything but the publishers’ wallets.
The two Mass Effect DLC’s were not nearly as bad Bethesda’s Oblivion horse armor or Capcom’s RE5 multiplayer mode but they were $10 for two unremarkable quests.
I’m definitely much more excited about a sequel than a stream of DLC’s and BioWare doesn’t exactly have the record to alter such attitude.
Better yet, I prefer they do the good old expansion packs. The kind that add enough stuff to justify a retail CD, sort of like the two GTA DLC’s.
To me, I don’t think that immediate sequels and games are mutually exclusive. In all honesty, I really wouldn’t want DLCs that shape the story to a build-up to the last installment because I know that many people, including me, wouldn’t pay for some small section of a game that’s supposed to be just a side expansion to the original game, and if I don’t pay for it, somehow I’d miss some plot development that contributes to the final game. I’d rather have Bioware crank out the next sequel as quickly as possible. Finish a game completely, start the next one. Give them enough time to REALLY flush out the game so that there wouldn’t really need any DLC.
But DLCs are fine for people who want to play them. My problem is with the concept that DLCs should be an interlude between installments that actually provides a necessary narrative build-up. I like the GTA4 DLC model where each DLC is its own world and can be treated like independent games from the other counterparts. That way it feels like I’m buying a whole game for a cheaper price rather than paying for a small section of a bigger game because it has info on the next game.
Mass Effect is neither film or game- it’s alien porn.:P