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BioWare - Mass Effect Sequel to be Developed by Bioware Montreal

The Bioware Blog has been updated with this news. Yanick R. Roy from Bioware Montreal introduces himself and his team:

Quote:

A few years later, in January of 2006, I was lucky enough to join my favorite game company! I was immediately assigned to the original Mass Effect, which was in very early production at the time, as its Senior Development Director. I worked closely with Casey Hudson and the Leads team through the rest of ME1 and the first half of ME2, when BioWare decided to open another studio in Montreal. I was honored to be asked to lead the team, so I wrapped up my work in Edmonton and moved back to Montreal in the summer of 2009, where our small team was being put in place.
…..
We started by building about half the cinematics for ME2, then most of its N7 missions, and finally we played an important role in the development of much of its post-release content. Then on ME3, we took charge of the multiplayer portion as well as making significant contributions to the single-player campaign. Most recently, we built a large piece of DLC that will be released on November 27 and that you know under the name of Omega. With each new portion of work, we took on deeper and broader responsibilities, but we always worked in conjunction with Casey, the Mass Effect leads, and the developers in Edmonton.

They will still have support from Bioware Edmonton:

Quote:

To ensure a proper and effective transition, we’ll continue to be supported by the Edmonton studio through the game’s development, working with and learning from them on some critical initiatives. On top of that, Casey remains the Executive Producer, but he will have a Project Director under him, working in Montreal, leading our development team and making day-to-day decisions for the game. We all care very much about Mass Effect and make our decisions based on what’s best for the game.
….
The other thing I can tell you is that, while it will be very respectful of the heritage built over the course of the first three games, with the original trilogy now concluded and the switch over to a new engine, we are exploring new directions, both on the gameplay and story fronts. You can still expect the pillars the franchise is known for to be fully intact though, including diverse alien races, a huge galaxy to explore, and of course rich, cinematic storytelling.

Thanks felipejiraya at this thread in the BSN's ME3 forums.
More information.

Does it mean no Casey Hudson?

Quote:

Originally Posted by azarhal (Post 1061170650)

Does it mean no Casey Hudson?

If it's yes then the game might have minimal interest for me. :)

They will ditch the Unreal Engine 3 in favor of DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine that's a plus for me also. To many developers use that engine. Then I lose interest as I realize the game might be a full fps this time.

few thoughts.
1) You got nice engine - it gives you new opportunities - just DO NOT make graphic fireworks the main goal.
2) Keep feedback from ppl that do not lick your *** -considering the direction of ME2 and ME3 (they were good games; except ME3 ending ofc; but the franchise started to be memorable because of story, its characters not by shooting: devs were ruining it by making it more action with talking than rpg - do not make this mistake!)
3) Ask yourself why there was so anger about the "artistic conclusion" of mr hudson and walters (or anybody responsible for it); ME1 was explaining almost everything by its plot, dialogues or codex, there was ofc a mistery; it was forcing players to discover more and more… but the logical issues of the conclusion could ruin all magic - ME1 had its glitches but built a truly superb universe=it was believable. Ppl could expand it in their dreams, thoughts, imagination - the problem with ME3 end was that their dreams were ruined -not by sad ending… by ending that didn't fit any dreams (not for all ofc).
4) MP is nice stuff… but Bioware is famous for delivering a Single Player experience. Liara, Tali, Garrus, Mordin, Legion etc - they were our friends, this is what we care about - instead of spending millions for TOR you could make so many plots, scenarios, experiences…
5) If you are capable of returning hope to Bioware - pls do it. I will buy the next bioware game after 6-7 months of its release after checking forums - I know that IGN, GameSpot or whatever will call it "epic, breathtaking, brilliant, etc". Make sure that also "entitled fans" will be happy.
6) Good luck :)
7) (optional) remake ME3 :p

>enhanced by many of the systems that the Dragon Age III team has already spent a lot of time building.

Does this mean it's not really going to be be an RPG either, but you can pretty up all your gear?

The exploration side was touched in ME1. In ME2 then even more in ME3, you were put on rails.

But I suppose that with the large stream of players that consider role playing a passive undertaking, so can be exploration.

You are exploring if you are shown around places you have no other option but to be shown around.

Bioware Montreal stand behind the Omega DLC which comes out on the 27th in this month. (Nov. 27th 2012) A good idea could be to wait and see what content is in this DLC? And how it plays out?

Also, he doesn't seem to mention combat at all? I don't think it means that there will be no combat at all in ME4…

Frankly, the whole Mass Effect series was a huge letdown for me (hey, I bought my Xbox solely for ME1!), therefore I cannot view the news objectively. I guess the series will d-evolve into a futuristic Call of Duty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misha (Post 1061170673)

few thoughts.
..
2) Keep feedback from ppl that do not lick your *** -considering the direction of ME2 and ME3 (they were good games; except ME3 ending ofc; but the franchise started to be memorable because of story, its characters not by shooting: devs were ruining it by making it more action with talking than rpg - do not make this mistake!)
3)..
- ME1 had its glitches but built a truly superb universe=it was believable. Ppl could expand it in their dreams, thoughts, imagination - the problem with ME3 end was that their dreams were ruined -not by sad ending… by ending that didn't fit any dreams (not for all ofc).
4) MP is nice stuff… but Bioware is famous for delivering a Single Player experience. Liara, Tali, Garrus, Mordin, Legion etc - they were our friends, this is what we care about - instead of spending millions for TOR you could make so many plots, scenarios, experiences…

Good points all of them.
Took the liberty to underscore two sentences.

It seems the Omega DLC will be a bit of "testing the waters" for the new studio.
If they could build on the strengths from the different games and combine them it could be marvelous.

From ME1: I) character builds (you could actually make your own kind of vanguard, infiltrator etc and experiment with. II) Exploration! III) Tactical combats (yes, there were flaws in the mechanics of ME1, but it was not a straight corridor shooter
From ME2: I) Animations and overall smoothness
From ME3: I) weapons and modifications II) ?

And one final advice, as B-ware seems to lack the skill to do a decent PC port, consider hiring demiurge again for it. In ME3 the Console porting were blatantly obvious. (no, im not picking at people playing on consoles, but on developers being to lazy to use each format fully. I have a keybord in front of me, let me use it! )

Give me a space opera again, dammit!

C

Seriously can't wait. Love the series, despite its flaws…

Interesting.
These guys made playable volus a reality so there may be some potential :).

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory (Post 1061170759)

Seriously can't wait. Love the series, despite its flaws…

I'm with you - my #1 franchise is most welcome to give us a 4th/5th/6th iteration in my books :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by LongMuckDong (Post 1061170879)

I'm with you - my #1 franchise is most welcome to give us a 4th/5th/6th iteration in my books :D

Even if the 5th is a full-on Gears of War clone? They already started cheapening their own lore in both ME and DA to appeal to those who want to shoot/slash rather than immerse themselves in a complex, nuanced, coherent world. If that goes on, my feeling towards a 4th/5th/6th ME is the same as towards Halo 5th/6th/7th. Zero.

I'm intrigued by them trying out new gameplay and story directions. Even though I only played through 75% of Mass Effect 1 and never played the sequels, I will check out Mass Effect 4. I'm hoping they go for a bit more open exploration type world and the game isn't so much on rails. An Elder Scrolls style open world in the Mass Effect universe would be incredible. While I don't expect Elder Scrolls style, I am still interested to see what direction they go in. Should be fun to keep an eye on this one.

New gameplay (i.e. more shooting (maybe a little space sim?), no rpg), open world / exploration…. well that sounds a little like far cry in space. Or something.