Mass Effect - PC Version by Demiurge Studios
 

It seems BioWare has outsourced the Mass Effect PC port, as they did with Jade Empire. This time, Demiurge takes the helm:
More information.

So basically they knew that there was a PC port on the way even before the "exclusive" 360 release? Yup, that's surely one way to piss off your PC fans who feel obliged to purchase a 360 just for Mass Effect.

Not that I did, but I can see why people are upset. Exclusive my arse.

Week by week Bioware are turning more and more into the faceless lying scumbag coorporation that we've all come to love with many other games companies. I used to think of Bioware as special. It's sad to see them get corrupted just like the rest.

I purchased a 360 for practically the sole purpose of playing Mass Effect (not fully the sole purpose as I somewhat enjoy Forza 2 which came with it and may try out Eternal Sonata and or Lost Odyssey plus of course Mass Effect 2 and 3 which they've already said will be coming at some point and who knows what else).

I'm slightly chagrinned that 2 months later Mass Effect for PC is announced but I'm not unhappy with my purchase considering that there wasn't anything else to play at the time. Mass Effect is a great game with good replay value (the replay value is because it's so good not because it has randomness or whatever).

Marketing works.

Let me get this straight, you believe what press releases and TV commercials say?

If you feel betrayed by marketing, that's your own fault frankly. If you really think Michael Jordan wears Nike shoes by choice, that's your problem.

If you really think collector's edition leather maps and pewter figurines are valuable, that's your choice but don't be surprised if it turns out to not be true.

If you really think William Shatner uses Priceline, well…

I know this sounds like personal attack but it is not.

Billions of dollars are spent making people believe in things that are not true. I thought most if not all people knew that but just didn't mind.

Very true, Reyla - the word 'exclusive' is tossed around lots, but means less and less than it did a couple of years ago. When Jade Empire came out MS could demand 18 months, but not now.

Also Greg Zeschuk gave more than a hint, that all their games sooner or later have come to the PC. That was before Mass Effect was even released. This one was rather clear.

Great, another 'consolized' PC port with a hackneyed control system to play! All this talk about customizing the controls and making the interface more suited to PC players, I'll believe that when I see it. At least make the inventory icons bigger than a piece of rice, ala Oblivion.

Just so I'm clear on this:

If we say that we're allowing hotkeys and control mapping, we are jerks for acting as if it is a big feature.

If we do not mention it, we are jerks for releasing a horrible clunky console port.

If we port it to the PC, we are jerks for having forced people to buy 360s despite having mentioned that it would almost certainly be ported one day.

If we do not, we are jerks for making a horrible dumbed-down console game.

At least we are being damned for doing. I am looking forward to playing the game with a PC-friendly control scheme and hard-drive caching that gets around some of the ugly texture pops. Sorry to hear that other people are not.

Oh, I'm glad to, don't worry. I don't own a console (and don't plan on buying one in the near future, if only because I don't have the money at the moment - or the will to spend the money on a console).

So, I'm looking forward too play Mass Effects on PC. And then I will no compare it to the 360 version but only to other PC games.
And by the way, console controls aren't always bad (only the inventory management most likely is).

Not to be harsh, but most of the console to PC game ports over the years have been total GARBAGE and basically unplayable. And with Oblivion (dual developed for the PC and 360, and mainly tailored for the 360 IMO), it wasn't much better. If they can get it right with the Mass Effect port, I'll give credit where credit is due.

I'm pretty impressed with the early port, so no criticism here.

I had no problems at all with the Jade Empire port.

Didn't know about Demiurge … a) Sounds Latin … b) What did they before that ? (Apart from Jade Empire) ?

I mean - apart from porting.

Click on the link provided by Dhruin. It's all there (Except Demiurge (And they haven't done Jade Empire)).

Jade Empire was rock solid, and I believe Mass Effect will be too.

Looking forward to it! Almost considered buying a x360 for this game, but in the end decided not to. Now it seems I'll get to play it anyway :)

As a staunch PC gamer I am glad the development of the mass effect PC port begins this soon, considering the generally positive reviews for the XBox version. At the moment, Demiurge is an unknown entity for me - let's see if they life up to the task. I for one wish them the best of luck.

Considering official press releases, advertisements and other marketing blabber, I am sorry to say that I learned to look at it with a jaundiced eye early on. Sometimes there is some truth hidden between the lines, but you really have to filter it out carefully. Consequently, I must admit that I am not really falling out of my chair here after reading about the upcoming PC release…

I can live with that decision of BioWare to release the game first for consoles, as long as a PC version is underway. The PC version then should normally be freed of story bugs and normally the pc gamers also get some bonus stuff. Sounds like a fair deal. Consoles get it first, PC gets it extended. As long as it is really adapted to the platform. Although there are imho many prejudices against console ports that imho are not appropriete and are the same kind as the endless voice over synchronisation discussions (does this speaker really fit to that role? and so on).

Literally translated, a demiurge is a working man, or craftsman. It's often used to describe the concept of a creator deity - see the Wikipedia link posted by Asbjoern.

When I worked on Asheron's Call, I dubbed the lost Empyrean golem-creation magic "demiurgy."

At least people take the time to complain. ;) This shows they care for your game. I bet many development studios were happy if their game were being talked about at all instead of pretending it doesn´t exist.