Mass Effect - Gone Gold & Q&A @ IGN

magerette

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According to their website announcement, Bioware's space themed rpg for the XBox360, Mass Effect has gone gold.
Thanks, zyklop!
There's also an interview coming out of IGN Australia with Chris Priestly, Community Coordinator, that goes into some detail about the soon to be released title:
GN AU: How much of the game do you think has been seen publicly?

Chris Priestly:
Five percent! [laughs] At best. You're looking at a game that, depending on how you play, how rapidly you progress through the story, how quickly you pick up combat and skip dialogue and so on, it'll take 20 hours. But then there are those people that play, like me, who want to do a romance plot, do party NPC plots, who get sidetracked with sub quests and such - then you're looking at maybe 60 hours at least. Again, it depends on your individual play style...
...IGN AU: Are there any cool in-jokes or easter eggs we should keep an eye out for?

Chris Priestly:
There are definitely some things in there. Without giving away any major plot points, there's a really good one that I laughed out loud at. When you defeat a certain enemy in battle and a holographic AI popped up and it started giving this explanation when you were expecting to continue the mission and Shephard looks at it and goes 'oh great; another pop up!' [laughs]

There are little things like that - little bits of light humour. You know, Mass Effect is a darker, more mature game for us; I think in order to appreciate how occasionally dark and gritty it is, you get these contrasting elements of humour in the game. There are little secret things hidden here and there…
More information.
 
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This game is actually the reason I finally cave in and jumped on the console wagon ...

I hate this time of year. So many games come out about now and there is not enough time to play all them :[
 
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It's been a while since there's been a good 25-40+ hour long game, especially on consoles. I'm very curious as to how this one will be received.

Do that many hardcore RPG gamers play on consoles? It seems like they are aiming at the wrong market. Would a PC release be more on target?
 
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Do that many hardcore RPG gamers play on consoles? It seems like they are aiming at the wrong market. Would a PC release be more on target?

Well, I don't know. It kinda depends on the console. I think that the Microsoft consoles have always been under-represented in the RPG market, but I'm not an expert on consoles. The Playstations (One and Two) seem to have a whole slew of good RPG games and those lasted you for dozens of hours (just consider the Final Fantasies).

I think the right kind of RPG (and I know there's a heated debate between "western" RPG's and JRPG fans) would play great on a console, especially since you can pour so much time into it and doesn't necessarily have to resolve around flashy action. I don't know about anyone else, but I kinda like the way I can relax on the couch to play a game. Seems to me that would work well in that regard.

But no, most action shooters coming out these days are under 10 hours (although usually it will take me a bit longer than most with my play style), so that's why I welcome a game with which I can sit down and have some laid-back fun.
 
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Do that many hardcore RPG gamers play on consoles? It seems like they are aiming at the wrong market.

What makes you think that they are at all aiming at that market? Mass Effect -due to its entire cinematic/movie-like style- has "mainstream appeal" plastered all over it in my opinion.
 
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Do that many hardcore RPG gamers play on consoles? It seems like they are aiming at the wrong market. Would a PC release be more on target?

Yes, but Microsoft has probably given them a massive incentive (i.e. an 8 figure payment) to release it exclusively (for now) on the XBox 360. Microsoft paid a whopping $20 Million for Lost Planet exclusivity and they are rumored to have paid an incredible amount of money for exclusive downloadable content for GTA IV. (I think it was $40 Million: just for DLC -- let that sink in for a moment). I'm guessing they paid Bioware a significant 8-figure sum to make Mass Effect XBox 360 exclusive for at least a year.
 
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The end question of that interview, the one about Baldur's Gate III, is just what every BioWare fan (like myself) has been wanting to ask the company since Throne of Bhaal. And as usual, there is no answer. *sigh*

Oh well, I'm still crazy for Mass Effect, BioWare's last pre-EA-buyout production. Waiting with baited breath, in fact.

BG2 Loading Screen said:
Please note that while your in-game characters do not need to [breathe], you do. We don't want to lose any dedicated players.

#4: This game isn't exactly aimed at "hardcore RPG gamers," but more for a broader market, with some of the hardcore RP-ers on the side. Basically, it's aimed at the KotOR market. Here's hoping a PC version will eventually follow, as it did with KotOR... I mean, come on Microsoft, let us have a PC version! You could even include a bunch of "Windows Live" crap if it makes you happier!
 
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