Bioware and "canon"

[Vault101]

so here's a controversial question is Male shepard "cannon?" I don't know if bioware has said otherwise but I supose of you look at all the trailers, promotional materials wallpapers....well everything then that would suggest yes

how ever if you really think about it whats "cannon" really dosn't make that much of a difference...only You can't find an ME wallpaper without malesheps scowly face on it but you get the idea, I mean cannon dosn't matter that much

more interesting example is dragon age oringins (the first one) because all the potential wardens exist, its just a matter of who duncan got too first before they died, I supose the deafalut would be male human noble, but that's kinda boring if you ask me (Female City elf is awsome!!)

of coarse I supose when canon becomes an issue is if for example theres a another game set in the Mass effect universe and Shpeard is mentioned they would probably referto shep as "Him"

 

[AlphaOmega]

Mass Effect doesn't really have canon; however it does have a cannon like you said. (The CAIN)

Joking aside, because the trend to lure in the fratboy brocrew they advertise with a rough male space marine.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I'm convinced Bioware can't right a Sci Fi plot for shit.

Mass Effect 1 had such a terrible story I didn't even bother with 2. I loved Dragon Age though.

Lul woot? You dare to question Bioware's godlyness? BURN THE HERETIC!

 

[Super Toast]

I don't think male Shepard is a cannon.

Spoiler: This is a cannon

Spoiler: This is male Shepard

OT: I'm pretty sure they'd make male Shepard canon if they made any EU novels or a film adaptation. He's just more iconic to the series.

 

[Woodsey]

Given the linked saves between each games, I'd say it's irrelevant.

Also: cannons go bang-bang.

 

[Icarion (aka Stockholm)]

Kinda like how they(Being Bioware) and Obsidian made Revan a male who went back to the light side as Cannon(From KOTOR)? So they kinda need to do that if they want to make a plot that anyone can jump into. Otherwise you HAVE to play the preceding games before you play the newest one. And that's a marketing team's worst nightmare. Also, I hate to be a grammar Nazi, but its of course not of coarse.

 

[RobCoxxy]

Wrong type of canon dude.
And, yeah, seeing as he's slapped on the cover of the game, in the trailers, I'd say he's canon.
Also:
FOOTROT FLATS

 

[Daystar Clarion]

What? You mean a fiery haired vixen isn't everyone else's renegade Shepard? That makes me sad...

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

No there is no real canon but for advertising purposes they will probably always use male Shepard due to the fact that Biowares main audience is male. You know it is the same reason why most game protagonists are male too. It is also why sometimes there is the extremely jarring token female/minority which never works, breaks immersion and I hate when any media does it. No problem with females and minorities in media but god damnit stop doing things like Cornelius/Voltemand(forget which) from Kenneth Brannagh's Hamlet more natural ones like Ultimate Nick Fury in Iron Man.

 

[Vault101]

Kinda like how they(Being Bioware) and Obsidian made Revan a male who went back to the light side as Cannon(From KOTOR)? So they kinda need to do that if they want to make a plot that anyone can jump into. Otherwise you HAVE to play the preceding games before you play the newest one. And that's a marketing team's worst nightmare. Also, I hate to be a grammar Nazi, but its of course not of coarse.

you don't HAVE to play ME 1 to play ME 2, sure it automatically gives the crappy renegade decisions and you might be a little lost in regards to the plot but if somone really can't be arsed to play the first one then in this age of the internet they could quickly read up the plot of the first one very easyly

 

[Admiral Stukov]

For me, Shepard is a woman and that is it.
I've never liked the male Shepard, he's always seemed a bit to much "default protagonist" to me.
The one time I played ME as male I even named him "Default Shepard", ironically with a custom appearence, made to look constantly pissed of.

As for the actual topic, I think Bioware deliberatly avoid establishing a canon gender for Shepard, just to allow everyone to feel that their Shepard is the right one.

This also got me thinking, and as I can remember KotOR 2 is the only western RPG I know of with a canonically female protagonist, that's to say the Jedi Exile of course, anyone know of another example?

 

[Admiral Stukov]

Kinda like how they(Being Bioware) and Obsidian made Revan a male who went back to the light side as Cannon(From KOTOR)? So they kinda need to do that if they want to make a plot that anyone can jump into. Otherwise you HAVE to play the preceding games before you play the newest one. And that's a marketing team's worst nightmare. Also, I hate to be a grammar Nazi, but its of course not of coarse.

I'd hate to correct a grammar nazi, (actually no, I love it ) but you made the same mistake as the OP with Canon & Cannon.

 

[Saltyk]

Is there really a Mass Effect canon at this point?
I wouldn't worry about canon until Bioware decides to make spin off games, novels, or stories in general.

Bioware made male Revan and female Jedi Exile canon, so it could go either way, to be honest. Though I don't think either has a definite appearance. At least not Revan with his mask. So, I would say that your Shepherd is the canon Shepherd. At least in your game. For now.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

What? You mean a fiery haired vixen isn't everyone else's renegade Shepard? That makes me sad...

Don't worry, I'm in that category myself. My FemShep is sort of a cross between Sarah Kerrigan, and Jill Valentine (RE5).

OT: I'm led to believe canon Shepard is whichever gender you have in your game, considering the fact that a male Shepard is only prevalent on the game covers, and the game world recognizes either one. In my ME world, FemShep is canon. Nothing will ever change that.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Sheploo is such a terrible look .. I swear, he doesn't just look like a douche, in the default story he IS a douche.
So ... if there is a canon, it's one that very few players would agree with.

Good thing the devs have said there's no canon.

 

[Meggiepants]

I don't think the main character's sex can be considered canon - see I resist the urge to make a pun on the misspelling - since you can decide male or female. I think any of the major decisions can't really be a part of "canon," as these are points of the game that can be vastly different between each character, and yet any of the outcomes from your choices are viable story options designed and written by the Bioware team.

However, I do believe it is now canon that male Shep has to deliver his lines like an 8th grade drama student.

 

[DustyDrB]

BioWare has said there is no canon Shepard, just a marketing one.

I'm convinced Bioware can't right a Sci Fi plot for shit.

Mass Effect 1 had such a terrible story I didn't even bother with 2. I loved Dragon Age though.

And none of that has anything to do about the OP's question.

 

[Vault101]

For me, Shepard is a woman and that is it.
I've never liked the male Shepard, he's always seemed a bit to much "default protagonist" to me.
The one time I played ME as male I even named him "Default Shepard", ironically with a custom appearence, made to look constantly pissed of.

As for the actual topic, I think Bioware deliberatly avoid establishing a canon gender for Shepard, just to allow everyone to feel that their Shepard is the right one.

This also got me thinking, and as I can remember KotOR 2 is the only western RPG I know of with a canonically female protagonist, that's to say the Jedi Exile of course, anyone know of another example?

I agree completley, as for any other games I don't think there is....the Fallout series, mainly fallout 3 seems to veiw the male "lone wanderer as canon" becuse of the images in the game I think BUT I always thourght fallout 3's story is better suited for a female I guess its the whole daddy's girl dynamic (reminds me of alyx vance)..I don't know why but for me it makes it 100 times more interesting

Interesting that they decided to make the second KOTOR canon female I supose people wouldn't be happy if BOTH games were male by canon

even though it really dosn't matter induvidually its annoying the feeling that your charachter is somhow "wrong"

 

[Bobic]

I'd say every player makes their own canon depending on their own choices - there is no 'official' canon.

 

[Mr. Socky]

I'm pretty sure that the Reapers are canon. Beyond that, canon is what you make it. It couldn't be anything else, given the modular nature of the story.