BioWare Finally Confirms and Details Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer

[Zeraki]

So......is Bioware telling me that I can't get a good/perfect ending in ME3 because I don't have friends to play ME with?

No, what they're saying is that the co-op is completely optional, and you can still get all the endings through the single player campaign. It just gives you another way to control how the story goes. Also, a separate studio within BioWare is making the co-op so the single player campaign shouldn't suffer because of it. Of course that won't stop people from bitching though.

I personally think it sounds kind of cool, and I don't see what the problem is. If the Baldur's Gate games had multiplayer, why can't Mass Effect?

EDIT

I really hope it has slpit-screen though. I don't have a gold subscription, and would like to at least try the co-op locally with a friend.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

This sounds great, but the big thing for me is split screen. See, I HAVE three friends who like Mass Effect, but one is my brother and the other doesn't have an Xbox, so we only have one Xbox between us. So if there's no splitscreen, then this is basically useless to me. Unless I want to play with random people, which is doable, but not nearly as fun.

 

[Paragon Fury]

So......is Bioware telling me that I can't get a good/perfect ending in ME3 because I don't have friends to play ME with?

Not exactly but it will be easier to get the perfect ending. The co-op part of the game will also feature story elements so if you want the full experience you're going to have to play it.

Guess I better cancel my BF3 pre-order, because it too assumes I might have one friend in the entire world who shares a similar gaming interest as myself, and has included a side-story in a co-operative campaign.

How dare they make such assumptions about me!

They keep making that assumption about me, and its starting to get annoying as shit.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I dont get why every company seems to shoe horn multi player into everything. ME was an awesome single player game. Adding multi player or online multi player has made many games crap due to splitting their focus. Look at Halo, as soon as they added a multi player, the single player campaign sucked because they put all the effort into online gaming. I wish they would just leave certain games alone....if it wasnt in its original setup, then dont add it in.

 

[Clonekiller]

Well, this is a toss up really. It could be awesome, (and I'd absolutely love to play a Turian) but it could also suck. Still, co-op is kinda like a multiplayer mission like in the single player, so it will probably be good. On the other hand, if I have to play co-op in order to get a good ending, I'll be miffed. I'd rather just play through the campaign and then maybe later check out the co-op.
Still, I have faith in Casey Hudson, so I'll still be pre-ordering the game.

 

[Frostbite3789]

I dont get why every company seems to shoe horn multi player into everything. ME was an awesome single player game. Adding multi player or online multi player has made many games crap due to splitting their focus. Look at Halo, as soon as they added a multi player, the single player campaign sucked because they put all the effort into online gaming. I wish they would just leave certain games alone....if it wasnt in its original setup, then dont add it in.

So...you want Call of Duty and the Infinite Stagnation? God forbid they add anything to the experience ever. Also, the RPG experience is based completely on multiplayer. This single player thing didn't come around until video games.

Make up your damn mind. Also it's a separate branch within Bioware making the co-op. So the main branch can focus on the single player and story, while this other one works on the co-op portion.

It's worked for them in the past. You know, when Demiurge Studios made the PC version of the original, that worked really well.

 

[Liquid Paradox]

Finally, I can create Blasto: The first Haanar Specter! "This one is becoming weary of your verbal excrement."

"Enkindle This!"

 

[themerrygambit]

A role playing game with multiplayer?!!! That'll Never Take! What an abomination! Who would think of such a thing! Well enough of this I'm going to go play World of Warcraft now then maybe some Rift, Eve online, Darkfall and Aion. God the Nerve EA! *shakes head*

And some pen and paper RPGs with friends that these games are based off of! Because RPGs shouldn't have multiplayer, it just isn't natural! And it's some new fangled idea, that is ruining the purity of the RPG experience!

Sir! The Sarcasm Meter is reaching critical! It's gonna blow!

Touché Frostbite... Touché

 

[FEichinger]

... Did anyone mention the main question I am looking to be answered: How do they plan on implementing it for the PC? My bets are on Origin, with this being just another slap to Valve about the Portal 2 Co-Op ... In which case, I'd definitely drop out of this mudslinging ...

 

[Frostbite3789]

... Did anyone mention the main question I am looking to be answered: How do they plan on implementing it for the PC? My bets are on Origin, with this being just another slap to Valve about the Portal 2 Co-Op ... In which case, I'd definitely drop out of this mudslinging ...

What? I? ...huh? What did that post even mean? How is adding a feature mudslinging?

 

[FEichinger]

... Did anyone mention the main question I am looking to be answered: How do they plan on implementing it for the PC? My bets are on Origin, with this being just another slap to Valve about the Portal 2 Co-Op ... In which case, I'd definitely drop out of this mudslinging ...

What? I? ...huh? What did that post even mean? How is adding a feature mudslinging?

"Mudslinging" in reference to the constant Valve vs EA fight. ME3 Co-op being used as yet another attempt to "support" EA's position through copying the "Sequel with ... co-op!" idea, and the attempt to market it better.

 

[Frostbite3789]

Snip

Again...how is that mudslinging? That's having exclusives to help bolster something you want to make better with an expanded user base.

Which is actually a viable and good business tactic. I'm not sure where you get mudslinging out of that.

 

[N_of_the_dead]

If the classes are race based I demand a Hanar so I can shoot people and shout "Screw the rules I have no bones!!"

seriously though the multiplayer sounds pretty interesting, and I don't know if I'm understanding it right but playing the multiplayer can help the main story?

 

[FEichinger]

-snip-

Never disagreed on the fact that it is a viable business tactic. But it is again a step we don't need, as it just a) Divides the gaming community even more and b) Makes both EA and Valve look ridiculously stupid depending on their reactions. And given the fact that EA keeps having the Origin exclusive games popping up that are surprisingly easy to compare to competitors' games (with obvious hints at those extras being put in considerably late in development) is simply another step against Valve. Valve in return attempts to polarize itself as the "good guys" with various statements about how they respect EA's decision and then the slight hint at "Oh, if they had kept them with us, they'd have a larger player base", which again is part of the aforementioned mudslinging. Certainly good business tactic, but it all is simply another piece of the large fight. And it's a fight I ain't willing to support.

 

[Bebus]

I... ok, out of any possible ways they could have implemented multiplayer, this is what I would say was the best possible way they could have done it.

God, I need a time machine to take me to March 2012.

 

[Frostbite3789]

Snip

What fight? Oh right the one where it's literally impossible to have an Origin and Steam account. I tried to install and run both Steam and Origin at the same time and my computer blew up. After I put it back together, I merely installed both of them, but avoided running them at the same time to avoid another explosion and they kept trying uninstall each other.

Why do I have to care what the company thinks? I like games on both platforms, so I'll use them both. It's like saying you can't keep both apples and oranges in your fridge. They have differen benefits and drawbacks, eating both doesn't hurt. Unless you hate apples or oranges, but that's a personal choice.

Only gamers on the internet can make simple things this polarizing.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Okay, this was the exact idea I was talking about with some of my friends when the rumors first started. Not sure how well it will actually turn out, but it sounds like they've got the right idea for it. Separate from the main story and basically just a bunch of battles against the enemy.

 

[Agayek]

I am cautiously optimistic about this. It could definitely be good. My primary concern here regards whether or not it's necessary to play it. The talk of "Galactic Readiness" and whatnot has me concerned that the only way to get a "good" ending is to actually play through all of the various Galaxy at War shenanigans.

As long as they don't fuck that up, great. I'm not terribly hopeful they won't, considering the utter pile of shit ME2 was, but I can dream.

 

[Comando96]

Yey. Now I can force my best friend to actually play through the game... properly xD (Not with most of your team dying...)

All I really wanted to hear was that "It is not required" because that would just be bad as I can play through most of ME2 in a very short period if feeling low... and would hate to be waiting for someone so that I could continue to play.