Mass Effect Lead Writer: Next Game Can't Be A Spin Off

[Billy D Williams]

Same universe, different protagonist/companions/perspective?

Isn't that basically the definition of a spinoff? ._.

Is KoTOR a Spinoff of the Star Wars films? I'd say no, but I guess I can see how some would say yes.

Anyhow, the only character I'd be interested in for a spin-off is Javik, and that's just because I would love to see the fall of the Protean Empire.

Anyhow, they set themselves up for a plethora of different games, there are so many events established in the Mass Effect universe to explore, so I'm glad they aren't just aping pre-existing characters.

 

[saxist01]

Am I the only person here who was actually satisfied with the ME3 ending? Post, extended cut, of course. After a decent deal of closure and some explanations, I thought my ending, (Control), had a feel of Golden Age Science Fiction akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey and some of Herbert's stuff. I agree, it could have been done much better, but overall, I'm fairly satisfied.

No, you aren't the only one. I honestly thought the ending to ME3 was one of the most moving things I have seen in a video game. I wanted my first character to return to Tali so badly, but I still couldn't bring myself to destroy EDI/Geth to do it. My second character just said f*ck it, I'm heading back to Steve!

Also, I'm pretty sure a spin off would have to follow one of the characters from the original series. Kind of like Fraiser is a spin off of Cheers, but Boston Legal isn't even though they both take place in the "universe" of Boston. Personally, I'm hoping for a ME: Infiltrator game something akin to Splinter Cell. Probably won't happen, but it'd be fun in that universe.

 

[otakon17]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Agreed. The only way I see this working is if it takes place in another galaxy that somehow comes in contact with the Milky Way and some kind of bridge is made between the two.

 

[Doom972]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Pretty much, this sounds like EA doublespeak to me.

Captcha: sick puppy

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Spin offs include Frasier, Mork and Mindy, Baywatch Nights, Booker, Angel, and for you younguns, Pinky and the Brain. Most spin offs are based around existing characters.

I still haven't finished ME3, it just hasn't the appeal of ME1. I should have known after ME2.

That's the TV show definition of Spin-offs. video game spin-offs can be games that take place in the same universe, but outside of the main story arc for that universe. Examples that come to mind are Fallout Tactics, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, and Hexen. I haven't played any recent spin-offs, but as I understand it, the Persona series is also the kind of Spin-off I'm referring to here.

 

[Doom972]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Agreed. The only way I see this working is if it takes place in another galaxy that somehow comes in contact with the Milky Way and some kind of bridge is made between the two.

It could still take place in the same galaxy as long as it's before ME3's ending. The galaxy is vast and there is a room for plenty of other stories to be told - they won't be as epic though.

 

[Madman123456]

The story may even take place after the me3 ending and play out on one of the smaller colonies.
I'd call the size "Hollywood middlesized" like simpsons' Springfield. Large enough that you can have big town stuff there but small enough that you can have rural stuff within a short driving distance.
Maybe you'll manage the remaining resources and keep what's left of the colony alive.
It might play out like a RTS in which you have to defeat remaining reaper forces by building a base and an army to steamroll them. You wouldn't even have to program a good enemy AI because they're unorganized husks with no brains of their own.
Maybe it could play out like a tower defense where you have to salvage guns and turrets from destroyed vehicles to defend your base.

Or maybe it'll play like DayZ with less of the unrealistic "realism". Break a bone by slamming your arms into a doorframe because you turned around? Find this magical syringe and it's all good. Bleh.

 

[Neonsilver]

Am I the only person here who was actually satisfied with the ME3 ending? Post, extended cut, of course. After a decent deal of closure and some explanations, I thought my ending, (Control), had a feel of Golden Age Science Fiction akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey and some of Herbert's stuff. I agree, it could have been done much better, but overall, I'm fairly satisfied.

The extended cut was just some first aid on a wound that was already there, it wouldn't exist without the PR nightmare that followed the original ending. You could almost say that the fans where holding EA and Bioware at gunpoint (or at least their reputation) to get a different ending. So saying the ending wasn't so bad because of the extended cut is kind of pointless.

I agree that the extended cut wasn't so bad, but it was far from perfect, and I'm sure it wouldn't have caused the fallout of the original ending.

 

[Sanunes]

That's the TV show definition of Spin-offs. video game spin-offs can be games that take place in the same universe, but outside of the main story arc for that universe. Examples that come to mind are Fallout Tactics, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, and Hexen. I haven't played any recent spin-offs, but as I understand it, the Persona series is also the kind of Spin-off I'm referring to here.

I have never seen developers calling those games spin-offs either.

 

[Sanunes]

Am I the only person here who was actually satisfied with the ME3 ending? Post, extended cut, of course. After a decent deal of closure and some explanations, I thought my ending, (Control), had a feel of Golden Age Science Fiction akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey and some of Herbert's stuff. I agree, it could have been done much better, but overall, I'm fairly satisfied.

The extended cut was just some first aid on a wound that was already there, it wouldn't exist without the PR nightmare that followed the original ending. You could almost say that the fans where holding EA and Bioware at gunpoint (or at least their reputation) to get a different ending. So saying the ending wasn't so bad because of the extended cut is kind of pointless.

I agree that the extended cut wasn't so bad, but it was far from perfect, and I'm sure it wouldn't have caused the fallout of the original ending.

Honestly, I think it would have been just as bad. People were really invested in the Mass Effect games and even though the Extended Cut solved some of the issues, there is still enough complaining around how people can't have their Shepard making babies with their love interest on some remote planet to repopulate the universe after the Reaper invasion that I think it might have been slightly smaller, but people still would have been yelling about the endings not being what they wanted.

 

[Neonsilver]

Am I the only person here who was actually satisfied with the ME3 ending? Post, extended cut, of course. After a decent deal of closure and some explanations, I thought my ending, (Control), had a feel of Golden Age Science Fiction akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey and some of Herbert's stuff. I agree, it could have been done much better, but overall, I'm fairly satisfied.

The extended cut was just some first aid on a wound that was already there, it wouldn't exist without the PR nightmare that followed the original ending. You could almost say that the fans where holding EA and Bioware at gunpoint (or at least their reputation) to get a different ending. So saying the ending wasn't so bad because of the extended cut is kind of pointless.

I agree that the extended cut wasn't so bad, but it was far from perfect, and I'm sure it wouldn't have caused the fallout of the original ending.

Honestly, I think it would have been just as bad. People were really invested in the Mass Effect games and even though the Extended Cut solved some of the issues, there is still enough complaining around how people can't have their Shepard making babies with their love interest on some remote planet to repopulate the universe after the Reaper invasion that I think it might have been slightly smaller, but people still would have been yelling about the endings not being what they wanted.

Maybe, it's hard to say if I feel that the extended cut wasn't so bad or if it just wasn't so bad in comparison to the original.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

I like Javik, despite that he's one of many examples of the new "agenda" they started pushing in ME3. If they wanted to have someone preaching about how biological and synthetic life can never coexist, they really shouldn't have made Mass Effect 2.

That and they contradict themselves on that issue in the same game:


Yep. Organic and Synthetic life can't exist. Totally agree with them on that point X3

Though ME2 did have a truckload of plot points that ME3 gutted out. "Dark Energy" anyone?

 

[Tien Shen]

Bioware have themselves to blame for this. The way they ended ME3 left them with little option but to avoid tying any new Mass Effect game to Shepard's story. They had a chance to fix it, they blew it with the unsatisfying extended cut, and now they want to avoid reminding people of what happened to Shepard.

 

[Nihlus2]

That and they contradict themselves on that issue in the same game:


Yep. Organic and Synthetic life can't exist. Totally agree with them on that point X3

Though ME2 did have a truckload of plot points that ME3 gutted out. "Dark Energy" anyone?

Again as mentioned earlier, it sadly comes back to what Karpyshyn wanted vs what Walters wanted for the franchise in terms of lore. Different ideals pulls in different directions, and one persons' work is no more sacred than their successor's desire to also have a legacy really.

It feels like ME1 was Karpyshyn's vision, 2 was kind of a mix, 3 was a lot of back-pedalling and mood changing things to re-allign stuff. And the conclusion to a trilogy imo is not the time to tell everyone we are turning things around.

And evident many... many times. When the created universe itself is fighting against you (plot holes, inconsistency and Deus Ex Machina etc.); you are trying really hard to enforce a vision, rather than to let the story naturally play out as was intended - like trying to forcefully make a boat go against the stream in the river with all of your might.

It is also funny to note that you kinda have to denounce the Quarian vs Geth Arc and Genophage Arc, when judging Walters' work, since he wasn't in charge of either - and those are usually the first things people use as pointers of what went right/was good in ME3. Which makes a bit sense with the contradictions in those particular arcs.

 

[otakon17]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Agreed. The only way I see this working is if it takes place in another galaxy that somehow comes in contact with the Milky Way and some kind of bridge is made between the two.

It could still take place in the same galaxy as long as it's before ME3's ending. The galaxy is vast and there is a room for plenty of other stories to be told - they won't be as epic though.

A prequel in this case would be pointless since it is a foregone conclusion. Not only that but all the combat would be step backwards to illustrate it happening earlier in the series. It won't be a prequel and if they're stupid enough to do so, it'll fail.

 

[Norix596]

Probably a good idea - it would be pretty difficult to make anything directly related the previous game feel important or urgent after saving all organic life. That's what a lot of people had a problem with in the Omega expansion. Another game set in the same universe would be interesting - maybe from a non-human perspective.

 

[Doom972]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Agreed. The only way I see this working is if it takes place in another galaxy that somehow comes in contact with the Milky Way and some kind of bridge is made between the two.

It could still take place in the same galaxy as long as it's before ME3's ending. The galaxy is vast and there is a room for plenty of other stories to be told - they won't be as epic though.

A prequel in this case would be pointless since it is a foregone conclusion. Not only that but all the combat would be step backwards to illustrate it happening earlier in the series. It won't be a prequel and if they're stupid enough to do so, it'll fail.

What about a story that has nothing to do with the Reapers? A self contained story within the Mass Effect universe that takes place before or during the time of the trilogy seems possible to me.

 

[otakon17]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Agreed. The only way I see this working is if it takes place in another galaxy that somehow comes in contact with the Milky Way and some kind of bridge is made between the two.

It could still take place in the same galaxy as long as it's before ME3's ending. The galaxy is vast and there is a room for plenty of other stories to be told - they won't be as epic though.

A prequel in this case would be pointless since it is a foregone conclusion. Not only that but all the combat would be step backwards to illustrate it happening earlier in the series. It won't be a prequel and if they're stupid enough to do so, it'll fail.

What about a story that has nothing to do with the Reapers? A self contained story within the Mass Effect universe that takes place before or during the time of the trilogy seems possible to me.

What could it be about? We know about all the major events of the ME galaxy on a whole already and everything is once again, a foregone conclusion.

 

[Doom972]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Agreed. The only way I see this working is if it takes place in another galaxy that somehow comes in contact with the Milky Way and some kind of bridge is made between the two.

It could still take place in the same galaxy as long as it's before ME3's ending. The galaxy is vast and there is a room for plenty of other stories to be told - they won't be as epic though.

A prequel in this case would be pointless since it is a foregone conclusion. Not only that but all the combat would be step backwards to illustrate it happening earlier in the series. It won't be a prequel and if they're stupid enough to do so, it'll fail.

What about a story that has nothing to do with the Reapers? A self contained story within the Mass Effect universe that takes place before or during the time of the trilogy seems possible to me.

What could it be about? We know about all the major events of the ME galaxy on a whole already and everything is once again, a foregone conclusion.

Who says it has to be a major event? Maybe the next game could tell the personal story of a character we never heard of before.

 

[Sanunes]

Again as mentioned earlier, it sadly comes back to what Karpyshyn wanted vs what Walters wanted for the franchise in terms of lore. Different ideals pulls in different directions, and one persons' work is no more sacred than their successor's desire to also have a legacy really.

It feels like ME1 was Karpyshyn's vision, 2 was kind of a mix, 3 was a lot of back-pedalling and mood changing things to re-allign stuff. And the conclusion to a trilogy imo is not the time to tell everyone we are turning things around.

And evident many... many times. When the created universe itself is fighting against you (plot holes, inconsistency and Deus Ex Machina etc.); you are trying really hard to enforce a vision, rather than to let the story naturally play out as was intended - like trying to forcefully make a boat go against the stream in the river with all of your might.

It is also funny to note that you kinda have to denounce the Quarian vs Geth Arc and Genophage Arc, when judging Walters' work, since he wasn't in charge of either - and those are usually the first things people use as pointers of what went right/was good in ME3. Which makes a bit sense with the contradictions in those particular arcs.

If what they have talked about with Dragon Age: Inquisition is true and the same for Mass Effect, neither Karpyshyn nor Walters have that much control on what happens in the game. Besides if the original story Dark Matter ending is what Karpyshyn has talked about is true, I think it would have gone over about the same, for you still have the "trust the Reapers and sacrifice humanity to stop the Dark Energy problem" or "don't trust the Reapers and hope you do". The other thing is we don't know how he would have handled the new systems like "War Assets" either for all we know he could have handled that issue exactly the same for I doubt it would have been in his area of oversight. Karpyshyn proved he isn't without faults with being the "Senior Writer" for The Old Republic.

 

[otakon17]

So it's a game that take place in the Mass Effect universe but doesn't have to do anything with ME's main story arc? That's pretty much a spin-off, as it should be.

Agreed. The only way I see this working is if it takes place in another galaxy that somehow comes in contact with the Milky Way and some kind of bridge is made between the two.

It could still take place in the same galaxy as long as it's before ME3's ending. The galaxy is vast and there is a room for plenty of other stories to be told - they won't be as epic though.

A prequel in this case would be pointless since it is a foregone conclusion. Not only that but all the combat would be step backwards to illustrate it happening earlier in the series. It won't be a prequel and if they're stupid enough to do so, it'll fail.

What about a story that has nothing to do with the Reapers? A self contained story within the Mass Effect universe that takes place before or during the time of the trilogy seems possible to me.

What could it be about? We know about all the major events of the ME galaxy on a whole already and everything is once again, a foregone conclusion.

Who says it has to be a major event? Maybe the next game could tell the personal story of a character we never heard of before.

They tried that already with Dragon Age 2. Do you remember how THAT turned out? Its NOT going to be a prequel.