Rumor: BioWare Mystery Project is Call of Duty: Mass Effect

[Tom Goldman]

Rumor: BioWare Mystery Project is Call of Duty: Mass Effect

An anonymous source says that BioWare will soon announce a multiplayer-focused shooter set in the Mass Effect universe.

Yesterday, BioWare teased a new game announcement that will be made at the Spike TV Video Game Awards next month with Mass Effect [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105366-Get-a-Glimpse-at-BioWares-New-Project] instead.

Enterprising sleuths determined that the gun shown in the teaser trailer resembles one used in Mass Effect, and the soldier wielding it looks like he's wearing a futuristic form of armor, so the idea isn't a stretch. Combined with the fact that BioWare was searching for help [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101001-Mass-Effect-Could-Get-New-Multiplayer-Mode] to add multiplayer to the Mass Effect franchise earlier this year, the source could be on to something.

The source says that BioWare's mystery game is "designed to appeal to the Modern Warfare [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Black-Ops-Xbox-360/dp/B003JVKHEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1290099312&sr=1-1] and Black Ops. According to the source, the game will also feature a single-player component that won't star Commander Shepard.

BioWare really upped its shooter ante with Mass Effect 2, which in my personal opinion was a pretty good shooter in addition to an RPG. The anonymous source could be full of bologna, but it makes sense for BioWare to try to develop a game that appeals to the Call of Duty market using the Mass Effect license, while hopefully implementing deeper elements that the company is known for. A multiplayer-focused shooter might be something new for BioWare, but that doesn't mean it can't be awesome.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5692552/rumor-biowares-new-mass-effect-is-a-multiplayer-spin+off]

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[Jesus Phish]

It would be interesting to see Bioware handling a non standard rpg. I'm just looking forward to the ad on the day of the award shows.

 

[Shycte]

Nah, I don't see this working. Sure, it could be in the same universe and all but would it really be Mass Effect then?

 

[Zayren]

I hope not. I want Mass Effect 3, not some crap shooter. Plus, it's not like a ME-based shooter will appeal to all the Call of Duty fanboys.

 

[PipBoy2000]

which physics engine did ME2 use? i don't remember anything special in the first one, and haven't played the second one yet...
it's hard to think of a new FPS that won't incorporate at least some kind of pyshics engine.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Multiplayer shooter? Eh, so no spectacular Cod-like-campaign then?

I'm already kind of dissapointed.

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

As long as I still get Mass Effect 3:
have at it Bioware, maybe you actually create a Multiplayer Shooter I give a flying f*** about.

 

[Littaly]

Don't we have enough multiplayer shooters already? ((

 

[steamweedlegoblin]

If this is true then Bioware just lost some cool points.

 

[Bobzer77]

which physics engine did ME2 use? i don't remember anything special in the first one, and haven't played the second one yet...
it's hard to think of a new FPS that won't incorporate at least some kind of pyshics engine.

Both had decent physics.

 

[Gitty101]

I really want Mass Effect 3 please BioWare! Just bring that out first and make it awesome, before you start experimenting with the franchise!

Dec 11th cannot come soon enough. I just hope the news is good.

 

[Owlslayer]

On the one hand, i feel like this could be something epic, if made correctly.

On the other hand, i feel like they should leave the Mass Effect world alone with just the trilogy. Yes, they will get loads of money by making this (unless it turns out really, really rubbish), but this might ruin the word "Mass effect" to some. I know this is quite a small chance, but still... You never know.

Thankfully, this is just a rumor. So we'll live and see what happens.

 

[HK_01]

That might work, but I have a major gripe with this: There are more than enough shooters out there, but only relatively few big RPGs being released each year. Bioware is arguably the best RPG developers out there, so I want them to continue focusing on RPGs.

 

[PipBoy2000]

Both had decent physics.

as far as I remember, an enemy who was hit by a grenade just fell dead... were there ragdolls or throwable items in any of them?

 

[Distorted Stu]

Do want... whatever it is

 

[Dr Bob]

I can't really picture Mass Effect as a multiplayer game.

 

[deth2munkies]

I hope not. I want Mass Effect 3, not some crap shooter. Plus, it's not like a ME-based shooter will appeal to all the Call of Duty fanboys.

It may if its actually balanced for multiplayer and had a wider variety of weapontry and gadgets. ME2 trimmed down on some of the things ME1 was bloated on (I'm looking at you 90 different copies of the same weapon with 1-2 stat points difference), but removed a helluva lot of choice from the matter which I found annoying and unattractive and I hope they'll remedy it in ME3.

 

[Arrakiv]

You know, that wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm pretty certain Bioware has stated in the past that they have no intention of ending the Mass Effect games with Mass Effect 3 - that would just end the Shepard storyline.

What I fully expect from the studio is that their general Sci-Fi games (ie: Not TOR) will be set in the ME universe (and Fantasy games in the DA one).

 

[TaboriHK]

This is a good example of money corrupting focus. I don't want a shooter from Bioware. I think the shooting elements of ME and ME2 were by far the weakest parts of those games, which is okay because they were excellent games nonetheless. I get that CoD made a ton of money, but this is not exactly in Bioware's wheelhouse of expertise.

 

[Twixley]

Both had decent physics.

as far as I remember, an enemy who was hit by a grenade just fell dead... were there ragdolls or throwable items in any of them?

You didn't play a biotic did you? Explosions and biotic powers did wreak havoc on a lot of objects in the games. The ragdolls and other physics in either game are second to no shooter, in my opinion.