Jul 13, 2011

Mass Exodus: Bioware Senior Dev Joins LoL

Mass Effect (2007) - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alec Meer)

We don’t tend to do too much in the way of ‘person x changes job’ stories here, which is primarily because the knowledge that disgusting organic creatures are responsible for our beautiful, clean, matter-free digital worlds is a horrifying truth we can’t accept, but also because… well, people do change jobs. This one stood out to me, however, due to both source and destination. The lead gameplay designer on Mass Effect 2 and 3, Christina Norman, has left Bioware – but to go where? Oh, that’s right, it says it in the headline. Yeah, League of Legends dev Riot Games.

So, from a console-straddling mainstream RPG/action developer that’s bigger than it’s ever been to the young home of devoutly hardcore multiplayer PC games.
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Jul 12, 2011

Put Mass Effect's Normandy On Your Shelf (Again)

Mass Effect (2007)

That little toy replica of Mass Effect's Normandy we showed you a few months back will soon have a twin. But not an identical twin.

While the first ship is in Systems Alliance livery and will be out in November, there'll be a second version of the Normandy available a month later. This time in the Cerberus colours of Mass Effect 2, it'll cost $35 and be available from the BioWare store.

Jul 6, 2011

The Mass Effect Movie Will be at Comic-Con

Mass Effect (2007)

Hollywood studio Legendary Pictures will be holding its first ever "standalone panel" at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego. Why do we care? Because they'll be talking about the Mass Effect movie, that's why.

Yes, tucked away at the bottom of the press release announcing the studio's showings is the news that the film's writer Mark Protosevich and BioWare's Casey Hudson will be holding a panel, where they'll discuss their work on the long-in-production film project.

Interestingly, the release says Protosevich is "adapting the game to film", which sounds a lot like they're simply turning just the first game into a movie. Leaving the other two games to be covered by, well, another two movies!

Since there's no actors in costume yet, don't expect any footage of the movie. If you're lucky, you might get some concept art or CG sequences, though, and hopefully word on a director as well.

(Top image by adiera1 | DeviantArt)

Jul 4, 2011

If Only Mass Effect's Toys Were Actually This Good

Mass Effect (2007)

For a series with such great characters and great visual design, Mass Effect has sadly been neglected on the action figure front, DC Unlimited only just releasing its first line of Mass Effect 2 figures in April 2011.

Even then, those are pretty hit-and-miss, some fine detail on Grunt let down by Shepard's train wreck of a face.

This custom Geth figure, by toysmith pyramidhead22, gets it right. The detail, the scale, and it's even fully posable, having been crafted from the remains of some Halo toys (and even the legs of the Tali figure).

Geth Trooper (Mass Effect) Custom Action Figure [Figure Realm, via Toycutter]

Jul 3, 2011

Mass Effect 3's Makers Aren't Ready for Tali's Closeup

Mass Effect (2007)

We are 8 months from Mass Effect 3's release and still unaddressed is one critical detail everyone expects the trilogy will at last reveal: the unmasking of Tali.

In an interview with CVG, Casey Hudson, the executive producer for the game, implied that the team hasn't conclusively decided what to do about Tali. Reading his comment one way, it sounds like BioWare has made its decision and is hoping fans like it. Read another, it's still up in the air. Here's the full context.

We changed Tali—that was tough because people were very passionate about her. A lot of people want to have her face revealed and obviously people are going to be pissed off either way.

Like "I thought she was going to look beautiful!" or "I thought she was going to be the most hideous thing ever!" So we've had a lot of debate over Tali's face, but that's the one we kind of dread a lot. We're always "well, let's talk about something else for a while!" That's something we're going to have to decide.

So it sounds like they've made up their minds on her appearance but are still waffling on whether to reveal it. My bet is on beautiful.

One detail is settled: Shepard will have the opportunity to punch a reporter, again.

Mass Effect 3: BioWare on Surprises, Inspiration and Tough Decisions [CVG]

Jun 28, 2011

I'm Commander Shepard and This Is My Favorite Armor Redesign On deviantArt

Mass Effect (2007)

With a follow up to his incredible Boba Fett creation, Theo Stylianides throws down a wild redesign of the Mass Effect leader Commander Shepard.

[Spoiler alert!] "Bionic leg and arm from his death experience, Saren's shoulder pad from the close encounter, some Geth eye pieces for a tally and even some collector heads and skin to remember them by." - Theo

Commander Shepard by Theo Stylianides / StTheo (CGHUB)

Need your daily fill of geek eye candy? If so, head over to Justin Page's Rampaged Reality and get your fix. Republished with permission.

Commander Shepard by Theo Stylianides

Jun 16, 2011

BioWare will give female Shepard her own trailer and place on Mass Effect 3′s box

Mass Effect (2007)

When I spoke to Mass Effect 3 executive producer Casey Hudson a while back, he said they'd read our list of 15 things we want from Mass Effect 3, and "I think we're going to address all of them except Tali's face." I assumed he meant "And the ones you know we won't do, like putting the female version of Commander Shepard on the box."

Nope! Marketing director David Silverman says they're putting the female Shepard, and the male one, on the box for the collector's edition of the game. And they're now working on a new trailer for the game that stars the female version of the hero. Silverman says they're working on her appearance, but that it's been influenced by input from the cult fanbase the female Shepard has inspired.

The image above isn't an actual screenshot of the result. We all know, of course, that the real female Shepard looks exactly like mine and all others are imposters.

So, er, does this mean we're getting an Elcor squadmate too?

Thanks Alex Hopkinson.

Jun 16, 2011

Female Shepard Finally Gets Cover Girl Glory in Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect (2007)

Mr. Commander Shepard, star of Mass Effect video game box art, is going to have to share the cover with his female counterpart, Ms. Commander Shepard, at least in the collector's edition version of Mass Effect 3, BioWare says.

While the masculine version of Shepard has dominated official screen shots, wallpapers and box art for the first two Mass Effect games—he's also prominently featured on the standard edition Mass Effect 3 box—the feminine Shepard is finally getting some attention from BioWare. "FemShep" will also get her own official trailer, according to BioWare's director of marketing David Silverman, via NeoGAF.

Silverman says Mass Effect 3's collector's edition art is "One side male, one side female," but it sounds like the official look for female Shepard is still being locked down. Silverman tweets that BioWare "are working on the look now."

Hopefully, given the diversity of Mass Effect players' millions of Shepards, they'll surprise us with something other than the default female version of the commander.

Image credit: Margaret from FemShep.com

Jun 16, 2011

Take Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect and Other Gaming Greats, add Jedi

Mass Effect (2007)

Everyone loves Star Wars. If you don't love Star Wars, you're wrong.
Some people love Star Wars so much, they want more things to be Star Wars. Forevergeek.com has taken 50 Star Wars Mashups from all over the internet and thoughtfully put them all in one place. Here are the video game tie-ins from their site (and a bonus one that I found.

Angry Birds: There are plenty of Angry Birds/Star Wars mashups. Bite.ca created a line of t-shirts based on the idea, and The Official Star Wars Blog has screen shots of what this unfortunately-still-totally-made-up version of the game would look like.

Assassin's Creed: As the deviantartist who created this mashup says, "It's Ezio Auditore da Fire... da... Coruscant? XD It's Ezio as a Jedi!" The artist has since created a Sith version of the image, and posted it to his gallery.

Mass Effect: Here's another Deviantart gem, Shepard vs. Boba Fett. Who would win?

Super Mario Bros.: The last Star Wars mashup doesn't focus on one game, but tries to mash together these two complete universes. Someone out there took it upon themselves to create a series of these paintings. Awesome, or kind of creepy?

BONUS ROUND—Zelda: Forevergeek missed this awesome Zelda/Star Wars mash-up, and I couldn't resist including it.