Mass Effect Franchise?

[urluckyday]

I was just browsing over the Mass Effect Wikipedia page, and I came across this...

 

Mass Effect was originally conceived as a trilogy, but EA has confirmed that Mass Effect "will be a franchise for [EA] for a very long time" indicating that the franchise may extend beyond the planned trilogy

 

Now, as I understood it, Mass Effect would be a 3-part trilogy with a continuing story. I honestly think that the Mass Effect stories is one of the best every told on any format, but I would never hope for a trilogy that was planned as 3 parts to all of the sudden to be extended out of sheer greed (on EA's part).

 

I think we see this kind of stuff happening with the Halo trilogy (now a franchise). While I think that all the games outside the main trilogy can be fun, they almost take away from the dramatic effect seen in the main trilogy (somewhat like people complain about in Star Wars outside of EP. 1-6).

 

I understand that the point of businesses is to make money (and lots of it), but I also think that they should take in to consideration their extra games affect the series as a whole.

 

I'm just kinda worried...that's all...

[Mav]

From what I understand, Mass Effect as in CO Shepard's story, that is ending with ME3, but they're saying that the universe they created with ME has room for spin-offs.

[urluckyday]

^I hope that is the case...but even if it is...does anyone else get the feeling that it could possibly ruin the dramatic effect that is prevalent in the 3 games?

[Astrotoy7]

I wouldn't be too worried urluckyday. There's not much we can do about it!

 

Like GTA says, they're all set up to round off the Shepscapade in part 3. Making another game or set of games will involve assembling a new team or possibly off-sourcing to idiots like obsidian to mess things up like they did in KOTOR2

 

I wonder if they're thinking of a ME Universe MMO??

 

mtfbwya

[urluckyday]

I wouldn't be too worried urluckyday. There's not much we can do about it!

 

Like GTA says, they're all set up to round off the Shepscapade in part 3. Making another game or set of games will involve assembling a new team or possibly off-sourcing to idiots like obsidian to mess things up like they did in KOTOR2

 

I wonder if they're thinking of a ME Universe MMO??

 

mtfbwya

 

Oh I know I shouldn't worry. But ME quickly became one of my most beloved franchises and I just don't want it ruined like Halo is starting to become to me.

 

In regards to the MMO...MMO's are prob. at the forefront of the minds of the company heads after WoW...

[Astrotoy7]

In regards to the MMO...MMO's are prob. at the forefront of the minds of the company heads after WoW...

 

If they can keep the look and the feel of the ME Universe, it would be delicious. I just love the character design and armour/costumes etc. The character graphics adds that extra realism to your character, something you don't always get in a MMO.

 

If they had to scale that back to make it a MMO, it just wouldn't be ME anymore

 

mtfbwya

[Totenkopf]

Of course it begs the inevitable question: in which time direction will they go? Prequel or sequel? Possibly parallel?

[urluckyday]

Of course it begs the inevitable question: in which time direction will they go? Prequel or sequel? Possibly parallel?

 

Prequels and sequels in this series before/after the main 3 will make me sick...

 

Parallel would just be weird IMHO.

[JediAthos]

I think I'm going to have to side with urluckyday on this one. I love the series, but I think that it should end with Mass Effect 3 after Shepard's story is complete.

[stoffe]

I hope the current Mass Effect series ends with the third game. But I wouldn't mind if they made other games or series set in the Mass Effect universe with different protagonists and different overall plots.

 

It's a decent enough space sci-fi setting that could be better with more depths and fleshing out. Unless Bioware continues to ruin the timeline and continuity of the setting. They seem to be fairly adept at that, unfortunately. (But that likely only bothers completionists like me who pay attention to all the details. )

[DarthParametric]

Didn't they already make an iPhone game or some such? It was a prequel to ME2 with Miranda and Jacob about that mission on the Citadel Jacob mentions, if I recall correctly.

 

An MMO wouldn't be out of the question. They did start up a whole new MMO studio after all (Bioware Austin), and EA is dead keen for a bigger slice of the MMO pie. I'm sure they are focusing primarily on TOR right now, but after that, who knows? Although two space-based sci-fi MMOs from the same studio is probably not a wise move.

[urluckyday]

Although two space-based sci-fi MMOs from the same studio is probably not a wise move.

 

That's EA's queue!

[Tommycat]

Although two space-based sci-fi MMOs from the same studio is probably not a wise move.

I'd agree if they were handled the same way. However Mass effect seems a large enough universe to accommodate an MMO. They would have to make it less "hero centric" if they made an MMO along the parallel lines. Perhaps hearing of the exploits of Shepard. Personally, I would rather it be after or before Shepard. Preferably after so that you aren't constrained by the requirements of what has to occur for ME1's story.

 

Ideally, they would leave it alone. But Mass Effect is just massive enough that it would be worthy of an MMO.

[Totenkopf]

If you go backwards, it could be toward the time that Earth begins to emerge as a galactic player. Post ME3 might be better, but what kind of baddie wouldn't be a little anti-climactic after the Reaper threat? Given how difficult it's been to stifle the Reapers' plans so far, you almost have to wonder what kind of rabbit Shep is going to pull out of his ass to throttle them w/in the next one.

[DarthParametric]

I'd agree if they were handled the same way. However Mass effect seems a large enough universe to accommodate an MMO. They would have to make it less "hero centric" if they made an MMO along the parallel lines. Perhaps hearing of the exploits of Shepard. Personally, I would rather it be after or before Shepard. Preferably after so that you aren't constrained by the requirements of what has to occur for ME1's story.

 

Ideally, they would leave it alone. But Mass Effect is just massive enough that it would be worthy of an MMO.

You are assuming that a ME MMO would be pitched at fans of the single player games. You'd be wrong. Just as TOR is not pitched at KOTOR players (if anything, it's a big FU to them), a ME MMO wouldn't be made for the current ME playerbase. They are targeting the existing MMO crowd - looking to steal players away from WOW primarily. That's why TOR and any ME MMO would almost certainly boil down to WOW in space with guns with some cutscenes tacked on, and nothing at all like the single player games that spawned them.

[urluckyday]

You are assuming that a ME MMO would be pitched at fans of the single player games. You'd be wrong. Just as TOR is not pitched at KOTOR players (if anything, it's a big FU to them), a ME MMO wouldn't be made for the current ME playerbase. They are targeting the existing MMO crowd - looking to steal players away from WOW primarily. That's why TOR and any ME MMO would almost certainly boil down to WOW in space with guns with some cutscenes tacked on, and nothing at all like the single player games that spawned them.

 

Right. Especially since they've already got the ME single player fans wrapped around their finger. Time to expand...

[Tommycat]

You are assuming that a ME MMO would be pitched at fans of the single player games. You'd be wrong. Just as TOR is not pitched at KOTOR players (if anything, it's a big FU to them), a ME MMO wouldn't be made for the current ME playerbase. They are targeting the existing MMO crowd - looking to steal players away from WOW primarily. That's why TOR and any ME MMO would almost certainly boil down to WOW in space with guns with some cutscenes tacked on, and nothing at all like the single player games that spawned them.

 

Actually I was looking at it like ME1. That game almost played like an MMO. It had some work done by the MMO team in Austin. The scale was massive to begin with. You couldn't do it as heroic as Mass Effect, seeing as how you don't have the looming threat of the reapers, they would have to invent somewhat less powerful foes.

 

And I disagree that they are saying FU to the current KOTOR fans. But then I'm also thinking it's too early to tell. I think they are trying to appeal to the larger audience, but in no way does that mean they are saying FU to the current fans. More like "Be a little more open" and quite frankly KotOR fans are WAY too demanding. They DEMAND Revan, They DEMAND Exile. They made so many demands, it was impossible to even come close to meeting their expectations. So KotOR fans are really the ones saying FU to BioWare for not meeting their impossible standards. Examine the reasons people dislike TOR. Most couldn't care less if it was a direct port of KotOR to the MMO genre. Just because it IS an MMO they hate it. so KotOR fans have already made up their minds that TOR is not their game regardless of if it works. Look at when it was announced. Before screenshots and anything else KotOR fans were thumbing their nose at it. Anything else just gave them more reasons to hate it.

 

But seeing as how the game hasn't even reached beta, I think it might be just a tad early to say one way or another what they are saying to the fans.

 

At any rate, that was a Bioware decision BEFORE EA. As to how an ME MMO would work, they could go back to how ME1 plays and it would work out fine as an MMO. TOR HAD to be a revamp of KotOR because the worlds were too limited in scale.

[DarthParametric]

I'm not sure about demands, but I think what most KOTOR fans (including myself) want is a single player RPG. They aren't getting one. You can dress up an MMO any way you want, but it's never going to be anything like a SP RPG. Bioware chased after money and I don't begrudge them that - I just wish they'd throw us a bone and give us a SP game as well.

 

As far as ME1 goes, I'm not sure I can see any gameplay mechanic similarities between it and any MMO I've ever played.

[Tommycat]

I'm not sure about demands, but I think what most KOTOR fans (including myself) want is a single player RPG. They aren't getting one. You can dress up an MMO any way you want, but it's never going to be anything like a SP RPG. Bioware chased after money and I don't begrudge them that - I just wish they'd throw us a bone and give us a SP game as well.

 

As far as ME1 goes, I'm not sure I can see any gameplay mechanic similarities between it and any MMO I've ever played.

 

That's just the point though. Anything that was not a SP RPG meant it wasn't good enough to KotOR fans. So KotOR fans gave the FU to Bioware. Not the other way around.

 

Not all MMO's are WoW. Repeated quests, open world, lots to explore, mounts(vehicles), and many of the side quests played like the kill ten rats quests. I could even see people saying "LFG for Virmire"

[Quanon]

I don't think most fans are demanding, it's just as DP says. Many of us would've liked to have seen a conclusion to the Revan&Exile story arc. It was sort of obvious at the end of TSL, there was in a way more to come. Well, sort of... great deal had to do with TSL not being properly finished.

 

Just sort of shame/lame Bioware is tossing out a lot of the look they made for K1 and partialy for TSL. Though this doesn't mean the game is bad. Just to early to judge. But I'm scepticale.

 

Anyway, onwards to ME

No doubt they might continue to produce another story set in the universe of ME. I don't see what the problem could be. Perhaps after defeating the Reapers, they might get technology to jump to another MilkyWay disk.

 

More minerals to scan x-D

Or setup a smaller scaled story, that isn't so Hollywood-nesc. Then they could pull it off.

[Revan 411]

I'm opposed to the MMO genre in general to tell you the truth. I've hated it since I was 6, and I continue to hate it, even though I've given it so many tries to surprise me. I even played a 14 day trial of WoW once, and I rolled my eyes more then 50 times during the 10 minutes of playing the trial.

 

And now, I don't think I'm going to give the free trial of ToR a try anymore, because frankly, I don't think it's worth it. The story, along with the game-play, both sound horribly designed, scripted, and written. They completely bastardized KotOR II, and eliminated almost all of Obsidian's ideas with KotOR II. And to top it off, we won't get the satisfactory conclusion everybody has wanted since 2004.

 

Plus, I don't have a debt card, credit card, or any other way to pay through the Internet. So, ToR won't get any investments, subscriptions, or micro-payments from me. And even if I could pay, I probably wouldn't, due to my intense hatred of the MMO genre.

 

Anyway, if BioWare does come up with a idea such as a Mass Effect MMO, then I'll be completely opposed to it, and will boycott it. If it's a similar idea to an MMO, but is not an MMO, and has no payment required, has a storyline, (along with characters) and has a single player mode with no online features, then I'll probably give it a try.

[DarthParametric]

Well I'm not sure about MMOs and other games in the franchise, but there's this:

 

The producers behind The Dark Knight and Spider-Man are teaming for Mass Effect, a live-action, big screen adaptation of the Electronic Arts-BioWare videogame.

 

Legendary Pictures' Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni have acquired the film rights to the game and will produce the movie along with former Marvel Studios honcho Avi Arad and his son Ari Arad. BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will serve as executive producers, as will Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson. Warner Bros. will distribute the film.

The rest of the article is here - http://movies.ign.com/articles/109/1092495p1.html

 

God I can see that turning out to be a steaming pile. I guess one upside is that Yvonne Strahovski could play Miranda in the ME2 movie, assuming they follow the plot of the games.

[Sabretooth]

Because Mass Effect wasn't enough of a movie already.

[Tommycat]

I dunno, it could be good.... Dark knight and Spiderman were good.. hopefully they actually don't set it during the game and actually more on the back story.. you know like the "First Contact Wars" and the story of General Williams at Shanxi.

 

Then again, it could be like DOOM.

[urluckyday]

Because Mass Effect wasn't enough of a movie already.

 

lol this. That's exactly the reason I love playing the games...they are cinematic. The opening sequence of the first game felt like a hollywood movie, and I was hooked right then and there...

 

I don't know how I'd feel about a movie adaptation...