News EA: More Mass Effect for early 2011

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2010/02/09/ea-more-mass-effect-for-early-2011/1

EA has revealed that there will be more Mass Effect games as soon as the start of next year.

 

dat some mmo?

 

New DLC. Yay!

Armour. Yawn.
Gun. Yawn.

I thought the industry had learned worthwhile DLC <> 'dog armour'. Still, I'll bite. What are stats on these wonderful new additions? Oh wait, I remember, they removed all the stats

A new system or planet would be nice, but they broke this didn't they? Maybe a mission or two, but voice acting turns everything into a major production A new interface for the PC version and more than 60 odd save slots? A fix for the way my eyeballs sometimes push through my eyelids?

All I really want is the ability to drive a clunky buggy over the mostly repetitive landscape of a planet or two. Honestly, the new planet/resource exploration system would not have looked out of place 10 years ago. RIP exploration

I had several quite rants to myself but in the end I very much enjoyed ME2, mostly due to the writing. The trouble now, since the game has been so servilely streamlined, is what can they possible offer by way of DLC that is of any real or perceived significance? A new outfit aka colour? A new mesh for an item that does exactly the same as a current game item?

I have a feeling that in their haste to streamline or reduce the implementation cost of various features that they have taken things to far and effectively killed their own DLC strategy. There are no longer any metrics by which items can by judged and there are so few items to begin with, there is very little room for additional missions to be added to existing locations and there is little scope for the addition of new locations 'on the cheap'. Hoist by their own petard I fear.

Still, good news about possible expansions/ME3.

You see, I'm not cynical beyond hope. I just feel with ME2 they came very close to snatching mediocrity from the jaws of greatness. ME1's over ambition was often saved by the writing, at least they tried to make things interesting. ME2 shows a lack of ambition, a blandness that even the writing struggles to cover - unless you're after a 2nd rate TPS of course. ME3 will be interesting.

 

DLC already? I'll buy it! I am willing to be a total consumerist whore where Mass Effect is concerned.

 

Hmm....I don't see any new DLC, and the website doesn't have any announced either (on the main page anyway; there is a page for the Cerberus Armor)

Edit: Scratch that, I found it. I think I skipped over it the first time.

 

The good: It's free.
The bad: It's useless. Not customizable, only has 3 bonuses, instead of the 5 my current armour has and the gun might be good, but my Infiltrator has a hard time using it. Actually, he can't in any way, shape or form equip it.

If they're going to release these small DLCs with pieces of armour and weapons, they might as well make some additional helmets or pieces that can be researched and equipped like the normal armour. And users of heavy pistols and SMGs only have 2 choices for each at the moment. There were 3 shotguns and sniper rifles and 4 (if you count promotional items) assault rifles. So why another shotgun I wonder?

About the new stuff in early '11: I hope it's Mass Effect 3. I really do. It's probably unrealistic, but I'm allowed to be naive and hope. But it's probably more DLC, but this time we have to pay for it. Or it's an expansion. Which seems... Weird. I don't quite see what the setting would be, unless it's completely unrelated to the main story.

 

It shouldn't be news that ME2 saves can be used in ME3. I've lost count the number of times I've that seen that message on the various Loading screens.

 

i smell a great amount of rushed and unpolished mass effect which i bet will just be s****y carbon copies of the previous games with even s****y stories and more s****y DLCS

 

Would everyone here prefer that they go back to SecuROM. I appreciate what EA's trying to do but it feels like they are ripping pages out of valve's book without even reading it.

 

SecuROM?

I'm quite a fan of release day/after purchase DLC. I think DA:O got it spot on with Shale, others disagree. You can finish the game without the Shale DLC but it makes a very worthwhile addition, written in to the whole game as it is. Something like DA:O Soldiers Peak is a nice post sale bonus, quite nice to have but adds little.

As for after sale, the ME1 DLC was much like Soldiers Peak, it added nothing but a little extra play time, I loaded just after the finishing the game, it gave me a little cool down period, one last chance to potter around while saying goodbye. A good experience at the time.

The question I think the industry faces with regards to DLC is one of value, what makes the DLC compelling in the customers eyes? This is especially the case with release day/after purchase DLC. I personally don't consider a recoloured or re textured weapon or outfit to have any value outside an MMO, in fact I played ME2 without using any of the bonus items - perhaps they are of use on higher difficulty levels? As for Zaeed? Very limited appeal. I admit free post sale DLC is another matter, my previous comments were rather scathing but perhaps they are of value to someone - I just wanted a final potter around.

The last part in the DLC puzzle is of course paid for content, this appears to be a mine field for developers and producers. Still, they want this model so it's up to them to work it out.

 

Schappert == Shepard ... there's more to this than meets the eye!