BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

[Feb 27, 2012, 11:59 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

An interview on The PA Report continues their mission to fix games journalism by talking with Doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka about what's going on at BioWare. Topics include the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic and the upcoming third installment in the Mass Effect series of action/RPGs. Along the way, Dr. Zeschuk discusses the "big possibility space" the Mass Effect IP represents when contemplating the possibility of an MMOG based on the series:

It became clear they had given the idea at least some thought. “It’s daunting, but the neat thing is it would lend itself to a different type of game play. It’s fun to think about. I imagine people think it would be just like Mass Effect as it is… but there’s lots of people there. It’s really interesting, I don’t know. It’s a tough one.”

“The possibility space, that’s a term that I heard Will Wright say about ten years ago, and it really struck me,” Muzyka continued, pointing out that most Bioware properties could work as MMOs. “When you deliver a game, and you deliver it for a player, you have to capture what they think is the possibility space. You need to let them do everything they think they should do, and you can’t block them from doing anything they think they should be able to do. You have to nail all the features and content that should be in that possibility space.“ He paused for a moment.

“Mass Effect is a big possibility space.”

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23 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
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23.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 28, 2012, 08:57

Verno

Julio wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 19:16:
Just add a monthly fee and forced online to ME3...instant MMO!

You jest but if Origin is any indication then EA is all about minimal efforts like that.




Playing: Faster Than Light, Tales of Graces F, Fire Emblem 3DS Watching: Ghost in the Shell, Hannibal, Oblivion

22.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 28, 2012, 02:26

Veterator

I'd like to think the success of SWTOR will decide if they continue letting them try to produce MMOs. I still think SWTOR should have been scaled back and them make two MMOs, one revolutionary and one evolutionary (swtor is evolutionary). At least then, they'd be showing that they can come up with something that isn't 85% based on existing games.

21.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 28, 2012, 01:21

entr0py

I did think that Planetside was a great idea, even if the end result wasn't up to par. I still miss the promise of a big budget Sci-fi MMOFPS or even MMO third person shooter. If they delivered what I wanted Planetside to be, plus the cinematic quality and storytelling that Bioware is known for, they'd have my money.

20.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 22:49

Sepharo

The Half Elf wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 16:40:
Atomic wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 12:51:
“Mass Effect is a big possibility space.”

Unless you want your character to jump.

Just like in Guild Wars and Star Wars Galaxies and Gears of War and Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six (etc etc etc)?

SWG didn't have jump? Don't remember that. No wonder I didn't make it out of the free month with that one.




[I'm not trolling I'm just] tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. -TrollinThundr

19.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 20:40

Riker

Um yeah, if BioWare wants to take an early retirement from MMOs, I'll be just fine with that.

18.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 20:21

Mikus_Aurelius

Just having enemies with different layers of defense (shields/armor/health) that needed different counters would be an improvement to the genre. I just played ME2 for the first time last week and it was refreshing.

17.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 19:51

Mashiki Amiketo

wtf_man wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 18:58:
You mean salvage, don't you?

Well it's still afloat...and not quite under water. It's only struck the iceberg and taking on water heavily.




-- "For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong." --H.L. Mencken

16.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 19:16

Julio

Just add a monthly fee and forced online to ME3...instant MMO!

15.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 18:58

wtf_man

Mashiki Amiketo wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 15:44: Well first they'd have to prove to gamers that they can fix Tortanic. You mean salvage, don't you?

14.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 18:50

ledhead1969

If it is anything like ToR they will release it in 5 years utilizing the ME2 engine.

13.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 18:35

Mashiki Amiketo

The Half Elf wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 16:40:

Just like in Guild Wars and Star Wars Galaxies and Gears of War and Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six (etc etc etc)?

Jumping? What is it? No one knows, but 1982 called an they have the answer.




-- "For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong." --H.L. Mencken

12.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 18:11

Cutter

The Half Elf wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 16:40:
Atomic wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 12:51:
“Mass Effect is a big possibility space.”

Unless you want your character to jump.

Just like in Guild Wars and Star Wars Galaxies and Gears of War and Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six (etc etc etc)?

And Amalaur, which, drives me insane! I simply can't stand a game without jump!




"Are you crazy? Is that your problem?" - Jack Burton

11.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 16:40

The Half Elf

Atomic wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 12:51: “Mass Effect is a big possibility space.” Unless you want your character to jump. Just like in Guild Wars and Star Wars Galaxies and Gears of War and Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six (etc etc etc)?

10.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 15:44

Mashiki Amiketo

Well first they'd have to prove to gamers that they can fix Tortanic.




-- "For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong." --H.L. Mencken

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 14:51

Silicon Avatar

You can tell people have lost touch when they start using phrases like "possibility space".

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 14:16

Creston

That's what she said last night too! badum-psshhh! In any case, they've been talking about an ME MMO for at least three to four years now. All I really care about was that they finish the Shepard trilogy first. Now they can go crazy with all the multiplayer and MMO crap that every ME fan in the world is obviously dying for. Creston

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 14:12

William Usher

Illumin wrote on Feb 27, 2012, 11:59: Id like to see this but with less talk more action in the game. Some original game mechanics would be nice also. All the mmo's feel like you do the same thing over and over and over again, but instead of using a elven bow +5 your using a blast tech blaster +5. That's a good point to a degree. Games like APB: Reloaded focus primarily on skill based PVP and progression entirely centered around that. Story is completely out the window. But it's not a typical MMO. I think Fallen Earth really goes outside the box, though. It felt a lot like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. meets Fallout and I really enjoyed that. There was a real community feel and survivalist nature to the overall tone of the game, which leant it more to feeling like an individual role-playing experience as opposed to the typical grind for +5 weapon experience. My only gripe with Fallen Earth is that they should have taken more advantage of the "survival" aspect, enforcing players to at least have to eat and consume natural resources a bit more, sort of the way you have to feed and keep your horse healthy on the game. If BioWare took a more novel approach to the game's design the way Icarus Studios did with Fallen Earth, a Mass Effect MMO could work.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 13:26

Jivaro

Totally true that Mass Effect, as a property, has huge possibilities as a MMO. Currently, I don't see Bioware or EA as being capable of taking advantage of those possibilities. As much fun as I personally am having with SWTOR, most of that has to do with the Star Wars license and my affinity for it. Even if SWTOR goes F2P in 6 months, has server merges in 2 months, and only runs for a few years total...there are enough fanboys like me to eventually make the game profitable. The F2P model has already shown that it is capable of generating more revenue per customer then a $15 dollar subscription in other games, which is why some companies are doing F2P from the beginning instead of trying to compete with WoW, Rift etc. As much love as there is for the Mass Effect universe, that love by itself would not be enough to successfully sell another cookie cutter MMO...IMHO.

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 12:51

Atomic

“Mass Effect is a big possibility space.”

Unless you want your character to jump.




"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." -George Bernard Shaw

Re: BioWare on MMO Mass Effect Possibilities

Feb 27, 2012, 12:46

Lokust

I think so many people would want to play a Krogan that they would definitely need to have it be canon that the genophage was cured.

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