Hopefully, that means that ME will look absolutely awesome at 1920x1200!

It does look pretty damn good in widescreen.

Its not really clear from the req. are those dual core specs for the CPU or single core?

We didn't specifically call it out. I think the GHz difference between the single and multi was 0.1 or 0.2 so we decided not to make it a big deal.

I'm a bit puzzled at no multi-core?

The Unreal Engine and thus Mass Effect support multi-core. It will definately use 2.

I should be okay with ATI 1950XT 256MB right?

Yes, you should be fine.

How the hell is an X1600 Pro below the minimum spec if an X1300XT isn't? The X1600 pro is a 12 pixel shader card that supports Shader Model 3.0. Depending on its clock speed, it isn't that much slower than an X1300XT if any.

Except that in our testing, it was. The GPU clock on a X1600 Pro is a little higher than a X1300XT, but the RAM clock on the X1600 Pro is half that of the X1300XT, thus the below min spec performance that we saw.

Thanks for all the comments!

Did Bioware do both MDKs, or just the second? I think it was just the second one?

Correct. We did MDK2 and Shiny did MDK.

Having a little nostalgia wash. MDK2 for the PC was the first game I worked on at BioWare. Man, that is almost 8 years ago, now.

Go outside and kiss a girl for once you nerd!

You know, I did that once and now I am married with two kids, so be careful of suggestions on public forums!

The More You Know®

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Still no comment of if it'll include the DLC from the 360 version?

Correct. We don't have that worked out yet. We are hoping to announce it at the same time as when we lock down the system requirements.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

And CrushBug, you are not included in that statement as you have been great to us Bluesnews people.

Uh... Thanks!

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

It'll be a Windows 7 only exclusive.

Over my dead body...

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Any word on a demo?

None at this time. If we release one, it would have to be after the retail game is done.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

May 2008 is the targeted release month, but we won't announce anything until the game goes gold and we know exactly when the game will hit store shelves.

Yo Crushbug! Will this include the content that ships next month to Live?

Since neither the game, nor the DLC has been finalized yet, we aren't yet ready to talk about this yet.

Any word on if this'll reach Steam?

The game will be distributed digitally, but we don't have a final list to announce yet. Steam is neither in nor out at this time, but we will announce it once things get finalized.


Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.
This comment was edited on Feb 26, 16:58.

Meanwhile, at Bioware:

"Calm down everyone! We're not doing another KOTOR. Let's just get TIE Fighter sequel with RPG elements finished, ok?"


(I can't dream, dammit.)

Sheesh, nin, I just got a chill down my spine. I need to start pitching that, ASAP.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Will this be Vista only?

Mass Effect PC will run under Windows XP and Windows Vista using DirectX9.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

I hope you realize i was being sarcastic and poking fun

Oh, yeah, and I just poked back a little.

It will also be awesome to be free of the horrible texture popping of the 360 version.

That is an Unreal Engine 3 thing that we may not be able to do anything about.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Optimized controls designed specifically for the PC. - We won't force you to use a joystick!

Correct, the default setup is for common mouse control for the things you would expect and WASD and other hotkeys for other controls.

High resolution visuals – Mass Effect for the PC features highly detailed textures, characters and environments. - You can select different resolutions!

Of course you can select different resolutions and the source textures for the game will be higher than the 360.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

I really hope they fix that texture pop-in issue on this version...

Unreal Engine 3 thing. There might not be much we can do about it.

they all told me that microsoft would never do that, and that clearly i didnt know what 'exclusive' meant.

EA is publishing Mass Effect for the PC.

"Xbox 360 only"

Most of those statements are usually speaking directly to other consoles. There are no current plans for Mass Effect to come out on the PS3, for example.

Will this be the version that contains explicit sex and graphic nudity that I heard about on Fox News???

Mass Effect PC will contain the exact same lack of explicit sex as in the 360 version.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

What the hell is "Black Friday"?

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

I will try and dig up a photo or two for you guys, later tonight.

http://members.shaw.ca/crushbug/pics/hudson/hudson1.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/crushbug/pics/hudson/hudson2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/crushbug/pics/hudson/hudson3.jpg

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

So wait Derek, you are saying your Dogs name is the same as Blues? Thats a little creepy

Actually, when we were trying to pick a name, we originally went with "Hicks" from the movie Aliens, but it just didn't quite sound right. "Hudson" was the next logical choice and it suited him perfectly.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Yeah, we got our dog Hudson when he was 6 weeks old. He was a German Shepard and was my first dog ever. We didn't pick him, as much as he picked my wife. He was a wonderful companion and had real personality.

It was a few years ago when he had a limp that started and it turned out to be a form of cancer. We decided to not give up on him and went with the amputation. To sum up his recovery, I need only to discribe a three-legged dog chasing us down a hill at full speed while we were sledding in the winter with his tongue flapping around with a big goofy smile on his face. He really was OK, including his return escapade to the vet's office.

Tragically, it was about a year after that when his hips went; a common ailment in Shepards in their later years. When he no longer could easily walk, my wife and I decided that it was time.

Man, I miss him. I will try and dig up a photo or two for you guys, later tonight.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Not that unusual to me. We had to have our dog Hudson's leg amputated due to cancer and he got out of the yard and ran the 10 blocks back to the vet's.

Most bizarre voice mail I had ever heard when I got home that day. "Hi, this is the vet. Your three-legged dog came to visit us today, so we brought him inside and he hung out with us for the afternoon. When you have time, can you swing by and pick him up, but no rush. He seems to be having fun here with us and the other animals."

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.

Yup, that was one of the first LAN parties I ever attended, so we could play multiplayer SkyNET.

Oh, and this was the one I was thinking of:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/terminator-2029

That game, while locked in its interface, was still one that I stayed up way too late, too many nights, to finish.

Derek French
Technical Producer, Live Team
BioWare Corp.