BioWare has finally let the official information cat out of the bag regarding
Mass Effect 3's 4-player co-op. Instead of relying on news
other people tweet, we've got some hard news straight from the horse's mouth.
Mass Effect 3 will feature what is being called the "Galaxy at War" system. This feature combines the struggle against the Reapers from the single-player campaign and a suite of
Mass Effect games and applications, including
Mass Effect 3's 4-player co-op. Progress made in any aspect of Galaxy at War will feed back into Shepard's struggle that makes up the single-player campaign and increase Shepard's (and the player's) chance of success against the Reapers.
If you read between the lines, it sounds like they're saying there will be other aspects to this Galaxy at War mode besides the multiplayer. I'm assuming that means things like social games similar to that
Dragon Age Facebook game that unlocked loot in
Dragon Age II, but it could also mean ARGs, small downloadable titles released before ME3, and who knows what else. Interesting, until it becomes obnoxious.
I'm sure the most exciting bit that readers are taking away from this Galaxy at War info-orgy is that we'll be able to make our multiplayer avatars any of the six main races in
Mass Effect - Human, Krogan, Asari, Drell, Salarian, and Turian. That's awesome. It's too bad that it will almost surely be sullied by the outcry over the races you can't be, like Hanar, Volus, Elcore, Batarian, Prothean, Collector, etc. If you want to stay up-to-date on future news visit
masseffect.com, follow
Mass Effect 3 on
Twitter, and like it on
Facebook.
Mass Effect 3 comes out on March 6th.
BIOWARE UNVEILS MASS EFFECT 3: GALAXY AT WAR SYSTEM FEATURING SERIES DEBUT OF MULTIPLAYER
Fight the Galactic War from New Fronts and Platforms Including
Four-Player Co-Operative Multiplayer
EDMONTON, Alberta – October 12, 2011 – Earth has been captured, the galaxy is on the verge of total extinction, and it’s up to you as Commander Shepard to assemble the counter offensive and take Earth back. Award-winning developer BioWare, a label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), announced today that multiplayer will be coming to the critically-acclaimed Mass Effect™ series for the very first time as part of the new Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system. With the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system, players will fight for the survival of the galaxy against an ancient alien race known only as, Reapers, in both the single player campaign and through a suite of Mass Effect games and applications. Progress made in each of the components of the system, including the new multiplayer mode, will directly link back to the player’s main campaign, helping Commander Shepard rally the forces of the galaxy to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all. The Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War feature can be activated via the Online Pass code found in every new copy of Mass Effect 3. The Mass Effect 3 Online Pass can also be purchased separately on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
“The theme of galactic war in Mass Effect 3 presents us with the perfect opportunity to introduce multiplayer into the Mass Effect series,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “Multiplayer not only features amazing combat and deep customization options, but it will give players another way to help the war effort against the Reapers in the main event -- the single player campaign.”
Featuring four-player cooperative gameplay, multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 puts players in the role of a team of elite Special Forces soldiers sent to protect resources and assets that can help the war effort against the Reapers. Players will have the option of playing as one of six classes and from six different races: Human, Krogan, Asari, Drell, Salarian and Turian.
Multiplayer and other components of the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system provide alternative ways for players to wage the final war against the Reapers. The new system will also connect players to their BioWare Social Network accounts to stay up to date on the latest Mass Effect 3 news and access downloadable content (DLC) and add-ons.
The Mass Effect franchise is one of the most highly decorated series in the history of games, having earned over 200 awards worldwide. Mass Effect 3 arrives on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC in North America on March 6, 2012 and in Europe on March 9, 2012. For more information on Mass Effect 3, please visit
http://masseffect.com, follow the game on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/masseffect or “like” the game on Facebook at
http://facebook.com/masseffect.
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About BioWare
The BioWare Label is a division of EA which crafts high quality multiplatform role-playing, MMO and strategy games, focused on emotionally engaging, rich stories with unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's most critically acclaimed titles and franchises, including Baldur's Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™, Mass Effect™ and Dragon Age™. BioWare currently operates in seven locations across the world, including Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec, Canada), Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia), San Francisco (California), Los Angeles (California) and Galway (Ireland).
In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. In 2011 EA created the BioWare Label, alongside EA Games, EA SPORTS™ and EA Play. For more information on BioWare, visit
www.bioware.com, or follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/biofeed. To join the millions of fans already registered with the BioWare community, go to
http://social.bioware.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at
http://info.ea.com.
BioWare, Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age are trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield 3 is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. EA SPORTS, The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
