Mass Effect 3 Message Board older than one year ago

#masseffect Many players have by now completed the Mass Effect 3 single-player story, but the multiplayer keeps ticking along. More »

#speakuponkotaku Why allow players to give their multiplayer characters custom names if the game never actually displays them? That's commenter ChrisPBacon's question in today's Speak Up on Kotaku. More »

If you pick up the Mass Effect 3 "Resurgence Pack" - it's free! - you'll be able to take part in a multiplayer event this weekend. Of course it's called "Operation Resurgence!"

Operation Resurgence surges from April 13 at 5PM PST through Monday, April 16 at 5AM PST, on Xbox 360 and PC. All participating players (basically everyone with the DLC) will get 10 percent extra experience when playing on the new maps, and will get a "Reserves Pack" that will unlock one of the random alien classes.

Resurgence.

#watchthis BioWare's Mass Effect 3 launch trailer was great. The high-intensity of the final chapter in the sci-fi universe really came through in the slices of action and dramatic moments that were featured. More »

As promised, Mass Effect 3's face import bug has finally been patched. Among other things, the patch fixes a bug that prevented some Shepards from importing properly, specifically those that were previously imported from Mass Effect into Mass Effect 2. While Shepard's choices across the first two games would carry over, face data was lost. No more!

Of course, not everyone made good choices when creating their Shepards, but that's another discussion entirely. Decide for yourself in the gallery below.

#masseffect Fans upset with the outcome of Mass Effect 3 have been crying "false advertising" since the get go, arguing that the ability to "completely shape" their experience as promised by EA and BioWare never materialized. According to the Better Business Bureau's Majorie Stephens, they were right. More »

As promised, EA has unleashed some free DLC for Mass Effect 3 today. The Resurgence Pack DLC provides more multiplayer tools for lifeforms looking to improve their galactic readiness level. Resurgence includes two new maps in Hydra and Condor, six new operatives including the rat pack of Asari, Batarian, Krogan and Geth seen above, and a slew of new weapons.

The Resurgence Pack is free to all Mass Effect 3 players with a valid online pass code on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. You can download it on your preferred platform right now.

Note: There is a "Resurgence Pack" download on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 320 MS Points. This was uploaded in error, and BioWare is working to remove it. Don't spend money on this!

#dlc Today's new Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack expansion is supposed to be free, so don't accidentally buy the 320 Microsoft Point version. The official BioWare Twitter feed delivered that warning this afternoon: More »

Leading analyst Doug Creutz is telling investors that EA's Mass Effect 3 sold a respectable 1.5 million units in the U.S in March...

#paxeast During their adventures at PAX East this weekend, our intrepid crew stumbled upon none other than The Simpson's resident geek culture reviewer Comic Book Guy, who offered his impressions of the final chapter in the Mass Effect saga. More »

#masseffect If you went to the PAX East convention in Boston, this past weekend, you would have thought that Mass Effect was the biggest video game on the planet. Mass Effect cosplayers were everywhere, and so many of them were amazing. More »

Who knew Dr. Chakwas was such an accomplished guitarist? Or that Mordin had such a pretty singing voice?

Shepard will look like his/her old self next week when BioWare flips the switch on the Mass Effect 3 patch, which is expected to resolve many of the most requested problems with the space opera. No, the ending is not one of them.

The patch will go live on April 9 for PC and April 10 for Xbox 360 and PS3. The big fix for Mass Effect veterans will be to Shepard's facial features coming from Mass Effect 1 and 2, which should now import properly into the trilogy's conclusion. Several game-crashing bugs and online issues have also been addressed.

#masseffect They got 1200 Mass Effect fans into one room at PAX East this weekend. They—some folks from the game's development studio BioWare—asked people to raise their hands if their favorite game was the first Mass Effect. Some raised their hands. More »

Yes, that’s right: multiple players. Not singular players or angular players – which are, of course, works of incredibly esoteric modern art. Mass Effect 3′s Resurgence DLC is arriving on April 10, and – somewhat amazingly – it’s totally free. For the price of nary a nickle, dime, or duplicitous Citadel store endorsement, you’ll nab two new maps, six new characters, and three new weapons. Among them are brand new races (Batarians and Geth) and a positively delightful-looking harpoon gun, which is so worth the time I spent sending complaints to the FTC attached to precision-targeted harpoons. Take the mass relay across the break for a trailer of every character, weapon, and map in action.

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Mass Effect 3's first bundle of multiplayer DLC, the "Resurgence Pack," is set to hit on April 10 in North America and April 11 in Europe, for the low price of zero dollars. The pack includes two new maps: Hydra, an abandoned Quarian facility converted by humans into a hydroelectric generator, and Condor, an outpost crucial to the defense of the Turian home planet.

The pack also includes six new characters, a Batarian Soldier and Sentinel, a Geth Engineer and Infiltrator, a Krogan Battlemaster Vanguard and an Asari Justicar Adept, as well as new weapons, all of which can be seen in the trailer above and gallery below.

BioWare has announced free new multiplayer DLC for Mass Effect 3. Available on April 10th, the Resurgence Pack will offer two new maps known as Firebase Condor, which takes place on one of Palaven's moons, and Firebase Hydra, which brings players to an abandoned quarian colony. In addition t...

The first expansion to Mass Effect 3’s critically acclaimed multiplayer experience is almost here! The Resurgence Pack is coming to PSN on April 10th and with it, a host of new weapons, characters, maps and more. If you haven’t had a chance yet, check out all the action in our latest trailer.

With over 75 perfect review scores, Mass Effect 3 has been heralded as “The first true blockbuster game of the year,” by USA Today. This week the Resurgence Pack will dial up the action, and the best part? You can download it for no additional cost!

This new multiplayer pack will include two new maps, available immediately for play after downloading the pack: Firebase Condor and Firebase Hydra. Condor is a Turian warzone outpost and a crucial asset in the defense of their homeworld, Palaven. The cool thing about Condor is you can actually see the galactic war happen all around you. Ships are taking off, Reapers are looming in the background, and in the distance Palaven is burning. Hydra is located on an abandoned Quarian colony that has since been converted to an enormous power station. Protecting both of these firebases is absolutely critical in the defense against the Reaper attack.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the pack is the new multiplayer characters. Each class will receive a new character that can be unlocked through the Reinforcement Pack system. With the Resurgence Pack we are also introducing two new races for players to choose: The Batarian and Geth. Have you ever wanted to swing your assault rifle like a baseball bat and club enemies? Then you will probably like the Batarians. Or maybe you want to take the subtle approach. Engage Hunter Mode, spot enemies through walls, and then cloak to flank them. Then the Geth Infiltrator is for you. In total there are 6 new characters for MP:

• Asari Justicar Adept – By the code, you will annihilate your enemy. Use the new Biotic Sphere ability to protect your allies and unleash deadly biotic powers to rip the opposition apart.
• Batarian Soldier – Get up close and personal with the Ballistic Blades and Blade Armor abilities. The Batarian Soldier is an expert at being on the front lines and pummeling the enemy into submission.
• Geth Infiltrator – Ever cursed the Geth Hunter’s name? Well now you get to be one. Cloak, sneak up on enemies and scan them through walls with Hunter Mode. Or hang back and rain sniper fire from distance.
• Batarian Sentinel – Trap enemies with the Submission Net then unleash on them when they are unprotected. As with other Sentinels the Batarian can use tech and biotic abilities, ensuring he is prepared for any situation
• Geth Engineer – Drop a Geth Turret and keep the pressure on your foe, all the while resurging your team’s shields. The Geth Engineer is a great support and utility character, key to any squad’s success.
• Krogan Battlemaster Vanguard – FOR TUCHANKA! You might find yourself yelling your best Krogan battlecry when you use the Biotic Charge ability. To help protect yourself in the heat of battle, activate the Biotic Barrier ability and become the ultimate Battlemaster.

What would a multiplayer expansion be without some awesome new guns to wield? Similar to the new characters, these weapons are unlocked via reinforcement packs. They are great compliments to the new characters.

• Striker Assault Rifle – Developed by Krogans, this rifle fires deadly explosive rounds. Its rate of fire increases the longer the trigger is held. Great for suppressing fire and crowd control.
• Kishock Harpoon Gun – Deadly one-shot Batarian weapon. Launch lethal harpoons at your enemies and cause bleed damage over time.
• Geth Plasma SMG – Fully-automatic Geth submachine gun. Similar to the Striker Assault Rifle, this Geth SMG’s rate of fire ramps up the longer it’s fired. Make sure to equip an SMG Magazine Upgrade to unleash an unstoppable barrage of plasma.

The Resurgence Pack will also introduce new consumables as well, including the Strength Enhancer, Targeting VI, Shield Power Cell, and Stabilization Module.

So there you have it, that’s the Reinforcement Pack, it comes out April 10th and is available at no additional cost. Make sure you login and download it from PSN and take the war for Earth online with your friends.

In the meantime, make sure you follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to get all the latest updates on Mass Effect 3. If you haven’t had a chance yet, check the Resurgence Pack trailer on our website.

See you on the battlefield,
N7ckmo

#masseffect Bummed that the extended Mass Effect 3 ending DLC won't contain any new playable content? All the new playable content you could ever want is right around the corner; you just have to believe in multiplayer. More »

#masseffect The ending that you get in Mass Effect 3 will have a greater likelihood of varying from the one I get starting this summer, when the people making the game release the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut. More »

Want to see what this Mass Effect 3 stuff is all about? Do you have a web browser? Gaikai has negotiated exclusive streaming rights to BioWare's latest, and is using those rights to provide a web-based demo.

#listenhere I think I've been spending too much time on the internet. I laughed for pretty much this entire video, even though I'm fairly certain it's the most objectively bad music I've heard in a long time. More »

Hey, remember those “content initiatives” aimed at providing “clarity” for Mass Effect 3′s ending? Well it looks like they will part of a spread of DLC arriving in a few months time. I was hoping they’d swap out the ending for a Bollywood dance number and something involving puppets, but oh well. I suppose DLC that’s “more personalized for each player” will do in a pinch. BioWare’s officially deemed it The Extended Cut, and it’s free! Pretty neat, huh? But today, we too are announcing our own extended cut. It’s attached to the lower half of this very post. And that’s free, too.

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The next N7 Multiplayer Weekend event for Mass Effect 3 is scheduled to go live later tonight. Operation Beachhead starts at 6PM PST tonight (Thursday April 5, 2012) and will run until 5AM PST on Tuesday April 10 for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3...

Regardless of the seemingly arbitrary April 12, 2014 expiration date attached to this morning's announcement of Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut, EA told Joystiq it has "no plans to ever pull that content down or charge for it." That goes for "the foreseeable future after the April 12 date." According to a company rep, the expiration addendum was only attached due to EA's internal policy of putting expiration dates "on all 'no additional cost' content."

Announced this morning, Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut aims to assuage fan concerns over the trilogy's finale by adding "additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes" beyond the content already on the game's disc(s). Following Mass Effect 3's early March launch, fans responded with mixed feelings toward its conclusion, some going as far as to raise a chunk of money in a donation protest (the money was later returned).

Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will arrive on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this summer for free (and will remain as such, regardless of required legal notes).

Spoiler for the Extended Cut DLC: Shepard's adventures were all in the mind of a young autistic boy! Thanks for playing!

In the wake of the Mass Effect 3 ending controversy, BioWare made it clear that it had been listening to the constructive feedback from the unhappy fans that weren't the ones breathlessly hurling death threats at anyone who might possibly be listening. Based on that feedback, Dr. Ray Muzyka stated that new content would be coming for the game that provided additional context for the existing ending. Of course, the worry there was that EA might use this as some cynical opportunity to charge for even more added content. As of today, we can put at least that particular fear to rest.

EA and BioWare today announced Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut, a free piece of DLC that will add additional cutscenes and epilogue scenes that will expound upon the existing ending--not change the ending outright, as some of us feared. Said series producer Casey Hudson of the new DLC:

We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.

There isn't a specific release date for the Extended Cut DLC yet. The press release just provides an open-ended "summer" release date for all versions of the game.

What do you think? Does this sound like enough of an addition to possibly address the issues you may have had with Mass Effect 3's end? Or is this not the solution you were looking for?

BioWare has announced that it will be releasing extra ending content for Mass Effect 3 this summer in the form of free DLC...

#masseffect So Bioware is giving us a "modified" ending to Mass Effect 3. While details are scant, the safe money is on not a changed ending, but an epilogue of sorts. Something more. More »

We've purposely avoided covering The Consumerist's poll for the 2012 user-voted Worst Company in America. We did this despite the fact that both video game publisher EA, and video games retailer GameStop were, at one point, both competing for this year's prize. We even ignored this poll as EA went deeper and deeper into the tournament, going up against the likes of Bank of America, AT&T, and Best Buy. We did this because there was no way EA could possibly be considered a more horrific company than any of those great institutions of corporate shittiness, right? Right...?

Heh. Poo.

Imagine my slack-jawed expression upon learning this morning that, yes, EA did manage to beat all of the above companies and take home the "golden poo" award for the very worst company in America in 2012.

The user voting came down to EA going directly against Bank of America, the financial institution known for raising interest rates on credit card holders with no marks against their credit, misleading mortgage holders who sought to modify their loans, and randomly experimenting with jacking up debit card and checking account fees just for shits and giggles. In the end, EA took 64.03% of the vote, essentially destroying Bank of America 2-to-1 in voting.

Look, I'll be the first to admit that many of EA's business practices are fairly anti-consumer and occasionally even straight-up deplorable, but looking down the list of offenses the Consumerist post lists as justification for why it totally makes sense that EA had won--shipping games that required major patching later on, nickel-and-diming players with held back content as DLC, and acquiring independent developers and their innovative products in lieu of innovating with their own products--could be lobbed at practically any major publisher in the video game industry. In a competition for worst video game publisher in America, I'm not even sure EA would win outright. They'd probably be a contender, but it hardly seems so cut-and-dried.

Most likely, many of the votes for EA came from those particularly incensed by recent issues like Mass Effect 3's ending, the general lousiness of EA's Origin service, and probably some combination of the things listed previously. Considering that EA has been at the forefront of a particularly nasty bit of Internet vitriol regarding Mass Effect 3 in the last month or so, it's not so surprising that voters came out in droves to express their displeasure via this outlet. Unfortunately, in doing so, they managed to put EA up on a pedestal over a company that has literally illegally foreclosed on people's homes. Repeatedly. So, hey, great job Internet.

EA, for its part, is taking the award in stride, telling Kotaku in a brief statement, "We're sure that British Petroleum, AIG, Philip Morris, and Halliburton are all relieved they weren't nominated this year. We're going to continue making award-winning games and services played by more than 300 million people worldwide."

Snap.

#masseffect We should have known the conclusion would be trouble. Ending a game like Mass Effect 3 poses a special set of problems, because a central attraction of Western RPGs is that their systems respond to player choice. Mass Effect and its like are the classic case of games that generate stories through collaboration between designer and player. Drawing things to a close, however, requires the hand of the developer to show, often in ways that seem unattractive. More »