Mass Effect 3 Message Board older than one year ago

Mass Effect 3 is currently besting its predecessor in pre-orders, according to EA product manager Will Graham. Mass Effect 3 has "broken the targets set" and is "well ahead" of where Mass Effect 2 was this close to launch, he told MCV. He added that this is the first time a new entry in the franchise will debut on all platforms simultaneously, which just might have something to do with the boosted pre-order numbers (remember, Mass Effect 2 didn't hit PS3 until January 2011, a year after the Xbox and PC versions launched).

Then again, it could be the fact that the Mass Effect 3 marketing campaign has literally reached stratospheric heights. Seriously, that desk lamp you just bought? Check the tag -- it probably came with Mass Effect 3 DLC.

EA has revealed that Mass Effect 3 pre-orders are "well ahead" of Mass Effect 2 at the same point in its release cycle...

No. Nooo. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo way. Destructoid writer but not X-Files creator Chris Carter (who is probably incredibly bored of that reference) has been doing a bit of maths, which immediately makes him a more capable human being than I am. The purpose of this mathleticism was to collate all the disparate bits of DLC, pre-order bonus, unlocks and whatnot available for the upcoming marketing monolith that is Mass Effect 3, and just how much it’d cost someone to lay hands on the whole shebang. Take a seat before you read the next line.

$870/£550/€650. Whaaaat.(more…)

Today EA launched an early copy of Mass Effect 3 into skies above London...

#masseffect As far as space operas go, Mass Effect's storyline isn't *that* hard to follow. But if you are a latecomer to the series, you might need a primer. So what better way than with Asari schoolgirls wearing sailor uniforms? More »

#masseffect This new live-action trailer for Mass Effect 3 was meant to debut officially a little later tonight, during an episode of The Walking Dead, but it's leaked a little early. More »

This latest, live-action trailer for Mass Effect 3 was originally supposed to debut during tonight's new episode of AMC's hit comic adaptation The Walking Dead, but like everything else important, it ended up on YouTube first.

This latest, live-action trailer for Mass Effect 3 was originally supposed to debut during tonight's new episode of AMC's hit comic adaptation The Walking Dead, but like everything else important, it ended up on YouTube first.

Five screenshots and a stylish advert for Mass Effect 3's day-one "From Ashes" DLC pack have surfaced on GameStop's Facebook account, and while we're not entirely positive that the pack's contents are indeed spoilerific, we feel that it's better the err on the side of caution. To that end, we've totally hidden the identities of the characters in the above screenshot, and tucked the rest away in the gallery below.

#masseffect Today saw the leak of a batch of screenshots pertaining to Mass Effect's day-one DLC "From Ashes," which caused so much of a fury when it inadvertently hit Xbox Live early, and its summary paragraph tossed out spoiler details pertaining to the story. More »

My deep love and admiration for the Mass Effect franchise is no secret. Exceptionally well-versed in the first two games in the series -- I wrote IGN's epic strategy guides for both -- Mass Effect 3 constitutes a sort of singular focus for me as I look forward to the games I'm anticipating most in 2012. I crave finality for Commander Shepard's galactic quest of monumental importance, and now that I finally have Mass Effect 3 in my hands, it appears that the resolution I seek rests close...

#masseffect EA wanted the hype for Mass Effect 3 to go where no game had gone before. So they flew ten copies of the upcoming game into the stratosphere by attaching them to weather balloons. The idea was to have frenzied fans track down the games and claim them when they descended back to terra firma. In one instance, things aren't going as planned. More »

#watchthisplaythis A portion of the gaming community hasn't taken news of the day one DLC, From Ashes, for Mass Effect 3 lightly. Amongst them is Francis, who you may know from his many YouTube videos, rants and other oddities. He is not pleased with having to pay more for a complete game. More »

Microsoft sent out a printable "cheat sheet" for Mass Effect 3's Kinect voice commands. You can get the full image after the break. We have to ask -- if you need a "cheat sheet," is this interface really that intuitive?

#masseffect Some Mass Effect devotees have expressed disgust at developer BioWare's decision to release paid downloadable content alongside Mass Effect 3's launch, taking to message boards and Reddit to complain about what some have called a "disgusting" business practice. More »

BioWare has confirmed that the Mass Effect 3 "From Ashes" DLC that leaked on Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday is one of the items included with the Collector's Edition. The extra character, mission and outfits will also be sold separately (at 800 MSP / $10) for owners of the game's standard version.

Mass Effect 3 producer Michael Gamble hit the BioWare forums to clarify some stuff surrounding the exact components of the DLC. You'll want to avoid it if you don't want to learn the identity of what we shall tactfully refer to as "the extra, downloadable person."

[Thanks, Patrick.]

BioWare has confirmed that the Mass Effect 3 "From Ashes" DLC that leaked on Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday is one of the items included with the Collector's Edition. The extra character, mission and outfits will also be sold separately (at 800 MSP / $10) for owners of the game's standard version.

Mass Effect 3 producer Michael Gamble hit the BioWare forums to clarify some stuff surrounding the exact components of the DLC. You'll want to avoid it if you don't want to learn the identity of what we shall tactfully refer to as "the extra, downloadable person."

[Thanks, Patrick.]

#masseffect In the far future of Mass Effect, the existence of alien life is a given, with Turian, Hanar and Asari intermingling with humans for decades. EA thinks that there's Life Out There and it also thinks that the British government is covering up knowledge of the little grey men who've visited our little mudball. More »

So, remember how EA and Bioware are launching six copies of Mass Effect 3 into (near) space? Well, they're still doing that, and now there's a trailer about it that you can watch.

The trailer itself is not particularly informative, but the press release delivered with said trailer actually contained some cool information about the event. Specifically, students from the High Altitude Balloon Club at Texas A&M University will be assisting with each of the six launch sites around the world.

Once the event is complete, EA will be donating all of the equipment used during the publicity stunt to A&M's Aerospace Engineering department, which will then take the gear to Alaska and use it study the aurora borealis. We're glad to hear this advertising campaign will benefit a group of bright youngsters, and that EA isn't shelling out a presumably massive load of cash just to launch some games into space.

As revealed last week, EA will be sending early copies of Mass Effect 3 into space. Today, details about the promotion have been announced...

It’s possible to buy full games on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, but both companies have only barely tipped its toes into the water. Traditionally, the games appear for purchase months after they’ve been available at retail.

Sony and Electronic Arts are taking a step forward with Mass Effect 3, as the PlayStation Blog notes the game will be available day and date on PSN alongside the retail version on March 6, and you can digitally pre-order on PSN now.

Anyone who pre-orders through PSN will gain access to the M55 Augus rifle. What’s that?

“The Argus is a high-powered rifle and an excellent close-range weapon. Its bursts of fire ensure ammunition conservation during lengthy conflicts. Law-enforcement agencies across the Mass Effect galaxy are adopting the Argus as their standard rifle, as much for its intimidation factor as its suppression power.”

PSN consumers also gain access to a system theme that won’t be available anywhere else.

Commander Shepard is a man? It was the greatest lie ever created in future history. BioWare sought to fix this, admitting the savior of Earth (and the galaxy at large) could be recast as female.

Well, it seems the developer has gone one step further and slipped in the female Shepard on the reverse cover of Mass Effect 3 (standard edition). Sure, she's not black yet, but we'll take a partial truth for the time being.

Check out BioWare's unboxing video after the break.

#masseffect The Femshep love-fest spreads from trailer to box art, as BioWare's official unboxing of the two-disc Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect 3 reveals reversible cover art for fans of Shepard's female form. More »

#masseffect I talked to a guy named Ray a couple of weeks ago. He was with his buddy Greg. Ray said he had played BioWare's Mass Effect 3 end to end already. More »

You'll be able to buy Mass Effect 3 digitally on March 6, the same day it launches in stores. And for doing so, you won't just get the convenience of pants-optional purchasing -- you'll also get (just like with every other offer relating to Mass Effect 3) some DLC, in the form of an M55 Argus rifle.

You'll also get an exclusive, pre-order only PS3 theme (above), so people will have a good idea of what you're about to play, or what you just played, when you're in the XMB.

BioWare has let slip a batch of Mass Effect 3 DLC on the Xbox Marketplace, titled From Ashes. This is presumably the same DLC as the rumored "From Dust" installment, which at least one GameStop customer may now need to get a refund for. Dust and ashes are two very different things, after all, but we bet any name switching came to avoid possible confusion with 2011's From Dust (if it wasn't a GameStop typo to begin with).

From Ashes will cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Mass Effect 2 included the squad member Zaeed as free DLC in new copies, and From Ashes could very well be a new iteration of this format.

For a brief description of the DLC (now with 100 percent more spoilers!) read on:

#masseffect A listing on the Xbox 360 marketplace may have inadvertently revealed one of the first pieces of downloadable content for upcoming sci-fi role-playing game Mass Effect 3. More »

Didn't think the last trailer had enough sunflowers? Well try this on for size.

Mass Effect 3 will be arriving on the PS3 as a day-one digital download. Digital pre-orderers will get an in-game rifle and a PlayStation theme as a bonus. More »

It’s been one week since our Mass Effect 3 demo became available and everyone at BioWare is incredibly pleased with the response. If you haven’t already checked out our single-player and multiplayer demos (the latter is completely spoiler free and a bit addicting!), I suggest you try them to see what all the fuss is about. Our development team worked hard to ensure that Mass Effect 3 is available at the same time for PS3 as it is for other platforms, a development milestone we’re happy to celebrate with the PlayStation community!

Today, I want to let you know about an exclusive offer for anyone who pre-orders Mass Effect 3 via the PlayStation Network. When the PlayStation Store updates later this afternoon, you’ll be able to pre-order to download a digital copy of the game (available 3/6 in the US) and receive the M55 Argus rifle to complement your in-game experience.

The Argus is a high-powered rifle and an excellent close-range weapon. Its bursts of fire ensure ammunition conservation during lengthy conflicts. Law-enforcement agencies across the Mass Effect galaxy are adopting the Argus as their standard rifle, as much for its intimidation factor as its suppression power.

Along with that in-game bonus weapon, Sony Computer Entertainment America and BioWare would like to offer you a special Mass Effect 3 PS3 theme—only available for digital pre-orders. Once the game has launched, these offers will no longer be available, so if you haven’t done so already, secure your copy of Mass Effect 3 later today when the PlayStation Store updates and prepare for the Reaper invasion!

Let us know what you think of our pre-order offer and the Mass Effect 3 demo on Twitter!