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Platform 360, PS3, Win, Wii U Publisher Electronic Arts Developer BioWare Release Date 03/06/2012

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10.0

Mass Effect 3 review: the sharp edge of hope

By Arthur Gies on Mar 06, 2012 03.06.12

Mass Effect 3 is the fulfilment of a promise. It seemed so simple six years ago when BioWare originally announced the series. Take the decisions from every game, make them matter, and make them carry over. The unspoken insinuation was that persistent consequences would lead to a fiction that resonated in ways that no game had really attempted before. BioWare wanted you to care about the things you did in each game, to consider them. And now, six years later, we have the conclusion to that grand experiment. That little thing, persistence, has become a balancing act for BioWare between following through on demands of the existing Mass Effect audience, and leaving the series accessible to new players. The question now is, has BioWare managed to take the game they hope is the most...

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EA has 'no games in development for the Wii U,' spokesman says

By Dave Tach on May 16, 2013 05.16.13

Electronic Arts isn't currently developing any games for the Wii U, EA spokesperson Jeff Brown told Kotaku. EA published several games for Nintendo's console since its November 2012 launch, including FIFA 13, Madden NFL 13, Mass Effect 3: Special Edition and Need for Speed Most Wanted, but its studios have nothing in the pipeline right now. "We have no games in development for the Wii U currently," Brown said, but he didn't rule out future Wii U development, according to Kotaku. Earlier this month, EA announced that Madden NFL 25 would not make its way to the Wii U in 2013, while reiterating that the company has "a strong partnership with Nintendo." EA DICE's technical director Johan Andersson recently explained that the Frostbite engine, which powers games like those in the...

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Origin update embraces powerful PCs, tweaks interface, achievements and more

By Dave Tach on May 09, 2013 05.09.13

An update for Origin, Electronic Arts' digital distribution service, adds options for powerful computers, tweaks the interface, achievements and more, according to an update posted on the official website. Origin version 9.2.1 adds a new "multilauncher" for 64-bit systems that gives "additional options for taking advantage of your hardware when starting supported games." Origin's Application Settings menu has also been revamped, and users can now track achievements and the Origin Points they earn from playing Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3, and Dead Space 3 on their profile page. Finally, those who broadcast their gameplay now have the option to automatically archive it. If you'd like to install the update for Windows PC or Mac now, you can sign up for the Origin beta program. Those...

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EA's Peter Moore vows to 'do better' in response to 'worst company in America' poll

By Michael McWhertor on Apr 05, 2013 04.05.13

For the second year in a row, video game publisher Electronic Arts is on its way to being named "worst company in America," according to Consumerist's reader-voted poll. This year, the company has already defeated Facebook, Anheuser-Busch InBev and AT&T for the dubious honor. Today, EA faces Ticketmaster in a battle of who's worse. EA chief operating officer Peter Moore is, unsurprisingly, not thrilled at the prospect of "winning" the contest. But in a post on EA's official blog, it appears Moore's taking the poll's outcome to heart, writing, "We are committed to fixing our mistakes." "Are we really the 'Worst Company in America?'" Moore wrote. "I'll be the first to admit that we've made plenty of mistakes. These include server shut downs too early, games that didn't meet...

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Mass Effect 3 live producer says multiplayer modes are a service, not a 'ship and forget' package

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Mar 28, 2013 03.28.13

Launching a multiplayer mode is less about shipping an additional game component and more about managing an ongoing service, Mass Effect 3 live producer Scylla Costa said in a panel at the 2013 Game Developers Conference today. "Going from a product to a service is a chansge of mentality. It's a 180 degree turn for many people," he said, noting developers can't just "ship and forget" their product after pushing a multiplayer service live. "You have to continue to add value." Mass Effect 3's Galaxy At War feature forms the backbone of the multiplayer service, Costa said. The system, which is optional, allows players to manage Commander Shepard's resources and which directly affects the outcome of the Mass Effect 3 single-player campaign. The Mass Effect 3 Datapad app, which allows...

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Mass Effect 3's Operation: Lodestar multiplayer event will be its swan song

By Jenna Pitcher on Mar 06, 2013 03.06.13

BioWare is holding the largest online multiplayer event in Mass Effect 3's history to send off the game, according to its official blog. Dubbed Operation: Lodestar, the multiplayer event will run from March 5 to March 10. The mission brief posted on the blog states: N7 unit actions will pave the way for resistance and conventional forces trying to retake the population centers of our homeworlds. There is no retreat. When an objective is finished or a target destroyed, you will immediately focus on the next. Our assets will provide cover to network ships that will update your targets in real-time. Rally points are at your disposal in the event that all space assets meet with catastrophic casualties. From there, you will fight as your CO sees fit or until further orders arrive. P...

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Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC will be split into two downloads for Xbox 360 owners

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Mar 03, 2013 03.03.13

Mass Effect 3's upcoming downloadable content, Citadel, will be available as two separate but equally important downloads for Xbox 360 users, BioWare announced via its blog. Due to the DLC's size, the dev team was forced to split the download. The first is marked at the previously announced price of $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points), while the second is free. Those who attempt to download only the free, second pack will receive an error message prompting them to purchase the first. PlayStation 3 and Windows PC users will receive the DLC in a single download. Citadel is slated for release March 5. The DLC offers a chance for Shepard to reconnect with old squad mates, including romances and Urdnot Wrex. It will not affect the game's ending and is the final DLC pack for Mass Effect 3.

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Mass Effect series writer to pen ongoing Mass Effect: Foundation comics

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Mar 02, 2013 03.02.13

Mass Effect 2 and 3 lead writer Mac Walters will write an ongoing canonical comic series called Mass Effect: Foundation, Dark Horse Comics announced. Mass Effect: Foundation #1, a direct tie-in to the game's downloadable content Citadel, will be available on July 24 through retailers and Dark Horse Digital. The series will introduce new characters in the "vibrant, engaging world" off Mass Effect. Citadel is expected to launch on March 5 for PlayStation 3, Windows PC and Xbox 360. The DLC will cost $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points) and focus on "one final, sentimental journey with Commander Shepard" and his squad. Citadel, announced alongside multiplayer add-on Reckoning, is the final downloadable pack for Mass Effect 3.

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European PlayStation Plus users get free Mass Effect 3, Metal Gear Solid HD for Vita

By Griffin McElroy on Feb 22, 2013 02.22.13

European PlayStation Plus subscribers will have their Instant Game Collections expanded with five additional, free titles next month, PlayStation Blog announced this morning. On March 6, Mass Effect 3, Dead or Alive 5 and downloadable title Joe Danger 2 will all be added to the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection for PS3. That means three other titles will be pushed out — if you haven't already grabbed Limbo, Vanquish and Sleeping Dogs for free, you might want to rectify that, as they'll disappear from the collection on March 6, as well. On March 13, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection — a bundle which includes remakes for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater — will be added to the collection for PS Vita, bumping out Wipeout 2048. Then, a week...

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Mass Effect 3 final DLC packs add one more journey for Shepard, new multiplayer goods

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 21, 2013 02.21.13

The final two downloadable content packs for Mass Effect 3 will be Citadel and Reckoning, a single-player campaign and multiplayer add-on, both set to release in the coming weeks, developer BioWare announced today. On Feb. 26 players can download Reckoning, a free content pack adding new characters, weapons, character kits and upgrades to Mass Effect 3's multiplayer. Citadel will be released on March 5 for $14.99 or 1200 Microsoft Points, and will give players "one final, sentimental journey with Commander Shepard" and his team. Players will explore the space station and reconnect with characters spanning all three Mass Effect games. "The team has poured heart and soul into Mass Effect 3: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3: Citadel," said executive producer Casey Hudson in a statement...

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Voting open online for the Game Developers Choice Award

By Dave Tach on Feb 19, 2013 02.19.13

The virtual ballet box is open for the Game Developers Choice Audience Award and accepting nominations today through 5 p.m. ET March 1, according to the official website. Voters need to select a game from a list provided and enter an email address, from which you'll be prompted to confirm your vote. The list of nominated games includes: Assassin's Creed 3 Borderlands 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Dishonored Dust: An Elysian Tail Far Cry 3 Fez FTL: Faster Than Light Gravity Rush Halo 4 Hero Academy Hotline Miami Journey Kid Icarus: Uprising Mark of the Ninja Mass Effect 3 PlanetSide 2 The Room Sound Shapes Spelunky Spec Ops: The Line Trials Evolution The Unfinished Swan Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward The Walking Dead XCOM: Enemy Unknown ZombiU In late...

Mass Effect 3 Releases
North America
  • Xbox 360
    • Released 03/06/2012
    • Publisher Electronic Arts
    • Developer BioWare
    • Score 10
  • PlayStation 3
    • Released 03/06/2012
    • Publisher Electronic Arts
    • Developer BioWare
    • Score 10
  • Windows
    • Released 03/06/2012
    • Publisher Electronic Arts
    • Developer BioWare
    • Score 10
  • Wii U
    • Released 11/18/2012
    • Publisher Electronic Arts
    • Developer BioWare
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