RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

With the Mass Effect Trilogy already available for 360 and PC, BioWare has revealed a date of December 4 for the bundle to hit the PS3 in North America. The European release will follow on December 7.

DLC-wise, the PS3 version will include Bring Down the Sky, Kasumi, Overlord, and Lair of the Shadow Broker. Mass Effect 3 will remain as it shipped, with the Extended Cut still free for download separately.

Source: Eurogamer

BioWare has just announced a collection of the Mass Effect trilogy, covering all three games for all systems. This includes the original Mass Effect for PlayStation 3, which will also be released separately as a digital download. The box sets will include a limited selection of DLC, though the choice of content may differ based on platform; it is known that add-ons like Lair of the Shadow Broker (ME2) and Leviathan will not be among them. While the Trilogy Edition will not have an option for a Female Shepard cover, the official Mass Effect Twitter did mention it had “a little something special planned for FemShep coming.”

PC and 360 versions go live on November 6 in North America, with the PS3’s date still unknown.

Source: Eurogamer

I know, awful awful pun. I shall punish myself accordingly by eating this blueberry muffin. Anyway, we’ve got us some news!

• Wasteland 2‘s Kickstarter surpasses all expectations, especially mine.  Let the blood sausage festival commence!
• Obsidian is forced to lay people off and cancel a next-generation project.  I’d like to blame that Bethesda-New Vegas– Metacritic contract shenanigans, but the reality is slightly more complicated.
• Through a truly unexpected twist of fate, Giant Bomb winds up back inside the GameSpot offices from whence they came.  Awkwaaaard~
• Incidentally, GB’s Dave Snider wrote an excellent column about finding work in games media.  Well worth a read for even the most discouraged would-be content creator.
• Speaking of interesting columns, Joystiq’s Rowan Kaiser breaks down the year that Western RPGs… well, broke down.  Also a fascinating read, even if you disagree about when PC RPGs hit their Golden Age.
• Mass Effect 3‘s ending makes such a splash that it bypasses traditional spoiler alerts.  While I don’t spoil it myself, I do go over what it means for BioWare if they don’t address the criticism post-haste.
• Baldur’s Gate gets an enhanced edition, Microsoft gets a new Peter Moore, and more!

 
Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Let the Bio Beware’ »

You know it’s true.

Sorry for the delay, folks! Man, ME3 and Super Tuesday tomorrow! The political junkie and the Mass Effect fanboy are having a fistfight for dominance in my brain stem. Gonna be busyyyyyy~

Anyway, to the news:

• Mass Effect 3 comes out tomorrow, or, if pirates are to be believed, today.  Guess somebody got ahold of one of those low-orbit packages.  And speaking of which…
• …one of them got stuck in a tree north of San Francisco, boldly resisting an intrepid IGN team’s attempt to dislodge it.  Well, at least bears weren’t involved.
• UK retailer GAME is in a bit of financial trouble, revealing they will be unable to stock Mass Effect 3 or Mario Party 9.  Hey, guys?  I know your parents probably told you honesty is the best policy and all, but, uh, you may have wanted to make something up this one time.
• The rumor mill is abuzz that Valve may be developing a Steam-centric PC-slash-console with baseline stats for modern games.  Hey Valve, Derek and I got this great idea for a mascot.  You ready for this?  He’s a scientist, see, and he’s fighting an alien invasion…
• Facebook gaming takes a sharp downturn from 2011, with the company having to work harder to draw in new users.
• By contrast, Zynga unveils their own content delivery platform to stand apart from Facebook, forgetting how they got so many people playing their games in the first place.
• Pokemon Black & White Version 2 makes like Daft Punk and goes around the world, Kinect gets a tinfoil hat accessory, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Should’ve Kept the Base’ »

Hey-hey!  Are you all excited?  I know I am, because a Giants-Patriots rematch in the Super Bowl means we’ll get more of this classy gentleman.  Seriously, Carl’s locks make the NFL worth watching long after your team has washed out because you didn’t have a backup quarterback.

Me?  Bitter?  Pshaw.  Anyway, here’s the latest:

• SOPA and PIPA have been shelved in response to public outcry and prolonged protest.  Major backers withdrawing their support might’ve had something to do with that, too.
• And yet despite the bills not passing, the FBI and DoJ had no trouble shutting down Megaupload and arresting people in New Zealand.  Why, it’s almost like Washington already has broad powers to pursue people in other countries.
• Commentary: despite the bills being on hold for now, expect this issue to resurface at some point.  Google “Congress riders” for just one worrying example.
• All this begs the question of what can be done going forward, both about piracy and the clumsy responses to it.  Ars Technica offers in-depth solutions.  I would start with “try treating your customers like people for a change.”
• Meanwhile at BioWare, The Old Republic suffers an unfortunate PvP issue right when it can least afford one.  This wouldn’t be quite such a problem if the game weren’t so expensive to produce.
• Mass Effect 3 aims to ditch the mission-based structure of Mass Effect 2, going for something more fluid and constant.  You mean like Mass Effect 1, right?
• Zynga buys more mobile game studios.  Yes, Zynga, because that’s what you were doing wrong: not buying enough smaller companies.

 
Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – The Internet is Safe… For Now’ »

Good evening, folks!  My kingdom for a newsman fedora, but the show must go on.  At least until Deus Ex: Human Revolution lures me back in with its siren song.  Goddamn but that game is hard to put down.  Anyway, let’s get to the news:

• GameStop opens PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution to remove OnLive coupons.  Square Enix, like everyone else, had forgotten GameStop sells PC games.
• MCV conducts a survey of games journalists about the industry, with some surprising consistency in their answers.  Check the full thing out here, it’s worth a read.
• Steve Jobs vacates his position as Apple’s CEO, prompting everybody to panic before he can finish his sentence with “…but staying on the board of directors.”
• BioWare’s Greg Zeschuk gives an interview with VG 24/7; the internet hears ‘RPGs’ and ‘less relevant’ and takes it from there.  Go Team Knee-jerk!  (Full disclosure: I do mourn the absence of big-budget Baldur’s Gate-style RPGs.)
• EA and Starbreeze Studios may be developing a new Syndicate game.  Somewhere, Peter Molyneux is feeling an unexplained pang of regret and loss.
• A Latitude Research survey attempts to dispel old myths about gamers, the .hack series gets a movie when they really need a (better) game, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Comparing Apple and Lemon-Lime’ »

Goooood evening, friends! It’s news roundup time, and have we got some stories for you. Here’s the latest:

• Stardock CEO speaks out on selling Impulse to GameStop, but the reasoning behind the sale remains unclear.  Also, he claims his fingers were broken in a “boking” accident.
• Nintendo and Sony commiserate over stock price and handheld launch woes.  Those two should get together more often.
• Sony says price isn’t a make-or-break factor for a platform’s launch.  Uh-oh.
• Rumor mill discussion over an alleged Sony insider leaking E3 2011 details.  Kaz Hirai and Jack Tretton to fight to the death confirmed.
• EA thinks it can take on Zynga.  Details to follow in the documentary Wall Street 3: Make Games or Die Trying.
• Ubisoft thinks it can take on EA and Activision.  Their likely response: “Ubi-who now?”
• BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 deal, PopCap Games loses their mind, and much more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Impulse Buys and Picking Fights Poorly’ »

For those Dragon Age fans who may be a bit behind on a certain other epic role-playing series, BioWare has just the deal for you. To celebrate Dragon Age 2 hitting the one million mark in two weeks, BioWare is now offering free downloadable copies of Mass Effect 2 alongside it. The deal is accessible through registered copies of Dragon Age 2 for any platform, though the download code is for PC only.

Players have until the end of the month to redeem their codes, and all purchases beforehand are eligible. Further details and instructions can be found at the official site.

Good to see you folks again!  Been an interesting week of big-name personalities competing for air time, and a few surprising announcements to boot.  Let’s break it down:

• Japanese companies react to the earthquake, and the politics of nuclear power.
• When selectively quoted, Reggie and Nintendo look down on indie developers.  Context is one mean mother, huh?
• Peter Molyneux joins the BAFTA Fellowship, admits he may have made up features to the press.  Say it ain’t so, Peter.
• NPD revises electronic sales tracking, EA/Activision claim with a straight face that digital distribution is a key part of their revenue.
• Mass Effect 2: Arrival announced.  How will we carry over our precious record of face-punching into Mass Effect 3?
• Ubisoft contracts research firm to poll on hypothetical NGP prices, and shows up to the music game scene wondering where everybody went.
• River City Ransom 2 is announced. Barf!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Nuclear Journalism Sales Effect’ »

With Mass Effect 3 in the works, BioWare has just formally announced the release date of the last DLC for Mass Effect 2.  Dubbed Arrival, the content will bridge the gap between the two games by taking Shepard into Batarian space, where a missing agent reportedly has information about an impending Reaper invasion.  Arrival will “show players just how close the Reapers are to returning,” according to executive producer Casey Hudson.  Apart from adding new research options, the content will also feature Admiral Hackett in a prominent role, possibly once again asking Shepard to do everything.

Arrival will release on March 29 for 560 MS funbucks, or $6.99.

Source: 1UP

In a podcast hosted by BioWare’s Chris Priestly, producer Jesse Houston announced that Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 is officially done and ready for its release next month.  Houston stated that the PS3 adaptation was built on the engine to be used for Mass Effect 3 with content and assets from 2 reconstructed in the new engine.  Controls have been reconfigured to adapt to the PS3 controller, though players can also switch back to the 360 setup.  Apart from reiterating much of what’s known currently – pack-in DLC, the interactive Mass Effect comic, no disc swapping – he also confirmed that Mass Effect 3 will launch on the same day for all three platforms during the 2011 holiday season.

The podcast in its entirety can be heard on the official blog.  Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 will hit US stores starting January 18, and European retailers on January 21.

Addressing the official forums, BioWare’s Jesse Houston confirmed a few details about the upcoming PlayStation 3 release of Mass Effect 2.  Correcting a translation error in an earlier interview, Houston confirmed that all content currently available for 360/PC will be available on PS3.  Of particular note is that most of the substantial DLC content to date – Lair of the Shadow Broker, Kasumi: Stolen Memory, and Overlord – will be included for free.  As with other platforms, retail copies will also permit access to the Cerberus network and its content.

Unique to the PS3 release is the interactive comic, of which few details are currently known.  However, Houston mentioned that it would allow players “to be faced with some of the major choices which will have consequences your Mass Effect universe.”  It was specified that the comic would initially be exclusive to the PS3, given the first game did not appear on the platform.

Houston’s post can be read in full here.  Mass Effect 2 will be available for the PS3 in January of 2011.

Electronic Arts and Bioware made two significant announcements yesterday at a press conference preceding GamesCom in Germany. Dragon Age 2 will be released for PC, 360, and PS3 in in North America on March 8, 2011 and in Europe on March 11, 2011. The companies also announced that Mass Effect 2 will be released for the PS3 in January 2011.

BioWare announced today that new downloadable content is coming for Mass Effect 2.  Tellingly dubbed Lair of the Shadow Broker, this latest DLC pits Shepard and company against the titular black market of information.  Little is known about both the Shadow Broker itself and the content, although BioWare did announce that the player would team up with Liara, who stayed out of the party in Mass Effect 2 to focus on dealing with said organization.

More details and screenshots can be found on the official website.  A release date has not been stated.  Although their involvement has not been indicated in the content, Cerberus has nonetheless prepared to reset its “days since our last Resident Evil-style program failure” sign back to zero.

A man of enduring mystery and glowing robot eyes, Mass Effect 2‘s Illusive Man is largely a question mark voiced by Martin Sheen.  Come this January, however, Dark Horse plans to flesh out his origins in a four-part miniseries dubbed Mass Effect: Evolution, courtesy of the team behind the popular Mass Effect: Redemption. Continue reading ‘New Mass Effect Comic Details the Illusive Man’s Backstory’ »

Today, BioWare announced a couple of new toys for both the PC and Xbox360 versions of Mass Effect 2. The first is a 90-minute demo, featuring the opening cinema and mission of the game, and will allow players to save the progress they make on the demo for use on the full game.

The second, and probably more interesting announcement, is that new DLC will be available for the game come tomorrow. Called Overlord, it adds five new areas to the game, as well as two new achievements. There wasn’t much in the way of further details, but the content will put players back 560 points, either in Microsoft or Bioware’s Internet Funbucks, depending on which platform you’re on.

Mass Effect 2‘s lead producer Casey Hudson recently told Videogamer.com that BioWare plans to release “a continued stream of DLC” for the game, including “packs that’ll tell the story between Mass Effect 2 and 3.” Hudson also revealed that work has begun on Mass Effect 3, but the company won’t be sharing any details about it for the next few months.

Source: Videogamer.com

The downloadable content machine rolls on.  Next up for Mass Effect 2 is a multi-mission storyline dubbed Overlord, which apparently involves battling through a laboratory and other facilities in an attempt to shut down an enemy AI; on the Normandy this is known as “Tuesday.” Continue reading ‘New Mass Effect 2 DLC: I’m Scared, Shepard. Will I Dream?’ »

BioWare just announced via its Twitter feed that it will be releasing a new appearance pack for Mass Effect 2 that contains new outfits for squad members. The accompanying photo, which is also available on the official website, shows that Thane and Jack will also have new eyewear and Garrus’s new outfit lacks the broken section on the collar, unlike his current in-game wardrobe. The appearance pack will be out on March 23 and it will set you back 160 MS points or 160 BioWare points.

The company also announced the release date for Kasumi – Stolen Memory as April 6.

Deciding that Commander Shepard doesn’t have enough eccentric layabouts chilling out on the Normandy, Bioware announced the newest addition to the Mass Effect 2 crew. Kasumi, a gifted human thief with considerable technical aptitude, is contacted by Cerberus to join Shepard. Of course she has her own issues to sort out along the way, and her dossier on Bioware’s website notes one in particular: breaking into the vault of an infamous criminal called Donovan Hook.

Kasumi’s bio page can be found on the Mass Effect 2 website here.