Second Story Gamer

[Update: It turns out the source that I found this news on wasn't quoting the article properly.  So, the entire news story could be false.  Bioware could still develop Mass Effect 2 and 3 for every console.  Sorry for the misunderstanding.]

After Bioware was acquired by EA, many gamers were worried that EA would force the developer to make multiplatform games and continue churning out titles.  Xbox 360 gamers were especially worried, as they didn’t want to see the Mass Effect trilogy end up on any other system, except for maybe the PS3.  Why, you ask?  Because every second spent making the DS version of a game could be used to polish up the Xbox 360 version even more.

Well, those of you who want to see the Mass Effect trilogy appear exclusively on the 360 just got your prayers answered.  In the just released September issue of gaming magazine Australian 360, Bioware CEO Ray Muzyka has made the commitment “to bring the Mass Effect trilogy exclusively to the Xbox 360″.

This news comes in direct contrast to the recent news of third-party titles going multiplatform, like Final Fantasy XIII.  But why would Bioware not release this game on the PS3, where it could potentially sell millions of copies.  Well there are two answers.  The Bioware CEO answer: “we’re always very ambitious in our goals and the most important thing is quality, so we’re never going to compromise that”.  Or the realistic answer: Bioware has some sort of exclusivity contract with Microsoft.  You decide which one you believe.

But after this trilogy is completed, maybe a DS Mass Effect will become a possibility.  The article stated: “it was suggested that once the trilogy has closed the IP could begin to move in new directions”.

Also noted was the fact that this trilogy not only will be exclusive to Microsoft, but it will also be exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform.  And with the next Mass Effect expected to be released in 2009, that gives a two year gap between each release.  So, we can speculate that Mass Effect 3 is due in 2011, which, by most estimates, is at the very end of the 360’s console cycle.  In fact, some analysts are even saying that the Xbox 720 will be released in 2010.  So how’s that going to work out?

[via XboxOZ360]