Mass Effect

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BioWare is one of the most beloved studios in gaming for their story-driven focus and attention to detail when it comes to the RPG genre. Of the many series under their belt, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are arguably the most popular, but the two adventures may not have gotten off the ground had things gone a bit differently. In fact, we may have Electronic Arts’ notable BioWare acquisition to thank for either franchise being made at all.

This past weekend saw the LGBTQ-themed gaming convention HavenCon take place in Austin, Texas, where attendees were greeted by a few writers that worked on past BioWare projects. Speaking at the event, former Mass Effect lead writer Patrick Weekes, lead editor Karin Weekes, and Dragon Age writer David Gaider disclosed a number of interesting tidbits regarding the BioWare franchises with conversation eventually landing on the topic of Electronic Arts.

According to a Reddit user,

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BioWare’s Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect series’ are two of the most beloved in all of gaming and a large part of this was due to the numerous contributions from writer Drew Karpyshyn. For the upcoming Anthem, Karpyshyn was revealed to have returned to the studio to work on the spacefaring project, confirming the news himself earlier last year. Inclusion of the Mass Effect 2 writer was reason to rejoice for many longtime fans, but it seems as though it wasn’t meant to last.

Announcing on his official website Karpyshyn revealed he is no longer working with BioWare and has begun pursuing other projects. Acknowledging his past leaving of the company, the heartfelt update reveals that his latest retirement is owed to wanting to more time to complete outside projects. These include new novels and games, one of which is an undisclosed game for studio FogBank Entertainment. The full post can be

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It was this past October when longtime BioWare developer Mike Laidlaw announced his retirement from the company after 14 years. Having been a leading creative force in not only the realm of Dragon Age, but also with the likes of Mass Effect and Jade Empire, Laidlaw’s departure was definitely an upset for fans of those epic adventures. Recently, he opened up about why he decided to leave BioWare, as well as what he’s been up to since his departure.

In the most recent episode of the The Game Informer Show podcast, Laidlaw revealed several of his current goings-ons, which includes his game-streaming exploits as well as his formal job of secretive consultant work with other studios. He also went on to discuss why he left BioWare, a decision he attributes to wanting a change of scenery following his extended 14-year experience with the studio. Laidlaw described the feeling as a “seven-year itch, times two”.

Mike

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Deep Silver and 4A Games’ upcoming title Metro Exodus is taking its post-apocalyptic premise outside the underground and into the Russian wilderness for its next adventure. In the journey along the world’s harsh and weathered surface, player character Artyom and the rest of the Spartan faction utilize a large locomotive train called The Aurora to safely go from one area to the next. While transportation plays a big role on the Metro Exodus train, it ultimately offers an experience similar to The Normandy from the Mass Effect series.

In Mass Effect, Commander Shepard uses The Normandy as a base of operations between missions, and the same is true with Metro Exodus‘ Aurora. While aboard the steam-powered machine, players are free to roam around, tinker with the workbench, hide weapons away in a personal arsenal, and even strike up conversation with passengers. Adding to the similarities, some interactions could

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As many fans know, BioWare and Electronic Arts have halted all future content updates for Mass Effect: Andromeda, a shame as vast as the Andromeda galaxy. With the proper assortment of patches and tweaks, the game’s bug-filled launch could have been redeemed, or at least improved to a certain degree. As it stands, multiple nagging issues remain in the game with no promise of being fixed. Fortunately, a modder has assembled a Mass Effect: Andromeda Fixpack mod to address many of these unresolved issues.

A modder with the handle ‘NightWolf2503′ has created quite the comprehensive list of fixes for Mass Effect: Andromeda. Having already addressed problems such as looping quest prompts, clipping characters, and mismatched crafting blueprints, version 1.03 aims to hammer out a few more rough edges in the game.

In the new Andromeda Fixpack update, a few awkward Ryder conversations have been fixed, several Turians have

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Despite the controversial helicopter parents that everyone knows as the big publisher in the gaming industry these days, Anthem could find great success in BioWare‘s history of creating beloved franchises. Though little has been revealed since E3 2017, there’s high hopes and expectations for the studio and its latest intellectual property – both positive and negative. In a recently updated job listing, BioWare is currently in search for a Principal Game Designer for the new IP. From the exceptional list of requirements to fulfill that role, one stands out the most and means Anthem could feature a first person mode. Check out the image below:

There’s certainly the possibility, but it would be strange to list a requirement that may not be needed. However, as the saying goes – better to have and not need, than to need and not have. With that being said, perhaps Anthem could be offering both first person and

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StarCraft has always been a series of deep lore in a vast universe. Fans looking to delve deeper into the stories will get the opportunity with a new comic Mini-Series arriving this summer. Dark Horse Comics, in collaboration with Blizzard, has developed a StarCraft comic as a four-part series that will be taking the Summer by storm.

StarCraft Scavengers being written by Jody Houser of DC Comics and Valiant Entertainment. Gabriel Guzman is drawing the series and was previously the artist for the Dark Horse graphic novel Mass Effect Discovery. The first issue is expected in July.

The storyline of the StarCraft comic mini-series follows a team of Terrans tasked with finding a Protoss ship abandoned in the outer reach. On a never before explored planet, the team must salvage whatever they can before their mission is compromised by unknown forces. The comics follow a young and relatively inexperienced engineer that

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Inevitably, every fandom winds up with some pretty amazing fan art to add to the ever-growing universe. The most fun in the fan art department is when fandoms collide to create interesting parallels or adorable crossovers. One such artist decided to bring a little purity to Arcadia Bay with a Life is Strange Animal Crossing mashup that is so adorable there may be tears (to which LiS fans are used to).

Tumblr artist Unoobang decided that a Life is Strange Animal Crossing mashup was just the way to ring in the holidays. Both games are enjoying a surge in popularity as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has exploded on mobile, while Life is Strange is seeing its own mobile game and the final episode of Before the Storm.

Unoobang is known for having had their fan art shared by BioWare on N7 day to celebrate Mass Effect. Their latest addition doesn’t hold back either, dumping all of the cuteness into this Life is

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Urdnot Wrex is more than just a Krogan, he’s the ultimate battle buddy. From the Mass Effect trilogy series, Gaming Heads announces a limited edition Urdnot Wrex statue to stand beside Shepard in times of need complete with biotics and ultimate fire-power. What better way to celebrate a character with hilarious one liners than with an exclusive? He’s the very same genius that goes beyond just the precautionary double-tap with the saying, “Why shoot something once when you can shoot it 46 times?” That’s the Krogan all Mass Effect fans know and love.

Luckily, there are two collectible editions available at the Gaming Heads website, both retailing for the same price of $599.99. However, the exclusive Urdnot Wrex is only available on the respective site and limited to 500 pieces to be sold worldwide. It includes an exclusive M-300 claymore shotgun, and “clenched left hand swap-out items”. Both

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On November 20, 2007, Mass Effect was released for the Xbox 360. Presenting the premise of a cinematic space epic, the sprawling action RPG put players on a galaxy-saving quest across the cosmos, making alien friends and difficult plot-altering decisions along the way. The game’s interactive story and vivid design has received wide acclaim from critics, also kicking off the formation of a massive fan collective.

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During Mass Effect‘s three-year development cycle, nearly one fourth of that time was spent achieving a distinct sci-fi look, BioWare taking influence from iconic film properties such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and Blade Runner. Much of the remaining months laid the foundation of the project’s core gameplay of tactical shooter combat, space exploration, and advanced “digital actors”. Envisioned as a trilogy, this heavy initial workload was to ensure minimal development time between any

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There’s not a single doubt that a substantial amount of pressure weight heavily on both BioWare and Electronic Arts to do well with the upcoming science fiction video game title, Anthem. After the mixed reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda, both companies have decided focused all their efforts to make Anthem the best “unlike anything you’ve played“. Boasting live features with a focus on story- and character-centric gameplay. Despite the anticipation for their latest project, EA’s chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen revealed their “conservative” approach.

Revealing a release month for Anthem in March 2019, Jorgensen stated that the “game will be shipped in the last quarter of the year, and in the last month of that quarter”. That implies several different ideas about EA’s approach, but EA doesn’t offer any official details beyond that. Perhaps they’re intent on pushing the release as far as

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Acclaimed game developer BioWare has been the creative force behind numerous huge franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, with each adventure presenting its own unique and expansive worlds to explore. However, recent years have seen fans grow worried of BioWare’s direction under EA, especially with the controversy surrounding last year’s Mass Effect: Andromeda.

With new concern mounting over the upcoming release of Anthem, BioWare head Casey Hudson has assured fans of the studio’s continued commitment to creating immersive worlds. He has done so in a recent blog post, saying:

Video games are a unique medium. The only thing that stays the same is that they are constantly evolving. Many of the things we love about games now were not possible a few years ago. And that’s one of the hardest things about making games—continuing to innovate and evolve, while

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Guys – as an avid Mass Effect fan, I would absolutely be doing my gaming heritage an injustice if I didn’t talk about the recent Mars findings by NASA. When in doubt, go Paragon. But seriously, NASA’s rover Curiosity found some interesting things on its latest expedition on the Red Planet and if video games have taught us anything, this could be really cool – or end in a Reaper invasion. There really is no in-between.

According to the official NASA report, their rover “found new evidence preserved in rocks on Mars that suggests the planet could have supported ancient life, as well as new evidence in the Martian atmosphere that relates to the search for current life on the Red Planet. While not necessarily evidence of life itself, these findings are a good sign for future missions exploring the planet’s surface and subsurface.”

To read the FULL transcript of the podcast above, check out LiLi’s article

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Few things get gamers excited quite like BioWare’s Dragon Age an Mass Effect franchises. With deep stories and role-playing for days, these two entities are at the top of many people’s lists. That said, Casey Hudson recently had something to say about Dragon Age 4 and more Mass Effect, and fans are sure to be excited.

Speaking with Game Informer, the BioWare GM had a lot to say about their upcoming action RPG Anthem. However, it was the other staples of the studio that has received a bit of attention. When asked about the prospect of Dragon Age 4, he said:

I would say a majority of the people at BioWare are working on Anthem, but we do have people who are figuring out what a next Dragon Age would look like.”

Sadly, he wasn’t about to get into it with details, but it is good to know that they aren’t solely focusing on Anthem. After all, how do you take a popular franchise and add a new entry without

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Electronic Arts’ EA Play 2018 press conference has kicked off the big round of presentations being made at this year’s E3 show. As promised, EA has provided many new details about their current and upcoming games, including Star Wars Battlefront II, Battlefield V, and the much anticipated Anthem.

BioWare fans have been eager to see the new IP from the beloved developer behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series. However, Anthem has certainly looked and felt somewhat different from these other classic franchises, making many to wonder whether Anthem romance options will be a feature in the final game that continues the fan-favorite tradition.

Mike Gamble, who is serving as the lead producer for Anthem, has recently spoken with GameInformer for a cover story. Naturally, the topic of romance options was brought up, given their proliferated use in BioWare games. Fans may be disappointed to hear, as

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Electronic Arts kicked off the big line of press conferences for E3 2018 this past weekend, and it became quite clear that the new BioWare franchise Anthem was the highlight of their presentation. However, fan-favorite developer BioWare is in a bit of an awkward position with Anthem as their big focus of development. It will be their first title released after Andromeda, which has led to something of a break for the Mass Effect series after its mixed reception.

Given this, BioWare has promised that the Mass Effect hiatus does not mean that the series is dead. Eurogamer recently conducted an interview with BioWare’s Mike Gamble, who is currently working as the lead producer of Anthem. One of the big topics about Anthem regarded how the game is different from other BioWare games, including Dragon Age and Mass Effect. According to Gamble:

It is not a single-player corridor shooter, it’s not a Mass Effect

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From the phenomenal team that brought statues and figures for Urdnot Wrex, Fallout 4’s T-45, and other iconic figures from Just Cause, Dragon Age, and others is another fine-looking collectible. Gaming Heads reveals female Commander Shepard from the Mass Effect trilogy in all her badass glory. At 1:4 scale, there is a standard and exclusive version available for purchase with that latter offering an additional weapon, the M-98 Widow Anti-Material Rifle. Both editions come with the M8 Avenger assault rifle, so swapping between weapons won’t be a problem.

What better way to immortalize the intrepid commander than in polystone resin? The careful handiwork and hand-painted details make this gorgeous statue another one for the personal collection. Standing at 20 inches tall, this commander makes a formidable foe against those who threaten Earth. Check out a spotlight video that shows off the galactic hero

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A lot of man-hours are currently invested into BioWare’s newest and biggest project to date, Anthem. Not only is the team the largest they’ve ever had, the developers are laser focused on bringing the best experience for fans of the studio and of the science-fiction genre. Despite the fact that the game won’t launch until February of next year, the community is eager to find out what the studio has in store next. Could it be perhaps Star Wars? Maybe not.

According to a sit-down with Game Informer, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson let fans in on their ambitions after Anthem. Unfortunately for the Star Wars devotees out there, that franchise will be left on the back burner for a while; that is until they have Mass Effect and Dragon Age underway. Here’s a snippet of what Hudson said:

So, one challenge is to make a really great game on this scale really, at this point, takes the majority of the studio

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After 22 years in the industry, BioWare developer James Ohlen announced his departure and future endeavors. His work included high-profiled projects as designer and writer for such series as Dragon Age Origins, the Mass Effect trilogy, Baldur’s Gate, and SWTOR. He’s had a diverse array of experience under his belt including time with Knights of the Old Republic and more recently, Anthem. However, after more than two decades of dedication, Ohlen revealed his retirement from the studio via Twitter:

After 22 years I have retired from BioWare. I've loved my time with Anthem, Star Wars, Dragon Age and Dungeons and Dragons. But I need to take a break from the industry and work on something a little smaller and more personal.

— James Ohlen (@JamesOhlen) July 12, 2018

Ohlen has his sights set on other projects, ones more intimate and personal unlike triple-A IPs such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect. “The most

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Mass Effect’s galactic boyfriend Garrus Vakarian is finally setting aside those pesky calibrations and finally joining you in the bedroom…as an adorable plush! Announced via Twitter post by nerdy online retailer Sanshee, the Garrus plush is official BioWare merchandise that will launch at some point this October. Check him out in all his glory below:

The best thing ever – I mean the Garrus plush – stands at approximately 11 inches tall, and also comes with a special collector’s card. The Garrus plush on its own is now available for pre-order, on sale at the time of writing for $29.99. As mentioned in the above Tweet, though, Sanshee also has a special ‘Galactic Boyfriend Bundle’ available for those looking for a little bit more Krogan in their lives. For just $10 more than the cost of Garrus alone, the Galactic Boyfriend Bundle includes both a Garrus and Grunt plush, for top-tier amounts of cuddling!