Kotaku
Mass Effect may still be a 360 console exclusive, but come May of this year PC gamers will be getting their own taste of BioWare's epic space RPG. Today EA has announced that Mass Effect for the PC is heading our way, featuring all of the good bits of the 360 release with some added enhancements to spice things up for the mouse and keyboard set. High resolution visuals, run & gun control that allows players to assign hotkeys to their powers (woot!), a new decryption mini-game, and - the best bit - a new inventory screen GUI that makes it easier for players to swap out and upgrade their weapons and armor. Sounds like those of us who couldn't quite get into the swing of the 360 version might get another stab at the multi-award-winning title this spring. Maybe we can even mod the sex scenes into something closer to Fox News' standards!
Mass Effect to Land on PC in May 2008Award-Winning Epic Will Be Published By EA
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Leading video game developer, BioWare™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) company, has announced that the award-winning space epic Mass Effect™ will be released for the PC in May 2008. Published by EA and re-designed for the PC, Mass Effect invites players to take the role of Commander Shepard as they set out on an adventure to save the galaxy from imminent destruction. Wrought with treachery, heroism, difficult decisions and a universe filled with unique and colorful species, Mass Effect delivers a truly compelling storyline.
Optimized for the PC, Mass Effect for the PC incorporates the following features:
* Optimized controls designed specifically for the PC.
* High resolution visuals - Mass Effect for the PC features highly detailed textures, characters and environments.
* Fully customizable controls - PC gamers can re-map the control scheme any way they like.
* Run & Gun Control - Players can assign biotic powers or skills to 'hot keys' allowing them to play Mass Effect with a heavier focus on action.
* New decryption mini-game.
* New inventory screen GUI and functionality - The enhanced inventory system makes it easier for players to equip and modify their weapons and armor."Mass Effect serves as a powerful example of video games as an art form, delivering new levels of emotional intensity, realistic characters and a gripping storyline - all set in a compelling new universe," said Ray Muzyka, General Manager, BioWare and Vice President, Electronic Arts. Frank Gibeau, President of EA's Games Label added, "EA has struck an agreement with Microsoft to handle future publishing for Mass Effect. We are looking forward to releasing Mass Effect on the PC this Spring and brand new titles in the future."
Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, Mass Effect has received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 70 awards including Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year. Mass Effect combines a deep story with intense combat and challenges the player to make difficult decisions that can significantly impact the course of events. An innovative conversation system allows for lifelike interaction with some of the most realistic digital actors, voiced by Hollywood actors such as Seth Green, Marina Sirtis, Lance Henriksen and Keith David. Mass Effect for the PC has not yet been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Comments
Oh so great! I'll be putting my PC to good use now <3
Oh yea. This is great news. ;)
New inventory system = THANK THE LORD
I think the real question is: Will it break five frames per second in combat?
Shane Kim has obviously no clue whats going on with the games...
Woahhhhh I had no idea.
/sarcasm
"Exclusive"
I knew it, I knew it.
Games for Windows lol.
Lies! This game was one of the reasons I bought the bloody console. Someone needs to tell these video game companies what "exclusive" means.
Wonder if they'll include the DLC in the PC version?
@Strangelove:
Off course it will... it's on a PC not a X360 ;) (just kidding)
The supreme irony of this is that now we actually might stand a chance of having sex with anyone anywhere. We know the game has nude models for humans and asari...can you honestly say we won't be seeing a virtual orgasmic rape mod sometime in the future?
Yeah, they definitely need to do a clean sweep of the gold master before they press this, just to make sure no "sexual" material that may have been cut from the game remains on the disk. I would agree that a mod featuring explicit and dirty sex is probably inevitable, just as the inclusion of likenesses of various Fox News personalities in the aforementioned mod is also inevitable ;)
Woot! This made my day.
Oh yeah, Bioware is alot like Apple, 2nd Gen is better.
@poser85:
Someone needs to explain to you what money means then.
I've given up hope for a PS3 version now.
Good, I think every true gamer should be able to experience this masterpiece. I know I'm enjoying the hell out of it (got it a couple of days ago).
Yes, Mass Coffee!!! :)
Sweet action!
Or would it be Hot Effect?
Yay! Now I get to live in shame as my 360 chugs along through minimal frame rates wondering what an inventory screen is as PC gamers get to experience the game in a way that has the possibility of being described as intuitive, or maybe even good.
Will they also include more hardcore sex scenes?
@Spoony Bard:
I like "Hot Effect" more :D
Thank God! I've been hoping for the PC release for this since it launched. Had no idea it would be soon.
@poser85: Console exclusives going to PC is not THAT uncommon. Plus, I'm sure it's going on Windows machines, so it is still a Microsoft platform exclusive! I'm looking forward to seeing what modders can do with this game, with the way content is chunked up it seems like it would be easy to add new missions and such without mucking with the main story arc. (And maybe we'll see a base that isn't part of the Acme Moonbase Builder kit!)
"New inventory screen GUI and functionality - The enhanced inventory system makes it easier for players to equip and modify their weapons and armor."
Can I have 360 patch please?
Yea, not the least bit surprised here. Hopefully those UI improvements come down to us 360 owners in a patch.
@RandalGraves: PC often gets the better versions, especially of Bioware games.
Have the 360 version, and plan on getting the PC version unless it has Assassin Creed requirements.
M_Ass_Effect_Full_Frontal_Mod_v1.exe
Downloading....
Maybe Bioware should add Fox News logo on the private parts?
Is this Vista only?
Bioware has a huge PC following so their PC gamer fans will be delighted.
"EA has struck an agreement with Microsoft to handle future publishing for Mass Effect. We are looking forward to releasing Mass Effect on the PC this Spring and brand new titles in the future."
This is possibly the most exciting part of the press release. It doesn't look good for my PS3 though.
I was gonna buy this game for a friend of mine to play on HIS 360 but now, change of plans...MY PC
so...PStriple version is next?
Hooray! I'm glad they have decided to throw PC gamers a bone. Now let's just hope the requirements aren't absurdly steep... Please post those as soon as you can.
@cooler_dood: It says EA struck a deal with Microsoft for current and future ME games. Doesn't look good for the PS3. I am selling mine anyway so I don't really care.
I still haven't purchased one of these new-fangled, next-gen consoles, and Mass Effect was the one game that was tipping the scales towards the 360.
Now that it's coming to PC, the 360 and the PS3 are about dead even again in my book. Hmmmmmmmm....decisions, decisions...
Earlier than i expected
Sold, so goddamn sold. I want it on my rig now :G
@homernoy: They struck a deal to release future ME games not to make them exclusive.
@thefais: I'm guessing the 'recommended' requirements might be like a Geforce 8 series, 2.4GHz +, 1 gig ram, 15 gigs HDD.
Pretty cheap pc build if you have to upgrade.
and here i was actually worried i'd have to wait until the fall to play mass effect. thank god for the predictability that is the microsoft and bioware business model.
SWEET, imagine mods for the explicit sex scene that zealots have spoken about...you mean I could scan in my face and put it on the body?
OMG VIRTUAL RAPE!!!!! SOMEONE CALL THE POPE!!!!!!
Yay, hopefully playable framerate and no popping-galore. Seriously, the blizzard planet side-quest... C'mon... More varied side-quests wouldn't hurt either! I mean, drop on planet, find a desertet bunker, kill everything, graet success! x 100 times.
Man, if MS wants me to consider the 360 as a truly valid platform, they should stop shooting themselves in the foot porting every single one of their worthwhile games to the PC....no wait, they can keep doing that.
Sweet! A third palythrough on the PC than. Woth buying a second time!
I totally called this one. I knew it would be a waste of money to buy a 360.
Now all I need is Eternal Sonata and the 360 will be obsolete, at least for me.
So is the scandal going to be "Space Coffee" when someone eventually mods it to reveal more nudity and Fox news starts making things up again?
Like all "Xbox Exclusives" they sooner or later they will come to PC. It will just be a few months now till Halo 3 comes. Pssh not like I'd buy it even if it did.
That "Intel Inside" logo makes it look like she's preganant with a PC ...
THANK GOD!! Now i don't have to live with the horrible framerates on the 360. I'll definately buy this game a second time.
the only thing that concerns me about this is who is going to do the porting. Because there is nothing worse then a console game being poorly optimized and put on pc.
FINALLY!!! I knew they would dissapoint the PC users, I will play this game as is meant to be.
As excited as this news makes me, I approach Bioware's PC ports with extreme trepidation. They often follow very specific and arbitrary system requirements for CPUs and Video Cards - KOTR in particular I installed onto three separate and capable rigs, none of which had any problems running any contemporary "A" titles, and endured the flickering slideshow for all of ten minutes before giving up... fingers and toes crossed for this one.
@DETRE
I'll be glad as long as it's not Capcom *shudders at the thought of Lost Planet PC*.
Something is wrong with that picture. Why does Ashley have her helmet on in Flux when no battles take place there? The helmet only goes on during combat.
@Spoony Bard: Hot Mass?
@ckranger11:
and the intel inside logo D: