by Ravi Sinha
A Microsoft published title selling 1.6 million units in its first few weeks is a big deal. And when the title was Mass Effect, Bioware’s massively anticipated space epic, the hype was only amplified. It helped that the game warranted universal critical acclaim and along with Bioshock, Forza 2 and Halo 3 elevated the Xbox 360 to fame in 2007. Now, as Mass Effect 2 readies for a level walk-through at GDC ‘09, the buzz going around involves the series supposed multi-platform reach.
Granted, almost every company has or is rumoured to be ending age-old allegiances in this cost-hungry era of development. And hey, which gamer doesn’t crave for more high-quality titles? The Mass Effect issue, however, involves more than a simple return on investments.
Bioware wants to demonstrate the lesser amount of time and high playability that Mass Effect 2 benefits from at the GDC. In other words, they want to demonstrate how they optimized development for their current tech, being in this case the 360 and PC platforms. Tweaking the engine to support the PS3’s tech, while doable, requires more time and money. Judging by the speed at which the first ME2 footage was announced, roughly one and a half years after it’s predecessor’s release, proves the same: Bioware will go with the engine and system architecture it can benefit from the most at this time.
It’s also imperative to observe the differing audiences for the PS3 versus the 360 and PC. Japanese-developed RPGs have a greater degree of success in Japan than Western RPGs. Tales of Vesperia boosted the fledgling 360 to move more units in that country. Mass Effect, on the other hand, wasn’t even released there. JRPGs have an added advantage of appealing to both Eastern and Western markets.
This is not to say PS3 fans don’t play Western RPGs. Just that a large number of Western RPG gamers, Mass Effect’s target audience, lay on the 360 and PC side. Compare the flops of Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant and Blue Dragon with the blockbuster success of Mass Effect in the West. Observe Square-Enix’s desire to release FFXIII for the 360 in the West and not in Japan, even after the PS3 version releases. The target audience always defines what games hit which platform in what country and when, if at all. Both points of discussion revolve around initial investment and the risks involved. Millions sold means squat if a title under performs, as demonstrated by the multi-platform Tomb Raider: Underworld.
Mass Effect should not be deemed as a quality franchise unworthy or too safe to go multi-platform. Didn’t Bioshock hit the PS3 in the end? Right now, Mass Effect is too big in scale and production costs to deal with in multi-platform absolutes. Bioware may attempt a “timed-exclusive” stance. Then again, just how many Bioware titles have come to the PS3 in it’s two year life-cycle anyway?
Unless Bioware sees any exorbitant demand for it’s titles, it’s highly doubtful if they’ll hop on the multi-platform band-wagon any time soon.
48 Responses to “Mass Effect Can’t go Multiplatform – Here’s Why”
“Thiis is not to say PS3 fans don’t play Western RPGs. Just that a large number of Western RPG gamers, Mass Effect’s target audience, lay on the 360 and PC side. Compare the flops of Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant and Blue Dragon with the blockbuster success of Mass Effect in the West.”
What proof do you have to make the accusation that most western rpg gamers come from 360 owners? Or that it has a bigger audience than the PS3? And why even compare rpgs made from Japan to those made here? It only proves the obvious that japanese rpgs will sell well in Japan, and only the hard core western rpg players will look into those.
Which leaves me to wonder, how do you think the 360’s version of FFXIII will sell? Its a japanese rpg, and by your article it will not be received well in the U.S.
All I hear is a sad 360 fanboy crying because the 360 might lose an exclusive.
Terrible article.
Europe right now is stronger for PS3, and that’s where the publishers make a lot more money, in Europe where they can charge a lot more for the games.
Your point on the Japanese audience has absolutely no significance, yeah 360 is stronger in US, but that’s not to say the PS3 is completely invisible in the US and Europe is extremely important. So what Japan doesn’t respond to it, the Japanese are all fucking NINTENDO right now, not PS3 or 360, it’s about handhelds and Wiis over there.
EA had a bad touch with Mirrors Edge, it didn’t sell that well, considering had that been single platform, it would have been an absolute disaster.
EA is gonna look at the market, look at its finances and will most likely make it multiplatform as it will sell.
Terrible article, makes no sense at points… the only reason this will be noticed is because you posted it on N4G.
“Just that a large number of Western RPG gamers, Mass Effect’s target audience, lay on the 360 and PC side.”
That’s a Catch 22. Western RPGs have not had much success on the PS3 because they haven’t even been available. And until a JRPG received simultaneous release on the 360 and PS3, you cannot somehow claim that the PS3 user-base is more likely to play JRPGS (and therefore not Mass Effect 2).
The only reliable case study we have is Fallout 3. Out of all the titles that have come out in the past 2 years, it comes closest to Mass Effect in terms of target demographic, gameplay and style. And based on this case, one can see that PS3 users are just as interested in WRPGs as the 360 users (the 360 had twice the number of users and twice the number of sales: so the per-user sales is nearly identical).
What you claimed is half-right. More of ME’s target audience does lay on the 360 side, but only because the 360 has more users, period. The PS3 users are just as interested in seeing that title come to their console, and would buy it just as much.
Given projected console sales over the next year, it’s looking likely that the spread between 360 users and PS3 users will be around 3:2. So, if Mass Effect 2 sells 3 million on the 360, you can expect the PS3 to move about 2 million.
Yes, it comes down to ROI, really. But if Bioware really thinks that 2 million isn’t worth their investment, there are only two explanations for it:
a) completely lack of manpower (and lack of will to invest in personnel)
b) spite (against Sony)
Either way, it won’t look good for Bioware.
BTW, I assumed ME2 would sell 3 mil because it was a good even number. But ME1 did sell 2.3million, and given the 360’s growth since then, it’s very possible that ME2 will indeed sell 3 mil on th 360 alone.
…and I have a lot of typos in my post. I wish I could edit them. =)
Bioware is now owned by EA. I imagine EA’s multiplatform ambitions won’t be quelled by Bioware because of a FORMER publishing deal (including exclusivety rights) to Microsoft. Not to mention EA has plenty of teams in-house that could at the least port the game.
The game can’t go multi platform because then it would have to get rid of those glorious elevator sequences, and that would be a shame.
I want my time back I wasted reading your crap. You make no sense. I hope this is a hobby and not your fulltime job because you did a horrible job telling me why Mass Effect can’t be made for the PS3.
Brian, perhaps if you aren’t retarded it would make more sense.
He did an excellent job explaining, with great detail, and thought as to why it won’t be on PS3…
Don’t be a little bum
Well, an other article wasting the reader’s time.
You’re showing a lot of inside information in the architecture and development of the engine used by bioware – probably cause you were there senier architect programmer for the last year?
Your arguments are totally silly. The game is too complex to go multiplatform (yes, makes sense.. GTA4, FF13 and a lot others, are exclusives aswell) and the development went too fast? What’s that? So if your development times are short, you must be exclusive (like all the sport games are with there one-year cycles).
In the end the effort needed to port a game or develop it for multiple platforms depens on the skill of the people developing the engine (/middleware/..) and the overall resources available.. and here I would guess, that bioware has enough of both if the want it.
..and the european/jrpg thing isa wild guess and shows you don’t have the knowledge you pretend to have. The PS3 is as successfull in euopre as the 360, and we aren’t asians and/or focused on their rpgs.
I have to disagree with the author. I feel that Bioware’s port of Bioshock shows that the company seeks to enter the multi-platform arena. This coupled with the fact that the best time to write code, for any system, is during the games programing, not after its complete. Additionally, your arugment about western RPGs versus Eastern RPGs is not fully applicapble in this case. There are approximelty 7 million PS3 in the USA and if 10% of them purchase ME2 I am sure Bioware would be able to recup the cost of additional program for ME2 for the PS3. Finally, the cost to port a game to other consoles is only a small fraction of the overall games construction cost since it generally involves a smaller team. Now I don’t know if ME2 will make it to the PS3 but I sure hope it does. That way I won’t have to rent a Xbox 360 again like I did to play the original.
@Joshua:
As if EA didn’t have enough on it’s back. The world will certainly crush Atlus one of these days. -_-;;
@Brian:
Love what you do and do what you love, right Brian? Hope that tells what writing about games actually is to me. (Hint: Heed the words of Michael Clayton, Sense-Seeking Soul of the Beyond).
@Orakga:
“Until a JRPG received simultaneous release on the 360 and PS3, you cannot somehow claim that the PS3 user-base is more likely to play JRPGS (and therefore not Mass Effect 2).”
Absolutely true. However, if Mass Effect isn’t even released in Japan for either 360 or PC, does it mean people are interested in it and MS is being too mean to give it to them? I don’t think so.
In regards to the audience in the west, it’d be great if the Mass Effect series came to the PS3. But as I said before, and despite the fact that a good number may be interested, Bioware has not released a single game for the PS3 since it’s inception. I doubt they hate Sony, though I do agree that they’d need to have the manpower to justify it (let’s not forget they’re tied up with Dragon Age and Star Wars: The Old Republic). And let’s not forget Microsoft’s methods for keeping exclusives on its side. It may not beat Sony in number of franchises, but it does when it comes to keeping franchises.
We don’t mind typos. So long as you express a clear opinion. ^_^
@Harkness:
“JRPGs have an added advantage of appealing to both Eastern and Western markets.”
Perhaps I should have clarified by saying only good JRPGs, that too ones from Square-Enix, sell well.
“EA is gonna look at the market, look at its finances and will most likely make it multiplatform as it will sell.”
EA makes almost all of it’s games multi-platform. But then, how many succeeded? Left4Dead was one – and I believe that was only on 360 and PC. Like Mass Effect. The point is, given all the INITIAL investment needed to make a game multi-platform, and not just from scratch but when it’s already being developed, and then do the same for it’s predecessor, EA would be spending much more than it ever did for Mirror’s Edge. And if the return isn’t satisfactory, then they’re right back at the beginning, aren’t they?
@Vaddix:
“So what Japan doesn’t respond to it, the Japanese are all fucking NINTENDO right now, not PS3 or 360, it’s about handhelds and Wiis over there.”
So the success of Tales of Vesperia (360), Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) and White Knight Chronicles (PS3) mean nothing?
And for your information, most people liken me to a Sony fanboy.
@Martin:
They could still have 3 hour install times and nice elevator music playing throughout, couldn’t they? xD
@PantherDST:
Thanks for sharing your views Panther. I’d like to believe that Bioware could recoup money off 700,000 units of ME for the PS3. But even games that are developed for multi-platforms, when they sell a large number of units, can fail to meet developer’s expectations like Tomb Raider Underworld and Mirror’s Edge.
Also, Bioware didn’t port Bioshock to the PS3. 2K Marin did.
@Ravi Sinha,
Below follows the top selling 30 games in Japan of 2008.
Of the HD consoles, only MGS4 made it into the top 30.
And if you had read my post, you would have seen “handelds”. Of course the Japanese love Final Fantasy and the PSP. And this year has been incredible in games, but HD gaming in Japan is nowhere near the penetration it is in US & Europe.
01. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
02. Pokemon Platinum (DS)
03. Wii Fit (Wii)
04. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
05. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
06. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
07. Dragon Quest V (DS)
08. Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (DS)
09. Animal Crossing City Folk (Wii)
10. Wii Sports (Wii)
11. Phantasy Star Portable (PSP)
12. Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (DS)
13. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
14. Professor Layton and the Final Time Journey (DS)
15. Wii Play (Wii)
16. Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP)
17. Super Robot Taisen Z (PS2)
18. Mario Party DS (DS)
19. DS Bimoji Training (DS)
20. Daigasso! Band Bros. DX (DS)
21. Mario Kart DS (DS)
22. Musou Orochi Sairin (PS2)
23. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS)
24. Chrono Trigger (DS)
25. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS)
26. Mobile Suit Gundam vs. Gundam (PSP)
27. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
28. Powa Pro Kun Portable 3 (PSP)
29. Persona 4 (PS2)
30. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
To my point, the analysis including Japan is pointless, PS3 is popular in Europe and (to a less degree) the US. And these regions are much better for this kind of game, and as many know, Sony has caught up massively to the 360 in Europe (if they haven’t already taken over) and yet again, games make more money in Europe than they do in the US because and as a publisher, that’s incredibly important. EA are going to try and make as much money as possible from this.
Sorry about the wall of text.
Mass Effect can (& most likely will) Be ported to the PS3.
There’s is no technical reason stopping them….And you opinions on which console has which market is just that “opinion”.
EA loves porting games and since they have all the rights now….I’m 99% sure they’ll do it
“However, if Mass Effect isn’t even released in Japan for either 360 or PC, does it mean people are interested in it and MS is being too mean to give it to them? I don’t think so.”
First of all, ME1 was produced at a time when they didn’t even know if it would be successful on the 360, and the PS3 had a tiny install base. So I wouldn’t blame them for not porting it to the PS3 or to another language.
My point was with regard to ME2, the one that is CURRENTLY in production AFTER the first one sold over 2 million copies (which means they now have the money to port it to the PS3 AND translate it if they wanted to), and when the PS3 has already proven to have a very strong AND improving consumer base.
So, yes, if they don’t port ME2 to the PS3 (at least for the US, forget about Japan for) when that could result in them selling 2 million more copies of ME2, then yes, there’s something incompetent going on at Bioware.
Now, a JAPANESE port is a completely different story. The Japanese 360/PS3 market is much smaller than the US market right now (it’s about 20% of the US in terms of sales), so even if it was as successful on a per-user base, one could only expect about half a million dollar in additional revenue. This is a much harder gamble to make than a simple PS3 port for the US.
—
And finally, and again, the reason why ME didn’t make it to Japan is not because they hate Japan. But rather, the localization cost of an RPG is much too high to risk it when the franchise is still new and you have no idea how much it’s going to sell. It DOES NOT mean that EA didn’t thought it wouldn’t sell at all.
Case in point: Fallout 3 is not available in Japan. And the reason is simple: there are just too many lines that need to be translated and voice-acted.
Pointless article , I gotta stop clicking on bullshit/worthless opinion articles
@orakga:
Fallout 3 had tons of lines and voice-acting but then so did Mass Effect, didn’t it? The localization effort would still be immense. Anyway, both of us seem to be beyond the Japan release already.
I will again reiterate though: Bioware has so many successful franchises and not a single one of them has been given a PS3 release or port. Why is this? I know we shouldn’t just accept that as “That’s how they roll” but they never do anything without a good reason.
@Liam:
I believe the article does have a point. It’s called the HEADING. Read it. Rejoice.
Ugh for the last time Mass Effect is now a microsoft owned title. Yes Bioware is owned by Ea but it is EA and Bioware that are developing while mCirosoft publishes. PS# cannot get Mass Effect 1 because Microsoft owns the rights to it not EA and I believe the same goes for 2 and 3 as they signed some contract deal in the beginning of fall last year. Wow people can forget news quick.
I for one am eagerly awaiting the watered down Wii port
Your a sad 360 fanboy crying because the 360 might lose an exclusive.
your article fails..
Mass Effect WILL go Multiplatform.
even though the game sucks.
xbox 360 has no games for 2009..
PantherDST, Bioshock was made by 2k games, not Bioware.
it’s out for the PC, it’s already multi platform
@ Ravi:
Your first paragraph is actually in agreement with what you stated. So I am not sure what you are asking.
Secondly, the reason why Bioware “never did anything for the PS3″ is because they only produced one title since the PS3 was even an option; Mass Effect. You make it sound like they’ve released 4-5 titles since 2006 and none of them went to the PS3.
In other words, you cannot argue that just because ME1 didn’t make it to the PS3, Bioware will never port anything to the PS3. It is hardly a trend.
Crap, typo again. I meant to say: “Your first paragraph is actually in agreement with what *I* stated.” =D
My bad
Considering EA has been hit by the credit crunch as well, and the fact that they rarely do’t go multi-platform, I’m quite certain ME will go multi-plat – It may cost more money to make a ps3 port, but I’m sure the money will flow for EA/Bioware as a result.
just another guy bumped tht it may come to ps3 thts wht i read in this article, wht i smell *sniff* fear
I’m starting to think opinion pieces should be labeled as such. You haven’t cited any sources for anything you’ve said. Your arguments do find logic, but so to is the never ending quest for more money. Furthermore, with Bioware currently owned by EA it may not necessarily be their choice as to where the product is released, or the development of a PS3 port thrown to an internal EA owned house, must like the Orange Box. We saw how bad that turned out, but as it stands my possibilities are just as valid as yours.
The original Mass Effect could hit the PS3 on the same disc as the sequel. The original game is already finished, so a straight port onto the massive Blu-Ray disc with the release of the sequel would be a fantastic way of raking in some new fans, and subsequently, more cash.
@ Ravi Sinha
“Bioware has not released a game on the PS3 since it’s inception”
If writing is indeed what you love… you need to make simple research something you love as well. Bioware has indeed released a game on PS3, and I will not grace you with the name of the game if you don’t know it… HINT: It has BIO in the name.
As for the article, it’s a lovely opinion, but that is all it is… an opinion. Microsoft no longer has any legal rights to the Mass Effect franchise, and therefor would be completely up to EA on whether or not it comes to the PS3. Also, Mass Effect was created with the Unreal Engine 3, an engine built and optimized for development on the PS3. Sony and Epic worked together to build that engine. Where did you do your research again? A phone call to Aaron Greenberg? Please, “do what you love”…
I retract the game statement… sorry.. Bioware has not released a game on PS3. You were right there, but the Unreal Engine 3 is still optimized for PS3 development, so I see it likely that this game makes it to PS3… Besides most Microsoft exclusives are just paid for timed exclusives.
This is seriously a very poorly written article and amounts to little more than fanboy dribble. I will never come visit this website again.
@French:
“Also, Mass Effect was created with the Unreal Engine 3, an engine built and optimized for development on the PS3. Sony and Epic worked together to build that engine.”
I found this article on Kotaku regarding the UE3 engine.
The complete article link: http://kotaku.com/gaming/busted/unreal-engine-3-half+baked-broken-and-late-280548.php
“after reports popped up that Silicon Knights was having problems with the Engine, Dyack contradicted that saying all was fine. Though, isn’t it telling that SK ditched the Unreal Engine 3 all together and created its own engine? Or how about games using the U3E have been delayed or scraped? Games like Stranglehold, BioShock, Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Turok, Frame City Killer, Fatal Inertia and Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway. All delayed. Many multi-platform. It certainly does look like there is something wrong with the UE3, and this Sony tech-support highlights it. But what about those developers who’ve already been working with the Unreal Engine 3? I smell a possible class action suit.”
The point I’m trying to make is that UE3 even if Sony helped with it or not (and they collaborated, not co-designed it, with Epic), this doesn’t mean UE3 games for the 360 will be easier to develop for the PS3.
“Besides most Microsoft exclusives are just paid for timed exclusives.”
Wanna bet? Gears of War, Mass Effect, Halo, Fable, Forza, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon…all are MS exclusives and have stayed as such till now.
“The reason why Bioware ‘never did anything for the PS3′ is because they only produced one title since the PS3 was even an option; Mass Effect. You make it sound like they’ve released 4-5 titles since 2006 and none of them went to the PS3.”
You’re absolutely right. However, RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire were on the Xbox but not PS2. Mass Effect was on 360 and not PS3 (and there isn’t much gap between the PS3’s release and Mass Effect’s; still no port). Before you say Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, that was not developed by Bioware. They ported MDK2 to the PS2 but then, they also did the same for the Dreamcast (and we know what became of that). It may only be restricted to RPGs or simply a new strategy but there have been no other RPGs from Bioware on Sony’s PS2 and PS3 consoles.
@Ravi Sinha;
“there isn’t much gap between the PS3’s release and Mass Effect’s; still no port”
Yes, because MS has the rights for the first ME. You made some really bad conclusions in this article and I think it’s time for you to accept that your boat is sinking.
You’re absolutely right. However, RPGs like Knights of the Old “Republic and Jade Empire were on the Xbox but not PS2. Mass Effect was on 360 and not PS3 (and there isn’t much gap between the PS3’s release and Mass Effect’s; still no port). Before you say Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, that was not developed by Bioware. They ported MDK2 to the PS2 but then, they also did the same for the Dreamcast (and we know what became of that). It may only be restricted to RPGs or simply a new strategy but there have been no other RPGs from Bioware on Sony’s PS2 and PS3 consoles.”
Yes but there have been no FF’s on Xbox but there were on PS2 but now FF13 will hit, but respecting everyone’s opinion I’ll just keep quiet for I may say or may have already said something wrong.
@D.O
there was a FF for xbox does FF12 ring anybells??
And plus MS2 wont go multi platform as much as Killzone 2 or MGS 4 wont.
Some developers just have loyalty to the company that made it all happen in the 1st place. And you guys forgot one little thing. Yes MS got ported but to what operating system?? OMG it was Windows!!!!! Just another Microsoft department. What are the odds??
And no offense PS3. We all know what happends to all the games that get ported to your Console. Framerate issues and some bugs that dont even exsist on the console where it was programmed on.
Dont believe me??
Skate.
Skate 2
Bio shock
NFS undercover
Enchanted arms
Fallout 3
PS3 is truly a good system but stick to 1st party developers than relying on 3rd parties to give you a wider gaming selection the xbox sells 3:1 to the PS3 anyways. Facts
Pathetic
Ridiculous. Are you a 360 Fanboy? Stupid. Mass Effect now belong a EA. I need to say anything more?
This article is poorly written. You’re assuming that it would be a huge financial burden to port the Mass Effect engine to the PS3. Mass Effect wasn’t released in Japan because Japan’s gaming market is tiny compared to that of NA’s and Europe’s. Even if it was popular, it still wouldn’t sell well. If Final Fantasy XIII was only released in Japan on both 360 and PS3, Square-Enix still wouldn’t be able to cover their costs from that alone.
But back to the multi-platform issue, as the Mass Effect engine gets older, Bioware will reach better economies with it, making it easier and easier to be developed for, and easier to port for that matter. You can’t just rule out that it won’t be ported. A lot of games that are multiplatform are developed for the 360 first, and then ported over. It works the other way around too, with the PS3 being the lead console and the game being ported to the 360. It’s not too expensive for them to do. Think of all the games that came out as multiplatform last year. With the exception of a few, a lot of them didn’t sell too well. However, these companies are somehow able to release multiplatform titles over and over again. Ever wonder why? (I’ll give you a hint, since your article seems to refuse the notion – it’s cheap for them to port games)
Whoops I just gave you the answer.
…
Ultimately, Mass Effect was published by Microsoft, so that’s the only reason why it was exclusive. No other reason. I don’t know the deal with Mass Effect 2, but it’s complete fanboyism to say that the series will never come to the PS3 because it would be too expensive to port.
A few points to this… First you are absolutely right about Bioware developing primarily for X360 and PC.
Secondly the IP rights in question is actually quite and confussing tale..
EA hold the rights to the IP however M$ will publish any Mass Effect Titles brought out on the 360. EA will publish the PC version and PS3 version if there ever is one… this is more likely than many think.
You say the issue is more than the return on investment, however I believe this is the biggest issue and one that I fear investors will soon make the wrong choice in.
EA at current from what I gather are shopping around the game to other developers to do the port (i.e. like 2k marin did the bioshock port to PS3). It is just a matter of who wants to put their hand up, and if the rumours have started I’d say someone already has.
Now hears the foreseable problem which I believe EA are blind to. Will the game sell on PS3? and my answer is yes but only if it is released at a budget price, which would be selling at a loss to EA. If EA release the franchise on PS3 at full retail price, I think it will get easily overlooked, because there is a good quality library of games available on the PS3 that the money for PS3 owners would easily be better spent elsewhere… (not saying Mass Effect is bad game here… just going of general consumer behavior and the tendency to buy something new) hence if the did release at full retail…. they would sell at a loss. So at the end its a lose lose situation that I think is blinding the eyes of the $ hungry EA investors.
The only way it would work is if they did release the first at budget and released the second game simultaneosly with other platforms, you could make up the deficit.. but given the fact we haven’t seen the port now for the first makes it highly unlikely will see the second on the PS3 the same time we see it on the 360 and PC
If they forgot about porting the first and just developed the second for the PS3… no doubt would it fail… I mean, who in their right mind would pick up a book and start reading it from the middle.
Ahh, on the contrary… It is in fact totally dependant on ROI…
I hope Mass Effect will coninue to be an xbox360 exclusive.
You conclude by saying “how many Bioware titles have made it to the PS3″… But how many games have Bioware released under EA? That’s the biggest issue of this whole thing. You kind of shot yourself in the foot at the end there. And remember that this is EA. They don’t care if the PS3 version is up to snuff. LOL
I could see them giving PS3 fans ME1 when ME2 comes out. Then ME2 when ME3 comes out.
Judging by the logic of your post – wouldn’t it make sense for Bioware to release the game on the PS3 and 360 in all territories OUTSIDE of Japan???
Look at the western RPG’s like Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Fallout 3 – are you trying to convince us that not a single PS3 owner picked up either one of those games???
If western RPG’s only sell well outside of Japan and JRPG’s only sell well in Japan (Which isn’t true – look at Final Fantasy, Pokemon) then Bioware have a simple solution. Release the game for both platforms but make sure to stay away from a Japaneese release, that way they can maximize profit in the west and dissolve any potential losses from competing with Japaneese RPG’s in the east.
This is just basic business! At this point in time i don’t think Bioware can afford to make this game exclusively for the 360 – they need to make sure they reach the largest RPG audience possible and to do that they need to release the game on a proper RPG machine, as well as the 360 (That’s right, i went there). The cost of releasing this game only for the 360 is far greater than the risk of releasing it as a multi – platform title.
lol bs article just saying whatever to get noticed
This is the worst blog site ever. Serious Ravi Sinha you make no points you are just upset because e.a. is going to take away something from xbox. Please go do us all a favor and jump in front of a bus. Thank you and please stop blogging.
LOL at xbox slaves like this guy stuck writing crap like this because they have no games for 2009 XD!!!
Wow, look at all the PS3 fanboys squirm… Pathetic…
you dumbshit ps3 fanboys quit whinning wishin you will get mass effect 2 becuz you wont its rights have been bought by microsoft a looonngg time ago stating that ME1 ME 2 ME 3 will all be xbox 360 exclusives however if microsoft wanted ME4 ME5 etc they wud hav to issue another contract
but on the contrary there is no way that ps3 will be getting ME 1 or ME2 or ME 3 just impossible
if you guys want it so bad which i can tell by u reading this article above then why not just buy an xbox 360?
and besides porting ME by EA to the ps3 would be regretted by EA becuz they have alredy seen a big ass failure with the ps3 version of NFS undercover with all the frame rate issues and bugs
there was alredy frame rate issues in ME1 so i doubt they wud even if somehow the contract was lifted
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