Mass Effect to be an EA franchise for 'a very long time'

by Justin McElroy { Feb 13th 2008 at 11:25AM }

When EA snatched up RPGeniuses BioWare, there were fears that the company's beloved, hand-crafted series would become annually serialized, cogs in the ever-expanding EA profit machine. Now, we've received an early hint that those fears may be totally justified. Speaking with a group of industry analysts, EA Games president Frank Gibeau said that sci-fi opera Mass Effect will be a franchise for the company "for a very long time" ... Boy, that didn't sound sinister at all, did it?

We've known for years that Mass Effect is being developed as a trilogy, but Gibeau's quote sounds ominously like somewhere in the bowels of EA exists alpha builds of Mass Effect: Petz and Wii-exclusive MyMass Effect (now your Mii can get it on with space babes!). We're just looking forward to 2013 when we'll get our hands on the Shepard Vision Cone.

Tags: bioware, ea, mass-effect

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Vince @ Feb 13th 2008 11:28AM

This is the second City Slickers 2 reference I've seen in two days.

nerrrrrrd @ Feb 13th 2008 12:40PM

graphic gave me lulz

upz @ Feb 13th 2008 12:50PM

Glad to know I'm not the only one getting old.

Jeff @ Feb 13th 2008 11:28AM

Well, each version of Mass Effect will probably recieve multiple expansions and bonus packs... followed by a game of the year edition later on that combines all of these... then a new one, rinse and repeat, then a final one, rinse and repeat... then an edition that combines all 3 games all content...

I don't see a problem with Mass Effect existing for a long time. Also, I find it hard to dislike EA lately, when the seem to be making a genuine effort to be the good guys; it's Activision who needs to be dealt a fiery, hateful death.

Jeff @ Feb 13th 2008 11:29AM

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 13th 2008 12:07PM

yea if you look past their sports franchise EA really isnt.....dare i say.....all that bad (dodges lightning stirke, Matrix style). Burnout Paradise is great example of how they are trying to take more risk and make better games. i dont think that they would do all that bad a job with Mass Effect if they give it to the right set of devs within EA. i havent actually played the first one since i dont own a 360 and non of my 360 owning friends play that type of game. that said, i wouldnt mind seeing it go multiplat cause a good game is a good game no matter what console its on.

Slinks @ Feb 13th 2008 1:06PM

'a good game is a good game no matter what console its on.'

Only if the console can actually support it and keep the frame rate going (see also: killer7 on ps2)

Zertoss @ Feb 13th 2008 11:31AM

"now your Mii can get it on with space babes!"

OH GOD! The mental images! They are too funny!

toppgun @ Feb 13th 2008 5:30PM

my mii is dr. zoidberg. he may finally get someone to love him. Then he spawns his eggs and dies.

Namssorg @ Feb 13th 2008 11:36AM

Awesome. As long as we still get the trilogy of core story games, I don't see it as a huge problem. I would absolutely love to see more sci-fi games set in this universe because it is rich, deep, and not star-wars.

ThornedVenom @ Feb 13th 2008 11:37AM

Just don't make indefinite numbers of sequels like Final Fantasy does (it works for them because they change settings and era all the time).

If they're doing a trilogy, it better had been well-planned during its conception: I don't want to end up with another Matrix-like effect.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Feb 13th 2008 11:39AM

Meh don't care how many they make.

If they are all good, I'll buy.

dan stabbingworth @ Feb 13th 2008 1:20PM

Agreed. And hopefully they'll ungayify the combat along the way.

xFenixKnightx @ Feb 13th 2008 11:42AM

So...Quadroupley? CONFIRMED?

rv @ Feb 13th 2008 12:02PM

You did it all wrong.

Mass effect: hall of fame edition in spanish for ps3 and mobile phone CONFIRMED

Korova @ Feb 13th 2008 10:38PM

Quadrilogy?

KeenCommander @ Feb 13th 2008 11:44AM

We should start boycotting the EA sequel explosion. This is just absurd. Let's set up picket lines outside GameSpot and not let anyone in or out who wants to buy Madden!

FidliousWong @ Feb 13th 2008 11:54AM

Yeah, I mean, it's not like they're constantly making new IPs, reinventing their old ones, or actually basing product revisions on consumer feedback...

Oh wait... nevermind.

Seraphim @ Feb 13th 2008 12:40PM

I'm sure picketing outside of a gaming website's corporate headquarters will really do us good..

You know, unless you meant GamesToP..

KeenCommander @ Feb 13th 2008 1:25PM

Oh, you know what I meant. Besides, maybe it would work my way if we convinced them to give Madden a 1.0, that would really bring down the metacritic, even if no one actually goes to their site anymore.

Chris @ Feb 13th 2008 2:50PM

You should picket Gamespot for a different reason all together.

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Feb 13th 2008 11:51AM

EA has always been, and probably always will be, my most hated company. It's a shame that general gaming media isn't something seen by their demographic. I cringe every time I see a mother bowing to her kid's baseless yearning for some EA crap, while the 'Okami'-type games of our industry don't get bought. There must be some way to make the casual audience know... >_>

deaftly @ Feb 13th 2008 11:55AM

Well at least your name relates to your post.

Nigeria @ Feb 13th 2008 12:08PM

I try to avoid these threads/comments, but...

Why do people hate EA?

It seems blind/sheepish and pointless.

Yes they rehash concepts and their creative teams seem to suffer from sequelitise once absorbed...but they're not that bad. Most video game companies at their size often release games with only minute changes - this isn't a strictly EA problem.

There isn't one major games company that doesn't release rehashes to keep themselves afloat.

Noshino @ Feb 13th 2008 12:27PM

Nigeria,

The problem is that EA does it in a yearly basis...

Look, there are other companies that milk their franchises a lot (Nintendo, Incognito, Insomniac, and many others), but not to the point that EA does...

I even heard (I don't really buy their games) that once they release a new installment of one of their franchises, they pull support (online multiplayer) of the previous title...

paragraph @ Feb 13th 2008 11:55AM

:\

Mass Effect IVXX: Return of the Effect

Now you can get it on with space chicas while high.... (assuming on life here .>)

Anywho... this could be a sign of either good, or bad things to come...

Trillogy + Extra Content = Lots of time, and still good
300 Mass Effect Spinoffs on all platforms = Lots of time... not so good...

Lets keep it on the 360 boys ;)

mattclarkie @ Feb 13th 2008 11:58AM

If that is suppossed to be 24 you don't know numerals.

You could do

XXVIX
XXIV

but IVXX is just ridiculous, in fact XXIV is the only way to really do it.

mattclarkie @ Feb 13th 2008 12:02PM

Wait, I think you meant 16

which should be XVI or XIVX.

paragraph @ Feb 13th 2008 12:04PM

@mattclarkie

IVXX read "four-twenty"

if i put it as IV:XX would that help?

When in rome ;)

i figured the context would have helped, but i guess not :\

Microswirl @ Feb 13th 2008 3:39PM

I play Mass Effect XXIV-VII-CCCLXV biotches!

Donald @ Feb 13th 2008 3:53PM

And that's why you never get any LXIX.

mattclarkie @ Feb 13th 2008 11:55AM

Long time just means years. If a new game comes out every 3 years, that means the last game will be out in 6 years, which is a long time.

Does that sound too strange, and if you just add one more game then that makes it 9 years.

A 3 year gap between games seems about right to me, that is roughly how long between teh Haloz.

Intentless @ Feb 13th 2008 12:00PM

if it were not EA i'd agree...

Count Noobula @ Feb 13th 2008 11:59AM

This could be a very good thing, or a very bad thing. As long as this series doesn't end up on the PS3 or Wii we should be fine.

MasterInsan0 @ Feb 13th 2008 3:51PM

Mass Effect 2: Reloaded for 360/PS3/Wii/PS2/GBA CONFIRMED!!!!!

Richard Mitchell @ Feb 13th 2008 12:02PM

Alright, that's the funniest damned image I've seen in ages. Kudos to you sir, kudos.

FOXHOUND @ Feb 13th 2008 12:05PM

"We would've also accepted 'MASS EFFECT2: THE SEARCH FOR MORE MONEY"

paragraph @ Feb 13th 2008 12:10PM

My spaceballs itch...

Oh, and BTB, +1 for the reference

mattclarkie @ Feb 13th 2008 12:14PM

Mass Effect IV: Voyage To The Bank

mattclarkie @ Feb 13th 2008 12:17PM

Mass Effect VI: The Discovered Goldmine.

Mass Effect: The Money Spinner.

Mass Effect II: The Wrath of Fans

Mass Effect V: The Final Franchise (I know this one is weak)

DMeisterJ @ Feb 13th 2008 12:09PM

Well... guess that I won't be buying any more Mass Effects... If this becomes a yearly franchise thing, expect the quality to drop in a hot second. I hope that this does come to the PS3 and PC, because it would sell on those two markets because people who don't have a 360 do want to play that game. I hope that this isn't a yearly thing though.

Deck @ Feb 13th 2008 12:12PM

Well it all depends.

A long time doesn't exactly mean "7 years of Mass Effect coming out every year." It could mean "7 years with the next two coming out during this period". So it all depends on how often they are released.

Though looking at EA, they very well could be ruining this franchise. Damnit EA, stop it!