BioWare: EA owns Mass Effect IP (Translation: It could still come to PS3) [update]

by Ben Gilbert { Jul 8th 2009 at 1:30PM }

We've been doing a lot of wondering about BioWare lately: wondering what the company is going to do with the Wii; wondering what our saves from the first Mass Effect will do to the sequel. But most of all, we've been wondering if Mass Effect 2 will be making its way to the PlayStation 3, like its dragon-infused brother, Dragon Age: Origins. So we asked BioWare's Matt Atwood directly about the possibility of the game coming to PS3, to which he responded, "We've only announced 360 and PC. At this point we're really focused on those platforms."

We understand, Matt, but what about the intellectual property itself? Does EA own the Mass Effect name? "Yes. EA owns the rights to Mass Effect." And so, as far as exclusivity between Mass Effect and Microsoft, that doesn't exist? "That's right," he told us.

Update: Matt Atwood at BioWare just contacted us to clarify his statements from earlier today regarding Mass Effect 2's exclusivity to Xbox 360 and PC. He says, "It [exclusivity] actually does exist for Mass Effect 2. And beyond that, we haven't announced any plans."

Tags: bioware, exclusivity, mass-effect, mass-effect-2, matt-atwood, microsoft, sony

Related From Joystiq

Bioware: 'Mass Effect is for the PC and Xbox 360'
6 days ago
Metareview: Mass Effect 2
12 days ago
Tons of Mass Effect 2 DLC available free right now [update]
15 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

wallywallas @ Jul 8th 2009 1:35PM

As a PS3 owner, i'm not holding my breath.

There are just some franchises that will never make it to other consoles, I believe this is one of them.

But if it does... awesome.

Killjebus...PSN Killjebus @ Jul 8th 2009 1:40PM

There is an interview at videogamer.com and in it there are some interesting things that Greg Zeschuk (vice president of entertainment and miscellaneous at BioWare) said about the PS3.
"the team's found developing on the PS3 "exciting", and even has its advantages."

So that means that they are already developing on the PS3...so it is not hard to imagine a ME coming to the PS3.

ME and ME2 are the 2 games that the 360 has of which I wish were on the PS3.

Maybe we should as GOD (Patcher) about it....he would know because he is the guru of everything!!!

SoulBlade @ Jul 8th 2009 1:51PM

yea best not to get hopes up, but the blu-ray disc and guaranteed HDD offer some nice things that make massive games like Mass Effect happy.

given that EA has a lot of cross platform experience at this point, it might not be so far off.

Ihavepants @ Jul 8th 2009 1:55PM

Killjebus, the PS3 development they're talking about is Dragon Age.

Mark @ Jul 8th 2009 2:05PM

Clearly EA can't afford to miss out on a PS3 userbase of 24m consoles, as when you include RROD of 360, that's pretty much half of your true next-gen console base.

Mass Effect WILL be coming to PS3.

1/ it's suicidal not to, considering there is no artwork to do, and the engine powering Masseffect is already ported to PS3 for other games.

2/ It's EA, everything EA is multiplatform..

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jul 8th 2009 2:26PM

"it's suicidal not to..."

wait wha? The first game sold damn well without the PS3, what suddenly makes this game suicidal?

Silencio @ Jul 8th 2009 2:31PM

@mark

Keep dreaming, buddy.

RIP Air McNair PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Jul 8th 2009 2:32PM

This has been debated for a while and after one of the Bioware guys said something to the effect of "our plan is still to give microsoft a window of exclusivity" in reference to Mass Effect 2 I knew it was coming to the PS3.

Where is that one guy (Arnon?) blabbing about ME2 not making since on the PS3 because ME 1 wasn't released there and always ranting about who owns the publishing rights?

It's like I said - every game in a series should stand on it's own otherwise even 360 gamers who didn't play the original wouldn't be able to play the sequel. Mazuka (or whatever his last name is) was echoing that sentiment at an E3 demonstration of ME2. Essentially saying that even if you didn't play the first one the second one stands on it's own so anyone can enjoy it.

I'm pretty damn sure you will see Mass Effect in some form or another on the PS3 next year. Maybe it's 1 & 2 bundled together or maybe it's just 2 ... it's going to happen. EA steers the ship now not just Bioware. Even if there is an exclusivity deal in place the game will come to the PS3 if it's what EA wants. They may have to make a different concession (Sony giving up GTA IV timed exclusivity for the new R* PS3 exclusive game announced @E3 as an example) but that won't stop the inevitable.

I played the original on the 360 when I still had one so I'm all about part 2 on the PS3. I think Mass Effect had some of the most bad ass freaky sci-fi music I've ever heard ... ever. Great game. Hopefully they polish up the environments this time around as it was my only real complaint (sans elevator rides).

Lunastra78 (PSN: lunastra78) @ Jul 8th 2009 1:36PM

Does that mean that the first Mass Effect could end up on PS3 too? A pack with both games would be very nice indeed.

The Baron @ Jul 8th 2009 1:50PM

Or perhaps a trilogy later on when there's wider a PS3 install base and they've got more to grips with coding UE3 for it? Just think how attractive that pack would be if it released simultaneously with the 360/PC release of ME3 - An entire trilogy of awesome 20-30 hour games for $60.

Lunastra78 (PSN: lunastra78) @ Jul 8th 2009 2:23PM

By then we might have become victims of some sort of freak accident that may or may not involve bungie-jumping hippos. I need the games while I'm still alive damnit!!!

The Dark Wayne @ Jul 8th 2009 2:41PM

what the fuck? Why did Baron get downvoted?

The Baron @ Jul 9th 2009 1:04PM

Probably because I suggested that the PS3 was harder to develop for. Which isn't really relevant here. My point was more that BioWare haven't actually done any games for it yet (and they're not renowned for glitch-free games), so perhaps after Dragon Age they'll feel more comfortable on it.

Captain Planet @ Jul 8th 2009 1:37PM

They'll put Mass Effect 2 on the PS3, as a special collector's edition bundled with a port of the original Mass Effect, bundled with some shitty art book, a shitty collector's "figurine", a set of Mass Effect Pogs and a Mass Effect branded pregnancy test.

All that for only $129.99!!

I am a machineee @ Jul 8th 2009 1:39PM

And it'll be Massively Effective!!

Lambrick @ Jul 8th 2009 1:53PM

i was sold on pogs.

Storm Eagle::The Blood Edge @ Jul 8th 2009 1:56PM

Check out my Commander Shepard Slammer!

Captain Planet @ Jul 8th 2009 2:02PM

I figured the pregnancy test would be the day 1 for most of you.

Joystick Hero @ Jul 8th 2009 2:26PM

The pregnancy test is a poor selling point. Gamers don't get laid.

;_;

Bradwart @ Jul 8th 2009 2:42PM

"Adds to cart, sells 360."

yeah, I'd miss Halo 3, but not THAT bad.

-Jad- @ Jul 8th 2009 1:38PM

Look like it could end up on PS3 anytime soon? But what about ME1?

Chin-Paaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! @ Jul 8th 2009 2:21PM

Will Crysis 1 come to consoles since they are getting Crysis 2?
Will the PC get Dead Rising 1 since its getting Dead Rising 2?
Will the PC and PS3 get Saints Row 1 since they got Saints Row 2?

goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jul 8th 2009 2:54PM

Are any of those games you listed as reliant on a continuing story from the original game as Mass Effect 2 is?

Shagittarius @ Jul 8th 2009 1:38PM

Mass Effect was so bad it almost single handedly turned me off video games forever.

Damian @ Jul 8th 2009 1:42PM

Your opinion is so bad it almost single handedly turned me off humans opinions forever.

NinjaJesus @ Jul 8th 2009 1:42PM

I'm sorry dude but you're full of shit lol

Squirtforce @ Jul 8th 2009 1:41PM

Now why's that? Don't they show tittyball in it?

Killjebus...PSN Killjebus @ Jul 8th 2009 1:43PM

Shaggy, are you talking about the technical side of things such as massive texture pop-in or are you talking about the game itself?

I have not played the game but everything I have seen on it intrigues me.

Longhorn of Myon [PSN: MariusElijah] @ Jul 8th 2009 1:48PM

i dont know why you got downvoted
i never played the game and yet i can see how much it sucks

Storm Eagle::The Blood Edge @ Jul 8th 2009 1:51PM

Really Shagg? Of ALL the games out there, you're picking Mass Effect as the game that nearly stopped you from playing video games altogether? Besides, if it's even in your mind that there's one game out there that could stop you from playing forever then you are not a real gamer my friend. I've played the worst of the worst, but I don't let those experiences speak for every other game out there.

Damian @ Jul 8th 2009 1:51PM

@Longhorn:
Prepare to be Down voted to Morrowind!

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 8th 2009 1:53PM

There is so much fail coming from this 1 section it's almost a full day's worth.

Snowblind @ Jul 8th 2009 1:54PM

Morrowind was to the East.

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jul 8th 2009 2:01PM

seriously, how the hell did Bioware get away with using bad tech? Load times out the ass, pop in every few steps, and a framerate that at times made Perfect Dark multiplayer look like its locked at 60 fps.

/slight exaggerations

Captain Planet @ Jul 8th 2009 2:04PM

Masturbation single-handedly (pun intended) turned me off sex forever.

Cody @ Jul 8th 2009 2:04PM

I'm with ya on this Shag.

P.O.S. RPG on a P.O.S. system.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 8th 2009 2:19PM

Ah Cody decided to throw his "logic" in, so now this is a full day's worth of fail. Thank god Sprinkles isn't chipping in, otherwise we'd be taking in too much fail...and no one wants to get fat off of too much fail.

Vcize @ Jul 8th 2009 2:20PM

Was that because no other games you played could live up to how good Mass Effect was so you just gave up on them forever?

Because seriously, that game is fucking awesome.

Dixonij @ Jul 8th 2009 2:57PM

Didn't I see you in another Mass Effect news post with the EXACT same comment? Yeah...

Shagittarius @ Jul 8th 2009 2:58PM

Allow me to explain:

Normally I am a completionist. I really don't like moving on to one game till I have completed the current game I'm playing. So I started playing mass effect, and it was extremely boring. I kept forcing myself to play it until eventually I went about 2 weeks without playing a game at all cause I would rather play nothing than Mass Effect. Finally after 2 weeks I think how stupid it is and pull mass effect out of my console and throw it in a drawer and try to forget about my shame for not completing it.

Mass Effect was so dull for me, I played about 7 hours and I kept wondering, when is the intro going to be over? I swear when I talked to a friend I said , "When the hell does the game start" he asked me where I was an I told him on that council world area, and he said, "thats it your pretty much in the main part of the game".

I'm sorry but doing delivery quests with no rewards but more lengthy crappy dialog is not my idea of game. When I found out the game wasn't going to pick up, I was finally able to recognize it as shit and drop it rather than letting it ruin gaming for me forever.

Yes I had flown to other planets to do those missions (which all felt like side missions) the central story and hub just made me wanna fucking fall asleep. So I say it was crap.

OnToGloryReturns @ Jul 8th 2009 5:41PM

I haven't slapped down fanboys since the Sprinkles ban so allow me to chip in as succinctly as I can:

Shag - if you were in the council world and did not get the ship yet you did not get into the game. The storytelling is truly great and ME is my fave game this gen (w/Uncharted a close second)

Marius: That is a stupid, unfounded statement that makes you look dumb to anyone with any knowledge of games this gen.

Cody: See preceding comment to Marius and add 2x the dumb.

I've told some of the idiot 360 fanboys that if they haven't played Uncharted they are flat out missing out - I will now say the same thing to idiot PS3 fanboys about Mass Effect. If you haven't played it you are missing one of the best modern RPG's. I would love to see it come to the PS3 so that more people could experience it. It is definitely an experience where you get out of it what you put into it - you have to have a desire to mine the backstory in the journal and really explore the dialogue options - when that happens it is one of the most cohesive sci-fi universes I've ever seen.

Be a fan but don't be a fanboy. There's enough dumb in the world already.

Vcize @ Jul 8th 2009 7:22PM

Wait, what?

The fetch missions at the beginning on the Citadel are in no way the meat of the game and in no way take anywhere close to 7 hours to complete. You can do a ton of extra ones if you want, but the ones required for the story don't take very long at all.

My last playthrough was 41 hours and I barely even remember doing any of those missions they were so long ago.

DeviDarkL @ Jul 8th 2009 1:39PM

And what if it does end up on the PS3? I don't have one but everyone should play it since its a really great game.

As long as it keeps coming to 360 fine by me :D

mars @ Jul 8th 2009 1:39PM

I think this is great news. The more people playing this the better. Don't think i'm a sony fanboy (I only own a 360) but I think that almost all games that are made for the 360 can be done on the ps3, but I don't think that works the other way around. This game coming to the ps3 would be beneficial to almost everybody, except microsoft and xbox fanboys. EA would make more money and therefore have more money to spend on the next Mass Effect, and more gamers would be able to play what is what I believe to be the best RPG shooter I've played in a long time.

Rhamsey @ Jul 8th 2009 1:43PM

as a 360 owner, i hope this game comes to the ps3 as well. bioware is an amazing developer, and their games deserve to be enjoyed by everyone.

Zerokku @ Jul 8th 2009 1:46PM

Agreed. More money for bioware is good any way you look at it imo.

Cease-Fire @ Jul 8th 2009 1:43PM

Well the PS3 always seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to mutlplats. So even if ME2 does appear on the PS3 at some point it will probly look worse and for the most exspensive console on the market to have yet another less then stellar looking game while the cheaper competition has better visuals, Isn't a good thing for the struggling PS3.