Rumor: Mass Effect 3 getting four-player co-op mode

by Griffin McElroy on Jun 16th 2011 5:09PM

Though it's been quite a while since we've heard anything regarding Mass Effect 3's once-rumored multiplayer functionality, Eurogamer and CVG are both citing anonymous sources who claim the title will have a standalone four-player cooperative mode. The mode will feature a handful of missions which won't interact with the main storyline, and are designed to have a high replay value. Considering we spent around 40 hours mining for Element Zero in Mass Effect 2, we don't think our attention is going to be very hard to retain.

Speaking to Eurogamer at E3 last week, BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka wouldn't confirm nor deny the co-operative missions, instead saying, "We haven't talked at all about multiplayer in the Mass Effect franchise, but we're exploring multiplayer in all of our games and all of our franchises." Sounds like he's either deflecting, or hinting at a multiplayer update to Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, which might be the single most illogical assumption we've ever crafted.

Tags: bioware, co-op, ea, mass-effect-3, microsoft, multiplayer, playstation, ps3, xbox

Reader Comments (123)

Don't ruin ME with multiplayer please.

@iAlejandro

This isn't multiplayer, this is co-op. Get it right

@Prboi
...
wat

@Prboi Co-Op is multiplayer. I mean, you are playing with multiple people ... C'mon!

Not that this is a good or bad thing, mind, but really ... c'mon!

@Prboi Which involves multiple players, yes?

@Prboi Although a full on deathmatch mode sounds dull a class based coop mode sounds amazing.

@iAlejandro

Well, it's probably pretty safe to assume that the single player will be left in-tact and won't have a multiplayer component forced upon it like Resident Evil 5 did. Bioware is a smart company and I have faith in development.

As for a competitive multiplayer, it seemed to work out very well for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood so I'm at least optimistic as to its implementation in Mass Effect 3.

@Prboi
Are there multiple players? It's multiplayer.

@Epoque

I was implying that in virtually every case, multiplayer is considered separate from co-op as multiplayer implies more than 4 people playing at a time. Name one game this gen that listed less than 4 players as multiplayer.

@iAlejandro

If it's a "Horde Mode" type multiplayer separate from the single player, I'm all for it.

@rigmutton

You guys are taking the term "multiplayer" in the literal sense & not taking it on what it actually means. Multiplayer (at least in this gen) usually means a game that supports more than 4 players in a single match. Co-op means a mode where you & up to 3 other players can work together to complete 1) The story mode 2)Certain objectives against AI controlled enemies.

For example:

Call Of Duty: Black Ops has a multiplayer mode that supports up to 16 players in a single game.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops has another "separate" mode in which you & 3 other players team up against AI controlled characters.

You get it now?

@iAlejandro speak for yourself. More is better.

@Rocket Raccoon You say they're smart... but we wanted KotOR3.. but they're palming us off ith an MMO

@Prboi

Whether or not you THINK its multiplayer. If it involves more than one person its a multiplayer component, because there are MULTIPLE PLAYERS.

I'd provide examples, but I feel as if the burden of proof is upon you to prove that everyone agrees with your definition of multiplayer. (even though no one here has yet to agree with you.) seems like a decent sample size to me. Though, its hardly scientific.

@Draugdraugr

Multiplayer game types does not change the fact that it is still mutliplayer.

I wouldn't let the semantics of it all bother you so much. it still fits in the definition.

@Draugdraugr

Well then why would they quickly shoot down multiplayer being in Mass Effect 3 a few months ago but as soon as Co-op is mentioned they slickly dodge the question?

Co-op is considered a separate experience than mulitplayer by developers. Sure it's multiple players but the meaning of the term "multiplayer" has changed. Take one game that has co-op in it. Any game that only has co-op. Does it say multiplayer on the back of the case?

I rest my case.

@Prboi

How about this, the multiplayer we all know is called "competative multiplayer" while co-op is "coopertive multiplayer". Is that better?

@Prboi

"mul·ti·play·er/ˈməltiˌplāər/
Adjective: Denoting a computer game designed for or involving several players.
Noun: A multimedia computer and home entertainment system that integrates a number of conventional and interactive audio and video functions with those of a personal computer."

@Prboi

People are just being dicks. Everyone worth the weight of their opinion knows that multi without context means competitive multiplayer. Co-op is obviously a form of multiplayer but in general no one refers to a games co-op portion by calling it multiplayer. Except for iAlejandro that is...

You guys can stop giving him a hard time now.

@Mazrael

Yeah, and it looks amazing. If you don't want to play with any other users you don't have to. Essentialy it's like KoTOR Xs 10! To me, anyway.

Plus they are putting out a book in which Reven is the main protagonist.

These two factors put together are enough to get me excited. If you aren't excited about it then I guess this is your choice :D

@Prboi

Just let it go, shoots.

@iAlejandro

It will be COOP and feature something like Horde or Spec Ops mode. How does this effect the Single Player Campaign? More importantly...how does it ruin it? I have other concerns...

EA will find out soon enough ME players do not care about MP and it wont cause casual gamers to buy it. EA has lost their minds in a very short time.

@iAlejandro I'm afraid they already have. My mate works at the Bioware offices down here in Edmonton, I talk a tour and saw a demo of the game. While showing me it, he hit the menu button and I saw a multiplayer option.

Why Bioware, Why!

@Prboi

http://store.steampowered.com/app/42910/

@Rocket Raccoon Have you tried WoW as single player? you get messed around by the other faction, and keep having to discard quests that are for groups, PVP, and avoid instances etc.. I got to lv63 before it was too much faffing around to get doable quests for solo players

@iAlejandro

People said the same thing about Assassin's Creed and that turned out to be one of the better multiplayer experiences of last year.

I don't get why adding a multiplayer component of any variety would ruin the game.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power Would be cool if they did something along the lines of "Splinter Cell Conviction" co-op. Completely detached from the single player maybe even with different characters, so as not to sully the M.E. story arc.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power

Stop calling it "Horde Mode"

We've had that game type for generations, it's called "Survival Mode."

@Anticrawl

I CAN CALL IT WHATEVER I WANT.

IN FACT, FROM NOW ON I'M CALLING IT HAPPY HIPPO MODE.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power

Happy hippo mode is better than inadvertently giving the credit for creating a well defined gametype to Gears of War.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power

How about "Hungry Hippo Mode?" That was for four players, right?

@Anticrawl
SO true.

@Anticrawl

If it were "well defined" then people wouldn't keep calling it horde mode.

Epic didn't invent survival/horde mode just like they didn't even the idea of using cover. What they did do was take something that was thrown to the side and never even thought about and do it well enough that everyone else decided to copy them.

Face it, tons of games use cover and "survival" mode now and ALL of them do it because of how well it worked in Gears, not because they liked what they saw in whatever other random ass games you're thinking of.

@Vcize

To clarify, Epic is like the BASF of cover and horde mode.

@Anticrawl

What the fck is this? Gamer Linguistic Jeopardy or something?

Survival mode, horde mode, slayer, team slayer, deathmatch, VIP, escort, CTF, Assault, Invasion, Core Control, Meltdown, blah blah blah...

Each game has it's own feel and can call their respective "survival, deathmatch, CTF" modes whatever the hell they want.

@Mazrael

I haven't, no (not much of a fantasy/elves/orcs kind of guy) but Bioware has said specifically that you'll be able to solo in the game with the exclusion of certain specific missions. Truthfully, though, getting through 63 levesl of a game solo sounds like not a bad thing to me. On top of that, if it got too much to solo with one character I would just start another character in one of the other 5 classes (or a different gender/alliance with my current class) and experience the story while soloing with the new character :D

I understand your concerns, though. I would have rather had a single player KoTOR game but to me this is better than getting no game at all!

@iAlejandro

ME was already ruined after they dumbed it down in the second.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power

This is the best fuc*ing thread on joystiq, and you have alot to do with that....

thank you for making my boss yell at me,

twice.

@Prboi

"How about this, the multiplayer we all know is called "competative multiplayer" while co-op is "coopertive multiplayer". Is that better?"

So you are admitting they are both multiplayer?.. lol You know your argument was completely pointless
Co-op is multiplayer.

Otherwise what would you consider a 2D fighting game like mortal kombat? It's multiplayer no matter how many players there are.

when this rumor first started I said I didnt want Versus.....but Co-op would be fine....and that still stands....all for some Co-op as LONG as we can use our various characters...not some generic person....

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi

What would be really interesting is for them to take this 4-Player thing and shoot it up a bit. That Lord of the Rings RPG released back on the PS2 and Xbox had a bunch of What-If battles you could do, playing as the Balrog or whatever as they pit you against the heroes.

It would be pretty interesting to have one of these co-op challenges tasking you as a Cerberus squad to infiltrate the Normandy version 2, jack EDI's core, and take out Shepards squad, including Shepard himself.
They could even pick a random Shepard appearance from the save files of the people playing.

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
You saying I can't be a krogan? ):

Is it more than one player? Yes. "Multi" more than one.

@iAlejandro So we can have threesome in the game right?

@iAlejandro Just because it's multiplayer, doesn't mean it's going to be game ruining multiplayer.

The 4 player coop game will ONLY be about mining element zero.

@Premature ejaculation man
Lol... Oh I hope mining days are over for us in ME3.

@Premature ejaculation man
Alternately you can sit inside of the Mako while you take turns driving over mountains.

@Premature ejaculation man
Actually, it wouldn't be a bad Idea to be able to trade with other people. I'll give you this Shotgun for some Element ZERO. A nice economic system would be pretty hot.

@iAlejandro

Yeah, I don't think mining will be in this one. What, with the Reapers trying to destroy all of civilization.

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Mass Effect 3

Rumor: Mass Effect 3 getting four-player co-op mode

Reader Comments (123)

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:12PM iAlejandro said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:14PM Prboi said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:16PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:17PM Epoque said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:17PM rigmutton said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:18PM bxgt said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:18PM Rocket Raccoon said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:19PM DudeManPerson said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:21PM Prboi said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:22PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:26PM Prboi said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:28PM Fire Walk With Me said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:30PM Mazrael said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:35PM Draugdraugr said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:39PM Draugdraugr said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:43PM Prboi said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:46PM Prboi said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:53PM Andrew12h said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:55PM Mechazawa Prime said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:57PM Rocket Raccoon said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:57PM MarkezJM said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:08PM HaVoK308 said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:26PM jd jake said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:29PM Draugdraugr said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:42PM Mazrael said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:42PM Xcrucio said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:43PM Your Gold Teeth said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:57PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 8:02PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 8:10PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 8:14PM Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 8:14PM Draugdraugr said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 8:17PM Vcize said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 8:21PM Vcize said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 8:42PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:07PM Rocket Raccoon said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 12:32AM Sorithal said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 12:52PM HedonisticKai said

Posted: Jun 20th 2011 4:40PM den69 said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:14PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:32PM DevilSei said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 2:09AM mcnichoj said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:16PM iAlejandro said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:00PM solidsnake8282 said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 10:31AM RequiemDogma said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:16PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 5:26PM iAlejandro said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 6:47PM fohf said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 7:14PM Cutty17 said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 3:41PM D4rk 0p3rative said

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