Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, the developer of such epics as Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic confirmed that it is looking into games of a much smaller (physical) scale. Specifically, BioWare co-CEO Greg Zeschuk states that he finds Apple's iPhone "intriguing" as a games platform. Mind you, he's not saying development is underway, but he is a fan.

"Something that's as big a cultural and technical success as the iPhone is something you've really got to take a close look at," explains Zeschuk, adding that, "We've got a lot of folks looking at it." Zechuk's statements come just a few days after the project lead on BioWare's Nintendo DS RPG, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, revealed that the company is also investigating Wii and PSP dvelopment. Now BioWare just needs to look into developing for those LCD games you see at mall kiosks and it'll have all bases covered.

When we first reported on EA's reworked DRM scheme for Mass Effect PC – one that removed the onerous 10-day re-validation process but now only allows a maximum of three activations – we teased that we were ready to "pick up our torches and pitchforks and join the mob outside."

Now, a little over a month later, that mob has grown to some considerable size, spurred on by a forum thread on BioWare's site being referenced on consumer-advocacy blog The Consumerist. The problem: some confusion over whether or not uninstalling the game reinstates one of your three activations. After some wrangling (you know how support centers can be) EA confirmed that "unfortunately, you will not gain an activation by uninstalling the game." So, be stingy with those installs, gamers.


[Via Consumerist; thanks, Eric]

Thrifty (and, if you've yet to play either of these, add negligent to this list of adjectives) gamers take note: Amazon's offering two great Xbox 360 games at a pretty steep discount. Both Mass Effect and Gears of War are only $35 (that's down from $60, people!) just for today; keep in mind, both of these games were amongst Joystiq's favorites in their respective release years.

Now, if you want our advice, we're gonna say to hold off on Gears of War – what with the two-disc special edition being released later this month for just $40. Don't care about all that "special" crap, just want to shoot bug monsters in the face? Then place your order, friend. We like your style.

[Thanks, Curtis]

Mass Effect PC players will soon have a chance to "Bring Down the Sky" (did you see what we did there?), as BioWare has announced that the free downloadable content will be available very soon for the PC version of the giant space epic.

The content -- available on the Xbox 360 since March -- includes a brand new uncharted world, and the inclusion of the ass-ugly Batarian race. And did we mention that it's free? That's incredibly good per-eyeball value.

We always thought BioWare's galaxy-spanning RPG, Mass Effect, was just a teensy bit too epic to fit into that whirring beige box beneath the TV. Now, the game has been enhanced -- improved inventory, expanded squad control and less clunky interface, all check -- and released roughly six months later on a computer that doesn't sound like it's constantly sawing the disc in half. The first batch of reviews seem to approve.

• IGN (92/100): "This is easily one of the best RPGs on the platform in recent years, delivering a terrific new universe, a fun blend of action and role-playing, and a deeply satisfying story. If you have any love of science fiction or space opera, then you owe it to yourself to check it out. There are hours upon hours of joyful discovery here, and an undeniable love for science fiction, as well."
• GameDaily (90/100): "Although the game suffers from a few minor bugs, including a small number of missions that don't show as completed when finished, some computer controlled teammates that have trouble following orders and occasional glitches when switching between movement and hacking mode, the PC version of Mass Effect is superior to the Xbox 360 release. The mouse and keyboard controls are so natural that they improve the game's performance at practically every level."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "It's an incredibly ballsy game, not afraid to take on any of its competitors, in any field. Story-lead games? Shooters? Even genuine, non-game populist sci-fi? Mass Effect has a try at them all, and leaves more wounds in them than they leave in it, before blasting off into a space all of its own."

Much like they did with Penny Arcade Adventures, the mouse-loving folks at BigDownload have pitted both version of Mass Effect – Xbox 360 and PC – against one another to see which is the best portrayal of Prothean technology. The verdict is probably unsurprising, given the new version came out some six months after the original (and with a vastly improved inventory system). Head over to BigDownload for all the details.

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:
When EA announced that Spore and Mass Effect (PC) would have a DRM program that did performed online verification every 10 days, it generated a massive backlash amongst the gaming community. Many people, who were originally excited about Spore and Mass Effect, now claimed that they would not purchase the games, solely because of the DRM. To be honest, I'm no fan of DRM either. It basically treats all legal customers as potential criminals, and seems futile anyway, as anyone with an internet connection can typically find ways around the DRM. The only people it probably deters are those with little technical savvy and who just want to share a game they bought with their friends and family. The amount of actual sales that would be lost to this is probably pretty limited. With all that said, I'm glad that EA has backed off this new DRM and scaled it back to just an initial online verification. Given the current state of PC gaming as well as the traditionally more "accepted" versions of DRM (like the initial online verification), however, I didn't find this new DRM to be all THAT much worse, particularly with some slight improvements to it, such as allowing a manual verification and extending the timeframe for re-verification slightly (say, to 30-60 days instead of every 10).

The reason for this has a lot to do with what's been going on with PC gaming in the last few years. While the "death" of PC gaming has been talked about for years, it isn't quite here. The landscape is just shifting. While the total NPD sales for each year has been decreasing, other avenues of making money have been developed. For instance, subscription-based games (mostly MMOs, but also games available on GameTap), cheaper more casual downloadable games (eg, PopCap Games), and even free, ad- or feature-driven games (eg, Dungeon Runners, Battlefield Heroes, Quake Zero) make up an ever increasing portion of PC-based revenue. Thus, the actual retail sales are taken up mostly by a few casual games, MMO starter kits or expansions, and maybe the occasional shooter or RTS game. Take, for example, the most recent NPD PC numbers for the week of May 4-10:

This was a close call this week, because the offerings are very ... how to put it politely? ... Porty. Which is to say, if you were interested in them, you've probably already played them. There's even Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition, which is a port onto the SAME SYSTEM! C'mon, feel the synergy!

But we decided to go with Enemy Territory: Quake Wars largely because it's on two platforms this week instead of one like Mass Effect PC, and we're all about pleasing the masses. Check out the full list after the jump.

Normally, when we want to talk to Ray Muzyka, General Manger of BioWare, we have to camp outside his palatial mansion and wait for him to get his morning paper. He's pretty spry though, so we can usually get out "When is Mass Effect 2 go--" before he slams the door in our face. But this time, EA actually asked us to pick the good doctor's brain. Here are the results:

BioWare has worked in several fantastical settings. How did working in a sci-fi world like Mass Effect differ from some of your earlier titles?

That's a great question. The creative inspiration for both fantasy and sci-fi, and contemporary settings for that matter, certainly come from very different sources on different projects – for example, we're inspired by the classic fantasy novels for our fantasy games like Baldur's Gate or Dragon Age, and by classic science fiction films for science fiction IPs like Mass Effect, and by contemporary setting movies and novels for other titles. We're always striving to deliver powerful emotional experiences to our audience.

After stirring up a hornets' nest of gamer contempt last week by announcing that the forthcoming PC flavor of Mass Effect would require re-validation every 10 days, BioWare community manager Jay Watamaniuk has come forward as the voice of reason on the game's official forums, stating that the developer has now removed the "feature" from the game.

Instead of employing the previously revealed DRM madness, Watamaniuk explained that Mass Effect will include just a one time online authentication, allowing players to play the game once validated without the disc in the drive at all. That said, if any new content is downloaded, the game will again have to bite the disc to make sure it's real. The caveat to all of this, however, is that each Mass Effect purchase will only be able to be installed a maximum of three times, news that has again incited us to pick up our torches and pitchforks and join the mob outside.

BioWare technical producer Derek French lit up the Mass Effect forums this past week announcing that both their game and (on page 2) fellow Electronic Arts title Spore come with SecuROM, a DRM system that requires activation the first time you play the game and then a re-check every ten days, with the first check on the fifth day.

French explained that there is no external program installed and the check will be run through MassEffect.exe (or Spore.exe, presumably), the data transfered will be the CD key and a "unique machine identifier of some type" and that he has been told, "there will be clear labeling on the package."

Despite all these reassurances, an unfortunate scenario brought up by one poster -- of ignoring the game 11 days and then trying to play with no internet -- was proven true, as French confirmed you wouldn't be able to play the game under that situation. Of course, it's not like you're gonna put any of these games down for ten days, right? Right? Eh, we hate DRM.

(Note: We do understand the irony of making a Samara/The Ring joke when -- spoiler -- her primary goal was to have people make as many copies as possible.)

[Via Shacknews]

CEO Ray Muzyka and President Greg Zeschuk of Bioware, a company founded on narrative-centric RPGs, can't seem to decide if the Wii is a game (as opposed to, from what we gather, a toy). In an interview with GameDaily, Zeschuk said, "If gaming is defined by story, then generally Wii may not be," though he immediately expands on that, "The game [4 to 5 people together are] playing is actually very different than the rest of us. What they're doing as a company is like a different flavor."

Providing a counterpoint, Muzyaka noted that the Wii experience is "more toy-like" but also said, "there's also a narrative between the players outside the game and kind of fulfills the same things games do. Games are 'toys' in the sense that they're fun." Warren Spector had made a similar designation in an Escapist piece last year, categorizing games like Tetris and Madden akin as "retold" narratives. The above is a rather bare-bones highlight of their discussion, so check out the full interview for more.

Though they've had to wait several months before experiencing the thrills of chatting up aliens and gallivanting across the galaxy, PC gamers are going to receive yet another bonus alongside their version of BioWare's planet-hopping RPG, Mass Effect. The first batch of downloadable content, entitled "Bring Down the Sky" and available on Xbox 360 since March, will be offered for free to registered members of BioWare's community website. The 90-minute, $5 add-on won't be packed inside the box, but we imagine you PC folks can handle an internet registration and download.

Provided your system meets the technical requirements, you can also look forward to an improved inventory system, an enhanced HUD and (hopefully) much shorter elevator rides. Mass Effect PC is out on May 28.

While scouring the Mass Effect forums for a guide on how to place our girl, Beyoncé, into BioWare's space epic (found one!), we stumbled across the "system requirements" of the PC version. Not only will you require a PC, but one filled with the following rams, gigabytes and geforces:

Minimum System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows XP or Vista
• Processor: 2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD
• Memory: 1 Gigabyte Ram (XP); 2 Gigabytes Ram (Vista)
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6 series(6800GT or better); ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)
• Hard Drive Space: 12 Gigabytes
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers

Recommended Real System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows XP or Vista
• Processor: 2.6+GHZ Intel or 2.4+GHZ AMD
• Memory: 2 Gigabytes Ram
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher; ATI X1800 XL series or higher
• Hard Drive Space: 12 Gigabytes
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers – 5.1 sound card recommended

Mass Effect PC is out on May 28th.