A rumor that is consistently pressed upon the gaming community is the release of the Mass Effect series on the PlayStation 3 platform. Retailer listings have appeared for a PS3 version of the game, adding fuel to the already aggressively hot rumor that the current Microsoft exclusive series would eventually make its way to PS3. When the rumors finally fizzled out, PS3 code was found in the PC version of the game re-igniting fanboy flames. It’s certainly possible that Mass Effect 2 could come to PlayStation 3, but at the moment, it looks unlikely.
After all this talk about Mass Effect on the PS3, a recent article hit the web stating why Mass Effect needed the PS3, and vice versa. So, let me put it clearly: PS3 doesn’t need Mass Effect, and Mass Effect doesn’t need PS3.
Disclaimer: This editorial expresses the views of the Author and is not a representative of the views of PlayStation LifeStyle as a whole.
The original Mass Effect released in 2007, one year into the famous Xbox 360/Wii/PS3 console war. It was the first BioWare title of the next generation of consoles, and 4 years since its last science fiction title. Mass Effect received rave reviews, complimenting its incredible graphics and fantastic storytelling. And with that, the rumors began to swirl. Why is it that a fantastic title such as Mass Effect, a Microsoft exclusive title, has to come to another platform? Can it not just stick to one?
I’d like to stick out this quote from Now Gamer article PS3 Needs Mass Effect, Mass Effect Needs PS3, which was:
“What’s stopping EA? Nothing, as far as we know. They are as big a fan of PS3 as any other publisher. So maybe it’s BioWare, who want to keep things exclusive to one console for the sake of… not… making money?”
We should point out right now that we have absolutely no idea what is happening behind the scenes with BioWare, EA, and Microsoft. Perhaps EA and BioWare do not wish to release Mass Effect because they risk losing money rather than earning it. By now, when you think of Xbox 360 and its titles, Mass Effect is near the top of that list.
When I think of that snippet from the above article, the first example that comes to mind is Metal Gear Solid 4 and the rumors saying it would release for the Xbox 360. Well, what was stopping Kojima Productions and its publisher Konami? Nothing. Why would they like to keep that game exclusive, instead of possibly making more money releasing an Xbox 360 version? Kojima Productions respects their fans. When they say something is exclusive, they stick to their word, and it seems BioWare does as well.
I believe we are mature enough to admit that 2007 was not the best year for the PS3. In that year, PS3 gamers were ridiculed for not having any games, and instead watching Blu-Ray movies. To be honest, that was true to a certain degree. We did not have many titles to choose from. However, most of the games we could choose from were multiplatform games, such as Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero 3, and Assassin’s Creed. But along with those multiplatform titles, new IPs were introduced exclusively on PS3. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is a shining example of this, and was direct competition to Mass Effect which released the exact same day.
A lot has changed now. Former exclusive titles have made their way over to the PS3 (GTAIV DLC cough, cough), and the system has certainly started to pick up in sales. 2009 was a huge year for the system; the PS3 was re-launched and re-branded, complete with a redesign aiming to lower costs, which Sony then past on to the consumers with a new, reduced price of $299. The PS3 even got a new logo and new advertising push, and thus, our man-crush on VP of Everything PlayStation, Kevin Butler was born. Then, the icing on the cake, Uncharted 2–the Game of the Year- was released-exclusively on PS3. Uncharted 2 was a landmark for games, and raised the line of storytelling and graphics significantly. It would be three months before Mass Effect 2 hit stores, prompting fans of both systems to battle it out. Both games, as of right now, are at the same level of scores on Metacritic. Both titles have raised the bar for storytelling, gameplay, and graphics. Both games are fantastic, period.
The PS3 does not need Mass Effect. The PlayStation 3 has hundreds of great titles to choose from, and mature gamers can agree that it doesn’t matter if the Mass Effect series is added to that list. Mass Effect does not need PS3. The Mass Effect series is incredibly successful on Xbox 360 and PC, and doesn’t need a transition to PS3. If EA and BioWare decide that Mass Effect shouldn’t get a release on PS3, it wouldn’t matter, they would still make a lot of money. Simply put, we don’t need Mass Effect, and Mass Effect doesn’t need us.
