Mass Effect 3’s E3 demo was ”one of our best” said Greg Zeschuk, but wouldn’t have been if it ”was just a one off.” The key is ”innovation” and taking risks.
”There are a couple of reasons why sequels are actually good in the games business,” said BioWare big cheese, Greg Zeschuk. Until recently with Mass Effect and Dragon Age the studio tended to avoid sequels and just moved on to new IP.
”Actually making one game is really hard. When you have a chance to leverage your tools and technology for a follow-up, it gets easier.”
”We talk about how this is probably one of our best demos ever here for Mass Effect 3, and the game itself we feel will probably one of our best ever. It wouldn’t have been that way if it was just a one off. From a gamer’s perspective it’s a positive,” he said.
E3 2011 had a lot of sequels in the spotlight but BioWare notes this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for gamers. Providing the studios don’t get lazy and still works in new risks we’re all moving forward. ”You have to innovate,” co-founder Ray Muzyka said.
”Innovation means taking some risks creatively. When you’re doing a sequel, if you’re thoughtful and you understand your audience well and you spend a lot of time listening to what they like and don’t like, you take risks – sometimes they pay out, sometimes they don’t – but if you listen you can continue to refine and make the games better and better.”
”You can adjust the right variables in a sequel. They’re good if you do them right.”
”When it can be a negative is when people get lazy and rest on their laurels and don’t use ambition for the sequel and create something that’s predictable and there’s nothing unexpected,” offered Zeschuk.
”We use the phrase, ‘surprise and delight’ our fans with our games, and if you fail at that…” BioWare and EA have both accepted that Dragon Age 2 got them new fans but also lost old ones, and the team has taken fan feedback to heart with future titles in the series.
Mass Effect 3 releases on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in March 2012.
