Among the 'springs of inspiration' for Lionhead Studios' Fable III are titles like PS3 exclusive Uncharted for its blend of gameplay and cinema. Demon's Souls and Mass Effect 2 were "both great" too and they believe they know why and how decisions were made. Don't forget Peggle!
Founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk of BioWare told an audience at GDC that Baldur's Gate nearly never was, instead they wanted an MMO. It was originally called 'Battleground Infinity' and pitched to 5 publishers, involving mythical gods. Interplay nudged them toward a D&D style RPG.
Bioware has just announced at EA's Press Conference that it will be bringing Mass Effect 2 to the PlayStation 3. This is the first time the franchise has made it over to the PlayStation platform. The game will be released in January 2011. That's all we know at the moment, but expect more information soon.
The latest upcoming DLC for Mass Effect 2 will release September 7th and stars former squad member Liara T'Soni and the Shadow Broker. It'll cost 800 MSP or BioWare Points on Xbox 360 or PC respectively. We get an intel centre, some new research and 5 new achievements.
How do those RPG boffins at BioWare know what we like on our intergalactic adventuring? They collect tons of events data of course, anonymously. From this they know how many skip dialogue pieces, how many male Shepards there are, who's naughty and nice - all to help their new games.
Trouble struck PC gamers of Mass Effect 2 when they at first tried to install the latest DLC - Lair of the Shadow Broker - because it was broken. In fact you got 1.5GB of nothing but 0's with not a 1 in sight. The installer for the PC DLC got packaged wrong, but BioWare has fixed it all now.
According to job listings for EA in Montreal, where BioWare partly lives, they want new meat for a "Military-genre FPS" based on a known franchise. Also mentioned for Montreal again is an "exciting new AAA 3rd Person Action IP!" It's almost certain these are for BioWare game teams? Twitter!
Greg Zeschuk of BioWare reveals that because of the "very different architecture" in the PS3 to Xbox 360, there will likely be some visual differences. Its graphical processor is "all different" so it's only natural. BioWare will not "get pulled into the argument" of which is better as "both" are powerful.
Major Nelson has posted what we can expect for the rest of October from the Xbox Live Marketplace, with Comic Jumper out today for 1200 MSP. Next week arrives Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I and Fable III avatar goodies. There's The Writer DLC for Alan Wake and Deal of the Week info.
Adam Standing gives us plenty of reasons about why we should play bad video games.
Recently BioWare posted an image which was a barcode, and some other teases shortly after. All this apparently points to 'steel' and temperatures. A source claims this is all related to BioWare Montreal's multiplayer-orientated Mass Effect spin-off project. This is not an MMO but 'Call of Duty like'.
That BioWare tease for the VGA 2010 blowout that's coming? It's Mass Effect 3 according to PlayStation's Russian twitter account, before it was silenced.
The Sony Kremlin PR rapid response unit quickly ripped the loose-lipped twittering down. Sorry but there's no new IP it would appear, it's Mass Effect 3.
Plastic surgery and male chromosomes are in hot demand among Mass Effect 2 players according to released BioWare statistics. Most pick soldier too. Only 50% of players upgraded the SSV Normandy all the way, and 14% of squad mates die on average. 10% never let the 'pure Krogan' out his fish tank.
Another barcode teaser from BioWare has been decoded and it pointed to an English punk rock band and the image of The Clash The Singles album. A previous binary string had the URL for the British Secret Intelligence Service. SCEE Russia recently slipped they had Mass Effect 3 for the VGAs.
If you own a PS3 and are a little fearful of BioWare's Mass Effect 2 arriving as a sloppy port then listen to the soothing words of producer Jess Huston. He says it's "as good, if not better" than the Xbox 360 copy. The PS3 release also includes all DLC to date and "three years' worth" of engine updates.
Rumours are circulating the net that EA plan to release the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 on January 21st. That's according to a translation of a Ciao People report, which suggests the news was announced at a BioWare press conference yesterday.
Those binary loving PR guys over at BioWare have gone and added the latest teaser to their Facebook profile, and this time it decodes to a red herring. No really, it actually links to the picture of a red herring. The studio's love of fish notwithstanding, Sony Russia says the VGAs will have Mass Effect 3.
Someone's pinched a still shot of the upcoming Spike VGA trailer from BioWare, and a source claims it will have 'hardcore' fans "jumping out of their seats." The image itself shows a sniper scoped view of a women reaching out to a child, surrounded by rubble. Rumour pegs the reveal as something Mass Effect 3 related.
EA has announced that BioWare's Mass Effect 2 will be on sale for PS3 January 18th in the US, and on the 21st in Europe. The original game is still MIA. Helping to cover what PS3 gamers missed with Mass Effect will be an interactive comic, telling you all the major moments leading to Mass Effect 2.
The details of Mass Effect 3 were accidentally leaked by the EA Store, which inadvertently posted the pre-order page.