Mass Effect coming to PC!

[medicnick83]

Bioware sent out a press release announcing that Mass Effect, the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 sci-fi RPG from developer BioWare, will be ported over to the PC platform and published this May by BioWare's new owners Electronic Arts.

The PC version will contain high resolution visuals and an optimized control scheme along with 'Run & Gun Control' - which means "Players can assign biotic powers or skills to hot keys allowing them to play Mass Effect with a heavier focus on action." There will also be a new inventory GUI as well as a new decryption mini-game.

http://masseffect.bioware.com/

But this is the press release from the web site:

Mass Effect to Land on PC in May 2008

Award-Winning Epic Will Be Published By EA

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading video game developer, BioWare™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) company, has announced that the award-winning space epic Mass Effect™ will be released for the PC in May 2008. Published by EA and re-designed for the PC, Mass Effect invites players to take the role of Commander Shepard as they set out on an adventure to save the galaxy from imminent destruction. Wrought with treachery, heroism, difficult decisions and a universe filled with unique and colorful species, Mass Effect delivers a truly compelling storyline.

Optimized for the PC, Mass Effect for the PC incorporates the following features:

* Optimized controls designed specifically for the PC.
* High resolution visuals – Mass Effect for the PC features highly detailed textures, characters and environments.
* Fully customizable controls – PC gamers can re-map the control scheme any way they like.
* Run & Gun Control – Players can assign biotic powers or skills to ‘hot keys’ allowing them to play Mass Effect with a heavier focus on action.
* New decryption mini-game.
* New inventory screen GUI and functionality – The enhanced inventory system makes it easier for players to equip and modify their weapons and armor.

“Mass Effect serves as a powerful example of video games as an art form, delivering new levels of emotional intensity, realistic characters and a gripping storyline – all set in a compelling new universe,” said Ray Muzyka, General Manager, BioWare and Vice President, Electronic Arts. Frank Gibeau, President of EA’s Games Label added, “EA has struck an agreement with Microsoft to handle future publishing for Mass Effect. We are looking forward to releasing Mass Effect on the PC this Spring and brand new titles in the future.”

Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, Mass Effect has received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 70 awards including Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year. Mass Effect combines a deep story with intense combat and challenges the player to make difficult decisions that can significantly impact the course of events. An innovative conversation system allows for lifelike interaction with some of the most realistic digital actors, voiced by Hollywood actors such as Seth Green, Marina Sirtis, Lance Henriksen and Keith David. Mass Effect for the PC has not yet been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

About BioWare

BioWare is an electronic entertainment company which develops computer, console, handheld and online video games focused on rich stories and memorable characters. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's best-selling titles including the award-winning Baldur's Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, and Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™. Original BioWare-created IPs include Jade Empire™ and the 2007 Game of the Year, Mass Effect™. With studios in Edmonton, Canada, and Austin, Texas, BioWare is hard at work on the epic fantasy RPG, Dragon Age, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood for the Nintendo DS™, as well as several unannounced projects including a massively multiplayer online game. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by the world’s leading electronic entertainment publisher, Electronic Arts. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS BIG™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2007, EA posted revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

BioWare, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Jade Empire are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by BioWare Corp. in the U.S. and other countries. EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Nintendo DS is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 

[WiseCrack]

I was so happy when I read this I could cry.

First Gears of War and now this.

WOOT!

 

[Oculate]

Lets hope the port over to the PC is successful, ill stick my xbox version

Its gonna slaughter machines with its requirements... or you'll see millions of loading screens all of the maps

Now will it come with an +18 sticker? or will the 'controversal' scenes be cut from the game entirely

 

[stefan9]

Lets hope the port over to the PC is successful, ill stick my xbox version

Its gonna slaughter machines with its requirements... or you'll see millions of loading screens all of the maps

Now will it come with an +18 sticker? or will the 'controversal' scenes be cut from the game entirely

Loading screens are a problem in the console version as well as far as I have been told. On the console the game is read from the disc because not all xbox 360's have hard drives on the pc it will get read from the ram/harddrive so that should speed up loading times.

What will happen with the controversial scene is they will either put it in all versions or they will give the Americans a censored version and the European version will be unedited and everything will import the UK version. That's what happened with the witcher and it's controversial content.

 

[Killove]

Sick!
xbox ftl!

 

[agerbon]

Really don't see the use of getting a Xbox. Almost all the xbox games are coming to PC anyways.

Indeed great news.

 

[BinaryJack]

Really don't see the use of getting a Xbox. Almost all the xbox games are coming to PC anyways.

Indeed great news.

I used to be a PC gamer but after the Gears of War port, I switched over to xbox360. It was a dog!
Asassins Creed will be killing your machine way before Mass Effect comes out! The requirements are OTT.
There are textures delays in the 360 version but I am sure that it is going ot be VERY heavy on resources for a computer. The loading screens weren't that bad, and I am sure that you are going to have some serious issues through the PC.

The planet areas that are loaded are huge and that excludes any enemies that will take up further resources.

I'll stick wtih my 360 version of Mass Effect!
Glad that youare getting it, awesome game!

 

[stefan9]

I used to be a PC gamer but after the Gears of War port, I switched over to xbox360. It was a dog!
Asassins Creed will be killing your machine way before Mass Effect comes out! The requirements are OTT.
There are textures delays in the 360 version but I am sure that it is going ot be VERY heavy on resources for a computer. The loading screens weren't that bad, and I am sure that you are going to have some serious issues through the PC.

The planet areas that are loaded are huge and that excludes any enemies that will take up further resources.

I'll stick wtih my 360 version of Mass Effect!
Glad that youare getting it, awesome game!

Willing to bet my loading times will be shorter on my system compared to xbox 360 mass effect. And no Assasins creed won't kill my machine either.

Didn't have any issues with jade empire special edition or kotor which were both xbox ports from BioWare and don't expect any problems with ME either.

What serious issues would a high end pc have??

Also willing to bet by the time mass effect comes out the new gf 9 series cards are out and will much the game.

Maybe those with low end systems will have issue but they will have issues with the new pc games as well and they will probably be able to turn down aa,effects and resolution to make the game playable.

 

[Xyber]

Not sure how much system and graphics memory the 360 got, but if its anything like the PS3's 2x 256Mb then the amount of resources that needs to be loading won't effect the PC as much since most PCs srtarts at 1Gb. Overall the game should load faster on PC because of HDD and if you have a GFX card simialr or better to 360's the game should run fine.

Guess we'll see what they do with the port.

 

[agerbon]

I used to be a PC gamer but after the Gears of War port, I switched over to xbox360. It was a dog!
Asassins Creed will be killing your machine way before Mass Effect comes out! The requirements are OTT.
There are textures delays in the 360 version but I am sure that it is going ot be VERY heavy on resources for a computer. The loading screens weren't that bad, and I am sure that you are going to have some serious issues through the PC.

The planet areas that are loaded are huge and that excludes any enemies that will take up further resources.

I'll stick wtih my 360 version of Mass Effect!
Glad that youare getting it, awesome game!

Well Crysis played perfectly on my 42" LCD with max settings (Gears of War did too), i highly doubt this game will put my system on its knees