Mass Effect PC-bound in May

BioWare's popular sci-fi RPG is headed to Windows with optimized controls, graphics, and a new user interface; EA officially taking over as publisher.

Ever since 2003, celebrated Canadian studio BioWare has released award-winning role-playing games "exclusively" on Xbox platforms--only to have them arrive on the PC a few months later. Today, Mass Effect followed in the footsteps of Jade Empire and the two Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic titles in making the leap from console to Windows-based platforms.

According to BioWare's new owner, Electronic Arts, Mass Effect will arrive on the PC this May. The PC version of the Interactive Achievement Award-winning game will feature revamped versions of the original game's oft-criticized inventory system and decryption minigames. It will also allow for hot key assignment for a more action-oriented "Run & Gun" style of play, and it will have graphics rejiggered for higher resolution PC displays.

Acclaimed by critics, Mass Effect is set in the 22nd century, when, after discovering alien artifacts that allow for faster-than-light travel, humanity bursts onto the galactic scene. Players assume the role of Commander Shepard, a human tasked by the multispecies governing body known as the Citadel Council to track down a rogue agent named Saren. While in pursuit of his quarry, Shepard encounters various races, conspiracies, alien monsters, and interstellar mercenaries before uncovering a conspiracy that could doom all life in the Milky Way galaxy.

However, unlike its 360 cousin, which was published by Microsoft Game Studios, the PC edition will be published by EA directly. This comes in the wake of a deal with Microsoft Game Studios, which published the first Mass Effect for the Xbox 360.

"Microsoft Game Studios will retain the publishing rights for Mass Effect on Xbox 360 and future downloadable content for this installment," Microsoft said in a statement. "Microsoft Game Studios and Electronic Arts have entered into an agreement where Electronic Arts will publish all future Mass Effect titles and projects."

With console-agnostic EA as the publisher, there is now the possibility that a Mass Effect sequel could someday appear on the PlayStation 3. However, BioWare cofounder Greg Zeschuk has said that his studio would like to finish the "Mass Effect trilogy" on the Xbox 360.

508 Comments

  • gob__bluth

    Posted Jun 1, 2009 3:06 pm PT

    @megagood - you excited about this?

  • division_9

    Posted Apr 9, 2008 1:08 am PT

    @ EA Haters I can understand why you hate EA because after all they do have a tendency to piss everyone off. But what you do have to realise is that EA has pretty good quality in some parts. Everygame from EA I've played online has EA servers in each country which acts as a hub for gamers to gather and have fun. EA also does have a pretty good customer support considering how big it is. While there are some problems with EA like sometimes there master servers dont do so well you do have to take into account how many games they have to host servers for. For everygame EA publishes they have to host servers for it. FIFA series,Medal of honour series, Need for speed series, the Godfather games, Team fortress 2(PS3 version atleast), Fight night games(Not 100% sure if it has online support), Nascar series, Burnout series and the Battlefield series.





    @ Nate1222

    I suggest you'd get a 9600 GT instead of a 8600 GTS because the 9600 GT has up to a 90% increase in performance and its pretty dam easy on the wallet for its performance.

  • gameerkid

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 11:30 am PT

    this was inevitable i expect in the future even sony shall bow down to the law of console exclusive games "if EA owns the company or just bought it then its going to PC" and "even if EA dosen't own it,if enough people complain or it sells well enough its heading to the PC" only sony is immune to this law

  • Balmoran

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 5:52 am PT

    Yayyy!! I new it had to happen eventually! Now I don't hate EA anymore. I doubt they'd be able to mess this title up (I could be wrong of course).
    When Bioware decided to go Xbox exclusively, I was very sad. Thank heavens EA is more PC orientated. I don't mind console, but I've decided to rather invest in PC hardware. Why does one have to bother with switching platforms all the time, anyway? Let's hope PC gaming gets a much needed shot in the arm from this excellent decision by EA.

  • Joe_Crow

    Posted Mar 2, 2008 4:17 am PT

    Yes! I was praying this would happen. The one game that i would love thats only on Xbox360 is Mass Effect and now i can get it!!

  • nate1222

    Posted Feb 18, 2008 4:04 pm PT

    This will so rock! I'm already considering ditching my 360 for a (dare I say it) Wii, then upgrading my PCs GPU (to GeForce 8600 or 8800). This port makes that decision look all the sweeter. I currently play the Hell outta 'Mass Effect' and 'Oblivion'. I have Oblivion on PC and 360. My crappy GeForce 8500 makes Oblivion look almost as good as the 360 version, so the 8600 should do the trick without having to live on oatmeal for a month.

  • Force_field

    Posted Feb 17, 2008 3:55 pm PT

    This should be gr8... hope that EA's dirty hands won't destroy the greatness of Bioware!

  • all4lal

    Posted Feb 17, 2008 12:35 am PT

    gr8.mass effect for pc.cool.now the only thing i have to wait for is gta4 pc.

  • Lazdude

    Posted Feb 16, 2008 7:50 am PT

    I've been looking forward to this announcement ever since EA aquired BioWare. Hopefully the port will be successful, and I won't have to buy an Xbox 360 after all.

  • philby00

    Posted Feb 15, 2008 4:59 am PT

    w00t!
    sweet, can't wait to play it! was actually thinking of saving for a 360 to get it but now ill just save for new pc hardware hehe. don't want to sound too rude or anything but a big LOL at any xbox fanboys who actually thought this game would really only stay on 360. a pc version was inevitable just glad its so soon!

  • Pilch_R_eD

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 8:59 pm PT

    @ HardCore_PC_Gmr I had read all your posts, some of them just came accross as bit stuckup. But I get you now. PC's and Consoles do offer one great thing to eachother tho, whether you like to admit it or not. Stability. Not of games, but hardware. Without PC's consoles could still be waring it out in the 16 bit era. And without console gaming PC gamers would probabaly have to buy a new GPU every week to pay a new game. A bit exagurated i know, but i think ive made my point. But yeh, anyways.

    srry HardCore_PC_Gmr Best Regard to you to

  • theKSMM

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 5:45 pm PT

    This is good news for PC gamers. Playing Mass Effect on the go will be pretty doggone awesome.

  • he-man-the-grea

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 4:44 pm PT

    to b honest , i would b slightly annoyed if this came out on the ps3. I would feel that my xbox isn't really superior as there are barely any exclusives as it stands now and games are what defines a console. If I had a really high-end pc this wuld not b the case at all cause I would always b assured that i was gettin the highest quality version of a multi-platform game every time. Glad this is comin out on the PC.

  • Dixteel

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 1:17 pm PT

    This is a very good news.

  • makemeweak

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 12:13 pm PT

    It would be more accurate for them to say "Microsoft platforms" exclusive. I hope they patch the 360 version with the retooled minigames and inventory system.

  • AnnoyedDragon

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 11:21 am PT

    @gibson-les-rick

    Since when did exclusives ever refer to PC? I have had console users say it doesn't count many times when I bring up there is a PC version of a console game.

    Exclusives mostly refers to between consoles; but then again, Oblivion was supposed to be a 360 exclusive.

    Says something about the current state of the market, games are becoming more expensive to make which makes platform exclusives less viable.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 11:21 am PT

    People are saying that an "exclusive" title coming to PC !.

    and many, many other people and I saying that:

    A title coming to an "exclusive" platform, ultimate gaming platform !.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 11:10 am PT

    @Pilch_R_eD:

    FIrst of all, words tell a lot about the "quality" of their owners.

    Secondly, if you read my all previous posts, you would realize what i mean and think. Again:

    ------------------------
    Still, i am not saying consoles are bad. They are just necessary for some type of people (children or for the ones who does not take gaming seriously, etc). Please do not offend, but people just like you who read gaming sites and post comments just deserve much superior gaming platform.
    ------------------------

    Thirdly, i am not comparing PC gaming platform to any console gaming platform. It would be unfair for consoles, and would be a kind of insult for PCs.

    Fourthly, i guess you felt a kind of sorry when you read my previous posts stating some facts about PC and console gaming. And i guess it explains why your words are not carefully chosen.

    I am just trying to wake up some ignorant people from their sleep and what other superior options (PC gaming) are available to them. (To all, just read my previous posts and see what i mean if you have some time).

    and Lastly, i am still sending my best regards to you.

  • RonTorque

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 10:49 am PT

    That's great news...

  • gMcR

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 9:09 am PT

    wow, now there is no reason for me at all to buy a 360

  • radioactive1wiz

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 8:17 am PT

    Woot now i dont have to buy an xbox 360! i can just stay with my pc once again

  • gibson-les-rick

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 8:08 am PT

    Jesus Christ what the hell happenend to exclusives?! ONLY ON XBOX 360, WTF?

  • Col-Neil

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 7:06 am PT

    They use the exucse of saying a title is exculsive then when they see if it makes enough money they decided to go multi format

  • Pilch_R_eD

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 6:30 am PT

    Holy crap thats a long post. So, im just posting this post to apolagise for the length of that post. . . . . Ciao ! XD

  • Pilch_R_eD

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 6:28 am PT

    The day mass effect was announced, and they said it was a 360 exclusive, i knew right off the bat it wouldnt be. Bioware, RPGs. Sure they have made a few exclusive ones for consoles but not many, and they have generally been a PC production company for a very long time. I think people are taking the word "Exclusive" a litter too litterally in the gaming world.

    When it comes to games, the word "exclusive" is generally allot of **** Big companies like MS pay Developers like Bioware to say the game is exclusive for a certain ammount of time to try and get more people to buy their systems. Allot of the time, the games simply arnt, and never where going to be truely "exclusive" at all. It was exclusive for a while, but, not forever.

    Mass Effect is a game that was obviously always going to come out for the PC. I for one am a bit shocked at how soon, but I understand why. EA doesnt make money from 360's being sold. And now that they have bought out Bioware they are just pushign forward with the PC verison earlier than what would have eventually happend anyways.

    You know. Bungie was origionally making Halo for PC. Thats right. Microsoft payed them big bucks to get them to put it out in xbox and keep it on it as an exclusive for a very long time. And when anyone ever thinks Xbox they think "Halo". Microsoft are smart, very smart. That move have made them more money than you can count.

    Right now, GTA IV is considered a 360 and PS3 exlusive. Guess what. My bet is, they will all be on PC, just as vice city and San Andreas are. And those previous 2 titles where supposed to be exclusive as well !

    I think consoles are great. And the 360 is definately the Best console for hardcore gaming on Consoles at the moment. Low price, great visuals and allot of good games, some of the best.

    But in the end im a PC gamer. PC's and consoles both have their ups and downs. But I would say the biggest down of all between them is the scrupulous ammount of **** people argue about which one is better.

    For the enjoyment of games, purely just for playing them, they are both the same. If you like better visuals, more options on control types and generally a more deeper, time consuming, money consuming, customising, modding, tweaking, general enjoyment with messing around with technology and doing things other then just playing the games, then your going to want a PC.

    As for the purpose of owning a 360 and if its worth it. My oppinion is, if you can afford a PC, then its not. Just my oppinion, because i love my PC's and always will, and I consider them to tbe the most hardcore platform you can get. If not, out of all the consoles, 360 owns.

    Anyways, im glad the console jockeys have a great game, and im glad we do too, enjoy it and stop complaining!!! BTW, for gods sake, please, all console fanboys, dont think all Pc gamers are like "HardCore_PC_Gmr ". Because Even I think he's a dickhead. Peace Out gamers everywhere, no matter what your playing on, as long as your cool, your all ace in my book. KEEP ON GAMING!

  • zoe256

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 3:38 am PT

    Ahh. They should change their advertisement to: 'EA...ruin eveeeerything.'

    I hope it maintains its original awesomeness for PC gamers, but with EA you can never be too sure :/

  • azizrulez

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 1:53 am PT

    i really hope the fun factor isnt lost out in the porting process.

  • kratos_karmakar

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 1:42 am PT

    @Hydrith: "Kratos_karmakar:You're an idiot. Just because EA got it's hands on this game for full publishing does not mean it's going to turn out like some other games that EA deals largely in. And let's all hope that you're nasty statement about ME becoming another "Halo" type game to be completely false...as while Halo 1 was a great game (like Mass Effect was), all the sequels were crap.

    It's good, IMHO, to see Mass Effect making a move over to PC. Honestly, there wasn't much suprise to it, since all of the other games that Bioware has made that had any level of success eventually did make their way over to PC. God knows, for those of us who have invested the cash into our PCs, the game will look many times better on our computer monitors than it does on the TV screen through an X360."
    i never said mass effect for pc is gonna be bad. it can only get better with the optimizations.but having already played it , it really doesnt matter to me watever magic bioware further puts into it coz its already gold to me. a\also besides the frame rate problem there isnt anything there to fix graphically.ur hard drive will take care of the texture popups.
    i wasnt making any comparison as to how the next sequels are going to be compared to halo .im the 1st 1 to hope its gonna be great. as for being a fan i was one of the 1st ppl at the store i went to right on 20th november to get my copy of mass effect. so i know more about it than u, pc gamer.i was merely saying this could be a big a franchise(money earner) as the halo trilogy for ms.giving rights away was almost symbiotic to giving away all that money that could have been milked out of the game if it stayed xclusive.as far as ea goes im going to bet the next 2 games r also going to be on ps3. i see no reason why not.ea likes their games to go to all platforms ,even the portables. and bout u hoping it not becoming like another halo type game ...... theres where ur absolutely exposed as a real genius( sarcastically speaking ofcourse) ....if u had actually played the game ud know that its nothing like halo. far from it actually.the story was just a little bit influenced by star wars, halo (protheans and the forerunner ) and final fantasy: spirits within but thats where that tiny influence ends.and as for halo: "all the sequels were crap." surely u dont mean all the sequels or u havent played 3.

  • rkk667

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 12:41 am PT

    Loving the inventory fixes and uprez. So many games are swift ports and so much is expected from BioWare on PC I believe. It is nice they take the time to address issues that possibly kept this from being game of the year on more sites, viva PC~

  • Viron_Berserker

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 10:22 pm PT

    Seeing as EA is a moneywhore of a company I'll bet that they will release it on the PS3. Which isn't a bad thing if you work for BioWare or EA.

  • Nawras

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 9:46 pm PT

    It's a TRILOGY!!!!!!! *dies*

  • mindless1987

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 9:39 pm PT

    hmmm, this brings to mind a song, "There Is A God" i knew those weeks of prayer would pay off. but i still want a 360, and from the looks of it, not only will my pc give it better graphics, the game as a whole will be better also!!

  • SkateZero05

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 9:13 pm PT

    **** YEAH! Finally... an answer to our prayers...

    And about the upgrading pcs thing... I like spending money on my computer. You don't have to upgrade but every 2 or 3 years to keep playing games on your pc. But personally, I like working with computers, and I actually like upgrading my PC every year. Makes sure you keep on the cutting edge of graphics and physics, whereas consoles stay with very similar graphics for a few years. Plus, FPS' are, IMO, better on PC. These are my thoughts, but most PC gamers don't mind upgrading their PCs and have their own reasons why they are PC gamers.

  • ryaz_weaponx

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 9:04 pm PT

    FINALLY SOME ACTION............

  • omrikk87

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 8:36 pm PT

    as long as it wont come out to the ps3 im cool with it , the pc version could be good , even though i think it should have been exclusive to the 360.. but hey.. more titles\formats\consoles means more money.. and since it is EA now.. im not surprised

  • kratos_karmakar

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 8:19 pm PT

    this is bs. just bs. take a great exclusive with a great future simply because it was an exclusive and give it away.if ms just hadnt handed the rights over then mayb mass effect could have become the next halo. a real console seller for ms. has ms given up the console race? then why slip away games with such good futures to the pc or even other platforms? this is wats gonna happen when ea takes over. next we are gonna see coca cola ads in the PRESIDIUM in mass effect.

  • VirtuaCast

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 7:07 pm PT

    Still a great game to have in your library. If the series can evolve better by going multiplat, thats great.

  • bob777777721

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 6:29 pm PT

    Oh my dear God. I have been waiting, praying, crossing my fingers, hoping this day would come. The gods be praised! Mass Effect on PC is the best news I've heard in a long while.

  • Leafninja

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 6:02 pm PT

    Yay why buy X360 when the best game will come to PC.

  • Canitbe

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 5:58 pm PT

    :
    HardCore_PC_Gmr, I spent $250 on my 360, you tell me how much money you will spend on upgrading your PC in the next 5 years to keep up with the newest Tech? how much did you spend for vista and a DirectX compatible graphics card?


    No idea how much someone will spend, however I know this PC while not the best of the best, will play games just fine.

    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus Socket AM2 Barebone Kit - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ 2.80GHz OEM, 256MB Video Card, 160GB SATA HD, 2GB DDR2 PC6400, ATX Mid-Tower Case, 450 Watt Power Supply

    http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3617776&sku=A455-2810%20A

    300 bucks

  • Timstuff

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 5:44 pm PT

    They'd like to finish ME on Xbox 360, but that doesn't mean that it won't appear on PS3. It will still be on Xbox 360 if it's a multi platform series.

  • iamdanthaman

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 5:27 pm PT

    I agree, there are many advantages to PC gaming, I love to play games like WoW and other games on my PC, but you definitely can't ignore the cost of Windows Vista, I have heard many people complain about having to upgrade from XP just to play games. There really isn't much other incentive unless you are buying a whole new computer, like I did, and spent a lot more money on it than I did on my 360. I also got a monitor with DVI that I can use with it if I don't want to use my HDTV. You are nuts if you think you get more power for your money with a PC though, Sony and MS take huge losses on their hardware to get people to buy the consoles, they only make money on the consoles late in life but most of their revenue comes from the games, which are generally only $10 more expensive than PC games new.

  • wtf_hax

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 5:27 pm PT

    Finally, this was like the only 360 game I wanted.

  • Diernes

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 5:26 pm PT

    Yet one more reason I regret buying an Xbox360

  • he-man-the-grea

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    I think PC is the best for games ,Provided you hav enuf money. It may cost a lot more than any console but I'd say its much more than worth it if u take everything into consideration. It can achieve a smoother frame rate,better graphics, higher resolutions and generally a hell of a lot more reliable than,lets say,an xbox 360, which I happen to have and it has failed on me just like another 33% of the customers..If i had the money i wouldn't hesitate to buy a high end pc over a console any day. Hell,if ure a PC pirate (not sayin I am) you can get all the games and software you want for free ,granted ure running a risk that culd end you up wif jail time. I culd name more but im just gonna say that over all its better than any console.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 3:06 pm PT

    Read what the below news says:

    What a great agreement

    -----------------------------
    EA has confirmed that it will publish a new, enhanced version of the stunning RPG this May. The mega-publisher recently bought up Mass Effect developer, BioWare and rumours of a PC port have been circulating ever since.

    Apparently, the announcement of a port is part of an agreement between Microsoft and EA to bring future Xbox 360 games to the PC, though Mass Effect is the only title confirmed for porting.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 2:56 pm PT

    @iamdanthaman:

    Firstly and honestly, i thank you for asking such a question. And in case of that you have not read my related post below. i am copying here again:

    -------------------------------------------
    Do you think you are using your sweet console while reading my post, or writing your reply? Simply, in todays world, one cannot live without a real PC, so one have to have a real PC. So just to convert that PC to also a ultimate gaming platform, it is enough to buy a advanced GPU.

    So, in that meaning, in order to make a real judgement of cost effectiveness, one should compare to price of a whole console to the price of an only a GPU.

    What's more, do you know how much costs a console game and a PC game? Do you know which one costs higher, etc, etc.
    -------------------------------------------

    And for example, if you buy a upper mid or high end GPU, it will be enough for you about as long as a console's typical life cycle. Games are scalable you know at the worst case.

    Also, you should add a console's accessories' costs.

    Also, you should add the addiitional cost of having a console game (you know PC games are even cheaper).

    and also, you need to substract the cost of Windows Vista (as i noted above, you will already have to have it (one cannot live without real PC)). So, having a Vista is not the result of gaming on PC.

    What's more read my "The points of owning a 360 " post below. The ratio of price/performance is much higher in PC gaming apart from being ultimate gaming platform.

    Lastly, still, i am not saying consoles are bad. They are just necessary for some type of people (children or for the ones who does not take gaming seriously, etc). Please do not offend, but people just like you who read gaming sites and post comments just deserve much superior gaming platform.

    Best regards,

  • Crazyman93

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 2:41 pm PT

    DAMNIT!!!

  • iamdanthaman

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 2:32 pm PT

    HardCore_PC_Gmr, I spent $250 on my 360, you tell me how much money you will spend on upgrading your PC in the next 5 years to keep up with the newest Tech? how much did you spend for vista and a DirectX compatible graphics card?

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