Anyone else annoyed by Mass Effect being Xbox only?

[Lysan Lurraxol]

I was just curious if I was the only one to be incensed by Bioware's refusal to make a PC version of Mass Effect.

 

I only own a PC, and I refuse to shell out for a clunky, expensive console, of which most of the games are tedious and crap.

 

Considering, Bioware have been catering to the PC market mostly, this seems a bit of a betrayal to their audience, and some of the answers given by the Bioware team about the possibility of a port, are rather condescending and rude.

 

Oh, and don't get me stated on the Yet Another Quasi Lesbian (Tee hee) Romance , included. (So sick of Bioware trying to be edgy about sexuality, and failing miserably)

[Domi]

It's not like I wanted to play ME too too very much to start with. If they do a PC conversion, I will play it, if they don't - well, no big deal.

[Guest Tempest]

Mass Effect won't be Xbox only-every game produced for Xbox inevitably comes out for PC a few months later. I'll definitely be annoyed if Mass Effect is an exception, though-it's one of the very rare RPG's that's actually good, from what I hear.

 

From what I've heard of the quasi-lesbian romance, that "she" is technically asexual, yet appears female, does make a certain degree of sense-an asexual race would almost by definition have to have what we think of as female plumbing, as it is females that have the biological means to actually reproduce and nurture offspring.

[Domi]

Funnily, I have not even seen a detailed factual review of ME yet...

[Kulyok]

I'll buy a new computer when the Broken Hourglass comes out.

 

From what I see in this thread, I dislike Mass Effect already.

[KIrving]

I think BioWare's focus has been shifting for a while now, since KOTOR being developed for xbox and pc, then Jade Empire made for xbox and then ported to pc.

If Mass Effect proves even mildly popular (and it certainly seems to be appealing to Microsoft's preferred fan base) then I think it will be ported to pc sometime next year. What with EA now owning BioWare, isn't multi platform one of their practices!?

 

As to the Asari race in Mass Effect being asexual, it's a hair-splitting distinction. The developers have said that they think of the race as being female. (I don't know whether the asari are actually mammals but what is it with the females of alien races having breasts?)

IMO, the psuedo lesbian romance is put in purely for male gamer titillation and not for any other reason. (As evidenced by the BioWare threads describing 'hot girl on girl' action.) If they were really interested in same sex romances then they would have included a male homosexual romance as they did in Jade Empire. Apparently some of the, all male, writing team expressed that they didn't feel they could write such a romance. However they still managed to channel their 'inner lesbian'. Go figure!!

[Guest Tempest]

One of my friends has already played it and beaten the main storyline. He refuses to tell me anything about the plot, but apparently it's a good one, and the gameplay is also good, though he dislikes the Mako sections (you periodically drive an LAV-type vehicle).

 

And concerning romance, there are two romance options per gender-a female career Marine if you're a male character, a sentinel (basically a thief/mage) with dangerous neural implants if you're a female character, and the aforementioned asexual alien who is romancable by both genders.

 

There is a good/evil system of sorts where you earn points towards either side over the course of the game, but there isn't any real storyline split between a paragon (good-aligned) and a renegade (evil-aligned), from what my friend was able to find-the game sticks to one storyline.

 

From what I understand, Mass Effect is also meant to be the first in a trilogy, so the storyline is definitely not finished with the events of the end of the game.

[KIrving]

And concerning romance, there are two romance options per gender-a female career Marine if you're a male character, a sentinel (basically a thief/mage) with dangerous neural implants if you're a female character, and the aforementioned asexual alien who is romancable by both genders.

 

 

Mass Effect spoilers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Male Shepard - Ashley(Human female), Liara (Blue alien chick...oops... Asari)

Female Shepard - Kaidan(Human male, also has the same voice actor as Carth(KOTOR) btw), Liara(Asari)

 

From what I understand, Mass Effect is also meant to be the first in a trilogy, so the storyline is definitely not finished with the events of the end of the game.

 

I don't know, the boards have sounded somewhat cool of late regarding the sequels. DLC is currently being developed but they seem to have gotten a bit closed mouthed about the future of Mass Effect.

Also since the EA purchase, Microsoft have not confirmed future involvement with Mass Effect.

[Gabrielle]

Consoles suck. Bioware is a let down the fans by turning their back on the pc fans, who made them what they are now.

[BigRob]

Yes, I am mightily annoyed by the fact that Mass Effect is X-box only. Especially given the fact that an X-box is essentially a PC in architecture, you'd think a port would be dead easy, just testing for different hardware.

 

Saying that, I am hoping that they'll eventually do a port for it, when I'll play it very merrily. I do worry about the increasing trend for console releases for RPGs these days, they're really tending to action-up the games and slim down character development options with them.

[Lysan Lurraxol]

Meh, I wouldn't be so annoyed by the lesbian romance (and just to clarify, as a gay male, I'm NOT homophobic , before anyone gets the wrong idea), it's jsut that every Bioware game since Kotor has come with a poorly developed lesbian option, which is never brave enough to actually deal with sexuality, or function as a real relationship, it does seem, as KIrving said, I think it's more for HOT!!!1!!ness than anything else

 

Oh, and no-one mention Jade Empire's Sky, writing the same romance for males and females is just lazy.

 

*scuttles away to brood and mutter bitterly*

[Lord Ernie]

I completely agree there, actually. While I've personally seen 'gay romance please' one of the big questions as related to romances in games, the token romances that were in Kotor and JE weren't much of anything at all, worse, one was a 'shared gay romance'.

 

I actually believed that, this time around, they'd done a full-on gay romance complete with (almost) all the bells and whistles, but instead, we have an 'almost asexual but female' characters romanceable by both genders... Not to demean the entire game, but putting in an 'omg lesbin h0t w0man' is... well, stupid.

 

Oh, and for the record: I'm straight (I hate the word though. What's not straight? Bent?)

[Bookwyrme]

I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm "offended" by their choice.

 

It does mean, though, that I won't play the game until/unless it comes out for PC--I enjoy games, but not so much that I'm going to go run out and buy another expensive piece of equipment just to play one.

[Caelellowynn]

I found this interesting. In the United States ME is rated mature (17+) while in the UK my understanding is it is rated 12+ (I get that they are not the same rating system but the allowable age is my point). Rockstar games setted the whole "Hot Coffee" debacle for several million dollars (2.7something I think). Some (s)enators, here in the States, are screaming about the "gasp" sexual content of games. Maybe they are only a few, but if you believe in the lowest common demoninator theory that is more than enough.

 

Personally I find it hard to believe any company isn't going to bow to that kind of monetary pressure at least a little. That Bioware put in a same sex romance of any kind is at least a somewhat positive sign, even if it did fall far short of the mark. Incidently I have played the game and the cut scene with the Asari goes farther than any I've seen or read about in a major title. Sometimes the steps are not far enough or fast enough but at least they are steps. Okay having been reasonable....I still think it sucks.

 

I don't know, but personally I don't think it matters if I'm gay or straight or homosexual or heterosexual or whatever the "in" phrase that isn't going upset most of the people most of the time is. But if you all disagree I'll be happy to "come out of the closet". Never did like that phrase.

 

 

I know I'm new here so hopefully I haven't just stepped in it.

 

*sigh* you know what? my wife is shaking her head at me.

[Caedwyr]

Mass Effect's release isn't really any different from Biowares last few games released. KotOR, JE, and now ME all come out first on the Xbox, and then are released later on the PC. I'm just waiting for the PC version to come out.

 

I had an opportunity to see some of the game over the Christmas break, and it looks to be another high quality Bioware game. The conversation system is a little different, but once you get used to it, it works quite well and provides for a lot of roleplaying situations.