Rumor: Australian Magazine Confirms Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer

[Sixcess]

Please don't go "Portal 2" with it and turn the single player into a tutorial for the co-op.

This. I enjoyed Portal 2 but it's 2/3 of a game for me. Ironically I enjoy multiplayer in MMOs, but can't stand it in singleplayer series.

Also, Mass Effect is a story driven singleplayer series - and if there's one word of plot locked behind a co-op or nothing mode ala Portal 2 the resulting rage wil be entirely justified. It's bad enough that they expect us to buy DLC to get the full story, but forcing us to tolerate some half assed multiplayer gimmick for extra story... no thank you.

Hopefully this will be just be a system whereby other players can control squadmates during the combat. That would take away absolutely nothing from the singleplayer whilst providing something extra for the multiplayer fans - co-op combat on the hardest difficulty could actually be quite interesting.

 

[snfonseka]

Here is the link to PCPP: http://www.pcpowerplay.com.au/2011/10/pcpp197-on-sale-october-19/

 

[Logan Westbrook]

My personal opinion? Unconcerned. Whining about the addition of multiplayer to Mass Effect would be like a Gears of War fan getting pissed off about having 'Beast Mode' in Gears 3. "Oh no, extra features! My world is ending!"

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but adding a new multiplayer mode to a series that already has a strong multiplayer focus isn't really the same thing as adding a multiplayer mode to a series that has been exclusively single player until now.

 

[Zhukov]

My personal opinion? Unconcerned. Whining about the addition of multiplayer to Mass Effect would be like a Gears of War fan getting pissed off about having 'Beast Mode' in Gears 3. "Oh no, extra features! My world is ending!"

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but adding a new multiplayer mode to a series that already has a strong multiplayer focus isn't really the same thing as adding a multiplayer mode to a series that has been exclusively single player until now.

Why not? They each constitute an additional feature that was not previously present in their respective series.

But for some reason it seems to be multiplayer in particular that gets people up in arms.

Imagine if they had announced that there would be, say, some sort of exploration mechanic that lets you pilot the Normandy around. Would people still be running around like headless chickens exclaiming that it was going to divert attention from the elements that made the previous game(s) good? Somehow I doubt it.

But multiplayer? Commence the wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not sure why, maybe it reminds people of Call of Duty or something...

Ah well, proof of the pudding and all that.

 

[Tahmoh]

As long as theres no achievements/trophies linked to multiplayer and it has to be unlocked via completing the game on insane mode using only a pistol and no armour/shields i dont mind multiplayer in the game....obviously this will never happen since the idiots who want multiplayer/co-op in mass effect are to wussy/lazy to ever actually want to earn the mode first, why they couldnt save multiplayer for a spin off game(maybe set during the first contact war) is a mystery but im sure it wont be something thats tied into the single player game much(if at all) so i really dont care, but will never bother to play any co-op or multiplayer modes added to the game as to me its a single player story about 1 man/womans fight to save the universe not a bunch of random prats dicking about instead of saving anything(which most co-op modes end up degenerating into 9 times out of 10).

 

[Random berk]

Well, this scares me a lot. I'm screwed if I have to rely on multiplayer to get the full story, as that means relying on my brother who thinks the graphics on Battlefield 3 automatically makes it the best thing the gaming community will ever be capable of, just as Black Ops was before it, and that anything that isn't Call of Duty- or Call of Duty with a different name- isn't worth looking at. Mass Effect is something to be enjoyed on my own terms.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

My personal opinion? Unconcerned. Whining about the addition of multiplayer to Mass Effect would be like a Gears of War fan getting pissed off about having 'Beast Mode' in Gears 3. "Oh no, extra features! My world is ending!"

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but adding a new multiplayer mode to a series that already has a strong multiplayer focus isn't really the same thing as adding a multiplayer mode to a series that has been exclusively single player until now.

Why not? They each constitute an additional feature that was not previously present in their respective series.

But for some reason it seems to be multiplayer in particular that gets people up in arms.

Imagine if they had announced that there would be, say, some sort of exploration mechanic that lets you pilot the Normandy around. Would people still be running around like headless chickens exclaiming that it was going to divert attention from the elements that made the previous game(s) good? Somehow I doubt it.

But multiplayer? Commence the wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not sure why, maybe it reminds people of Call of Duty or something...

Ah well, proof of the pudding and all that.

I think you're being a little disingenuous there. Piloting the Normandy around would - in theory - add depth and compliment the the single player game. Multiplayer, on the other hand, isn't really going to add anything at all. If anything, it could detract from the single player game - which, don't forget, is what made the series popular in the first place.

 

[kurokenshi]

My personal opinion? Unconcerned. Whining about the addition of multiplayer to Mass Effect would be like a Gears of War fan getting pissed off about having 'Beast Mode' in Gears 3. "Oh no, extra features! My world is ending!"

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but adding a new multiplayer mode to a series that already has a strong multiplayer focus isn't really the same thing as adding a multiplayer mode to a series that has been exclusively single player until now.

Why not? They each constitute an additional feature that was not previously present in their respective series.

But for some reason it seems to be multiplayer in particular that gets people up in arms.

Imagine if they had announced that there would be, say, some sort of exploration mechanic that lets you pilot the Normandy around. Would people still be running around like headless chickens exclaiming that it was going to divert attention from the elements that made the previous game(s) good? Somehow I doubt it.

But multiplayer? Commence the wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not sure why, maybe it reminds people of Call of Duty or something...

Ah well, proof of the pudding and all that.

I think you're being a little disingenuous there. Piloting the Normandy around would - in theory - add depth and compliment the the single player game. Multiplayer, on the other hand, isn't really going to add anything at all. If anything, it could detract from the single player game - which, don't forget, is what made the series popular in the first place.

You ninja'd me Mr.Westbrook!

EDIT: Also ME3 is supposed to be the final installment of a Trilogy, there really is no point in tacking on multiplayer. If you haven't played the first two games I doubt adding multiplayer on would make someone buy the third.

 

[Rayken15]

Judging from the cover of the magazine, it looks like there's 4 classes of sorts. Asari comando, Krogan dude, Sniper woman and generic soldier #2764. So I doubt it's co-op.

I'll go RAGE now.

 

[Woodsey]

Seems like a waste of time to me. If they haven't got something really fucking unique then it'll go the way of virtually every other multiplayer component (especially TPS multiplayer components) - that is to say, fucking nowhere.

Still, I don't really see it adversely affecting the single-player in any way. It does smack a little of BioWare - once again - trying to make themselves everything to everyone.

Well, this scares me a lot. I'm screwed if I have to rely on multiplayer to get the full story,

You won't.

I think you're being a little disingenuous there. Piloting the Normandy around would - in theory - add depth and compliment the the single player game. Multiplayer, on the other hand, isn't really going to add anything at all. If anything, it could detract from the single player game - which, don't forget, is what made the series popular in the first place.

I think that's a really important distinction, actually. Compartmentalising adds nothing overall, you more than likely get a half-baked multiplayer, and whilst nothing is taken away from singleplayer, its certainly doesn't benefit from the MP addition.

 

[varulfic]

(Shameless cross-post from the forum thread, because it's so very important that everyone hears my enlightened views on the matter.)

Allow me to save everyone time and effort by pre-emtively summing up the rest of this thread right here:
- "Noooooooo! Why?!"
- "Eh, no big deal. I'm just in it for the single player."
- "EA, please remove your dick from Mass Effect."
- "Hey, maybe it'll be okay. There's no telling until we get to try it."
- "Fuck you! I'm not buying it now!"
- "Multiplayer is ruining the games industry!"
- "Well shit, this is going to remove resources from the single player."
- "Uh, game development doesn't quite work like that."
- "Yes it does."
- "No it doesn't."
- "Bioware sucks now and has totally sold out and started giving blowjobs on street corners."
- "This actually sounds potentially fun."
- "It's DA2 all over again! Another abortion of a game coming up!"
- "Hey, extra feature. Score!"
- "I didn't care anyway, ME2 already ruined the series forever."
- "Call of Duty sucks!"
- "It's all Obama's fault!"

Yup, that should about cover it.

Oh well, least it's actually confirmed now.

My personal opinion? Unconcerned. Whining about the addition of multiplayer to Mass Effect would be like a Gears of War fan getting pissed off about having 'Beast Mode' in Gears 3. "Oh no, extra features! My world is ending!"

Thanks, Zhukov. I will be outsourcing my posts to you from now on.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

You ninja'd me Mr.Westbrook!

I am stealthy like the night!

 

[BloodSquirrel]

A huge resounding "meh" from me. I'm still buying ME3 even though I may despise the plot judging from ME2's main "plot" but I don't care. I'm so invested in this series to jump ship right now.

Bioware has done an excellent job of making me not give a crap anymore.

I'm not even expecting ME3 to wrap things up at this point. I'm expecting the real ending to be reserved for DLC, and even for that to be a half-assed ending to make way for more ME. I'm expecting another plot that really only serves as a framing device for your companions' stories and for whatever the devs think COD would do. Most of all, though, I'm expecting none of my choices made at any point to matter.

So, really, I don't feel like I'll be missing anything by skipping ME 3.

 

[GeorgW]

I don't see this just as a cash grab, and as long as it's only co-op I'll look forward to it as an additional feature. Now I'm just waiting to hear more when the issue comes out, when is that BTW?

 

[legendp]

My personal opinion? Unconcerned. Whining about the addition of multiplayer to Mass Effect would be like a Gears of War fan getting pissed off about having 'Beast Mode' in Gears 3. "Oh no, extra features! My world is ending!"

I agree, I don't want them to remove features from the single-player game but many people seem to be under the impression that because it has multiplayer (an extra feature) that means the single-player stuff will be worse. (I don't care about multiplayer but I can just ignore it... what's so hard about that?)

 

[Zhukov]

I think you're being a little disingenuous there. Piloting the Normandy around would - in theory - add depth and compliment the the single player game. Multiplayer, on the other hand, isn't really going to add anything at all. If anything, it could detract from the single player game - which, don't forget, is what made the series popular in the first place.

Fair enough I suppose.

There's no denying that multiplayer doesn't add any value to those of us (like me!) who just want the single player. But I think of it as a extraneous addition to be ignored rather than some sort of resource-sucking cancer created to destroy the series.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Hope its not something crap like death match as i dont see why they would add something so pointless to ME3. Although if its the for a second player to take control of one of your team....that wouldnt be to bad.

 

[Michael Hirst]

Provided this doesn't take anything away from the single player story mode I'm fine with it. I think the fears people have are that it could end up similar to Call of Duty or Gears of War in the sense that the single player campaign is cut short and the multiplayer aspect of the games are given a lot more development time and resources.

 

[BloodSquirrel]

Hope its not something crap like death match as i dont see why they would add something so pointless to ME3. Although if its the for a second player to take control of one of your team....that wouldnt be to bad.

Actually, it would be worse, as it would mean that the singleplayer would have to be more directly designed around co-op being a viable mode of play.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

(Shameless cross-post from the forum thread, because it's so very important that everyone hears my enlightened views on the matter.)

Allow me to save everyone time and effort by pre-emtively summing up the rest of this thread right here:
- "Noooooooo! Why?!"
- "Eh, no big deal. I'm just in it for the single player."
- "EA, please remove your dick from Mass Effect."
- "Hey, maybe it'll be okay. There's no telling until we get to try it."
- "Fuck you! I'm not buying it now!"
- "Multiplayer is ruining the games industry!"
- "Well shit, this is going to remove resources from the single player."
- "Uh, game development doesn't quite work like that."
- "Yes it does."
- "No it doesn't."
- "Bioware sucks now and has totally sold out and started giving blowjobs on street corners."
- "This actually sounds potentially fun."
- "It's DA2 all over again! Another abortion of a game coming up!"
- "Hey, extra feature. Score!"
- "I didn't care anyway, ME2 already ruined the series forever."
- "Call of Duty sucks!"
- "It's all Obama's fault!"

Yup, that should about cover it.

Oh well, least it's actually confirmed now.

My personal opinion? Unconcerned. Whining about the addition of multiplayer to Mass Effect would be like a Gears of War fan getting pissed off about having 'Beast Mode' in Gears 3. "Oh no, extra features! My world is ending!"

Well done. You did leave out "Console scrubs ruin another game by demanding co-op in everything", "Cancelling my pre-order and selling my ME2 collector's edition" and "Lulwhut do they even have internet in Australia", but otherwise I think it's been covered.

And at least three people have already completely missed the point.