Would a Mass Effect Movie work??

[Dangernick42]

It might sound odd, but I think that a film set in the universe of Mass Effect would work. Maybe not the story of Shepard, possibly something more along the lines of Mass Effect: Revelation, focusing on Captain Anderson.
What is the general view of the community??

 

[Axolotl]

Why not? Star Trek worked as a movie, I see no reason why something that copies Star Trek so closely wouldn't.

 

[Socken]

To be honest, I think the overall story of Mass Effect would make for just a generic sci-fi movie. Without the personal involvement in how it unfolds, it's fairly standard. Also it'd be hard to make all the recruitment and loyalty missions of ME2 interesting when you only have like an hour to show them all.

 

[Ascarus]

if you had told me 15 years ago someone was going to attempt to create LoTR films (non-animated) i would have felt immediately sick. look how that turned out and LoTR is MUCH more complex than Mass Effect.

so it all depends on the attention and care it was given.

 

[Bullfrog1983]

I think it would make a great movie if it focused on a few characters totally uninvolved with the events of the series. Maybe a few friends who go on a space odyssey or spend the entire movie on one planet.

If I were a betting man though i'd say Mass Effect's huge universe would be better served by a television series.

 

[Canid117]

Make a movie about the first contact war and sure.

 

[Oodleew]

I reckon it would work, but you need to have a really good actor/actress as Shepard, then definately have Seth Green play Joker himself (as they look slightly similar) then all you'll have to worry about is the alien characters and the Geth.

 

[Something Amyss]

It might sound odd, but I think that a film set in the universe of Mass Effect would work. Maybe not the story of Shepard, possibly something more along the lines of Mass Effect: Revelation, focusing on Captain Anderson.
What is the general view of the community??

I liked the two ME novels. While neither were quite as good as the game, I think ME could readily translate to the big screen with good success. however, I really would like to see stories not focusing on Shephard. Shep's determined by the player and serves as our avatar. Sure, most people play male Shep, and I'm sure a lot of people play the stock character, but every additional choice narrows it down. Do you view Shep as good, bad, or neutral? Allies? Romances? The game offered a somewhat personalised experience that I think would cause disparity with the movie.

not like it would stop them. Just saying.

 

[Imp Poster]

One thing though, if they are making it about Shepherd (Not the best idea, as they're probably the least interesting character in the whole thing), then please, please make it Female Shepherd. A sci-fi action film with a non-sexualized female protagonist that isn't directed by James Cameron would be nice to see. Male Shepherd, while he's actually who I play as (I usually just play what I am, ie. White, male, short), is really dull, as a character, more so than Femshep.

Yeah, agreed. Make her a Vanguard and have a big chested female actress play her so we charge will be that much more greater.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

If they did then they COULD NOT make it about Sheperd. The whole appeal of our dear Commander is that when we play the game he is indeed OURS. The Renegades will be pissed when he sets the Rachni free, and the Paragons will ***** when he pushes a merc out of a window.

If they don't follow a different character, then they'll only disappoint half of their fan base.

BTW, love your Avatar.

 

[Zachinahat]

One thing though, if they are making it about Shepherd (Not the best idea, as they're probably the least interesting character in the whole thing), then please, please make it Female Shepherd. A sci-fi action film with a non-sexualized female protagonist that isn't directed by James Cameron would be nice to see. Male Shepherd, while he's actually who I play as (I usually just play what I am, ie. White, male, short), is really dull, as a character, more so than Femshep.

I honestly think it would work best with a non-caucasian female Shepard without blatant pandering to the sexually stunted twats that Hollywood takes us for. (That means no Angelina or any of the other Hollywood lovepillows without characterisation they bring in for this stuff)

If they did then they COULD NOT make it about Sheperd. The whole appeal of our dear Commander is that when we play the game he is indeed OURS. The Renegades will be pissed when he sets the Rachni free, and the Paragons will ***** when he pushes a merc out of a window.

If they don't follow a different character, then they'll only disappoint half of their fan base.

Unfortunately Ray Muyzka has on a couple occasions stated that the renegade maleshep is Bioware's take on the character

 

[vanthebaron]

I dont see why not, as long as they don't destory the mythology

 

[Dangernick42]

Make a movie about the first contact war and sure.

That's a brilliant idea! Although I think they should try and work Garrus into it somehow. Maybe his father fights in the war or something.

I liked the two ME novels. While neither were quite as good as the game, I think ME could readily translate to the big screen with good success. however, I really would like to see stories not focusing on Shephard. Shep's determined by the player and serves as our avatar. Sure, most people play male Shep, and I'm sure a lot of people play the stock character, but every additional choice narrows it down. Do you view Shep as good, bad, or neutral? Allies? Romances? The game offered a somewhat personalised experience that I think would cause disparity with the movie.

not like it would stop them. Just saying.

Just so you know, there is a third ME novel I believe. I'm not sure if it's out yet or just announced, but I definitely saw 3 Drew Karpyshyn ME books on Amazon.

 

[Yelchor]

There are so many areas that I'd want the Mass Effect franschise to expand on. I for one would want to be able to play as another race than Human!

A Mass Effect movie could basically be successful as a remake of the campaign, but I would preffer diversity. Having Anderson as the protagonist would be interesting.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

I think it could work. Mass Effect has a very good storyline to work with and is also rather action-packed. The only two problems I think it would suffer from are these: Lack of personal involvement and somewhat genericness.

What makes the Mass Effect games so great is the fact that the player becomes Commander Shepard for all intents and purposes. My Shepard is very different from all your Shepards because I made different choices than all of you. I completed missions differently, I romanced different team members, I choose different dialogue options, I lost different people. The uniqueness of each of our Mass Effect universes is what helped to make this series so popular. Take that sense of ownership for each viewer and what do you get...?

A rather generic sci-fi story. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against tried and true sci-fi or the Mass Effect storyline. Far from that. But come on, strip away some details and what do you get? The story of a human soldier who is the best of the best getting a rag-tag team of aliens and humans to defeat an enemy that is totally Evil with a capital E. I know that the Mass Effect story is more detailed and less blah than my synopsis, but I doubt that anyone but Mass Effect fans and sci-fi nerds will notice. Everyone else would just see it as another sci-fi video game action movie. Even if it was good.

Plus it'd be cramming in hours upon hours of game-play into 2 maybe 3 hours of footage. Mind you it probably wouldn't include side mission and all the other stuff that comes with it being a game, but I just think it would feel about rushed.

If they do make one though, I'd hope with all my heart that it would be good. And I do like the idea of it taking place parallel the Shepard storyline rather than follow it.

 

[Shameless]

I don't think a Mass Effect Movie would work, because if you took away the player's involvement the story would be boring, the Story was constructed in an interactive medium and works greatly as that but as a movie it won't really work, but yet again I don't think it would make a terrible movie but not a great one it would be like the Prince of Persia movie, fairly standard but not remarkable.

 

[Something Amyss]

Just so you know, there is a third ME novel I believe. I'm not sure if it's out yet or just announced, but I definitely saw 3 Drew Karpyshyn ME books on Amazon.

Thanks, I didn't know that. I'll have to look for it once my backlogue's trimmed down a bit.

 

[Griphphin]

I wouldn't mind, the universe was really good. I actually cared to an extent about the random conversations with the aliens and of the codex. With games that have an emphasis on a moral choice system, I'm normally against film adaptations, but I feel the moral choice system was a little too clear cut for my liking, so it wasn't one of the huge things I liked about the games.

 

[RatRace123]

I reckon it would work, but you need to have a really good actor/actress as Shepard, then definately have Seth Green play Joker himself (as they look slightly similar) then all you'll have to worry about is the alien characters and the Geth.

And even then you can have the voice actors for Tali, Garrus, Wrex and Saren to reprise their roles.

As for the success of a movie, I'd have to say... maybe. A story that's not about Shepard would be more successful, many people care about their vision of Shepard, so not touching that would be the right way to go.