Mass Effect has been rumored on PS3 ever since EA bought Bioware. Granted, the first game came out in 2007 and 3 years later, still no dice. However, like any good rumor (GTA4 DLC, Fallout 3 DLC, Ninja Gaiden 2, Bioshock, and now possibly even Splinter Cell Conviction), this one doesn't want to go away any time soon. EA has made it clear that they want to make a franchise out of Mass Effect, with the brand reaching into books, comics, toys, and probably animated DVDs or even movies before we know it. However, the roadblock right now is that the fanbase is still a bit on the small side, and EA needs it to grow. Porting the series ot the PS3 seems like it would be a good way to expand the base significantly.
This year, Sony is promising some big stuff at their E3 show. Given how much we've already seen, they'd better have something pretty darned cool up their sleeves. Bioware is denying that hidden bits of PS3 code in Mass Effect 2 are an indication of a PS3 port, but at the same time they refuse to come out and say "These games will NEVER appear on PS3." All we've gotten is the typical "it's exclusive to Xbox 360 and PC," which is the same mantra we heard with many other things that were actually timed exclusives that eventually landed on PS3.
So, why would Mass Effect 1 get ported to the PS3 after 3 years of waiting? Well, it's somewhat simple, really: Bioware wanted to finish Mass Effect 2, so there was no time to work on an ME1 port. However, if there's a PS3 version of ME2 in the works, that means more staff to work on the project-- and potentially, that could mean some help to port ME1 to the system as well. ME2 came out in January, and if they did a port for PS3, it could come out as soon as this Christmas. It would be a bit iffy to charge full price for a late game, though, so what better way to sweeten the deal than to throw in the first game as a two-pack? For PS3 owners, $60 for one long-ass RPG space epic would be a deal too sweet to pass up.
So, what's my prediction? I think that a port of the Mass Effect series, or at least ME2 has been in the works for a pretty long time. When will it come out? Darned if I know, but if I were a betting man I'd put a dollar on it being announced at E3 for a Christmas release. I think that expansion is something EA would very much like to see with this franchise, and the PS3 is the first place they'd go if that's what they seek to do. 3 platforms is certainly preferable to two, after all.
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