Mass Effect 3: Special Edition - Video Review by IGN

Mass Effect 3: Special Edition is a port of the original title with some new features that utilize the Wii U GamePad. Player's can use the touchscreen to control squadmates, utilize both Shepard and their squad’s abilities, and even play without a TV. The game also features the From Ashes DLC, the Extended Cut DLC, the Rebellion, Resurgence and Earth multiplayer packs, and a Wii U exclusive bonus weapon which can target 6 enemies at once.

Since some gamers may have missed out on Mass Effect 1 and 2, there is a Genesis interactive back story comic from Dark Horse that will allow Wii U players to get the back story of the first 2 games. While watching the comic, they can make decisions at key story points which are used to create a save game file to import into the game, opening up more storylines for each player.

IGN has released their video review of the game, and they gave it the same score as the other versions. That said, they do recommend that gamers try to pick up the full trilogy for other platforms if possible. Video review after the break.


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Mass Effect 3 Wii U won't get Omega DLC

As if it weren't bad enough that the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 has technical issues, it has now been confirmed via Twitter that the Omega DLC will not be available on the platform.

At least they said "Never say never." Still, that's not very reassuring for those who were interested in the Wii U version. The Omega DLC is said to be the biggest Mass Effect 3 story DLC yet, and this is quite a blow. The Mass Effect Trilogy is already available on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC for the same price of Mass Effect 3: Special Edition, and no matter what way you look at it, the other platforms have the better deal.

Source: Twitter via GoNintendo

1UP: Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 has technical issues

This is disappointing. The staff of 1UP have been playing the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 and have written a blog post revealing it has serious technical issues. The frame rate is said to be sub-par, the animation is a little rough, and the recorded dialogue isn't quite right.

1UP: Without question, it has a few issues. This version of ME3 seems a lot less visually stable than, say, the Xbox 360 version — the frame rate is choppier, the animation seems rougher. The audio suffers, too; while the music and sound effects have come over fine, all the dialogue has a hollow, echoing quality to it. The GamePad’s analog sticks aren’t as comfortable as the 360′s, and the placement of the face buttons relative to the right stick made me continually miss the melee and reload buttons. My headshot ratio has dropped precipitously. It’s tragic.

The game was ported by rookie developer Straight Right studios rather than the original developer BioWare. While some might speculate that Straight Right wasn't up to the task, the lack of polish could also be due to the fact they were determined to have it ready at launch and weren't able to fine tune everything. Here's hoping Batman: Arkham City and the other third-party ports turn out better.

Source: 1UP

No Miiverse support in Wii U version of Mass Effect 3

In an interview with Aussie Gamer, Straight Right Studios founder Tom Crago revealed the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 does not have any Miiverse functionality. However, he did say he finds the service "interesting" and will consider incorporating it in future games.

Crago: “Miiverse functionality isn’t in Mass Effect 3. In the context of the game we never really talked about it. However, it’s something we’re interested in as a studio and with future titles that we might release we would love to look more into it.”

Source: Aussie Gamer

Mass Effect 3: Special Edition - Wii U trailer

Here's the official trailer for Mass Effect 3: Special Edition. According to some accounts, it is supposed to be "the definitive version of the game." We'll find out soon enough. Video after the break.

Mass Effect 3 Wii U details revealed

Melanie Faulkner, the External Producer of Mass Effect 3: Special Edition for the Wii U, has revealed the details about the game in a recent blog post. Most of this information was already known, but there were a few new things we hadn't heard before.

Faulkner: ...this was more than just a standard port project. We’ve added additional content and new features to fully utilize the Wii U GamePad. Our team in Edmonton and the team at Straight Right was working together constantly to create a feature set we think would enhance Mass Effect 3 and we’re proud of the results! You can control your squadmates, utilize both Shepard and your squad’s abilities and even play Mass Effect 3 all from the GamePad – something that comes in super handy if someone else in the house wants to watch or use the TV.

 We’re also adding a lot of content to the game. The Special Edition includes our From Ashes DLC, the Extended Cut DLC, the Rebellion, Resurgence and Earth multiplayer packs, and a bonus heavy weapon – all on disc! We are also including a new update to the Genesis interactive back story comic from Dark Horse we first released when Mass Effect 2 came to the PS3. The updated version will allow Wii U players to get the back story of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 and will allow them to make decisions at key story points. These choices will then create a save game for you that can be imported into the game, opening up more storylines for each player. So if you’re new to the series, you can get caught up and personalize the experience. And if you’ve already played, you can choose a different route to see what things you might not have seen the first time around.

Source: blog.bioware.com

Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 runs in 720p, hardware upscaled to 1080p

Scott Walters of Vooks.net recently caught up with Tom Crago of developer Straight Right, the team working on the Wii U version of Bioware's hit game Mass Effect 3. Crago described the Wii U as "powerful" and said it is very easy to develop for. He also revealed that the Wii U port will run in 720p but will be hardware upscaled to 1080p.

Vooks:  “Hey hows it going. I’m a huge fan of all things Nintendo and WiiU, and as an Australian its fantastic to see an Aussie developer porting Mass Effect 3. Firstly I’d like to know how the Wii U has been to work with?"

Crago: "We’ve really enjoyed working on the Wii U. It’s a powerful, versatile machine and fairly painless to code for. From an architecture standpoint it’s straightforward and really just allows developers to get down to the business of making games. Certainly it’s different by design to the PS3 and 360 but pound for pound it compares very favorably."


Vooks: "Will the WiiU port of Mass Effect 3 will be running at 1080p native, or will it be upscaled at all?"

Crago: "Mass Effect 3 will run at 720p, hardware upscaled to 1080p. It’s the same resolution as the original versions on PS3 and 360."

Source: Vooks


You can see a video of Mass Effect 3 being played with the Wii U GamePad after the break.

Straight Right porting AAA Square Enix game to Wii U

This isn't the only game they're porting to the Wii U.

Developer Straight Right is porting Mass Effect 3 to the Wii U, and it looks like they've got more in the pipeline. According to the LinkedIn profile of Technical Project Manager Chris Slater, the company is porting a "triple-A Square Enix game" to the Wii U.

Here's the info straight from his profile:

Chris Slater's Experience

Technical Project Manager

StraightRight

June 2012 – Present (5 months) Melbourne Area, Australia

Working for Straight Right on a short term contract, porting a triple-A Square Enix game to the yet-to-be-released Wii U platform.

Responsibilities included:

* Editing and completing Project Management documentation (TDD and Risk Analysis)

* Producing Project Plan documentation

* Task allocation and resource balancing

* Resource integration (as the team grew from 2 developers to 5 developers, one designer and one artist)

* Producing Weekly Progress Reports for stakeholders

* Compiling deliverables and deliverable documentation for a prototype

* Liaising with project sponsors

* Risk Management 

Source: Chris Slater's LinkedIn profile

Mass Effect 3 dev working on two new games for Wii U

Straight Right's got more than this in the pipeline.

Straight Right Studios hasn't been around very long, but they've certainly got their hands full. They're working  hard on the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3, but they've also got 2 unannounced Wii U games in the works as well. In an interview with Eurogamer, Tom Crago of Straight Right had this to say:

Crago: "We're very conscious of not wanting to mess up [Mass Effect 3], given the level of expectation and the fact that we're taking something which, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and PC, was exceptionally good."

"You look at the game and think 'how could I possibly make this better?' The Wii U gives you that oppurtunity with the GamePad. But first and foremost you say, 'well, I don't want to screw this up.'"

Crago added that the game is meant to be a launch title, and apparently Straight Right began working on the Wii U version before the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were released, so this is definitely not a rushed title.

After discussing Mass Effect 3, Crago then made some very interesting remarks:

Crago: "We've made a number of bets on the Wii U, so we're certainly hoping the platform comes strongly out of the gate. We've got two other titles in development."

"One of them is original, our own IP, and another is based on another big franchise that will come out in 2013. It's a big title and you will have heard of it."

You can read Eurogamer's article via the source link below.

Source: Eurogamer

Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 won't support 1080p

The visuals won't be as sharp as they could, but it's still the same game.

Australian developer Straight Right is handling the Wii U version of Mass Effect III, and Nintendo Power recently said the game would be running in 1080p. It now appears that won't be the case. Tom Crago, the CEO of Straight Right, has told Nintendo World Report "The game will run at 720p." Nintendo's first-party games are all said to run at 720p as well, but I don't think this is any reason to get upset. The Call of Duty games all run at 720p, and one of the benefits of a lower resolution is a higher framerate. While the visuals won't look as crisp as they could, keep in mind these are launch games, and developers are just trying to make sure the system has a relatively strong lineup when it is released in a few months (probably November).

It should come as some consolation that Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition and Assassin's Creed III will support 1080p. As time goes on, you can expect to see more games take advantage of the Wii U's powerful GPU and generous amount of RAM. If you're still worried about the Wii U's graphics prowess, I suggest you check out what some anonymous developers told Eurogamer.


Source: Nintendo World Report

Young developer working on Wii U version of Mass Effect 3

Looks like Mass Effect 3 won't be ported by the original team who developed it. It's been confirmed, via Twitter, that Australian developer Straight Right is handling the Wii U version of the game. The developer has just one previous title in its resume, Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed on iOS devices. Here is the official tweet from Straight Right:

    Happy to confirm that we're developing Mass Effect 3 for Wii U with our friends at BioWare...

    Mass Effect 3 confirmed as a Wii U launch title.


It seems that EA has faith in Straight Right. We'll see if their faith is well-placed soon enough.


Special thanks to Tomas for this post.


Source: Twitter

First video of Mass Effect 3 On Wii U

GameTrailers has posted some video of Mass Effect 3 in action, and it is quite revealing. In the video, the Wii U GamePad's touchscreen is used to create shortcut buttons for items and commands, and it can also be used as a map, revealing the location of enemies and paths the player can take. In addition to this, gamers can also use the screen itself to play without the need for a TV. Oh yeah, there's also a Wii U-exclusive weapon which can target six enemies at once, and it "obliterates them," to quote the game's Executive Producer. You've got to see this.

Mass Effect 3

EA's Summer Showcase: Pretty much what we expected

The wait for HD Madden on a Nintendo console is almost over.

EA broadcast their Summer Showcase earlier today, and there isn't really anything new to report. As expected, the Wii U version of Madden NFL 13 will use the GamePad's touchscreen to allow gamers to call plays, assign defenders to cover certain players, and draw paths for receivers. In other words, the touchscreen is being used pretty much like EA's other big sports title, FIFA 13.


EA also had a few things to say about the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3. In addition to featuring bonus DLC on disc, including the extended ending, it will also have "an interactive back story covering previous events in the Mass Effect universe," along with the popular multiplayer fully intact. It was also revealed that the game will have "a brand new control scheme" designed to take advantage of the GamePad's unique features. The company also announced new single player DLC, including a short campaign called Leviathan, along with the Firefight Pack, a collection of new weapons, including "two powerful new weapons and five bonus weapons," which will be available for download on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on August 7th. There were no comments as to weather or not this new content will be part of the DLC included on the Wii U disc.

First screenshot of the game utilizing the Wii U GamePad.

EA "keeping an eye on Wii U"

EA has made a number of positive statements about the Wii U, but so far Ubisoft is the largest third-party backer of the big N's new console. In an interview with IGN, EA's Chief Financial Officer, Peter Moore "We're keeping a very close eye on the platform," after which he admitted that Nintendo's E3 presentation received a "lackluster response." He then added that his company has learned they should "never underestimate Nintendo, as proven by last generation," an obvious nod to the amazing success of the Wii.

Moore also reported that EA will be supporting the Wii U with "great franchisements," although he did not mention any by name. As of now, there are four EA games that have been announced for the Wii U: Mass Effect 3, Madden NFL 13, FIFA 13, and NHL 13.

EA's annual Summer Showcase is scheduled for tomorrow, August 2nd, and will begin at 1:00 PM Pacific Time, 8PM UTC. If you want to watch the broadcast live, you can do so on the company's website.

I find it odd that Moore said the company is watching the Wii U, especially after last year's E3. For those of you who don't remember, John Riccitiello, the CEO of EA, appeared onstage with Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aime, to send the message that the video game behemoth was going to be one of Nintendo's main backers. At E3 2012, it looked to many as if the big N was standing alone, with Ubisoft playing the role of head cheerleader. Have things changed, or was the joint appearance of the three bigwigs blown way out of proportion?

Mass Effect 3 Will Contain All DLC On Disc

Mass Effect 3 is being ported to the Wii U, and series producer Michael Gamble told  Siliconera that the free the DLC, including the extended ending, will be included on the disc when it ships. If you've been living under a rock for the past year, the original ending was hated by fans and there was enough backlash that developer Bioware felt compelled to give consumers a more satisfactory conclusion to the epic series.

Mass Effect 3: Special Edition

Mass Effect 3 on Amazon - Overview, screenshots, customer reviews (if any)

BioWare hints at more Mass Effect on Wii U

Mass Effect 3: Special Edition - Video review by IGN

1UP says Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 has technical issues

No Miiverse support in Wii U version of Mass Effect 3

Trailer for Wii U version of Mass Effect 3

Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 runs in 720p, hardware upscaled to 1080p

Mass Effect 3 Wii U details revealed

Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 will contain all DLC on disc

Young developer working on Wii U version of Mass Effect 3