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[SilentProtagonist]

The reason people say it "detracts" from the single player experience is because often too much development time is put over to it and not enough on the single player. For examples of this see the Call of Duty games over the last few years. Modern Warfare 2's campaign was what? Two hours?

That's because they know where there money/fan base is: MULTIPLAYER. So they cater the MP experience over the SP one. Mass Effect is the opposite. Aside from never having a MP mode in the previous games, this MP thing sounds like it's more of a fun addition rather than an integral part of the game (think Beast Mode in Gears 3 or the co-op in Splinter Cell games).

 

[Des0lar]

Amazing news! Will buy the game to play with my friends now. Never played the first two games because they were SP only.

It's not like you can play the whole camapaign in coop. There is (hopefully) still a huge single player portion in ME3. If you dont like singleplayer then you shouldn't bother with ME3, except if you don't know anything better you could do with your 60$.

 

[wutwutwut]

I can see it now...

"Don't have time or friends to play co-op? $9.99 to get your Galactic Readiness up by 25%!"

Yes, except the SP campaign alone probably won't have enough missions to fill your bar completely and you'll have to buy DLC to do so.

edit: or buy new/pay for an online pass. Used copies won't get the best ending, mwahaha.

 

[Gareth Bale]

Galactic Readiness... god damn it Bioware

 

[masterkajo]

Co-op is fine if it isn't necessary for SP. Still a bit sceptical though until I see some footage. I hope character classes are different enough to warrant some team play while not become a shooterfest.

I am litteraly typing this lying on the ground laughinh...

 

[WrikaWrek]

Multiplayer has an effect on Single Player.

This is hilarious. A franchise that never had a drop of multiplayer....

 

[Ushojax]

Success in multi-player will have a direct impact on the outcome of the single player campaign, giving players an alternative method of achieving ultimate victory against the greatest threat mankind – and the entire galaxy – has ever faced.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

The part I'm most interested in is how they are going to make it optional.

Will it be like Assassin's Creed where they tell you you're looked out each time you start it up?

And I honestly doubt that EA Proper or BioWare would be stupid enough to make DLC that was required to win the main campaign of either portions. That's just people playing Chicken Little.

 

[Moaradin]

I'm ok with this.

 

[Randy Lanzarote]

Anything that brings co-op to my world is ok with me.

 

[LEGGZZZZ]

Hyped. Really don't see how this is a bad thing at all (normal bitching and overreaction from vocal portion of Mass Effect Gaf).

 

[Enosh]

ugh, really disappointed for it to be just co-op, wanted competitive multiplayer

 

[Tuxy79]

I really didn't want MP in Mass Effect.

As long as it does not negatively influence the single player campaign I guess I'm fine with it.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

I will not be playing this co-op stuff and I am disappointed that the developers are putting any time and thought into adding a multi-player component instead of completely focusing all attention towards all of the problems in ME2, and achieving the greatest single-player potential that the series used to strive for.

This is what happens when you try to appeal to too many disparate types of gamers; press releases where it sounds like your vehemently apologizing for announcing what you're announcing, while simultaneously raving about how awesome it is.

 

[WanderingWind]

ugh, really disappointed for it to be just co-op, wanted competitive multiplayer

Eh, well at least you have every single other game made in the past 5-10 years. Small consolation, I know.

 

[Wallach]

Personally, I think it sounds pretty fucking cool. It's exactly the opposite of what everyone was afraid of - a shoehorned MP TDM/CTF mode - and is exactly what the game needed: a customized style of MP designed specifically for this game.

I'm all for it. The fact that it optionally can affect the single player experience is not a negative thing in the slightest.

 

[Gravijah]

Personally, I think it sounds pretty fucking cool. It's exactly the opposite of what everyone was afraid of - a shoehorned MP TDM/CTF mode - and is exactly what the game needed: a customized style of MP designed specifically for this game.

I'm all for it. The fact that it optionally can affect the single player experience is not a negative thing in the slightest.

since you love it so much buy a ps3 and me3

 

[Ushojax]

It's quite incredible that a franchise that once touted player choice as being crucial to story development has now descended to having a 'good ending' bar that you have to fill up by the end of the game. The multiplayer mode itself sounds perfectly fine. What pains me is the implications of it's connection to the SP story.

 

[Bisnic]

I will not be playing this co-op stuff and I am disappointed that the developers are putting any time and thought into adding a multi-player component instead of completely focusing all attention towards all of the problems in ME2, and achieving the greatest single-player potential that the series used to strive for.

This is what happens when you try to appeal to too many disparate types of gamers; press releases where it sounds like your vehemently apologizing for announcing what you're announcing, while simultaneously raving about how awesome it is.

Again, the team at Edmonton is focusing on the single player content, while the team at Montreal is focusing on the multiplayer content. It's not like the Edmonton team is sacrificing time on optimising the single player for the sake of multiplayer.

Why does so many people keep ignoring that?

 

[The Mana Legend]

This sounds awful.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Saren theme when you die please.

Also, I am not enthused.

 

[Derrick01]

Eh, well at least you have every single other game made in the past 5-10 years. Small consolation, I know.

Seriously. I don't know why some people cry for multiplayer in everything. Other than a skin change you'd be doing the same damn thing as COD, Gears etc.

 

[rvy]

Does the addition of co-op multiplayer missions impact the scope or quality of the single-player experience?

No. A dedicated team from our recently formed BioWare Montreal studio has been focused on creating the multiplayer game features while the main game continued to be developed by the team in BioWare Edmonton. Both teams are integrated under the same leadership group that produced Mass Effect 1 and 2, led by Casey Hudson. BioWare remains dedicated to delivering one of the most amazing single-player campaigns gamers have ever experienced.

Developers and their bullshit, lol. Not the first one to claim this nonsense, not the last one either.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Again, the team at Edmonton is working on the single player content is focusing on the single player content, while the multiplayer team at Montreal is focusing on the multiplayer content.

Why does so many people keep ignoring that?

That fact doesn't invalidate or alter anything I presented. They're still working on the same game, they're still being overseen by the same publisher and development team and still take a tremendous amount of time, effort, consideration and man-hours to put together a multiplayer component that ties directly into your single-player game. They are extra people to manage, they are extra money to spend, they are extra gameplay considerations to incorporate into the larger vision, and I see it as a huge distraction. It'll be up to them to prove me wrong when it releases, but nothing I've seen indicates they're heading in what I think is the right direction.

 

[erpg]

I hope multiplayer doesn't prevent the game from tanking to 20$ within 5 months.

 

[mxgt]

Galactic Readiness sounds like something out of an mmo

 

[The Librarian]

It's not as bad as I was expecting.

 

[Wallach]

It's quite incredible that a franchise that once touted player choice as being crucial to story development has now descended to having a 'good ending' bar that you have to fill up by the end of the game. The multiplayer mode itself sounds perfectly fine. What pains me is the implications of it's connection to the SP story.

I dunno, the whole idea reminds me of Suikoden I/II, where you have a clear metric for how well you are going to do when the end battle comes. In some situations that would be sillier, but when you're talking about the climax revolving around an actual war, it doesn't seem as odd.

 

[Sir Garbageman]

Would be ok with it if it didn't have the tie in to SP mode. Basically a spec ops mode for ME3. The stupid galaxy readiness bar filler garbage is lame.

 

[Tony Redgrave]

For all skeptical out there, executive producer Casey Hudson and Community Manager Chris Presley have repeated over and over both in the official BW forums and Twitter that the SP will be the best of the franchise yet and that it is the core of the product, multiplayer is an optional addition that you can use if you like it, nothing more nothing less, it's not going to detract anything from the SP and it was developed separately by the Montreal studio under supervision of the main ME team.

Really, some people are so fatalistic.

 

[WanderingWind]

For all skeptical out there, executive producer Casey Hudson and Community Manager Chris Presley have repeated incessantly both in the official BW forums and Twitter that the SP will be the best of the franchise yet and that it is the core of the product, multiplayer is an optional addition that you can use if you like it, nothing more nothing less it's not going to detract anything from the SP and it was developed separatly in the Montreal studio under supervision of the main ME team.

Really, some people are so fatalistic.

Well, to be fair, they're paid to say that stuff. That's their reason to exist.

 

[Gareth Bale]

For all skeptical out there, executive producer Casey Hudson and Community Manager Chris Presley have repeated incessantly both in the official BW forums and Twitter that the SP will be the best of the franchise yet and that it is the core of the product, multiplayer is an optional addition that you can use if you like it, nothing more nothing less it's not going to detract anything from the SP and it was developed separatly in the Montreal studio under supervision of the main ME team.

Really, some people are so fatalistic.

Did you miss the part where they said multiplayer will have a "direct impact" on the single player game?

 

[Tony Redgrave]

Well, to be fair, they're paid to say that stuff. That's their reason to exist.

Yeah, the executive producer which takes part of his own free time to answer fans on twitter is paid for PR, sure.

People are overreacting, there's absolutely zero evidence this is going to hurt the game in any sort of way, on the contrary it includes a new completely optional features for those who like it, but, hey if some enraged fans say it's bad it's bad right?

Did you miss the part where they said multiplayer will have a "direct impact" on the single player game?

Did you miss the part where it said you can do everything 100% in the main Sp without ever touching the MP? go read again.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

For all skeptical out there, executive producer Casey Hudson and Community Manager Chris Presley have repeated over and over both in the official BW forums and Twitter that the SP will be the best of the franchise yet...

That means nothing to many of us when BioWare's definition of "best" has been proven to translate to: "that which expands our audience the most."

 

[Derrick01]

For all skeptical out there, executive producer Casey Hudson and Community Manager Chris Presley have repeated over and over both in the official BW forums and Twitter that the SP will be the best of the franchise yet and that it is the core of the product, multiplayer is an optional addition that you can use if you like it, nothing more nothing less, it's not going to detract anything from the SP and it was developed separately by the Montreal studio under supervision of the main ME team.

Really, some people are so fatalistic.

What are they supposed to say, that their game sucks? Bioware was saying the same great things about ME2 before it came out.

 

[Tony Redgrave]

That means nothing to many of us when BioWare's definition of "best" has been proven to translate to: "that which expands our audience the most."

What are they supposed to say, that their game sucks? Bioware was saying the same great things about ME2 before it came out.

If you guys don't like Bioware or their games feel free to complain or whatever I'm just saying that people is overreacting about the MP, that's all.

 

[MikeE21286]

Sounds interesting. I'm intrigued.

 

[Foreign Jackass]

What are they supposed to say, that their game sucks? Bioware was saying the same great things about ME2 before it came out.

But ME2 was great.

Why are people complaining so much? It's co-op. It's optional. Don't do it if you don't have friends or like playing co-op with them.

 

[codhand]

lol @ ppl mad @ 4p co-op.

 

[Dr.Palutena]

Did you miss the part where they said multiplayer will have a "direct impact" on the single player game?

As in it will have a direct impact if you choose to play multiplayer.
it will have no impact if you choose not to.

Also A question to those, what about the galactic readiness makes you hate it? That it's (unnecessary) bar filling?Is it that if this is a visible (as one would presume) stat, then it breaks immersion?

 

[Derrick01]

If you guys don't like Bioware or their games feel free to complain or whatever I'm just saying that people is overreacting about the MP, that's all.

I was just replying to your comment that they said ME3's going to be the best SP they've done.

I mean has anyone working on any game ever said otherwise before it released?

 

[Ghost]

4 player Mass Effect Comp Stomp kind of sounds amazing to me. Mass Effect's combat is really just an open sandbox anyway so throwing 3 more kids in there with their buckets and spades can only lead to fun times in my opinion.

 

[UpperCaseN]

Any news on local co-op? My fiance and I both have our own separate ME playthroughs and I'd like to know if we can both play on the same console...

 

[LosDaddie]

Co-op is what I expectd.

And yes, I'm hyped. I love co-op gaming.

 

[Ushojax]

Did you miss the part where it said you can do everything 100% in the main Sp without ever touching the MP? go read again.

Just how easy will that be though? Will it require hours of grinding in SP mode to fill the GALACTIC READINESS bar? Will they make the multiplayer a more efficient way to fill the bar and therefore make the purchase of a MASS EFFECT 3 ONLINE PASS ($10) more attractive? Will they offer to top up your GR bar for 800 Microsoft Points? I fully expect them to gouge the player as much as possible.

Also A question to those, what about the galactic readiness makes you hate it? That it's (unnecessary) bar filling?Is it that if this is a visible (as one would presume) stat, then it breaks immersion?

Both those things. It's a perfect illustration of how backwards this series has gone. We all thought after the first game that we would make grand choices that affect the overall story of the series, but now all we have to do is play a few hours of online multiplayer to unlock the good ending. It's embarrassing.

 

[dankir]

Awesome!

 

[Xena]

I'm much happier that it's co-op and not multiplayer per se. I can see myself playing co-op even though I'm not much of an online kinda player...
I really hope they are not doing a poor job on the single player since now they also have to focus on co-op.

 

[Marleyman]

Personally, I think it sounds pretty fucking cool. It's exactly the opposite of what everyone was afraid of - a shoehorned MP TDM/CTF mode - and is exactly what the game needed: a customized style of MP designed specifically for this game.

I'm all for it. The fact that it optionally can affect the single player experience is not a negative thing in the slightest.

I feel the same way.

 

[Derrick01]

People will flip over anything. Coop in an action heavy RPG? Remember when people were so desperate for it they were trying to mod it into Oblivion? How about coop in games like Neverwinter Nights?

If anything, I think coop should be standard in this genre. Always optional, but much more common. Wouldn't Skyrim be awesome with a friend?

God no.

 

[Complistic]

People will flip over anything. Coop in an action heavy RPG? Remember when people were so desperate for it they were trying to mod it into Oblivion? How about coop in games like Neverwinter Nights?

If anything, I think coop should be standard in this genre. Always optional, but much more common. Wouldn't Skyrim be awesome with a friend?

You need friends for co op and that reminds people that they don't have any friends.