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[Songbird]

So this is a new code? Sheppard with two Ps?

 

[Mindlog]

SHEPPARD

leads me to believe we are dealing with a prequel story to Shep's past.

http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ !

The misspelling was intentional I swear!

 

[Blue Ninja]

So, either this is Mass Effect 3 (and the guy we see in the video is one of Shepard's new squadmates), or this is some kind of spin-off. I'm personally hoping for the former, though I think that, if it is Mass Effect 3, it'd be extremely stupid for BioWare to announce it for PS3 alongside the 360 and PC version. They'll want to keep attention on Mass Effect 2 on the PS3 front, while they're going to want to appease the established 360/PC fanbase by announcing a new project.

 

[EatChildren]

New code from BioWare Facebook.

Decodes to;

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oKEAgVG2Vik/SZLgNLdLcYI/AAAAAAAAAks/ocWoCxxe4wQ/s1600-h/[AllCDCovers]_the_clash_the_singles_2006_retail_cd-front.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oKEAgVG2Vik/SZLgNLdLcYI/AAAAAAAAAks/ocWoCxxe4wQ/s1600-h/ [AllCDCovers] _the_clash_the_singles_2006_retail_cd-front.jpg

Which is;

Track list;


"White Riot" – 1:57
"Remote Control" – 2:58
"Complete Control" – 3:11
"Clash City Rockers" – 3:46
"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" – 3:58
"Tommy Gun" – 3:13
"English Civil War" – 2:34
"I Fought the Law" (Sonny Curtis) – 2:38
"London Calling" – 3:17
"Train in Vain (Stand by Me)" – 3:06
"Bankrobber" – 4:32
"The Call Up" (The Clash) – 5:21
"Hitsville UK" (The Clash) – 4:19
"The Magnificent Seven" (The Clash) – 4:26
"This Is Radio Clash" (The Clash) – 4:08
"Know Your Rights" – 3:35
"Rock the Casbah" (The Clash) – 3:35
"Should I Stay or Should I Go" (The Clash) – 3:08

Fits in nicely with the whole UK/British thing, like the Vauxhall Bridge.

 

[Lakitu]

I've no idea what is going on.

 

[sweetvar26]

I've no idea what is going on.

Me neither :lol

 

[subversus]

fuck that, Mass Effect with Clash/Sex Pistols/The Exploited ost is the best thing that could happen to gaming next year!

 

[raphier]

Bioware trolling.

It went from interesting clues into hell know what. What the fuck are you laughing EA?

 

[Sotha Sil]

And this, kids, is how you do hype right!

 

[zlatko]

Mass Effect MMORPG.

 

[Songbird]

It'll be great if I can shoot turians while listening to Rock the Casbah!
Also "Clash" or battle.

Probably nothing, but Anderson was born in London.

Probably nothing? With the amount we know now that info-nugget is worth a lot.

 

[FStop7]

Mass Effect MMORPG.

Lucasfilm would go batshit insane with rage if this were to happen.

 

[Sotha Sil]

Lucasfilm would go batshit insane with rage if this were to happen.

:lol

 

[EatChildren]

Probably nothing, but Anderson was born in London.

 

[HK-47]

Lucasfilm would go batshit insane with rage if this were to happen.

Yes, the relatively small 3-4 million selling video game franchise versus the worldwide cultural juggernaut that is Star Wars.

 

[raphier]

Yes, the relatively small 3-4 million selling video game franchise versus the worldwide cultural juggernaut that is Star Wars.

Do you consider SW a bigger franchise than Warcraft? You gotta realize a large movie brand doesn't automatically translate to a million seller game.

It would be a competition nevertheless and possibly against their contract. I wouldn't bet that EA is going for a MMO for next ten years.

 

[WhiskeyKnight]

I might come out of a decade long MMO blackout for a Mass Effect MMO.

 

[Grisby]

I might come out of a decade long MMO blackout for a Mass Effect MMO.

I would upgrade my computer for a ME MMO. But yes, I too have no idea whats going on.

I love you Bioware, quit playing games with my heart

 

[scarybore]

I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favourite album on the Citadel?

 

[Kurtofan]

Is the album in question collector?
If you catch my drift.

Or maybe it's the ultimate clash and thus ME3!

 

[EatChildren]

Probably nothing? With the amount we know now that info-nugget is worth a lot.

Anderson Adventures.

Oorah.

 

[Blackface]

It won't be a mass effect MMO. Bioware is already spending almost all of their money developing SWTOR.

 

[EatChildren]

ME MMO isn't even an option at this point. Its not popular enough and BioWare already have StarWars.

A Mass Effect shooter on the other hand...

 

[Dennis]

Mass Effect MMORPG.

Fuck that to hell.

 

[MirageDwarf]

ME MMO isn't even an option at this point. Its not popular enough and BioWare already have StarWars.

A Mass Effect shooter on the other hand...

Not only that, it seems EA has invested tons of money on current BioWare MMO project. I don't think EA would be daring enough to invest in two MMOs at the same time.

 

[Shrennin]

Not only that, it seems EA has invested tons of money on current BioWare MMO project. I don't think EA would be daring enough to invest in two MMOs at the same time.

BioWare Austin's success will be largely dependent upon TOR's success. As far as I know, the Austin studio's main purpose is MMO development. After TOR releases, that focus will go into TOR stability, patch, and expansion development. If TOR is deemed extremely successful, then we will see other MMOs. I say all this to agree that it is highly unlikely that EA has multiple BioWare MMOs in the works. All of their focus is going into TOR (and for good reason).

 

[EatChildren]

All the latest information once again compiled. I removed the 'murder' clue because I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with this game.


The teaser video

1. View here. Does not show anything other than quick cuts of a soldier in armor lifting up a sniper rifle. Brief view of outside his window, nothing specific shown.

2. The rilfe is the Incisor Rifle from Mass Effect 2. Outside of a slight alteration to the front and subdued texture, it is 100% identical right down to the little details. If this does not indicate the project is Mass Effect, it is a reused art asset from Mass Effect. It is, unquestionably, the Incisor Rifle.

3. Soldier's armor does not directly resemble any of the armor from Mass Effect. However, it also appears quite futuristic compared to modern armor, and is a similar 'style' to what might appear in a Mass Effect game.

4. There are quick bright yellow cuts with black silhouettes scattered throughout the video. Most of these are impossible to identify, and so resemblences to Mass Effect material is impossible to verify. There is only one still that can be identified; this shot happens to be this character from Fallout: New Vegas. It is possible then that parts of this teaser were cut with material from other games that intend to be revealled at VGA 2010, in this case the New Vegas DLC pack. For this reason it is important to be skeptical that any of the bright yellow cuts are even related to BioWare specific teaser, or any of the cuts at all for that matter.

5. At the end of the trailer we briefly see the message 'Look Closer'. This would imply that there are details in the video to pay attention to.


The QR code clues

1. BioWare are releasing QR codes with apparent clues to their next game. These can be found on their Twitter account, Facebook page, advertisements, and elsewhere. This will be updated as new codes and clues arrive.

2. First code is here. It reads as the binary code '001101010011010100101110001110000011010000110101'. This, when converted to ASCII is '55.845'. The meaning for this number is unknwon, however it is likely that it is referencing the atomic weight of an iron atom, which shares the same value.

3. Second code is here. It reads as the binary code '0010110100110001001100100011100000101110001101011011000001000110'. This, when converted to ASCII is '-128.5°F'. This is approximately the coldest temperature recorded naturally on Earth, at Vostok, Antarctica.

4. Third code is here. It reads as the binary code '0110100001110100011101000111000000111010001011110010111101110111011101110111011100101110011100110110100101110011001011100110011101101111011101100010111001110101011010110010111101101111011101010111010001110000011101010111010000101111011100110110100101110011001011010110100001101111011011010110010100101101011101110110010101101100011000110110111101101101011001010010111001101000011101000110110101101100'. This, when converted to ASCII is this URL. The website is for the Secret Intelligence Service of the UK. This is not BioWare's website, so there are unlikely to be many if any clues on the website itself.

5. Fourth QR code was found on BioWare's Facebook page. It can be found here. When decoded, it gives this url. The URL links to an image of a The Clash album, specifically The Singles. There is no additional information.

6. Like any good puzzle, we dont know for sure what all these bits and pieces mean. However, if we are to run with Mass Effect, it is interesting to note that in Mass Effect 2 there appears a planet called Aequitas. The official description of this planet has it's surface temperature as -89.1°C, which is approximately -128.5°F, Additionally, the planet is described as having 'famous Iron Canyons'. This planet, in Mass Effect, is the only obvious referencing of both of the number clues. The third code linking to the SIS website may indcate that the SIS headquarters, or the rough location, appear in the teaser trailer, as the SIS headquaters are here, and the positioning of the bridge and fence look very similar to this shot from the teaser. What The Clash - The Singles means is a little confusing, however The Clash is a British band, which ties in nicely with the previous SIS Headquarters/Vauxhall Bridge clue. Of note, and this may not mean anything, Mass Effect's prominent figure David Anderson was born in London.


BioWare Montreal's history

1. March 2009, BioWare Montreal opens. Employs approximately 30 staff, with the studio set to provide development support for Mass Effect 2 (art assets, side quests, etc).

2. January 2010, BioWare confirm that Mass Effect will not be confined to a single trilogy.

3. June 2010, BioWare Montreal advertises for a multiplayer programmer, with the role to "take existing single player user experiences and make them multiplayer safe".

4. July 2010, ex-Raven (Wolfenstein, Singularity) developer Manveer Heir joins BioWare Montreal as a senior level designer for an unspecified 'Mass Effect' project.

5. September 2010, BioWare Montreal plans to doubles staff from approximately 27 to 55 employees. Yanick Roy reconfirms Mass Effect work by stating “We're also doubling our contribution to whatever happens next in the Mass Effect franchise".

6. September 2010, BioWare Montreal advertise for various positions associated with genres described as 'military-grade FPS' and 'popular FPS'. Listings were switched from a BioWare specific advertising to EA, and so it may not be BioWare specific.

 

[FStop7]

Yes, the relatively small 3-4 million selling video game franchise versus the worldwide cultural juggernaut that is Star Wars.

My point being that EA/Lucas have reportedly invested $100M into ToR. If the company developing ToR were to turn around and announce a competing MMO, they would be livid.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

"Remote Control" – 2:58 "Remote Control" - 2:58

um.....

I was thinking, didn't Bioware said that if your Shepard died in ME2 you'll be playing with a totally new character....maybe this game will introduct this character in the universe and the great scheme of things....

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

All the latest information once again compiled.

thanks for keeping track of all this stuff

 

[EatChildren]

I was thinking, didn't Bioware said that if your Shepard died in ME2 you'll be playing with a totally new character....maybe this game will introduct this character in the universe and the great scheme of things....

No, if Shepard dies in ME2 you're not going to be able to import your file in to ME3. The Mass Effect trilogy is all about Shepard. No Shepard, no trilogy.

If this is the spin-off it wont be about Shepard though.

 

[Nirolak]

Updated the title.

Outside of the fact that they're British and called "The Clash", I'm a bit lost on this new clue.

 

[EatChildren]

Updated the title.

Outside of the fact that they're British and called "The Clash", I'm a bit lost on this new clue.

The only thing I can think of is the whole London/UK thing, cementing that the teaser indeed takes place near the SIS headquarters and Vauxhall Bridge.

I dont know if it means anything, but the specific cover they used for The Singles is not the original 1991 release, but instead the 2007 re-release. 2007 is the same year Mass Effect was released.

 

[Nirolak]

The only thing I can think of is the whole London/UK thing, cementing that the teaser indeed takes place near the SIS headquarters and Vauxhall Bridge.

I dont know if it means anything, but the specific cover they used for The Singles is not the original 1991 release, but instead the 2007 re-release. 2007 is the same year Mass Effect was released.

Hmm.

Looking at it again, London Calling is about a war torn London.

London Calling
(Strummer/Jones)

London calling to the faraway towns
Now that war is declared-and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, all you boys and girls
London calling, now don't look at us
All that phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing

CHORUS
The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in
Engines stop running and the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
London is drowning-and I live by the river

London calling to the imitation zone
Forget it, brother, an' go it alone
London calling upon the zombies of death
Quit holding out-and draw another breath
London calling-and I don't wanna shout
But when we were talking-I saw you nodding out
London calling, see we ain't got no highs
Except for that one with the yellowy eyes

CHORUS

Now get this
London calling, yeah, I was there, too
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
After all this, won't you give me a smile?

I never felt so much a' like

Source: http://www.londonsburning.org/lyr_london_calling.html

 

[EatChildren]

Yeah, all signs point to London/UK being the epicenter for whatever this game is about.

 

[clashfan]

Being a big clash fan I call tell you that I'm totally confused. Maybe the new ME game will be about punk/reggae fusion?

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Not to be a total nob, but if you're going to edit the title with post numbers, why not mod abuse the OP?

God.

 

[chase]

There's a clash of forces taking place on that planet.

 

[Nirolak]

Not to be a total nob, but if you're going to edit the title with post numbers, why not mod abuse the OP?

God.

Fine, fine.

 

[delirium]

I thought today's CDN might be apropos.

11/30/2010 - Survivor Claims Massive Starship Destroyed Mining Fleet
“Earlier today, the Migrant Fleet rescued an Eldfell-Ashland Energy employee drifting through the Nubian Expanse in a lifepod. Navigator Camilla Gutierrez, the only survivor of the MSV Stanislaw, says that quarians had nothing to do with the attack that stranded her: "The ship's silhouette was just massive. There's no way the quarians had that monster in their Flotilla. I've never seen anything like it." Asked about the attack itself, Gutierrez reported, "They blew out our engines before we knew what hit us. Smoke was everywhere. I heard the captain yell something about boarders before he ordered us to the lifepods." Eldfell-Ashland says it is relieved Gutierrez was recovered, but that the Citadel investigation should continue "until all parties involved are satisfied."”

 

[Sickboy007]

?

 

[subversus]

Anderson is a black guy. Sort of at least.

 

[Sickboy007]

Anderson is a black guy. Sort of at least.

He has that Mass Effect samoan look.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

I thought today's CDN might be apropos.

I don't know...it sounds more like foreshadowing of Reaper attacks that'll be seen in ME3 proper.

 

[APZonerunner]

Anderson is a black guy. Sort of at least.

THey talk about this a bit in the books; the whole idea is that over the years humans have evolved to a pretty standard complexion for most people, which is somewhere between hispanic and asian. There are, of course, outliers who still have present-day like looks, like the Bhatia who you help out on the Citadel in ME1, or Kasumi, who is clearly still very Japanese. Anderson's relatively pale, an effect of that, but the books say he's definitely of black descent. Dude in the trailer is way too pale to be him, mind. Based on the event in the books

Spoiler

and Shadow Broker, Anderson is pretty likely to be a Squad Member in ME3, I'd say, or at least out in the conflict fighting rather than on the citadel.

 

[EatChildren]

If that dude is supposed to be Anderson, BioWare failed miserably, as they dont look even remotely similar. He looks closer to Zaeed than Anderson, and even then the two have differences.

He's either a completely new character, or a nameless grunt made just for the trailer.

 

[Lime]

Let's all just agree that, either way, the soldier in the picture looks generic as fuck.

 

[EatChildren]

Let's all just agree that, either way, the soldier in the picture looks generic as fuck.

Oorah.

 

[subversus]

Let's all just agree that, either way, the soldier in the picture looks generic as fuck.

I don't know but he seems to enjoy what he's doing and that's pretty unusual :lol Also his haircut reeks of 50s.

 

[adamsapple]

Let's all just agree that, either way, the soldier in the picture looks generic as fuck.

The franchise is Oscar Mike.