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[Jarmel]

Probably VGA at the earliest.

I really don't know if I want ME4. This is a heartbreaking position to be in. None of the writing staff or directing has given me hope that this is going to be good. Then at Edmonton, Walters is still employed there as well.

 

[Ushae]

They already said it's not called Mass Effect 4. Shepard's story is done.

This sounds more like a Reboot of the franchise for next gen. I wonder what time period they'll pick.. Bioware may be making a name for themselves again this gen, we're getting Dragon Age, Mass Effect and a new IP.

 

[DXLelouch153]

itll have to be so good it removes everything bad from ME3 from my mind for me to get it

 

[shinobi602]

This sounds more like a Reboot of the franchise for next gen.

You could think of it that way, sure.

 

[StiLt]

I think Bioware might just be concentrating on Star Wars license in the immediate. For what it's worth it looks like XCOM: Declassified might just scratch that sci-fi strategic combat itch in the interim. Command wheel is channeling ME squad combat big time from the look of it.

 

[Bisnic]

I highly doubt we'll play as anything other than human.

I actually prefer that though. I want a nice, structured story arc. Being able to play as multiple species might make for a sloppy story, way more variables to take into account and whatnot...

I don't remember who it was, but i remember seeing a tweet from a Bioware guy commenting on how many fans were asking for more races choices for the next Mass Effect.

It could mean absolutely nothing of course.

But i agree with you, i'd rather they stick to a nice structured story with a specific main character rather than something that might end up like Skyrim in space. I would much prefer playing as an Asari or Turian main character, but everyone knows that there is 99.9% chance its a human.

 

[shinobi602]

But i agree with you, i'd rather they stick to a nice structured story with a specific main character rather than something that might end up like Skyrim in space.

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[Patryn]

I doubt we'll see anything this year. I'm hoping that the DA delay is a sign that EA is learning that if they constantly rush these titles they will shockingly be criticized for feeling like rushed titles. Add in the generational shift and newish team, and I suspect they'll let it bake a little longer. I know we expect ME4 to be a Q4 2015 title, but I can see it going Q1 2016.

I expect first teaser at E3 next year at the earliest.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

I doubt it.

Especially considering it looks like BioWare has all hands on deck for Dragon Age and that isn't even coming out until later in 2014. I can't see them starting to tease or hype up Mass Effect before DA3 is even out or at least until Dragon Age is much closer to launch. The ME team is probably waiting for the DA team to get their feet wet with all of the Frostbite stuff so that they can learn from them, I'm guessing.

I'd guess we won't see anything ME related until E3 next year at the absolute earliest and more likely VGAs next year.

 

[grosvenor_92]

I wouldn't be surprised if we got a CG trailer or a bit of game play

 

[EatChildren]

Put it this way - Mass Effect won't be out before Dragon Age and that is still a year and a half away.

Pre-production has been going on for six months and I think they're aiming for an autumn 2015 launch, but it'll have been in the oven a good time even if its spring 2015.

Yeah, that's a good point. We can safely assume Mass Effect 4 wont be a 2014 title, so lets assume it has the date of March 2015, same month as Mass Effect 3. From the earliest pre-production to release, that would give it a three year development cycle. Pretty generous.

I don't think it will be much longer until we get a first "teaser" trailer (ie a logo, an omni-tool, something lame that shows nothing). Then it will be a while until a CG trailer, then even more time until gameplay footage is revealed.

This is what I was getting at. Like Mass Effect 2's teaser, showing nothing more than a Geth wearing Shepard's armour, and info stating Shepard has been KIA. Just a tease of the vision for the next game's themes. No actual content.

I think Bioware might just be concentrating on Star Wars license in the immediate.

As said, they can't be, not with Montreal and not unless a switch to Star Wars has been made in the last couple of days. They've already stated they're working on the next Mass Effect and were posting screenshots of a design document pass only a couple of days ago. And logistically, work would have begun on Mass Effect 4 at the studio 6-12 months before EA swept up the Star Wars license.

It's not impossible to pull the plug and divert the team to Star Wars, but I don't think they will. Doesn't make much sense when there are probably other staff project free or on the tail end of their projects and thus able to jump into a Star Wars game.

 

[StiLt]

As said, they can't be, not with Montreal and not unless a switch to Star Wars has been made in the last couple of days. They've already stated they're working on the next Mass Effect and were posting screenshots of a design document pass only a couple of days ago. And logistically, work would have begun on Mass Effect 4 at the studio 6-12 months before EA swept up the Star Wars license.

It's not impossible to pull the plug and divert the team to Star Wars, but I don't think they will. Doesn't make much sense when there are probably other staff project free or on the tail end of their projects and thus able to jump into a Star Wars game.

Ah, I had a parsing fail on the OP it seems. Didn't see about the June tweet. My bad. Hopefully yes in that case. I had feared with EA announcing Bioware was working Star Wars, that whatever they had in the cooker concept wise for ME4 would likely be bastardized/shoe horned into Star Wars fiction, or they even would be diverted to rejigging 1313 if any of it survived the spring clean. Happy to be looking off base with that really. Next gen ME4 will be tasty indeed.

 

[EatChildren]

Copy/pasting from the other thread: known BioWare Montreal staff who worked on ME3/DLC and thus are likely walking on Mass Effect 4.

Ian Frazier - Lead Gameplay Designer
(Game director and lead designer for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning)

Ann Lemay - Writer
(Mass Effect 3: Omega, Assassin's Creed Encyclopaedia)

Ben Cummings - Gameplay Designer
(Mass Effect 3: Omega, Mass Effect 3 multiplayer, Dark Age of Camelot software engineer)

Jessica Campbell - Level Designer
(Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning)

Fernando Secco - Software Engineer
(UI programmer on Deus Ex: Human Revolution)

Colin Campbell - Lead Level Designer
(Lead world designer on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, worked on Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends)

Manveer Heir - Senior Gameplay Designer
(Wolfenstein, Singularity, Mass Effect 3)

Jo Berry - Writer
(Old Republic: Jedi Consular class storylines, characters, and dialogues.)

And a few more:

Neil Pollner - Senior Writer
(Mass Effect 3, Omega, entire Sith Warrior class/story for Old Republic)

Herbert Lowis - Senior Character Modeller
(Mass Effect 3, DLC/multi, Dragon Age)

Joel MacMillan - Lead Cinematic Animator
(All three Mass Effects)