Multiplayer Support Confirmed for Mass Effect 3

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Monday BioWare confirmed that Mass Effect 3 will feature co-op multiplayer support.

MSNBC reports that BioWare has confirmed co-op multiplayer support for Mass Effect 3. The confirmation comes from series executive producer Casey Hudson who jumped on Twitter Monday afternoon and called the co-op missions "spectacular," adding that more will be revealed soon. BioWare's official Twitter account has also confirmed the report.

"There will be a multiplayer component for #ME3," the studio said. "Full details soon, so wait until then before making your decision. We think you'll like it!"

According to BioWare's Facebook page, fans can tune in for a special episode of BioWareTV at 10am on Wednesday, October 12, for more details on the co-op feature, or as the studio states, "to have all your questions answered!"

The story over the game's multiplayer support originally broke earlier on Monday with the Official Xbox Magazine revealing the cover for its December issue which touts multiplayer gameplay over Xbox Live. That said, because the story is an OXM exclusive, BioWare may limit the details in its TV show on Wednesday and any time thereafter until the magazine hits news stands.

"The exclusive hands-on report also includes screenshots of the all-new mode, as well as in-depth info on how it will all work with Mass Effect 3’s beefy solo campaign," the magazine teases. "Time to put all those questions and rumors to rest."

Australia's PC PowerPlay is also publishing a similar article on October 19, so no, it's not a console-exclusive feature.

As MTV points out, BioWare likely took what it learned from building an experience around its Mass Effect-style dialog system in an MMO context (Star Wars: The Old Republic), and shifted that knowledge back into Mass Effect 3's multiplayer component. Yet based on BioWare's comments, the studio may be receiving negative feedback due to the announcement. Would co-op multiplayer support be a bad thing for the Mass Effect franchise?

Kevin Parrish
38 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dormantreign
    no, i love co-op!
    Reply
  • clonazepam
    Oh no, this could be bad. It could eat up valuable space for the single player campaign. I hope there wasn't too much sacrificed. Remember the first Splinter Cell to allow multi-player? The single player campaign was noticeably shorter compared to the previous game featuring only a single player campaign. If you like multi, that's great, but if you love single player, I hope I don't end up feeling cheated out of more time.
    Reply
  • Soma42
    I don't think I like this. Might be a good thing, but I don't know how to take a game like Mass Effect and turn it into a multi-player experience.

    I could be pleasantly surprised though...
    Reply
  • liannfs
    Actually, I don't like MP.
    But if it doesn't affect the quality of single player then it'll be fine.
    Reply
  • amk-aka-Phantom
    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Blast you, BioWare! WHY?! Why the hell do you have to do that?! Mass Effect is SINGLE PLAYER ONLY! Goddamn it! First you were lazy and passed both NWN2 and KOTOR2 to Obsidian, but now you're just plain messed up! EA influence much?!

    I know how it will turn out. It will be polished for crapBox and turn single player experience into BS by sacrificing the story element in favor of co-op shooting. Thanks a LOT, BioWare, you really DID come through to disappoint the ME players.
    Reply
  • clonazepam
    It would kinda be cool to include some sort of planetary-size RTS element for multiplayer, not completely like the halo rts, but planetary scale with the ME universe as a mini-game, and keep the real ME to the single player crowd. Or figure out how to interweave both elements into multiplayer and great story. I loved ME 1. only prob was managing weapons/items/armor for selling and getting spectre weaps so early. I loved it enough to finish 3x. ME2? Have not completed a playthrough yet. I tried twice and quit before I had even gathered the full crew.... I'll probably never finish it.
    Reply
  • clonazepam
    I had high hopes for Mass Effect from the beginning but there is a storage limitation, at least on the xbox 360. I hoped for a game that had the universe scale and ship to ship battles of Eve Online, the planetary assets, goofy aliens, and fully customizable ships with precursor tech of Star Control II/III, 3rd person action of ME, secondary character abilities and personalities like that of Baldur's Gate I/II, much more inventory / weapon / armor customization from a game like Everquest I/II...

    hmmmm... well let's see how SW:TOR turns out haha ;-)
    Reply
  • dark_knight33
    I love co-op, but bottom line: fixed budget + more features = degraded quality. Multiplayer isn't like just adding in some extra missions, or another character. The whole game needs to be rethought out, story wise, and technically they have to build a usable server/client architecture into a single player game engine.

    If they have to cut out characters and release them as DLC (Kasumi, or Shale from DA:O) due to time/budget constraints with just a single player campaign, imagine what's been cut, or never even considered to accommodate adding in MP?

    This isn't for the benefit of what we have known as Mass Effect, this is EA meddling. It's *not* COD or Halo FFS! Something like this should be saved for a game outside the main trilogy. Instead, single player missions will be diluted for the benefit of Death Match addicted, ADHD infested kids that will just trade the game in the moment they stop being fooled into thinking it's a true "Multiplayer Experience".
    Reply
  • amk-aka-Phantom
    One more thing:

    Yet based on BioWare's comments, the studio may be receiving negative feedback due to the announcement.

    NO REALLY? If you're on BioWare/Mass Effect forums, you'd know that nearly every ME player hates the idea of MP/co-op in ME3! BioWare is PURPOSEFULLY pissing its fans off, because they stated in one of the articles that "they want Call of Duty audience". Well guess what, they will NOT get CoD audience because it consists of trigger-happy kiddies and they'll lose faith of all their long-term fans.

    clonazepamME2? Have not completed a playthrough yet. I tried twice and quit before I had even gathered the full crew.... I'll probably never finish it.
    Push yourself. ME2 is one of the greatest games I played, you NEED to finish it :) Though, if you're just into shooting... but even that is better than in ME1.
    Reply
  • Maxor127
    Co-op is never a bad thing. I don't understand how anyone could think it would ruin the game. It's optional. If you don't like it, don't use it. People cry about the stupidest things. Now if they were making it into an MMO with monthly fees and ruining it like KOTOR, then I'd see a reason to bitch about it.
    Reply