EDMONTON, Alberta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Award-winning developer BioWare, a label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), announced today that the demo for 2012’s first blockbuster game, Mass Effect™ 3 will be available beginning February 14, 2012. The extensive demo will allow players to experience the all-out galactic war against an ancient alien race known as the Reapers from multiple fronts, including the mind-blowing opening attack on Earth that kicks off the single-player campaign. Players will go deeper into the campaign and also get a taste of the franchise’s new co-operative multiplayer mode as they preview the epic story, adrenaline-pumping action and deep customization options that lie ahead when Mass Effect 3launches on March 6, 2012. The Mass Effect 3 demo will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC.Mass Effect 3 will also be one of the first pre-launch demos to support full voice recognition functionality on Kinect™ for Xbox 360.

“We are excited to be able to give gamers an expansive demo that will put them right on the front lines of this all-out galactic war,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “The entire scale of the game is bigger than anything we’ve ever done. With its intense action, deep customization and raw emotional power, Mass Effect 3 will deliver a spectacular action RPG experience to fans of the series and newcomers alike.”

In Mass Effect 3, players will be thrust into an all-out galactic war to take Earth back and save the entire galaxy, assuming the role of Commander Shepard, a war-torn veteran who’s willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate this nearly unstoppable foe. With a team of elite, battle-hardened soldiers at your side, each player decides how they will take Earth back, from the weapons and abilities they utilize to the relationships they forge or break. Mass Effect 3 also features a new co-operative gameplay mode that allows fans to experience the war from a different perspective. Players who want to try this new mode will be able to do so on February 17, or by qualifying for early access to the co-op portion of the demo which begins February 14. Gamers qualify for early access if they have activated their Battlefield 3™ online pass* or though other opportunities that will be announced in the near futurewww.masseffect.com.

Recently named by over 100 outlets around the world as one of the most anticipated games of 2012, including winning the fan-voted Most Anticipated Game of 2012 award at the Spike TV VGAs, Mass Effect 3 is available for pre-order now at participating retailers. Fans who pre-order** have the opportunity to arm themselves with cutting-edge in-game weapons and armor to prepare for the all-out galactic war. Mass Effect 3 arrives on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in North America on March 6, 2012 and in Europe on March 9, 2012. For more information on Mass Effect 3, please visit http://masseffect.com, follow the game on Twitter at http://twitter.com/masseffect or “like” the game on Facebook athttp://facebook.com/masseffect.

* Conditions and restrictions apply. Early access requirement and availability may differ by platform and/or region. See www.masseffect.com for more details.

** Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://masseffect.bioware.com/me3/game/preorderbonus/ for more details.

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And by very early I mean 2-3 hours into the game. I know it’s ridiculous to be writing about it given that I haven’t spent enough time on it but hey, I’ve been looking forward to it ever since I saw the first preview.

Before I go on I’d like to say that my expectations for this game are low. After reading reviews and seeing what people are saying about it online, I was beginning to think that Dragon Age 2 was going to be a lesser game than the original. I wanted to find out if that was true or not.

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Dragon Age 2 Combat Preview

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The preview for the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 showed that Bioware will include an interactive comic book called Mass Effect Genesis to summarize the events of the first game. Kotaku has the details on what it contains:

It doesn’t just summarize the original Xbox 360 and PC-only Mass Effect from 2007, it simulates the experience of playing it. The comic allows gamers to make six key decisions from the original game and see their ramifications in Mass Effect 2.

The brief digital comic starts shortly after the playable introduction to Mass Effect 2 on the PS3.

[Source]

Mass Effect 3 Debut Trailer

 

Earth. Reapers. Shepard. Holy shit.

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The dreaded Archdemon has been slain and the advance of the darkspawn halted by a lone, heroic Grey Warden. The kingdom rejoices, but at least one question remains: what happened to Morrigan? The sorceress joined the Wardens cause, but it is said her true purpose was not revealed until the eve of the last battle. She vanished into the shadows, and while rumors claimed she crossed over the mountains into Orlais no trace of her path could be found. She was never heard from again… until now. Nearly a year has passed since the Archdemon’s death, and word has reached the Wardens that Morrigan has returned to Ferelden. She has been sighted in the southern wilderness where she was first encountered. Is it truly her? If it is, then why has is she here and what secret does she carry with her? The Warden heads into the forest to find out and tie up this last loose end once and for all.

[Source]

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We are pleased to announce this morning that the next Mass Effect 2 DLC episode The Lair of the Shadowbroker will be available on the PC and Xbox 360 on Tuesday September 7 and will cost 800 BioWare/Microsoft points. Not only is this an excellent adventure through Illium and the shadowbroker’s secret lair, this new DLC will add the Shadow Broker intel center, new research, and five new achievements – and give fans from Mass Effect 1the chance to continue a relationship with Liara.

To help whet your appetite, we have added 4 new Shadowbroker screenshots to the Mass Effect gallery. You can check them out here: http://masseffect.bioware.com/media/screenshots/

[Source]

 

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Welcome to Zeroinitiate.com. Here you’ll find gaming news, previews, reviews along with the occasional guide/walkthrough. This site is what you get when you mix writing and gaming. Aside from informing you about the latest news and updates, we’ll throw in our thoughts as well. Of course, feel free to add your own via the comments section.

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