Mass Effect 4 Won't Star "Shepherd 2"

The next entry in the Mass Effect franchise will feature a hero who doesn't resemble Commander Shepherd in any way, Bioware has revealed.

Speaking to VG247, BioWare Montreal producer Fabrice Condominas confirmed that while the series will continue beyond the current trilogy, it will be a completely separate experience.

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We don’t want to make ‘Shepard 2′, or Mass Effect 4 with like, ‘oh there’s no more Shepard but you’re a soldier in the universe’.

He explained, "There is one thing we are absolutely sure of – there will be no more Shepard, and the trilogy is over.

"This is really our starting point. Now the Mass Effect universe is vast, and very, very rich. So at this point in time, we don’t even know what kind of time frame we’re going to be in. All we’re doing is more gathering ideas from the teams, gathering feedback to see several things.

"So first, we don’t want to make ‘Shepard 2′, or Mass Effect 4 with like, ‘oh there’s no more Shepard but you’re a soldier in the universe’. So this will be a very, very different context for sure, and nothing has been decided on the rest."

While nothing else is known about the next entry in the franchise, Bioware hasn't given up supporting Mass Effect 3 just yet; the company recently announced the release date and price of the Omega DLC, which is set to be the largest expansion for the game yet.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Witcher Dev: DLC Should be a Free Service

CD Projekt RED’s Konrad Tomaszkiewicz believes that DLC should be given to gamers for free as thanks for legitimately purchasing a title.

In an interview with VG247, the Witcher developer shared his view that downloadable content should be viewed as a post sale service for consumers.

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Back when retail games were dominant, we had expansion packs. These were really large chunks of content, which were worth their price.

"We’ve always believed in free DLCs. The thing is that we consider DLCs as a normal post sale service, which shouldn’t be priced," he said.

"Back when retail games were dominant, we had expansion packs. These were really large chunks of content, which were worth their price.

"If today’s DLCs offered the same amount of content, they would be worth paying for, but in most cases players think they are overcharged for what they receive. That’s why we offer expansions to our game for free. This is also a way of saying “thank you” to the people who decided to buy our game instead of copying it from an unauthorised source."

It's the latest in a series of comments from within the industry that suggests big companies are starting to reassess the role of downloadable content in games. In May, Capcom revealed it was re-evaluating its attitudesto on-disc DLC following fan backlash. Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi also recently labelled DLC characters in fighting games as "unfair", and announced none would be present in Dead or Alive 5.

There's still no concrete word on whether CD Projekt RED is planning to make a third instalment in the Witcher franchise, though a recent batch of job postings suggests it could be on the cards.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and has never bought DLC in his life. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com