Mass Effect: How It Took Over the World

After arguing that Mass Effect 3 will the biggest game in 2012, Computer and Videogames pens a brief editorial on BioWare’s series history and its success, from the first title’s release as an Xbox exclusive to what sounds very much like a pre-release (and positive) review for the end of Command Shepard’s action-packed sci-fi trilogy. Here’s a sampling:

It seems unthinkable now, but Mass Effect was only a moderate commercial success. Published by Microsoft and exclusive to Xbox, it sold 1.6 million units in its first six weeks. Two years later, ME2 would sell two million copies in its first three days.

Through inaction, Microsoft gave away the biggest potential exclusive of the generation. EA purchased Bioware shortly before ME’s release, and while ME2 still launched first on Xbox it came to PS3 a year later. It may turn out to be one of this generation’s biggest regrets for Microsoft if ME3 continues the series’ growth at anything like the rate of ME2.

With ME2, that growth wasn’t undeserved. Bioware responded quickly and accurately to every major criticism of the first game, and kept pace with the trends in gaming. They stripped out the Mako sections and devoted a whole team to improving the combat; the result is a much smoother cover shooter with tactile, punchy guns.

Without ever compromising the powerful element of player choice, Bioware tweaked their RPG into a near-perfect hybrid of traditional role-playing and modern action games. The sales confirmed it was exactly what gamers were looking for.

It’s possible CVG forgot, but Mass Effect 1 and 2 have been released on PC too.