The Fight to Take Earth Back Begins Today as BioWare Launches One of
the Most Anticipated Games of All Time
Attack the All-Out Galactic War from Multiple Fronts with the Four
Player Co-Op Campaign and iOS-Exclusive App, Mass Effect Infiltrator
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The first blockbuster game of 2012 has arrived! Mass Effect™ 3
from BioWare, a Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), is now
available at retail stores in North America and will be launching in
Europe on March 9. The highly anticipated game has been praised by
critics for delivering, deep, interactive storytelling and
adrenaline-pumping action on a huge scale. Mass Effect 3 has
already received perfect scores from a wide variety of outlets around
the world, including MSNBC, Game Informer, USA Today, G4
TV, Eurogamer (UK), The Guardian (UK), Official Xbox Magazine
(UK), PlayStation Official Magazine (UK), Eurogamer (IT), Game
Reactor (Sweden), Atomic Gamer (AUS) and more. Entertainment
Weekly declared that "Mass Effect 3 isn't just one of the
videogame events of the year. It's one of the pop-culture events
of the year."
"Mass Effect 3 is the beginning, middle and end of an entire war
to save the galaxy — and the team has held nothing back," said Dr. Ray
Muzyka, Co-Founder of BioWare and General Manager of EA's BioWare Label.
"The action is more intense and bolder than ever. The level of
customization is richer and deeper. The story is incredibly powerful and
features the biggest decisions and consequences in the series. Whether
you're a veteran of the series or a new recruit, there's never been a
better time to jump in."
Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series added,
"I'm very proud of what the team has been able to deliver with Mass
Effect 3. This is our best work yet, and we cannot wait for fans to
finally get their hands on the game and experience Commander Shepard's
journey for themselves."
Mass Effect 3 thrusts players into an all-out galactic war to
save mankind from an ancient alien race known only as the Reapers.
Players will assume 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 soldiers at their 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 the Galaxy at War* system, where players will
have the option to fight the galactic war on multiple fronts. The system
includes the franchise debut of co-operative multiplayer, as well as two
iOS-exclusive apps, the cover-based, third-person shooter, Mass
Effect Infiltrator, and the Mass Effect 3 Datapad. Progress
made in each of these components will directly link back to the player's
main campaign, helping Commander Shepard rally the forces of the galaxy
to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all.
Also today, BioWare released Mass Effect 3: From Ashes. This
downloadable content pack is included in the Mass Effect 3 N7
Collector's Edition and Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition,
and BioWare is now offering this gripping new adventure to all gamers
who could not secure a copy of either special edition.
In Mass Effect 3: From Ashes, Commander Shepard will discover an
ancient Prothean artifact that could turn the tide in the war to take
Earth back. Players will take on a dangerous mission during Earth's
final hours to retrieve this critical piece of lost technology, and
travel to a remote human colony to secure the artifact before the
shadowy, pro-human organization, Cerberus, captures it for their own
plans of domination. This optional content is included in the Mass
Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition or Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe
Edition or can be purchased on Xbox LIVE®, PlayStation® Network and
PC for $9.99 or 800 Microsoft® Points starting today.
The Mass Effect series is one of the most highly decorated series
in the history of games, having earned over 200 international awards to
date. Mass Effect 3 is available now on the Xbox 360® videogame
and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system
and PC in North America 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 at http://facebook.com/masseffect.
Press assets for Mass Effect 3 are available at www.info.ea.com.
The Mass Effect Infiltrator App is available for $6.99 from the
App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.
The Mass Effect 3 Datapad App will available as a free
download following the launch of Mass Effect 3.
* The Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War feature can be activated via the
Online Pass code found in every new copy of Mass Effect 3. The Mass
Effect 3: Galaxy at War feature can be activated via the Online Pass on
Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, or via the PC product code found in every
new copy of Mass Effect 3.
About BioWare
The BioWare Label is a division of EA which crafts high quality
multiplatform role-playing, MMO and strategy games, focused on
emotionally engaging, rich stories with unforgettable characters and
vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the
world's most critically acclaimed titles and franchises, including Baldur's
Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of
the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™, Mass Effect™ and Dragon
Age™. BioWare currently operates in eight locations across the
world, including Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec, Canada),
Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia), San Francisco (California), Los
Angeles (California), Sacramento (California) and Galway (Ireland).
In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global
interactive entertainment publisher. In 2011 EA created the BioWare
Label, alongside EA Games, EA SPORTS™ and EA Play. For more information
on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com,
or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/biofeed.
To join the millions of fans already registered with the BioWare
community, go to http://social.bioware.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) is a global leader in digital interactive
entertainment. The Company's game franchises are offered as both
packaged goods products and online services delivered through
Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and
tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in
75 countries.
In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion.
Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for
critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The
Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass
Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
BioWare, Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age are trademarks of EA
International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. EA SPORTS, The Sims and Need
for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL and
FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with
permission. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft
group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. iPad,
iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the
U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
EA's BioWare Label
Lisa Chan, 650-628-2748
Senior Publicist
lisachan@ea.com
or
Stephanie
Driscoll, 650-628-7890
PR Coordinator
sdriscoll@ea.com
or
Andrew
Wong, 650-628-2781
Director of PR
anwong@ea.com
Source: Electronic Arts Inc.
News Provided by Acquire Media