BioWare, those lovable guys, have patched the 360 of Mass Effect 2 to make planet-scanning more efficient. And I cried tears of joy.
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Considering the recent legal issues between GameStop and customer James Collins, who is currently suing the retailer over supposedly deceptive DLC with second hand games, retailer GAME is apparently playing it safe and has started putting warning stickers on pre-owned games regarding the lack of free DLC with second hand titles.

“We have been developing a policy for notifying customers at the point of purchase which was implemented last week in-store,” a GAME spokesperson told MCV.

“Pre-owned copies of applicable titles have stickers on them saying ‘check with staff for availability of downloadable content’, giving staff the chance to explain clearly the difference so that our customers understand the benefits of buying both pre-owned and mint.”

The observant gamer will note that most games that fall under this category already have adequate warnings on their boxes regarding DLC codes that come with the game. Apparently, this is not enough.

BioWare has released a new trailer for the next piece of Mass Effect 2 DLC, which gives us an insight into the motives and personality of new playable character Kasumi Goto, as she and Shepard take on a rogue art collector.

The Kasumi DLC will be the first piece of premium content for the game, whether you have Cerberus Network access or not. It will set you back and will set you back 560 MS points on Xbox Live and 560 BioWare points on PC.

Watch the trailer after the cut.

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BioWare threw up their own countdown, ending in just over five days as of right now.

The timer also appears on the websites for Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins.

The clock is set to stop at noon (EST) on Monday, March 29th.

What could it possibly be?

My guess is that it’s related to the teased Dragon Age sequel (according to the latest expansion, Awakening), but it could be a new title altogether. I don’t think it has anything to do with The Old Republic, since the timer does not appear on that website.

In the meantime…

’cause maybe they’ve seen us and welcome us all…

BioWare has just announced the next piece of free DLC for Cerberus Network users, based around the awesome Hammerhead tank, which is due to hit Xbox Live and PCs in March.

The “Firewalker” DLC pack will contain five missions centred around the formidable tank (pictured above), which “hovers over the battlefield at up to 120 kilometers per hour and features a guided missile system ensuring accuracy even during aggressive maneuvering.”

So says BioWare. So it must be awesome.

Only players registered with the Cerberus Network – claimed by inputting a redeem code provided in first-hand copies of the game – will have access to the downloadable content.

BioWare has long been, in this journalist’s humble opinion, one of the masters of video game storytelling. Whether it’s in a futuristic sci-fi setting, a Tolkienesque fantasy world or a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the boys at BioWare know how to tell an engaging story. But the best is yet to come, says BioWare’s co-boss Dr. Ray Muzyka

In an interview with CVG, Muzyka said the developer is up to the challenge of topping its recent title Mass Effect 2, which has received universal acclaim from various gaming outlets.

“The way we approach it is that each game has to be better than the last one,” said Muzyka in the interview. “That’s always been true for the last 20 years we’ve been doing this, that’s just what we do. It’s kind of in our culture now.

“I think the team finds it reassuring that you’ve done something good, you’ve got great sales, great critical success, but they’re driven by making the next thing even better. That’s what drives me.”

BioWare seems to be taking a page out of Bungie’s book in announcing “The Cerberus Network” for Mass Effect 2. The Network is an in-game Mass Effect 2 portal that will keep fans updated on Mass Effect 2 DLC as well as news.

“The Cerberus Network augments and extends the rich universe of Mass Effect 2,” commented Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare, “We’re thrilled to be able to reward loyal BioWare and Mass Effect fans with ongoing, high quality content and provide a direct channel for our players to dive deeper into the intriguing lore of Mass Effect.”

The Cerberus Network is activated through a single-use code that comes included with the game at retail. Players who purchase the game used can unlock The Network through an in-game purchase. All content recieved through The Cerberus Network will be absolutely free.

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It’s time for more fun with ESRB ratings, this time with the rating for Mass Effect 2. While the rating summary for Mass Effect 2 is not as funny as previous entries we’ve posted, but there’s the odd nugget of comedy here and there. One that sticks out is a reference to an alien strip club:

“During the course of the game, players may enter a bar where alien pole dancing exists (choreography highlighted on big-screen monitors) or hear suggestive comments such as “krogan sexual deviants enjoy salarian flexibility” and ”if this is just about sex, maybe you should just f**king say so.” [Italics added]“

There’s also mention of a “romantic encounter”, which players can engaging in with both humans and aliens. These encounters can vary from a normal conversation, unzipping a “future-blouse” (whatever that is), kissing, hugging or a full on sex scene.

Full summary can be found here

BioWare revealed on the official Mass Effect forums today that the sequel would arrive on two discs, with the 360 version requiring  a disc swap at some point in the story.

“Even though there is a disc swap, it occurs at a carefully planned place in the game (that does not interfere with gameplay) and is done once,” stated community coordinator of BioWare Chris Priestly, “You do not swap back and forth. One swap and then done.”

The PC, on the other hand, will be a two-disc install

If you consider this disc swapping to be a serious problem with the game, then I would personally suggest going out and getting more exercise.

Miss Electronic Arts live E3 conference? Never fear, we have a recording of the conference below for you to watch, courtesy of GameSpot.

Highlights included Dante’s Inferno, Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2, Fight Night Round 4, a new martial arts fighting game called EA MMA, Grand Slam Tennis, The Saboteur and the first ever cinematic trailer for BioWare’s epic MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic.

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