Mass Effect Trilogy Set Announced

BioWare has announced the Mass Effect Trilogy Compilation, bringing the original Mass Effect to PlayStation 3 for the first time. The set will combine all three Mass Effect titles into one package and will launch on Xbox 360 and PC on November 6th for $59.99. A PlayStation 3 version will follow, though a specific date hasn’t been announced just yet.

BioWare will also release the original Mass Effect as a standalone title via PlayStation Network, though an exact date hasn’t been announced for that either. This marks the first time Mass Effect, which was published by Microsoft Studios originally, will make its way to Sony’s console. IGN has learned that the standalone version will include Trophy support.

Separately, BioWare announced N7 Day, a “worldwide celebration” that will take place on November 7th. The day will include in-game, online and live events, and more details will be coming soon on MassEffect.com.

Mass Effect was originally released on Xbox 360 in November of 2007, followed by a PC version in May 2008. Mass Effect 2 launched on Xbox 360 and PC in January 2010, followed by a PlayStation 3 version a year later. Mass Effect 3 launched for all three platforms on March 6th of this year, and a Wii U version will follow on November 18th.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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Mass Effect 3 Omega DLC Details Allegedly Leaked

Files extracted from Mass Effect 3 may hint at the game’s upcoming Omega downloadable content. As spotted on the Hold the Line forums, lines of data include dialog such as “I'll be retaking Omega from Cerberus” and “Since we took back Omega, I've been consolidating my resources for the war.”

According to the files, Omega would seemingly focus on Aria T'Loak as she seeks to take Omega back from Cerberus control. Lines suggest that Shepard will be assisting, and also point to a cameo appearance from Zaeed Massani, one of Shepard’s former Mass Effect 2 squadmates.

Omega was confirmed by BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn last week as Mass Effect 3’s next single-player content. While no date has been announced, Flynn said the content is “coming in the Fall.” Omega was first teased during Montreal Comic-Con and will be the third single-player story pack for Mass Effect 3, following From Ashes and Leviathan.

For now, details on Omega haven’t been confirmed, but keep checking back to IGN for details as they’re announced. Until then, get details on everything there is to know in our Mass Effect 3 wiki guide.

Source: OXM

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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Australia's iGEA Cautiously Welcomes New R18+ Guidelines

The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (iGEA) has cautiously welcomed the final Guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games, which come into effect January 1, 2013.

“We, along with many other stakeholders, have worked for many years to have the classification scheme acknowledge that adults play and enjoy video games and are due the respect of a classification category that reflects ‘age appropriate’ content for adults," reads a statement released by the iGEA. "The new guidelines released today show that they have been crafted to try to balance the concerns of those who have resisted an R18+ classification and adults who want to play video games designed specifically for mature audiences and that are readily available in other developed democracies."

The statement, however, does goes on to criticise the new guidelines for holding games to stricter criteria compared to film and maintaining the interactive nature of video games increases the impact of various classifiable elements.

“Given the opposition to the introduction of an R18+ category from a vocal yet unrepresentative section of the community, along with a largely conservative group of Attorneys-General, it is no surprise the new guidelines hold video games to a higher standard across a number of categories compared to film and what originally existed for video games," continued the statement.

“As we have previously stated, we are concerned with the acknowledgment in the guidelines that interactivity has greater impact on players, despite the Federal Attorney-General’s office publishing a literature review in September 2010 that found no evidence to support these claims. There will be continued debate about whether the interactivity of video games has a greater impact than other forms of media, and we will continue to refer to the lack of the evidence to support these claims."

The iGEA expressed these same concerns on the release of the amended draft guidelines in November last year.

The iGEA will now "wait to see" how the Classification Board will go on to interpret and apply the newly revised guidelines and "trust that they will reflect the standards of morality, decency and propriety accepted by reasonable adults, not just the vocal ones."

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New R18+ Guidelines for Australia Finalised

Minister for Home Affairs and Justice Jason Clare has revealed the new finalised Guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games. The Guidelines will come into effect on 1 January 2013.

Mr Clare said State and Territory Ministers with responsibility for classification matters have agreed to the revised Guidelines after “extensive consultation.”

The guidelines still contain an acknowledgement that “computer games may have a higher impact than similarly themed depictions of the classifiable elements in film, and therefore greater potential for harm or detriment, particularly to minors.”  This, however, is not a new addition; this section regarding the “the interactive nature of computer games and the active repetitive involvement of the participant” has been carried over from the revised draft guidelines revealed back in November 2011.

The Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (iGEA) expressed concern at the time regarding this acknowledgment that interactivity has greater impact on players, despite the Federal Attorney-General's office publishing a literature review in December 2010 that found no evidence to support these claims.

Games that include violence with a very high degree of impact (that is excessively frequent, prolonged, detailed or repetitive), actual sexual violence (or implied sexual violence related to incentives or rewards), and drug use related to incentives and rewards will still be refused classification. These criteria have not changed since last November’s revised draft guidelines.

States and Territories are in the process of passing their own complementary legislation to ensure that R18+ computer games are appropriately regulated.

The ACT has already passed its Bill and NSW and Tasmania’s legislation has also been introduced into their parliaments.

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