Last week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, we were invited to witness the first 60 minutes of sci-fi RPG Mass Effect in action. Better yet, our guides were the masters of the universe themselves - BioWare founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk. If the gorgeous visuals and innovative gameplay on display weren't enough to get us dangerously hyped, the enthusiasm of these two gentlemen sitting on either side of us certainly was.
We want you to be excited too, dear reader, so we've transcribed the entire proceedings here (our impressions in italics).
Ray Muzyka, BioWare CEO: The premise behind Mass Effect is to build the amazing emotional intensity and production values of a Hollywood blockbuster. It's very cinematic and very filmic. It feels like you're part of a movie and you're the character within this large expansive universe.
The game begins with creating that cinematic character - Commander Shepard. Your gender can be male or female - other characters simply refer to you neutrally as "Commander." In addition to customizing your appearance and choosing a class, you can select a background. Are you a "sole survivor"? A "war hero"? Or just "ruthless"?
