INTERVIEW: BioWare

How are ME2 sales tracking compared to ME1 at this stage?

We’re very pleased with both the critical and commercial reception to Mass Effect 2 so far. The game is tracking really favourably when compared with Mass Effect 1, which of course was a great success in its own right.

ME2 has reviewed very strongly – what role has this played in the game’s success?

The stellar reviews have definitely been a big part of the success of the ME2, as they are any time you are talking about a game that reaches that high a quality bar. Mass Effect 2 is our highest-rated game at BioWare to date, and anytime your game is being discussed by press and fans as being not only as one of the best games of the year, but also as one of the top games of this generation, it certainly doesn’t hurt sales!

Frankly, it’s very humbling to get such great praise for any of our titles, and we’re always committed to continue to deliver high quality to our fans going forward – our goal is to make each game better than the last.

Do you think the introduction of Project Cerberus has encouraged users to buy the game new, and as a result, helped boost sales of Mass Effect 2?

The Cerberus Network was created to reward loyal BioWare and Mass Effect fans with continued high quality content and to keep our fans engaged in the Mass Effect universe – it’s awesome value no matter how they purchased the game. And while Mass Effect 2’s Cerberus Network certainly provides a great incentive and high value to new purchasers, ultimately I think the high quality of the game, combined with a really good marketing campaign, together had the biggest positive impact on sales.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an online-reliant system such as Cerburus?

The great thing about the Cerberus Network is that it is there if you want to get the benefits. You can download the content that we make available, or you can choose to enjoy the outstanding standalone experience that Mass Effect 2 offers – it’s a great shooter and a great RPG all in one!

Is Cerberus a model you would like to see implemented in all future BioWare releases?

We always try to make the best decisions for each game as we develop it, so we decide this sort of approach on a case by case basis. The approach we took to post-release downloadable content in Dragon Age has been successful, as has the Cerberus network in Mass Effect 2. I’m sure we’ll continue to refine our approach in the future – we’re always interested in finding cool new ways to reward our loyal fans, and to continue building out the worlds of our games.