Following the negative response to Mass Effect 3′s ending, BioWare co-founder Casey Muzyka promised that his team was working on initiatives that would provide more clarity and give its fans better closure.

Their “initiatives” remained vague until today when EA announced their plans to release a free DLC pack titled “Extended Cut” that would expand the game’s ending events with key additional cinematics and cut-scenes.

“We are all incredibly proud of Mass Effect 3 and the work done by Casey Hudson and team,” said Ray Muzyka. “Since launch, we have had time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans and we are responding. With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team’s artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe.”

Casey Hudson also added, “We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.”

Now, this doesn’t mean BioWare is making additional endings or changing anything. “BioWare strongly believes in the team’s artistic vision for the end of this arc of the Mass Effect franchise,” states BioWare’s blog. “The extended cut DLC will expand on the existing endings, but no further ending DLC is planned.”

The DLC is expected to release in the Summer with no specific date. Hudson’s statement also indicates that there is definitely other DLC in the works, but that priority was given to address its fans’ disappointment and feedback.

Were you one of those people who was met with a different looking Shepard when importing your character into Mass Effect 3? Several players reported this glitch when the game first launched, and no solution existed.

This glitch affected some players who imported a Mass Effect 2 Shepard that had been originally created in the first game. This not only led to hours of emotional counseling to some, but it also meant these players had to painstakingly recreate their Shepard’s faces if they wanted their commander to look the same.

BioWare’s community coordinator Chris Priestly updated their forum thread with an updated stating that the glitch has in fact been fixed and is currently under going testing to make sure it doesn’t affect anything else in the game. This fix will be issued in the next Mass Effect 3 patch, which, unfortunately, doesn’t have a release date as of yet. Rest assured, your Shepard will soon be how you remembered him.

EA and Bioware have announced that a brand new CG trailer for Mass Effect 3 will debut during this Sunday’s Episode of the Walking Dead on AMC. So yes, you’re going to have another reason to watch Zombies this weekend.

The trailer, titled “Take Earth Back” takes an artsy look at the conflict in the epic sci fi series’ final chapter. Check out the trailer above.

The demo for Mass Effect 3 is now available on Xbox Live, PSN and PC.

So you’ve got a bit of a dilemma, the Mass Effect 3 demo comes out this coming Tuesday, but that also happens to be Valentines Day, and you’re sweetie may not be too keen on you skipping your scheduled dinner and viewing of The Vow to get a taste of the crew of The Normandy’s finale. What do you do?

If you’re a card carrying member of Facebook (and let’s be honest, who isn’t these days), you can head over to the Mass Effect 3 Facebook page and take part in a flash game — the result, early access to the Mass Effect 3 demo, like instant access.

So boom — you get your first taste of Mass Effect 3, and your girlfriend doesn’t miss out on her Channing Tatum flick. You’re welcome.

In a recent interview with music publication The Quietus, famed composer Clint Mansell revealed that he’s currently working on the soundtrack for the highly anticipated Mass Effect 3.

Mansell, who is most known for working with director Darren Aronofsky on films like The Wrestler and Black Swan describes his role as a DJ, hoping his music will aide the player. “You’ve got the holding pattern, then the big explosion where you need the score to kick in,” he says. “Then you need to take it off on a tangent. You’ve got all these different elements that change depending on what the player does. You have to figure out an overall symphony, but be able to break it down into component parts. You can bring the pain when required.”

Mass Effect 3 hits the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this Holiday.

One of the big rumors about tomorrow night’s Spike TV Video Game Awards is that we’re going to get confirmation of Mass Effect 3. First, Sony’s Russian office confirmed the rumor over Twitter, then took it down, now it seems that EA proper is eager to spill the beans.

The picture to the right was spotted by Destructoid earlier this morning over at EA’s online store. The listing has since been taken down, but they were lucky enough to snag the shot before.

The features spot on the page also seems to give us the first details of the game’s plot. It reads: ” Earth is burning. Striking from beyond known space, a race of terrifying machines have begun their destruction of the human race. As Commander Shepard, an Alliance Marine, your only hope for saving mankind is to rally the civilizations of the galaxy and launch one final mission to take back the Earth.”

So, Mass Effect 3 returns to Earth? What do you guys think?

While we do not know much about the downloadable content for the upcoming space-based role-playing-game Mass Effect 2, today BioWare announced some exciting details.

DLC...it's on the way and it's free!

BioWare Tweeted the following last night regarding the DLC:

“Addressing rumors: BioWare will not be charging extra for any new Mass Effect 2 content on launch day. More DLC details next week.”

We’re oh so very excited for the space-bound RPG and will have a review for you next week when the title launches, but stay with us for continued coverage of this developing story and keep an eye on BioWare and Mass Effect 2 on Twitter in the meantime.

Source: Kotaku

The Avatar Shop on Xbox Live went all Mass Effect today and added some new spiffy outfits for your mini-dudes.

If you’re so inclined to spend anywhere from 80 to 320 MS Points, you can score any number of outfits and clothing pieces ranging from the RC Mako vehicle to an Asari Diplomat suit to even the red and black N7 helmet.

Have a look at the screens Major Nelson released today and head to the Xbox Live Marketplace to snag these digital wares.

RC Mako. Awesome.

N7 Helmet

Asari Diplomat Suit

BioWare, developer of gaming bliss by the name of the epic Mass Effect RPG, released additional downloadable content for the game in an oddly unnanounced fashion, naming “Pinnacle Station” the digital ware in question.

Pinnacle Station places you again in the boots of Commander Shepard and you’ll traverse 13 new combat scenarios and be treated to all the glorious voice-over work BioWare has seemingly perfected.

I guess when you have a game as popular as Mass Effect, hype, marketing, and the like just aren’t needed to sell your product.

If you’re a die-hard Mass Effect follower, at 400MS Points, you’ll likely snag this up, but for everyone else, reviews haven’t been so stellar.

Enjoy these screens of Pinnacle Station imaged below and start your download here, even if you’re at school or work.

BioWare makes it official today, announcing Mass Effect 2, arriving early 2010 on PC and Xbox 360 as the middle-man in the trilogy of the science fiction adventure franchise that was such a great success in 2007.

Saren’s evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril…

“We’re going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. “Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred action.”

Sounds like more elevators, sex scenes, and uncharted planets. Count me in!

Sorry PS3 owners, BioWare has no plans to throw you a bone on this one.

Electronic Arts had a busy week as we have reported, and reported and reported, but three more game announcements are worth taking note of.

First off, EA Sports announced Thursday that NCAA Football 09 will be the first college football title on the Nintendo Wii when it hits shelves later this year. It will join the PSP, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and most likely PC/Windows platforms.

With the announcement comes a contest — fans can vote on their favorite college mascot that will grace the game’s cover.

"Nintendo is excited to have NCAA Football 09 available for Wii.  In my family, NCAA Football has always been a family event," said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America’s vice president of Licensing.  "Now with the Family Play mode from EA we can share the football experience all year long."

Voting for the cover mascot cloes March 6, and the winner will be announced March 14.

EA’s highly successful Sims maker Maxis will launch their new game, Spore, on the PC, Macintosh, Nintendo DS, and mobile phones on the weekend of September 7.

Taking their city building simulations to the next level, Maxis promises that Spore “gives players their own personal universe in a box.”

“Create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe created by other gamers,” EA/Maxis said Tuesday. “Spore gives players a wealth of creative tools to customize nearly every aspect of their universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even UFOs.  Players can then seamlessly share their creations with the world or explore infinite new galaxies created by other gamers.”

“The wait is almost over,” said Maxis Chief Designer Will Wright. “We’re in our final stages of testing and polish with Spore, and the team at Maxis can’t wait to see the cosmos of content created by the community later this year.”

Finally, Mass Effect will hit the PC platform in May. The Bioware-produced action epic has found critical acclaim on Xbox 360.

“Published by EA and re-designed for the PC, Mass Effect invites players to take the role of Commander Shepard as they set out on an adventure to save the galaxy from imminent destruction,” EA/Bioware said Tuesday. ”Wrought with treachery, heroism, difficult decisions and a universe filled with unique and colorful species, Mass Effect delivers a truly compelling storyline.”

The PC version of Mass Effect will feature detailed, high-resolution graphics, customizable controls and a new decryption mini-game.