Bioware, the studio behind Mass Effect recently unveiled some interesting news about its next big game, Dragon Age: Origins. The studio indicated that Bioware is exploring the possibility of bringing mod support for the PS3 version of the game. The developers also talk a little about working on the PS3 for the first time.
Bioware’s next big title Dragon Age: Origins is slated to hit consoles Nov. 3 on the Xbox 360, PC and PS3 simultaneously in the North America. The PS3 version was slated to release a little later in November, but the studio recently announced that the game will release on time.
During a lengthy Q&A session on the official Playstation Blog, the team at Bioware answered some questions for the fans on the site. One of the attendees, WormFOODx asked Bioware if the PS3 version of the Dragon Age: Origins (DA: O) will have mod support like the PC version. WormFOODx referenced Unreal Tournament III as another PS3 game which had extensive mod support.
He stated:
[Comment From WormFOODx]
With games that your team has created in the past, user generated content has been a major staple of the game. Has there been any development or exploration around adding this feature to the PS3 version, much like Unreal did?
Greg Zeschuk, VP of Bioware stated that they are exploring the option of taking mods from the PC to the PS3. Zeschuk seems optimistic that this will happen and also indicated that it still needs to be worked out with Sony.
Zeschuk stated:
DoktorZee_BioWare:
For WormFOODx – User created content is a big part of the game on PC (as the tools launch at the same time as the PC version) and we are exploring the options for taking across the best user-created content from PC to PS3. Obviously this is something we need to work out with Sony, but we’re hopeful it can happen as it would be super-cool.
It is not clear if Bioware is looking at pushing mods through PSN as downloadable content or offering it on disc, like the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament III. The fact that he stated “best user-created content” makes it unclear as to how it will be available. The method EPIC Games implemented seems quite good as any gamer can download the mod directly from the PS3’s browser. Bioware may want to take a closer look at Unreal Tournament III’s mod delivery system.
Mark Darrah talked a little about developing on the PS3 as well.
He stated:
We are really happy with the results on the PS3. It was our first experience and we were really impressed with the power of the machine. I think fans will love the end result!
Owners of the PC version of the game will have access to the developer-grade toolset, which is what Bioware used to create the game. It will be interesting to see how Bioware will implement user-created content for Dragon Age: Origins on the consoles, so gamers can experience the great stuff coming out of the mod community. Check out the official Playstation Blog for the full transcript of the Q&A session.
http://gamer.blorge. com/2009/10/25/bioware-exploring-mod-support-on-ps3-for-dragon-age-origins/