Former Bioware Lead Writer Thinks a Mass Effect TV Show Could Alienate Fans
A former Lead Writer from Bioware has taken to social media to voice his concerns about a reported TV adaptation for Mass Effect. It was recently reported by multiple sources that Amazon Prime is “nearing a deal” for a TV show that is based on Bioware’s sci-fi RPG.
“I am relieved to see that the Mass Effect-Amazon deal is fo a potential TV series and not a movie,” Gaider wrote. “Even so, the possibility (and likewise for Dragon Age) makes me cringe just a little, unlike many fans who appear excited?”
Gaider worked within Bioware for 17 years. He was the Lead Writer of all of the games in the Dragon Age series. He decided to leave the studio back in 2016.
Gaider is concerned about this project. He thinks that adapting the franchise into a TV series may end up alienating a lot of the game’s fans.
“For starters, Mass Effect and Dragon Age have a custom protagonist,” he continued. “Said TV show will need to pick whether said protagonist will be male or female.”
With that said, making this choice for the gaming public will alienate “a whole bunch of the built-in fan base who had their hopes up.”
Apparently, Mass Effect devs designed the franchise’s protagonists “to be a bit of a blank slate.” This means that Mass Effect players use “their decisions” to fill out the grey areas. “That is not going to work for a passive medium,” he added. “Suddenly, the protagonist will have their own personality and their own story.”
The choices made by the players “heightened engagement.” The star of Mass Effect and Dragon Age was interactivity and “not the plot.” “Take all that out, lose most of the companions, and you potentially end up with a pretty run-of-the-mill fantasy or science fiction show,” Gaider said.
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