14 DAY TRIAL // BioWare, the maker of Jade Epire, and Baldur's Gate, has confirmed it is developing Mass Effect: Jacob's Story, an iPhone game that tells the backstory of a character from the upcoming RPG, Mass Effect 2.
“There have been a bunch of rumors and guesswork on what was some leaked information about a Mass Effect game coming for the iPhone and iPod touch. I've been checking into the details and making sure I have my facts straight and here are the real deal facts,” a message on the BioWare forums, signed Chris Priestly (community manager), reads.
“Yes, this is not a hoax or fake story,” he says. “BioWare is making a game for the iPhone and iPod Touch based in the Mass Effect universe. We were going to announce this, but one of the testers at a focus testing group broke the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and things were revealed before we had the chance,” Priestly reveals.
According to the man, the game is going to be available for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch, boasting not a “bridging” story between Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2, but “a cool little side-story about one of the upcoming Mass Effect 2 characters.” Priestly suggests that players will not be required to know any of the game's / character's history to enjoy it, but that it wouldn't hurt to do the reading either.
“The development on this game is being done by a separate, dedicated team with no connection to any Mass Effect DLC development or patches so this is not 'the reason there hasn’t been new DLC or patches,'” BioWare's community manager further stresses. “BioWare and the Mass Effect team want to branch out in a number of ways with the ME universe, and this is just one example of such branching out. We think the iPhone and iPod Touch are exciting new platforms for games, and this game was designed for these platforms from the ground up,” he concludes. “Make sure you stay tuned for more updates and more coolness,” the post ends.
Chris promises BioWare fans and Apple handset owners that the forums will be regularly updated with more information on the development of Mass Effect: Jacob's Story. Particularly, fans should keep their eyes peeled throughout May and June, he pinpoints.