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BioWare To Unleash Mass Effect 3 Demo February 14

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BioWare Gives Everybody Something to Embrace this Valentine’s Day with the Release of the Single-and-Multi-Player Demo for 2012’s Most Anticipated Game

BioWare has announced that the demo for Mass Effect 3 will be available beginning February 14, 2012. The extensive demo will allow players to experience the all-out galactic war against an ancient alien race known as the Reapers from multiple fronts, including the mind-blowing opening attack on Earth that kicks off the single-player campaign.  Players will go deeper into the campaign and also get a taste of the franchise’s new co-operative multiplayer mode as they preview the epic story, adrenaline-pumping action and deep customization options that lie ahead when Mass Effect 3 launches on March 6, 2012. The Mass Effect 3 demo will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Mass Effect 3 will also be one of the first pre-launch demos to support full voice recognition functionality on Kinect for Xbox 360.

There are two sections in the Mass Effect 3 demo, both included as part of a single download: The single player section includes 2 areas: the opening level featuring the Reaper attack on Earth, and a level further into the game where Shepard travels to an alien home world to seek their assistance in the war effort. This will be approximately 1 to 2 hours of content. The co-op multiplayer section includes 2 maps: Slum and Noveria.  This section will be open to players who have qualified for the early multiplayer access as of Feb 14, and will then open up to all players on Feb 17.

All six classes from the full game are included: Soldier, Vanguard, Sentinel, Engineer, Infiltrator and Adept. Players will be able to create a male or female Shepard, customize their appearance, and level up their character’s abilities and powers. The demo will feature the ability to set player initial player experience options by selecting “Action, “Role-Playing”, or “Story” settings. The multiplayer section of the demo will be deactivated March 5, 2012 and then the single player demo will continue to be available past game launch. The demo will take up under 2GB of space on consoles.

Unfortunately, no data from the Multiplayer or Single Player demo carries into the real game.

Also, gamers who play through the Reckoning demo – which will be available for download on PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE, and Origin on Tuesday, January 17 – will discover a treasure trove of bonus content in the demo's hour and a half of play, including three in-game items that can be used in the full version of Reckoning and two in-game items to play with in Mass Effect 3.

The early access program for the demo’s multiplayer section begins on Feb 14, 2012. To gain access to multiplayer in the demo any time between Feb 14 and when it opens up for everyone on Feb 17, a player must have met one of the following criteria:
Own Battlefield 3 and have activated BF3’s Online Pass. Logging into the demo using the EA Origin Account linked to that Online Pass will automatically unlock the multiplayer section of the demo.  Note that you do not have to enter a code anywhere – if you have activated your BF3 online pass, the multiplayer section of the demo will be unlocked for you when the demo goes live.

Other ways to participate in an early access program will be announced Feb. 7, 2012

In Mass Effect 3, players will be thrust into an all-out galactic war to take Earth back and save the entire galaxy, assuming the role of Commander Shepard, a war-torn veteran who’s willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate this nearly unstoppable foe. With a team of elite, battle-hardened soldiers at your side, each player decides how they will take Earth back, from the weapons and abilities they utilize to the relationships they forge or break. Mass Effect 3 also features a new co-operative gameplay mode that allows fans to experience the war from a different perspective. Players who want to try this new mode will be able to do so on February 17, or by qualifying for early access to the co-op portion of the demo which begins February 14. Gamers qualify for early access if they have activated their Battlefield 3™ online pass* or though other opportunities that will be announced in the near future www.masseffect.com.

Mass Effect 3 is available for pre-order now at participating retailers. Fans who pre-order have the opportunity to arm themselves with cutting-edge in-game weapons and armor to prepare for the all-out galactic war. Mass Effect 3 arrives on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in North America on March 6, 2012 and in Europe on March 9, 2012.