Since 2007, the Mass Effect series has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon within the gaming world. The original trilogy was greeted with both critical and commercial success. The focus of this praise was put on the games’ narrative, characters, voice acting and world building. Could this all be translated over into a television show? Clearly one former Bioware writer thinks not.
David Gaider was the lead writer on another Bioware franchise, the Dragon Age series. Unfortunately, he left his position at the company in 2016, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a lot to say about his former employers. Speaking on Twitter, he addressed recent rumours that Amazon Studios are in the process of gathering the rights to a Mass Effect TV series. This is what he had to say upon the matter:
“I’m relieved to see that the Mass Effect / Amazon deal is for a potential TV series and not a movie,” Gaider said. “Even so, the possibility (and likewise for Dragon Age) makes me cringe just a little, unlike many fans who appear… excited?
“For starters, Mass Effect and Dragon Age have a custom protagonist, meaning said TV show will need to pick whether said protagonist will be male or female. Boom, right off the bat you’ve just alienated a whole bunch of the built-in fan base who had their hopes up”.
Of course, this is a very good starting point from the lead writer. Alienating your fan base before your show has even started is a dangerous approach, especially with a franchise as revered as this.
Mass Effect TV Show: Doomed To Failure?
David Gaider had a lot to say upon the situation, showing he clearly feels passionate about his former company. In regards to the series protagonist, he evidently had a lot more to discuss than just their gender.
“Secondly, those protagonists are designed to be a bit of a blank slate, one that the player fills out with their decisions. That’s not going to work for a passive medium. So, suddenly, the protagonist will have their own personality, and their own story. That will be weird”.
“You think I’m wrong? Consider just how much of the story is off-loaded onto the companions. They are the cyphers through which the player gets most of their emotional engagement from. On their own, the Dragon Age and Mass Effect protagonists are… well, pretty boring. That’s not going to fly”.
Once again, David makes an extremely valid point. Part of the the franchises intrigue is that we get to grow alongside these characters, who are essentially ourselves transformed into the game. Not only this, but the characters our protagonists meet on their adventures have become iconic parts of the series. Obviously, David has his concerns about how they will be handled.
“And think of those companions. Think of how much the fanbase is attached to them. Now consider the fact that there is no way in hell any single story could encompass them all equally. Think of the howls of rage when companion X is relegated to a cameo, or not there at all”.
“Having a TV show instead of a movie allows for more companion options, sure, but consider your own playthrough: only a handful of them had any meaningful presence in a single game. That will need to be the case for this story, to maintain coherence. A few companions, one romance”.
David Believes The Plot Doesn’t Make For Good TV Viewing
As previously mentioned, the side characters are very much important components of the franchise for fans. The likes of Mordin Solus, Urdnot Wrex and Thane Krios serve as great companions for our protagonist to bounce off. As such, David believes their lack of screen time could expose the series’ pretty generic plot.
“Those plots had to take into account the player’s agency. They were kind of the shell upon which that player’s emotional engagement was delivered – usually through the companions and the choices themselves. Choice heightened engagement. Interactivity was the star, 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, one where a lot of the built-in audience has possibly been turned into outraged, howling malcontents before it’s even released.
“All that is, of course, if the Dragon Age or Mass Effect series is mishandled. I can think of any number of ways it could be done better, but that involves doing more than a strict adaptation, and that comes with its own complications”.
Despite all this, David does still wish the best for the show, even though it may come off as quite sarcastic.
“Anyhow, good luck to the showrunners. They’ll need it.”
What do you think about the potential of a Mass Effect TV show? Reckon it’d be right up your street? Or should video games just stay as video games? Let us know in the comments below. If you want to check out the latest entry in Bioware’s hit franchise, be sure to pick up a copy here! Similarly, be sure to check out this article which details what famous director left the company days ago.
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