Mass Effect 2 in Q1 2010?

John Riccitiello of EA apparently disclosed in a conference call that Mass Effect would be shipping in early 2010, not to mention it would be multiplatform. He didn't specify which platforms however leaving speculation wide open.

I personally don't see how it can make an early 2010 release. It is a Bioware developed title, and they are very publicly still working on the new Star Wars MMO. Developing an MMO is not a short affair, nor is developing an RPG with the depth of Mass Effect, especially if they intend to retain the quality of the original if not surpass it as most fans are expecting. Add to this the fact it is supposedly going to be multiplatform. The more systems you develop a title for, the longer it takes to develop. I would venture to guess a holiday 2010 release at the earliest.

The platforms as mentioned, WERE NOT SPECIFIED!! This is also not the place for fanboy debate. One could assume this to mean an XBox 360 and PC release. However, it is EA and when was the last time a business that large wasn't in it for the money? I would suspect a PC/360/PS3 release at minimum, and depending how much EA wants to milk the franchise, DS/PSP/Wii/iPhone minigame collections could be forthcoming. Yes that last statement was a little bit on the bitter side, but you know it's not that far from the truth.

That was the one thing that worried me from the start when EA purchased Bioware. Bioware as a developer is always at their best when given free reign on a project. Now with new ownership, EA will be breathing down there necks pushing for a quick release regardless of quality. I will give EA the benefit of the doubt for now, but knowing their track record, I won't hold my breath.