Mass Effect TV show reportedly needs to be ‘more appealing to non-gamers,’ and I have no idea what the hell that means

The live-action Mass Effect TV series at Prime Video is reportedly undergoing changes behind the scenes, and the reasoning why has me ready to go Renegade.

It’s hard not to hear that evil Reaper horn sound effect in my head when reading that Amazon’s new global head of TV, Peter Friedlander, has asked for the show’s script to undergo rewrites to make it “more appealing to non-gamers,” according to a report by The Ankler. Not just that, but he apparently wants to be reading all of the scripts that are in development under the Amazon banner.

In my opinion, Mass Effect is one of the best sci-fi universes ever crafted. The original trilogy, along with its books and comics and other pieces of worldbuilding, is unforgettable to me and of some of the best quality we’ve gotten in games or elsewhere. I think it could stand up on its own as long as the script is decent.

On one hand, I get it. You need a TV show to be digestible and appeal to the masses for the most success possible. But what is it about gamers and their tastes that would make it unappealing to others? And frankly, just who the hell isn’t a gamer these days? I know they exist, but is attempting to catch that wide a target audience what you really want?

If the show ends up trying to appeal to gamers, fans of the series, non-gamers, and everyone else in between, then it could quite quickly become a mess. “Something made for everyone is something made for no one,” or however the saying goes. Honing in on what makes Mass Effect great (which is its stakes and the backdrop of the politics of several galaxies where humans are still newbies among a sea of different alien races) should be the focus here.

What does “more appealing to non-gamers” even mean? Fewer aliens? Less pithy dialogue? Less sci-fi in general? Less alien sex? The more I try to think about what this could even mean from a big-money studio executive, I’m officially starting to get worried.

I had high hopes for the series thanks to Prime Video’s success with another game IP like Fallout, but Friedlander’s desire to have a hand in everything in development for the company could end up shooting it in the foot before it’s able to even get off the ground.

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Things will be heating up in the summer in Frostpunk 2 with Breach of Trust DLC coming on PC and consoles. So far, the frost has been mankind’s greatest enemy as we have all rushed to keep our homes warm.

The Breach of Trust DLC will completely change the battle, as you now have to outlast an impending volcano.

Frostpunk 2 Breach of Trust DLC features

The heart of your settlement is your Generator, which keeps everything warm. However, overuse of the resource has now created ruptures in the ground that have resulted in the volcano emerging as the biggest threat. With people in panic, you’ll have to take charge as the First Citizen to steady the ship.

While managing the lava is one part of the job, you’ll also need to keep your citizens’ needs in mind. Public approval is key if you don’t want to meet the fate of your predecessor. A Vote of Trust system will be operational throughout the scenario, which will decide just how well you’re doing the job.

Just like the frost, the volcano has its own set of environmental hazards. You’ll need to survive nights when lava will pour out along with tremors in the ground. How you interact and behave in the scenarios will have a key impact on deciding the outcome. However, you’ll not be alone since you can take the diplomatic route with other colonies to aid your cause (or destroy them if you want).

Additionally, the DLC will also offer two scenario-based maps, new buildings/infrastructure, and new laws that you’ll need to keep in mind when making decisions. There will also be new factions that will either be with or against you.

Frostpunk 2 Breach of Trust DLC release date

Breach of Trust releases globally on June 23 across all platforms. It’s currently available in closed playtest, and willing players can sign-up via Steam (available only for PC). It will be interesting to find out how the DLC will be priced and if it will be able to outdo Fractured Utopias, which is currently having a discount on Steam.

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