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(RUMOR) - ME3 Multiplayer Comprised of CoOp Missions

A rumor last year suggested a multiplayer-focused Mass Effect game was in development before a separate report said that Mass Effect 3 would include a multiplayer component. The possibility remains unconfirmed by BioWare, but two new reports today reaffirm that multiplayer is coming in ME3.
 Eurogamer reports a four-player, online co-op mode is included. It’s a "standalone" component and has "competitive elements." The story refers to the possibility of something similar to Gears of War’s Horde mode or Halo’s Firefight as a possibility. Both of those examples see players working together to fight off increasingly difficult waves of AI-controlled enemies.
 
BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka told Eurogamer last week, "We haven’t talked at all about multiplayer in the Mass Effect franchise, but we’re exploring multiplayer in all of our games and all of our franchises." He added, "It’s always an idea we’re interested in."
 
CVG has independently backed up the multiplayer rumor, although its source says ME3 won’t have something akin to Horde mode. Instead, the game will have a "handful" of replayable, "original missions" that are separate from the game’s campaign.
 
"Mainstream penetration is a major goal for Mass Effect 3 and those high up feel online co-op is the answer they’re looking for," the source said. "EA’s keen to push the multiplayer side of the game to help spread word of mouth -- so it’s not just going to rehash stuff from the campaign. It’s going all out."
 
It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Mass Effect would adopt a multiplayer mode. Dead Space might not have seemed like an obvious game to get such an addition, yet Dead Space 2 packed in online multiplayer -- even if not everyone believes that shoehorning in multiplayer is a wise move.
 
Mass Effect 3 was delayed in early May. It’s now scheduled to be out on March 6 with Kinect voice control in the 360 version.