Amazon Is Allegedly Close To Inking A Deal To Make A 'Mass Effect' TV Series

RJ Pierce, Tech Times 23 November 2021, 10:11 pm

Amazon is reportedly close to sealing a deal to help produce a "Mass Effect" TV series.

(Photo : Steam)
Photo taken from Mass Effect Legendary Edition Steam page

IGN reports that the deal between Amazon and EA, parent company of "Mass Effect" developer Bioware, is coming to a head following the success of the "Wheel of Time" adaptation.

Bioware's iconic space opera is one of the franchises mentioned the most likely to get a TV series production deal. However, it is not a solid confirmation that the series will be produced.

The original information comes from Deadline, wherein it was stated that the massive success of "Wheel of Time" is making Amazon want to further invest into fantasy genres of all kinds.

This rumored Amazon project will also not be the first video game-based TV series in the works.

In a report by IGN, it was announced that Amazon had struck a deal with Bethesda to produce a "Fallout" series. "Westworld" creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan are helming the project:

For now, fans shouldn't expect an official announcement to come soon, as Amazon is hard at work finishing their TV adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings." The series is slated for a September 2022 release on Amazon Prime, according to GamesRadar.

Amazon x 'Mass Effect': A Massive Potential

With the recent release of "Mass Effect Legendary Edition," Bioware's genre-defining space RPG is a potential goldmine for Amazon.

(Photo : SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)
The US giant Amazon logo is pictured on the opening day of a new distribution center in Augny, near Metz, eastern France, on September 23, 2021.

Originally released in 2007, the "Mass Effect" series has been repackaged for a more modern audience--people who might've missed out on the initial hype 14 years ago. Now, there are more people than ever experiencing the franchise for the first time.

With a TV series, Amazon could potentially tap into Bioware's growing "Mass Effect" market and reap the monetary rewards. But then again, it would be wise to take this rumor with a grain of salt until an official announcement is made.

Games On TV: A Growing Market

Should Amazon formally announce the signing of the deal, "Mass Effect" will be the latest video game IP slated for a TV release.

A lot of big-name games are already getting the treatment, with "The Last Of Us," "Assassin's Creed," and "The Witcher" entering its second season on Netflix, writes ScreenRant.

What this means is that more companies are seeing the business potential of video games outside of mere game and hardware sales. With the right circumstances, the games themselves could even prove to be great for developing hype.

One perfect example is Netflix's "The Witcher." Its first season debuted to mostly positive reception from fans--most of which first became aware of the IP via the games.

While Season 1 tried to distance itself from the games as much as possible, eventually, the creators of the series had to acknowledge the massive fanbase of the "Witcher" games. As a result, showrunner Lauren Hissrich revealed a few game callbacks for Season 2, some of which are revealed in this sneak peek video: