This week, EA announced the closure of the legendary game studio BioWare and the cancellation of its new Mass Effect title, sending shockwaves through the gaming industry. A day later, a previously released BioWare game trailer leaked online, showcasing a highly anticipated sci-fi RPG. Since then, a petition demanding EA reverse its decision has rapidly garnered over 128,000 signatures and continues to grow. However, EA shows no intention of changing its mind for these fans. Currently, all Mass Effect fans can only hope that EA sells the IP to another company, allowing them to rebuild a team from BioWare's ashes. Meanwhile, fans of this sci-fi RPG are busy searching for traces of the series' past works.
People tend to forget because Mass Effect: Andromeda was not impressive, and BioWare has had a mediocre performance for over a decade. However, the original Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest trilogies in video game history. It is deeply loved by many hardcore RPG players, as evidenced by their willingness to spend over $125 to purchase Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (PS4 version). The Xbox One version is currently selling for only $20 on eBay, but multiple sellers for the PS4 version have already closed deals at around $125. In other words, the remastered trilogy for PS4 is not just listed at this price; it is actually selling at this price. Furthermore, these prices may continue to rise.
What's going on?
Why is the physical edition priced so high, while the digital version is usually available for just $6? The reason is that some people, especially collectors, prefer physical copies. Moreover, for various reasons, this is likely the final physical release of the Mass Effect trilogy. Therefore, if these games cease digital distribution or become unavailable through digital channels in the future, this collection will become even more precious. Additionally, this is likely the definitive version of the series, and certainly the final physical edition, making it more valuable from a collector's perspective. Even considering all these factors, this remains an astonishing price surge, but it also demonstrates the passion of Mass Effect fans. Many fans have waited ten years for a truly new installment, only to have it pulled at the last moment when they were eagerly anticipating it, undoubtedly triggering a strong backlash.
Sometimes you see scalpers artificially creating demand by buying up large quantities of stock in a specific market and then reselling them at higher prices to make a profit. However, this certainly doesn't apply here, as the prices are already extremely high.