Waiting for Mass Effect 3-D

While reading about Mass Effect 2 presumably being a Xbox-exclusive "at least for a while," it got me thinking about a couple things.

First, while usually being swallowed up by a giant corporation usually results in being creatively kneecapped, I have high hopes that EA's acquisition will actually fix the supposedly-great RPG maker. Bioware's strength is in the writing (although not so much in proofreading for typos), but their technical skills are asleep at the wheel. EA should have plenty of knowledgeable people to handle that side of Bioware's projects so the excruciating loading time and stutterific framerate will not mar the sequels as it did the first Mass Effect.

Secondly, Mass Effect is supposedly conceived as a trilogy. That causes my ears to bleed. Not that I don't wish to have a couple more games in the franchise (Now that they're past the generic exposition of the introduction to the universe, they can get on to more interesting things), I just dislike the notion that being a trilogy is something to strive for. It's just an overused buzzword. Whatever happened to creating something to stand on its own, or allowing this creation to make its own ongoing life to see where it leads. If you set out to make a trilogy, I believe you're either limited your project unnecessarily (what if a new character pops up in the 3rd act that could take the series farther?) or adding crappy filler in a desperate attempt to stretch it out. Either way, it becomes very obvious when you do such things. Games series should be given room to expand as they would naturally and end when they hit their apex. They don't need to be saddled with a Godfather 3 to taint the whole franchise. But I probably shouldn't worry about this. This is EA publishing the games now and they won't stop 'til the money runs out. Even if they have to change the title to Madden Effect.