'Mass Effect 2' now multi-platform, announces EA

(All rights reserved - Electronic Arts)

The Mass Effect series of sci-fi action games, previously exclusive to the Xbox 360 and Windows PC plaforms, is to land on PlayStation 3 in January 2011.

The second entry to the trilogy first came out in January 2010 to rave reviews and immediate retail success, and the move to PlayStation 3 can be seen to pave the way for a multi-platform launch of the final chapter in the space saga.

However, PlayStation owners will have to go without 2007's series starter, whose publishing rights are held by Microsoft, Sony's direct competitors, rather than Electronic Arts.

PlayStation owners without access to an Xbox 360 or a gaming PC can comfort themselves with the knowledge that Mass Effect 2 rated even higher than the award-winning debut.

Developers BioWare announced the PlayStation 3 version during EA's presentation at the GamesCom event in Cologne, Germany, on August 17. Though no mention was made of Mass Effect 3, safe to say that the series closer won't come until well into 2011 at the earliest, given that BioWare are shipping Dragon Age 2 in March and the Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic, at some point in the three months following.

Several other titles that formed part of EA's press conference also had PlayStation 3 tie-ins - Dead Space 2 will include a version of the Wii's Dead Space: Extraction, and Medal of Honor coming with legacy title Medal of Honor Frontline - leading to speculation about a special relationship between the two companies.