BioWare prototyped Mass Effect spin-off for Nintendo DS Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. BioWare prototyped Mass Effect spin-off for Nintendo DS Asari it got cancelled. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 1 Jul 2021 8 comments BioWare considered making a spacefaring Mass Effect spin-off for Nintendo DS. The project, named Mass Effect: Corsair, would have been a first-person space adventure where you piloted a ship around the galaxy's lawless regions. Details have come to light now from former BioWare veteran Mark Darrah, as part of a MinnMax interview (thanks IGN). Watch on YouTube "You'd fly around [in] a ship," Darrah said, adding that it was set "in a part of the galaxy that was more piratey and not really fully explored", possibly "batarian space" - although Darrah isn't 100 percent sure. It sounds like this could be the Terminus Systems, the area largely explored in Mass Effect 2 where mercenary gangs largely hold control. "It was going to kinda be a combination of Privateer and Star Control," Darrah continued. "You would be independent, you'd be more like a Han Solo character, not a Spectre. And you'd be flying around, picking up cargo, exploring, and selling that information back to the human Alliance." So, why didn't it happen? Darrah said BioWare had to take a hard look at the budget for the project, weigh that against EA's expected sales, and counter for the fact that profit margins on Nintendo DS were lower as publishers had to factor in the cost of the game cartridge. "The problem is that the economics of the Nintendo DS are just terrible," Darrah said. "It didn't make sense. EA was predicting we'd only sell 50,000 copies." Development on Corsair was stopped, and the mobile shooter spin-off Mass Effect Infiltrator, where you played as a rogue Cerberus agent, was ultimately released instead. Corsair wasn't the only Mass Effect spin-off which never saw the light of day. BioWare Montreal, the studio which ultimately became lead developer on Mass Effect Andromeda, was working on a first-person multiplayer project that also got shut down. Code-named Mass Effect: Team Assault, the title would have been a download-only game featuring on-foot combat and vehicles that was canned in favour of Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 3 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 3 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store