FemShep to appear in Mass Effect 3's marketing

BioWare, the creators of Mass Effect, have asked the people, and the people have spoken: They want FemShep to step into the limelight. Via a Twitter campaign back in May, Bioware polled fans, and as a result, has decided to feature the female version of the main character in at least one trailer and on the collector's edition box art.


Anyone familiar with the Mass Effect series can attest to its extensive character customization. While the main character will always be a human with the last name Shepard, players are free to choose everything else: hair color, facial features and, most prominently, sex. In the past, however, people who aren't Mass Effect fans have only seen the male version of Shepard pictured on the left.

Despite that, FemShep, fans' affectionate nickname for female versions of Shepard, has grown in popularity, causing many players to think of her as the "real" version of Shepard. Players have been able to play as FemShep ever since the first Mass Effect, so why hasn't she been given center stage before?

"When creating a rich sci-fi epic like Mass Effect, you need to keep a certain level of consistency so people unfamiliar with the property can clearly identify who the hero is that they get to become," BioWare marketing director David Silverman told vg247.

BioWare's marketing team didn't want the public at large to be confused because conflicting images painted different characters as the game's protagonist. Fans have caused a small change of heart, however. "I can't speak for the entire BioWare team, but I will say that personally, I'm completely taken aback at the sheer level of passion and support a simple tweet has generated," Silverman said.

FemShep in action

Since Shepard is so customizable, how exactly FemShep will look in the upcoming Mass Effect 3 marketing campaign remains to be seen, although Silverman tweeted that her appearance has also been influenced by the fans. Silverman also revealed that only 13 percent of players play with the default Shepard, and 18 percent of all players choose to play with a female protagonist. "There aren't enough female heroes in games in general, so it's something that people can rally around and celebrate," Silverman said. "Jenifer Hale does an absolutely incredible job doing the voice of FemShep, so people really connect with that."

BioWare believes that the ability to customize so much about a game's protagonist helps immerse players in the game. From sex to combat abilities to moral choices, Mass Effect gives players the reigns. Soon, the marketing will reflect those choices too.