Mass Effect 2’s Cerberus Network is DLC “pipeline”

Bioware’s Mass Effect 2 is one of the most highly anticipated games for this year. But hype alone is not what sells games and brings profit for publisher EA.

In order to curb used-game resale prices that the developer and publisher doesn’t see a penny on, the “Cerberus Network” was revealed yestrerday as an in-game content and DLC delivery “pipeline,” in addition to monetizing future DLC updates for gamers who buy used (or other wise “not new”) copies of ME2.

Plain English — Buy the game new and you’ll get initial DLC for free. Buy the game used and you’ll have to buy an extra activation code to get access to that DLC (and possibly future ones).  Actual prices have not yet been announced for the code, nor the DLC packs themselves.

Other news is that the ME2 launch day DLC pack available on January 26 will introduce a new mercenary character, Zaeed (guy doing the pointing up there) plus new in-game items. The second DLC pack after some time will include a hover tank vehicle called the Hammertank, new Cerberus armor in addition to even more missions and items.

Surely there are more DLC in the works, since EA and Bioware have acknowledged many times already that the first Mass Effect was lacking in the DLC department. With them making certain from the get-go this time around, Mass Effect 2 is looking to be a lengthy, and possibly expensive, adventure for the completionist.