It’s humanity’s last stand and only Shepard can save us. On Saturday, leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., unveiled Mass Effect 3, one of the most highly anticipated games of 2011. After weeks of rumor across dozens of gaming websites and blogs, the speculation finally came to an end as the world witnessed, “Earth”, the game’s spectacular premier trailer, broadcast exclusively on the Spike Video Game Awards (VGAs). Mass Effect 3 is the pinnacle of Commander Shepard’s emotionally charged journey. Mass Effect 3 is set to launch globally in holiday 2011 on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the PC — this marks the first time the Mass Effect franchise will launch on all three major platforms simultaneously. Also at the Spike VGAs, the game’s predecessor, Mass Effect 2 was awarded with the “Best RPG” and “Best Xbox 360 Game” of the year awards and BioWare was named “Studio of the Year”.

“At BioWare, we are always driving ourselves to improve and I firmly believe our best work is still ahead of us,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager and Co-Founder of BioWare. “We could not be prouder of the team’s accomplishments with Mass Effect 2, and are excited and humbled by all of the recognition the game has received so far. We can’t wait to show you what the team is doing to make Mass Effect 3 an even bigger success.”

The Mass Effect franchise is set in an epic science fiction universe, filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious, uncharted planets. Featuring intense action, a rich, futuristic storyline, space exploration and emotionally engaging character interaction, the franchise delivers an unparalleled cinematic experience. Mass Effect 2 is the highest rated videogame of 2010 on Xbox 360, the PC and one of the highest rated pieces of entertainment overall according to Metacritic.com. The three awards picked up at the Spike VGAs are the latest in an ongoing series of global recognition that includes “Ultimate Game of the Year” honors from The Golden Joysticks and over 35 other awards and over 70 other perfect review scores.

Mass Effect 2 is available now for the Xbox 360 and PC. The Mass Effect franchise will make its first appearance on the PlayStation 3 console when Mass Effect 2 ships to retailers on January 18, 2011 in North America and January 21, 2011 in Europe. The PlayStation 3 demo of Mass Effect 2 will be available on PlayStation Network starting December 21, 2010 in North America and December 22, 2010 in Europe.

For more information on Mass Effect, please visit http://masseffect.com or the newly redesigned BioWare website at http://bioware.com. You can also follow the game on Twitter at http://twitter.com/masseffect2 or “Like” Mass Effect on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/masseffect.