The PC version of Bioware’s 22nd century RPG has been delayed a few weeks from May 6 to May 28.

Chris Priestly, Bioware’s community coordinator, writes, “The additional time will allow us to incorporate more play-testing feedback, add extra polish and tune the additional features so that Mass Effect is a natural and outstanding PC gaming experience.”

Unlike the Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect, which was published by Microsoft, the PC version (which Bioware insists is more than a simple port) will be published by EA and will feature improvements to the inventory and decryption systems as well as additional interface tweaks.

Mass Effect PC Release Date Changes - New Date May 28, 2008 [Mass Effect Community Forums via Blue's News]

EA has extended and expanded their 2006 license agreement with Epic Games, allowing the publisher to use Unreal Engine 3 in more than five upcoming titles currently in development. At present, EA is keeping their mouth shut as to what any of those five titles may be.

Since licensing the engine in 2006, EA has used UE3 for Medal of Honor Airborne and the recently-released Army of Two. Clearly, the publisher is more satisfied with Epic’s engine that other developers.

In fact, Frank Gibeau, President of EA Games, said, “With the largest and most talented studio operation in the world, it’s critical for us to give our studio teams the best tools they need to make great games. This agreement reflects our commitment to Epic’s technology which, in combination with our own cutting-edge systems, allows us to create ground breaking hits.”

Epic, EA Announce Unreal Engine 3 License Extension [Gamasutra]

The Escapist’s Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw tries his best not to focus on Army of Two’s homosexual overtones and tasteless “ripped from the headlines” narrative, instead directing this hatred towards the game’s many bugs and broken gameplay. And while he does a good enough job of pointing out just how inept EA’s QA department is, it just wouldn’t be a Zero Punctuation review without wall-to-wall gay jokes.

Zero Punctuation: Army of Two [The Escapist]

Update: GTAForum moderators have confirmed that the whole thing is an April Fools joke. On March 24. Thanks for getting the worst holiday on the Internet started more than a week early, fellas.

EA is so certain it will soon be the proud owner of Take-Two Interactive and the Grand Theft Auto series with it, the company bought GTA community network GTANet for $3.2 million. WhatIfGaming has acquired a letter to “Tank,” GTANet’s webmaster, in which Electronic Arts expresses interest in acquiring all of GTANets’ “domain names, server contents, and a database of statistical information on all members of www.GTAForums.com.” The letter is dated March 21, and in it EA also expresses the desire to see the transaction completed before April 29, Grand Theft Auto IV’s impending release date.

GTANet includes eleven GTA fansites, including GTAForums.com, the premiere Grand Theft Auto forum on the Internet. The forums now sport a newly-redesigned logo that incorporates EA’s own logo into its design (left), further suggesting that the deal has taken place.

Assuming this isn’t all setup for an elaborate April Fools prank, the sale would give EA access to the single largest database of information on Grand Theft Auto fans in existence, an invaluable reservoir of data concerning the tastes and trends of the GTA community for whoever holds the Grand Theft Auto license. Clearly, EA believes it should be them, and soon.

Eye of EA on GTAForums [WhatIfGaming via Xbox 360 Fanboy]