I'd prefer to let it die but if they don't, for the love of Wrex.... 
 
DON'T GIVE THE FRANCHISE TO OBSIDIAN!!!! 
 
They make the worst follow-ups to games.

" @louiedog said:

" @AlexW00d said:

" Have more games in the Universe, but don't call them Mass Effect.  An RTS set in the Universe would be awesome. And give the idiots their space marines FPS. "

Why not call them Mass Effect? It's not like those words have any direct relationship with the story of ME 1-3. It's part of the universe.  And, I've said it before. After ME3 we'll get Mass Effect Wars, Mass Effect: N7, and a prequel, Mass Effect: First Contact. "

Because, without the Mass Effect in front of it, people won't think the series is being dragged out. "

" @AlexW00d said:

Because, without the Mass Effect in front of it, people won't think the series is being dragged out. "

I'm not concerned with that. I can read more than a title. "

Rest it for a bit, then start a new series with a new character.

" Haven't BioWare gone on to say that Mass Effect won't stop when the third one ends, but it will be the end of Shepherd's story?  I mean, that makes sense from a universe perspective. You end with one giant story, but continue to tell past, current and future stories with other characters and races and continue to build on this great fiction that has been crafted. Why not explore more of it? "

" @louiedog said:

" @AlexW00d said:

Because, without the Mass Effect in front of it, people won't think the series is being dragged out. "

I'm not concerned with that. I can read more than a title. "

Unfortunately, not everyone can. "

I think they should let it sit for a while, and then when it's been a good while since we've had one (and all of us are clamoring for a new one), they come out with a new one. 

A prequel where you play as captain anderson when he was younger would be awesome

Start making good games again

" Let it die afterwards(meaning no more sequels) and just strictly do DLC for ME3.  I would hate for this series to get milked to death. "

I don't if it's been said....
 
But say it with me people.
 
Mass Effect Genesis.
 
You start off kinda like Dragon Age Origins, you pick your class, background and race. It also takes some major choices form your Mass Effect trilogy playthrough.
 
Also there's a multiplayer component to it, kinda instance based where you and up to 3 other players can tackle special missions together given out by the Citadel, Alliance, terrorist groups, or pirates.

Make a stealth game with Salarian STG in it. 
 
Or... a game where you're in a merc group. Or whatever. I dunno there's a lot of games you could make in that universe, it's been nicely developed for two games and a couple books. 

The Mass Effect Universe is way too developed to just die. At least I hope they don't let it die.
I think the Mass Effect series could have a really cool mmo. Another option is side games that let you play as the squad mates and explore their stories. 
I 

The Adventures of Garrus!!!

a multiplayer experience

I hope they end it. Mass Effect 2 had such a weak fucking plot, they need to have the 3rd game be the final end if they are going to make up for it. And the whole "Earth needs to be saved" is already sounding a lot like "Well, yeah, in the first game, you were supposed to be a champion for the galaxy, but in the second game you were a racist who pretended he had no choice but to team up with a human-centric cyborg man organization, so I figure the 3rd game there won't even be any alien's because they will have been wiped out by one of Shepard's farts. 
 
Seriously, who reboots a franchise immediately after the original (and critically acclaimed, very successful) game to change the goddamn genre? 
 
If you can't tell, I hate that Mass Effect 2 was a Mass Effect game. It was pretty damned awesome, it's why I played every bit of content on my first play-through, and had something like 85 hours on the save. But playing it made me sick with how much BioWare both sold out and lazily said "ahhhh fuck it, lezz jus' rrrrrrrirp all the shi' we mess up out, mkay...?". I was seriously waiting and waiting and waiting for it to become a Mass Effect game, and it never happened. I continued to use that weak ass singularity, I continued to be depressed at the lack of abilities, I continued to be depressed at how far out the polot swung from the original (the actual PLOT was really sparse, I loved the smaller separate stories of all the recruits and loyalty stuff, etc.

It really depends on how Mass Effect 3 ends.

I think it's gonna seem rushed if they try and wrap it up in ME3.  ME2 felt like the end of Act 1 tbh - we need an Act 2 where the universe burns and Shepard defends the retreat, then an Act 3 where Shepard leads the fightback.  The Reapers haven't really done a whole lot to live up to their reputation so far.  I think they should spin it out to ME4 then call it a day.  If the Reaper arc does end with ME3 then they should stop there, or get another studio to work on it.
 
I'd love to see Bioware take a crack at a historical fiction franchise once they're done with ME. 

Nuke it from orbit; it's the only way to be sure.

I think Mass Effect 2 story was too short to fit into a trilogy this, let's say, "iteration of the Reaper cycle", so it will depend on the ending of Mass Effect 3.
 
I just hope they don't use the "Reaper cycle" to restart the franchise some day.

Yep the universe and fiction are bit to good and a bit to big to be simply discarded after three games so I see a few scenarios. One is that Bioware or other developers make a few spin off games in different genre for a few years and then it fades away. Two is that EA/Bioware milks the shit outta it by making more of the same kind of game and it ends up going down hill until they call it a day. Three is that the Old Republic tanks hard and they quickly set about making an MMO. Frankly I could see every one of those scenario ending with a ME MMO and that if folks aren't actively planning one then they at least have some initial planning sitting in file at EA.
 
Like Jimbo said I could kinda maybe almost see them stretching it out for a fourth main series game and end it with ME4 instead of 3. I think the development time between the second and third game is a little weird, it seems to be a really short time so I dont expect to see huge improvements over 2. If anything it seems like they want to get either the whole series wrapped up before a new consoles cycle starts or they want to get it out of the way now so they can make a new IP or just more ME games.

outsource the development to Japan and commission  
 
Doki Doki Asarian Pantsu Hunter!  
sPECTRE iDOL MASTER! 
Normandy bullethell-esque game Silvergun! 
Some krogan-nime spinoff staring Wrex&Grunt aka Japan take on Kane&LYnch! 
 
 
PEOPLE! THE POSSIBILITIES ARE PRETTY MUCH ENDLESS!

side story game with like Garrus as the main character, or even a Kasumi game, so much mystery there.

start making a movie, then cancel it

Let it "die".  But rerelease all three in a bundle for the next gen.

As long as it's Bioware making the games, and not some other dev taking over the IP, I will literally buy every game created in that universe. Goddammit do I love me some Mass Effect lore.

I want a Mass Effect game styled off of Star Trek with away missions and space battles and assembling a crew on a real ship, not one of these podunk frigates.

I'd rather see them pursue a new franchise with a new universe after ME3

" An RTS, A prequel and then get bought by Activision. "

Keep it away from Activision.
 
Or give it to DICE to make Battlefield : Mass Effect, but only on PC's! I kid! 
 
(but not really)

I'd like to see them just let it die, but there's too much money in the name so they'll keep it going. If ME3 doesn't bring multiplayer the next installment certainly will. It's not like it matters that much anymore, Bioware is doing just about everything it can to destroy it's RPG credentials; if they continue on with their trend of 'When you press a button something awesome happens' and 'We wants CoD players' mentality,  their games won't be worth playing.

" Let Obsidian do something with it. (Also, kill off Shepard.) "

" Drop The Old Republic, do a Mass Effect MMO. "

The universe is ripe for spin-offs. I'd like to see more of it as long as they keep their quality standards high.

Perhaps a series of smaller games starring different characters in different walks of life. I like the idea of playing as a member of C-sec.

Make Mass Effect 3 so epic that a sequel will never live up. Or, just option C.

I like how there's pretty much a three game quota on game characters. After that, hit the bricks.

" @Nasar7 said:

" It's almost inconceivable that they wouldn't keep it going but with a new crew. Hell a prequel about Shepard's earlier years would be cool. "

Maybe, but it would probably be hard to do given the different origin stories players can choose. "

I feel like ME2 has already tarnished the trilogy (I really didn't enjoy it as much as the first) so unless I like ME3 better than the first I think they should just start over with a new character and make a more RPG like game.

I don't care if they make more. I've never understood the whole "Stop making a game, you're milking it!" thing. If the games are good, and I enjoy them, why should I care?

" I don't care if they make more. I've never understood the whole "Stop making a game, you're milking it!" thing. If the games are good, and I enjoy them, why should I care? "

I said it before and i'll say it again; Mass Effect MMO

Jesus all this MMO talk is making nervous.
 
Are you guys serious?

When I play a single player game about choices mattering, I can't wait for it to turn into a massive multiplayer game where no choice ever matters.

" When I play a single player game about choices mattering, I can't wait for it to turn into a massive multiplayer game where no choice ever matters. "

Also /dance.

" Also /dance. "

I love the universe and gameplay enough to see at least one more game based off the formula. The story could always be continued past even that, but I think I'd want something drastically different in terms of the actual playing at that point. Go the route of making a Mass Effect game that feels more like the original Dragon Age and I'd love them forever. Actually... they're Bioware. I already do.

A Mass Effect MMO is basically guaranteed I think, whether Old Republic goes well or not.

I want an FPS (with space combat!) about the first contact with the Turians, I think they have the potential to be very sinister bad guys.