I think it really depends on who will be the most generous in marketing, communication, footage and bling. ME3 may have a larger fanbase worldwide. There are other great titles this year, like Witcher (small company, unknown to console players >> small chances) or Deus Ex (some say it's a hybrid rpg, but who cares, so is ME3). For me Skyrim is the winner hands down, but it doesn't mean I disconsider the other series which happen to be great (ME included).

Not this console gamer, my good sir!

Skyrim Hands down. Mass Effect doesnt come close.

Yeah, Risen 2 looks quite promising but they didn't announce the release date yet. I sincerely hope it's 2012, too many good games this year and too little spare time

While I love Mass Effect 3 Skyrim absolutely destroys it in comparasion. ME3 has been in development since Dec 2009 while Skyrim's been in development since after Oblivion came out in 2006 and BGS started working on it fulltime after Fallout 3 came out in Oct 2008.

Skyrim should easily get E3's award and hell it should be automatic GOTY contention when it comes out. Mass Effect 3 will be good but to me personally it's not on the same level as Skyrim.

My doubts with Mass Effect 3 are mostly on EA and dev time. Ie is about 2 years combined with EA's tendency to rip content from games, give a few terrible packs for free, then sell the rest of the content at an overpriced angle(Just like Ubisoft) going to lead to the blowout ME3 is expected to be.

Overall I think Mass Effect is solid and as a more linear narrative has the ability to be more powerful than any open world game Bethesda can muster.


On the other hand Bioware's writers are apparently only able to rehash the same story, or the same story borrowed from another source, and tell it again and again.

At this point from their recent games Beth and Bioware are tied in writing(Of coarse ME has better voice actors).

That isn't something to be proud of. Step your game up guys.

For me I'm anticipating both equally. I've played but never owned a TES game and want to know how Beth's writing and game making skills have bettered so they can advance more to Fallout 4(If they've bettered in the afformented categories. No even Morrowind compared to the competition was only above mediocre)

As for Bioware I own both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect. I'm attempting to finish the first ME even though I bought it last year. Yes it is an RPG. No both games are very action filled. But so is TES. They need exploration, in depth skills, weapons and armor, and the like back. Along with That and upping their writing skills with whatever they plan. If they deliver it'll be stunning.

One thing I want games like ME to do personally though is more options in the gameplay along with the already in ability for conversations to tide a situation.

Ala Deus Ex. You'll know what I mean if your a Deus Ex 1 fan.

Definately Skyrim. Although that the mass effect franchise is really good. But people are waiting for a long awaited game. And that game is Skyrim.

This is ridiculous, you left out Deus Ex: Human Revolution which is bound to win.

Unless Bioware really goes back to their roots Skyrim will win hands down. The only RPG that might take GOTY over a TES would be KOTOR 3....................I'm still waiting Bioware, and judging by the way they've been treating their original fan base and making games like DA2, I won't ever get a KOTOR 3. Bioware is going down, and as far as I'm concerned they're the only real competition out there.

Skyrim wins.

If your on these forums you shouldn't be voting Mass effect if you do get off the forums and stick to the mass effect forums

Posting this poll on this forum is asking for biased answers. Yes, I voted for Skyrim, after all, this is the TES forum dammit!

I don't know which will win because I don't know which company has a larger marketing budget. But The Witcher 2 will be the actual best RPG this year (based onw hat we know so far). I'm cautiously optimistic about Skyrim but we hardly know anything about it yet, no gameplay videos or anything, so it's rather hard to quantify how good it will be at this point.

Witcher 2 looks darn impressive. But I'm rooting for Skyrim to be even better.
It's going to be tight.

As much as i love TES, this competiton will not only be for RPG of the year but most likely GOY. It is going to be a toss up. TES has history in its corner... it has two consecutive releases winning GOY (possibly more, but idk for sure) but Mass Effect has innovation. How many other games can you say in a series where the previous actions in previous games affect the next? if Bioware nails this concept and really delivers on ME3, i think it will pull it out. If skyrim really delivers the greatest open world RPG to date, has the combat system be as great as its being talked up, and isn't as flawed (by bugs, mostly) as Oblivion and Morrowind, i think Skyrim will win.

If they both deliver on their promises and have nearly flawless games.... tie? :shrug: lol i don't care at that point, cuz i'll have two of the best games ever to play :clap:

@SkullCruseher, Thanks. Yes, I meant to type ME3, cold fingers still working on the first cup of coffee, lol. I just removed the ME3 reference from my last post.

The WItcher 2 looks very interesting, and I hope that Skyrim is even better in all respects.

The definition of the RPG has definitely evolved over time since the pen and paper days. Other game elements have combined with RPG to create new RPG-hybrid genres, so game series like ME can still be considered RPG, or as having a large RPG element to them. I bleed Daedric blood so don't attack me for this next comment, but, if you really want to get technical, there are elements of FPS and action in TES games. First-person perspective with your arms/hands out in front of you shooting magic from your fingertips at an enemy target or firing arrows with your bow at them. In a sense your magical hands (in launching a fireball, for example) are like a medieval rocket launcher.

Now, before I get strangled by a Nord with overly-veined arms and polygonal biceps, let me just say that I still feel that TES games constantly set the bar for "RPGs" every time a new title is released. That doesn't mean I won't enjoy playing other self-proclaimed RPG titles, but my loyalties lie with TES for their hugely open and expansive worlds, the breathtaking views and vistas, their lore, the back stories, the characters I've loved playing, the NPCs I've loved killing, the mythical creatures, and this crazy, trolling, creative, imaginative, spider-fearing, lore-obsessed, PC/Console warring, modding TES community that I've come to respect and love.

As a TES really devoted fan my vote is idealistic and biased...SKYRIM will consume all other RPGs in its wake at E3. But as a gamer who respects the extremely difficult task of creating games for a very critical audience, I think we will have to wait for these games to actually come out before we can really comment as there are several great titles out there. We shouldn't dismiss other games just because of our TES fanaticism. That being said, 200 hrs of Skyrim first, then shave and shower, then beg my boss not to fire me, then try to convince my wife not to leave me, then other RPG games later.

Haha, good call.

DA2 would lose in a poll against AIDS, to be honest. Horrible game.

Heh... I tend to agree with the sentiment on BioWare and the sort of artistic (for lack of a better word) process that results in a game like DA2.

In any case, a "predict the best RPG of 2011" thread in Community Discussion (with ME3, DA2, W2, et al included in the poll) might be interesting.

Mass Effect is a good game but it just pales in comparison to TES, most everything does. TES is just the king of RPGs, there is no beating it.

Absolute truth. Bioware has a lot to learn.

I can't believe how many people claim Mass Effect isn't an RPG. To anyone that has played them it's obvious that it's an RPG. Then again some people try to claim that most RPGs over the last several decades aren't RPGs unless they are open world style... which amounts to "this RPG doesn't do what I want so it's not an RPG." It's the difference between an opinion "I don't like this style of RPG" and trying to turn it into a fact "This is not an RPG." The former makes sense and the latter is factually incorrect.

I love Mass Effect but I have to vote for Skyrim. I'm really interested to see Mass Effect 2 and Final Fantasy XIII-2 at E3 as well though!

top 2 worst companies
1. BioWare
2. Activison


SKYRIM WILL WINNNNNNNNNNN

I don't know if I'd go that far. Bioware made a huge mistake, but they could still redeem themselves. Though with the current trend it seems more than likely they'll release another piece of garbage.

Since ME isn't even an RPG anymore, I think its pretty obvious.

I cant take a single player(because theres also TOR and GW2 this year) RPG of the Year poll seriously when theres no Witcher 2 option.

Edit: Wait what, ME not an RPG? Then TES are not RPGs either, theyre just dungeon crawlers. It also makes FF games just some kind of elaborate casino in your TV.

Also Diablo 3.