"Mass Effect" is to land on PS3 for the first time in the "Mass Effect Trilogy." (HO)

Mass Effect is to appear on PlayStation 3 for the first time as part of a trilogy collection announced for PS3, PC and Xbox 360.

That's the good news. Frustratingly for those bound to the PlayStation system, while the Mass Effect Trilogy is confirmed for a Nov. 6 release on its Microsoft-based destinations of Windows PC and Xbox 360, the PS3 announcement is being scheduled for "a later date," according to the publisher Electronic Arts' note to the press.

When that moment comes, PS3 owners will, however, be able to download the action-based, dialogue-driven sci-fi epic direct from the PlayStation Store or obtain it via the Trilogy bundle.

The collection's announcement comes shortly after developer BioWare's two remaining founders turned in their badges and left the company, a studio whose foundation was built on innovative adventure games such as the Baldur's Gate series and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

The Mass Effect series was especially notable for marrying intense action sequences with ambitious narrative arcs and player conversation options and, as the series went on, it was increasingly accomodating to the existence of both opposite and same-sex relationships and strong, complex female characterization.

In more recent BioWare history, the March 2012 release of Mass Effect 3 represented an end to the trilogy (but not the franchise), multi-million-dollar budget Star Wars: The Old Republic went up against World of Warcraft with mixed success, and Dragon Age III: Inquisition was announced.

Official website: masseffect.com