Presume directStar Control
Over the years, the Mass Effect series has had a few spin-offs and extended media expansions. A Nintendo DS first-person space adventure was reportedly the one that was abandoned on the editing room floor.
In an interview with MinnMax, former BioWare producer Mark Darrah spoke about the DS space game, characterizing it as a first-person shooter where you pilot a spacecraft. The game, dubbed Mass Effect: Corsair, was supposed to be set in a "more sort of pirate-y and not really fully explored" region of the Milky Way galaxy.
He likened it to Privateer and Star Control, in which the player would steal cargo and sell knowledge to the Alliance, like to Han Solo.
The group reportedly had the "beginnings" of flying controls, but when it ran into problems with Nintendo DS cartridge prices and availability, it was still working out how it would function inside the IP. The manufacturing cost vs profit ratio was ultimately problematic.
And there, in the end, was the issue, according to Darrah. "Is that we are skilled at creating large-scale games, not ones that relied on player input." It was nonsensical. EA had estimated that it would only sell around 50,000 copies.
In the end, the group switched to developing mobile apps. We're missing out on the fruits of that team's labor, which is unfortunate since I really like the idea of a Privateer-style game set in the Mass Effect world.
In the meanwhile, BioWare is actively developing the next entries for both Mass Effect and Dragon Age. In addition, former general manager Casey Hudson recently revealed the establishment of Humanoid Studios, where he is developing a new IP.