Mass Effect 3: Heroic space-discs get stuck in tree, frustration ensues

Today's the day EA commenced launching Mass Effect 3 into space, allowing the hardiest of fans in six cities worldwide to get their hands on early copies that've been baptized in the cold emptiness of space. However, despite a successful trip up, one package of Bioware goodies was stymied on the way back down by that most low-tech of obstructions: a freakin' tree.

Above: "At this point," tweets would-be rescuer @TimGettys, "I hate evil trees more than Kirby."

The game's Facebook page tells the ongoing story of what happened next: having drifted peacefully toward a wooded area north of San Francisco, the spacefaring games found their way to a peaceful resting-place some 150 feet above ground-level. Attempts to MacGyver the game down with rope and a baseball having proved unsuccessful, a determined group have spent the day traveling between Home Depot and Mass Effect 3's new woodland residence.

Above: The Mass Effect Tree. This whole story's basically been an elaborate excuse to use that caption

At time of writing, the arms race between humanity and Mass Effect 3 has escalated to high-end slingshot-level; would-be rescuers report that “a guy at Home Depot offered to make us a potato gun” if the package can't be dislodged with sling-fired marbles. Keep an eye on the game's Facebook page or the #ME3Space Twitter tag for updates. This thing could run and run, so we'll pledge to stay with it all night - or until pretty much any other news item takes our attention.