Mass Effect - Interview @ GameSpy

BioWare's Corey Hudson has been interviewed at GameSpy about their upcoming Xbox 360 project, Mass Effect:

GameSpy: Could you compare the size and scope of the game to previous BioWare RPGs? How many different planets and areas will players explore in "Mass Effect?"

Casey Hudson: Mass Effect has a similar number of core story areas as "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," but when you consider the explorable galaxy component that makes it quite a bit larger. There are over 300 "things" that you can travel to in space - ranging from just a satellite or a derelict ship to explorable planets or underground bases.