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Disgruntled fans who continue to be angry with the creative direction BioWare took at the end of Mass Effect 3 are now being told to bring their complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. The push is being ushered along by BioWare forums user El_Spiko, who directs fellow angry fans to lodge their own complaints at FTC.gov.
El_Spiko writes: "After reading through the list of promises about the ending of the game they made in their advertising campaign and PR interviews, it was clear that the product we got did not live up to any of those claims." The post goes on from there, but that's the core of the argument.
I hesitate to come out and call anyone crazy... but I don't know how to finish that sentence. It is absolutely the right of any human to take issue with the creative direction a work of mass entertainment goes in. We are opinionated creatures by our very natures, and so the back-and-forth discussion so far over the end of Mass Effect 3 is par for the course, even if it's got a bit of that "beaten dead horse" feeling to it.
Lodging that dissatisfaction with a government organization that handles consumer products though... I'm sorry, but that's nuts. We've fought hard as a community -- and continue to fight even now -- to earn a measure of respect for video games as something more than mere entertainment products. And it's working! Increasingly, you see the "games as art" debate dismissed as a non-factor.
Filing complaints with the FTC is a backwards step. Games are once again rendered as products in the hands of the FTC, and all because it's convenient to a presumably small contingent of angry fans. Star Wars fans don't take their issues with George Lucas to a consumer organization; instead, they write impassioned blog posts like this one. And that's totally fine. It adds to the conversation without forgetting the fact that we're talking about a creative work.
So bring on your blogs posts. Rant all you want about how much you hate BioWare for destroying however many hours you put into the trilogy. Point out pre-release interviews that you feel painted a different picture for the trilogy's endgame than the reality of what it was. That's fine. Just remember to treat Mass Effect 3 as it ought to be: a creative work of interactive fiction. This isn't a toy we're talking about, it's an experience.
Read about this FTC news. Respond to it. But if you have any respect for how much ground the medium of video games has gained in the public consciousness, please, for the love of Shepard, don't join in on this asinine complaint campaign. Instead, go ahead and read what ME3 director Casey Hudson had to say to fans over the weekend about the game's ending.
Source: Gamepur
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Comments
Displaying 41–60 of 149
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bgtwins15
I am one of the people that wants something done with the ending, but this is way too far. There is no reason for him to do this. This person needs to be patient and see what Bioware decides to do.
DrowNoble
Anyone, including Adam Rosenberg, who think the FTC (or BBB) complaints is about changing the ending is just showing their ignorance of the issue.
These complaints filed are about a company (Bioware) misleading the public into buying a product (ME3) that had features that weren't included. Both Mac Walters and Casey Hudson said, publicly, that one of the features of the game was 17 different endings that were affected by choices made in ME3 and that all choices in the trilogy would culminate at the end. These were all lies.
No matter whether you're the majority that disliked the ending or the minority that didn't have a problem with it is irrelevant to this issue. The software does NOT have features that were specifically stated pre-release that it did have. THAT is the reason for these filings.
Nuchy7
I found a great vid to show how crazy the ME 3 ending is go to utube and search Hitler discovers Mass Effect 3.
rolling479
*SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!*
At first, I'll admit I was outraged about the ending. I felt betrayed by BioWare because throughout the whole game I was blinding myself with the hope that Shepard would settle down after he/she destroys the reapers. I jumped on the bandwagon saying "we were robbed of our choices!"
In fact, we were not. Throughout all the Mass Effect series you decided who lived and who died. In Mass Effect 1 you could save the rachni queen. In Mass Effect 2, you decided whether or not to save the factory workers on Zaeed's loyalty mission - if you decided to save them Zaeed was not loyal to you. You weighed the options of every interaction - unless you just said "I'll go full renegade" or "I'll go full paragon" and just repeatedly press the appropriate dialogue option.
And in Mass Effect 3, we decided whether or not Shepard lives. The ending truly boils down to your choice and how much EMS you had. If you have a low enough EMS and you pick to destroy the reapers, Earth gets incinerated. If you have high enough EMS and you pick to control the reapers, the reapers leave, but all of the mass relays are gone and the fleets you have mustered at essentially stuck in the local cluster (they could technically spend x amount of years traveling back to their worlds).
And, finally, we have the choice to have Shepard live if we have 5000+ EMS and choose to destroy the reapers. If those two prerequisites are met, you get a secret ending in which you see Shepard buried under concrete rubble (that of London) and he/she takes a breath.
So, in fact, we were not robbed of our choices. We just did not make the right ones and content was withheld just like if you killed the rachni queen, you do not get that asari on Illium that talks to you about the rachni queen, or if saved the factory workers, Zaeed dies and you do not get see him in Mass Effect 3 - in those instances content was withheld.
To have real closure, it is up to you to think about everything past that. You have imagination, use it! What would Shepard do if he/she was underneath that rubble and aware he/she had just broken the hold that the reapers had on him/her?
deathdefire
Maybe, Juuuuust maybe, If Casey Hudson and Co. didn't come out and make so many erroneous claims about the ending and what we would be getting then there would be no cause for complaint, but I know that I bought the game based on statements said by them about the ending, which they did not deliver on... So it's about time a game company gets put in its place for false advertisement because as it stands they have gone unpunished for far too long.
Game_Wizard
There are plenty of problems in the world, and plenty of problems the FTC themselves I'm sure have.
Bringing a complaint to them over how the ending wasn't as you hoped it would be is like running to your mom because big brother didn't let you have your turn in 1 minute like he said you would. Guess what, you don't always get what you want!!! That is the way of the world, it is full of cool things like ME3 and disappointments like many people had with the ending.
I didn't like how the last 2 Star Wars prequels went, hell I didn't like the prequels period. I didn't go crying to the FTC or other federal and government institutions. Like the guy said, complain to other fans, rant on blogs, but keep the feds out of it.
Always remember, the feds like mom might not render a judgement that you like. She might just take the toys away completely if you can't play nice.
lowkevmic
Ok this is ridiculous. There is no where in any advertisment made for ME3,the promise telling people that they will have the ending they've always wished for. No product is ever sold that way. Nor will the FTC do anything about the artistic direction someone decides to go in regards to how they end their story. Regardless how pissed the fans may be because of it.
FTC only handle issues involving products that did not deliver on what was promised to consumers. A perfect ending that everyone would love, was never anything BioWare promised it's fans prior to ME3 being released.
Here's a question for anyone and everyone who would care to answer...How would you prefer the game to end?? I mean so many are upset with the current ending, please share once in for all what would be an ending to ME3 worthy of all of the money and time you've spent playing such a classic next gen title. I doubt seriously if anyone can even say what was so wrong with the current ending. It really is just another reason for people to gripe and feel entitled.
Luck702
This is asinine. Grow the hell up people. I too didn't like the ending, but that was the team's creative decision.
light2134
if you want shephered to live then get 100% for galatic readiness
Bonedegon
Ok so this is getting way out of hand. I am one of the people that appreciated the ending. The end makes you reflect and think of what you have done to this universe. What did you do, who did you let live? Who did you side with? Sometimes it is better for things to not be so upfront, but for one to reflect upon. I do not understand really why so many are upset about the way this trilogy ended, but I am sure the choices that everyone made will be reflected in the next game. EA and Bioware know that Mass Effect is a money maker, so there is no way in hell they are going to let the game die. This story is done, so they will come up with a new set. I personally look forward to this because to me this universe is very interesting, because I can make decisions on how I want it to evolve. But these choices are limited to those who write the story, and I respect them for allowing me to have some choice in this game. We as gamers are not the creators of the universe, the writers of Bioware are the gods. They just gave us some choices to make. So be grateful for that, and respect them for creating something unique.
.Arametzu
This is rediculous! everybody is entitled to their opinion, INCLUDING the Bioware staff. They thought that this is how the trilogy should end. now, you have every right to disagree with them, as i do, but you can't go try to get them in legal trouble for expressing their opinion on the ending. That's just......i can't even describe how irrational it is. All i can say is grow the heck up, when you go out and create your own epic space trilogy you can end it however you damn well please!
IWSTUTNISB
Best to just forget all about this abomination, just like Duke Nukem Forever and every other awful game before that.
Instead of demanding the chef to make your dog crap taste better why not just stop ordering steaming piles of sh t?
Dbunk
LOL. Get a grip. Go make some real change.
nhslayer
It's so tempting to just jump in the mud with everyone and sling it around like a child. I personally loved the ending and can't really imagine a better final explanation and choice and it's easy to call the people who don't appreciate it stupid because they "don't get it." No matter how strongly I support the current ending, however, it would be wrong to dismiss people's opinions in such a way. If you truly dislike the ending, well then, we have different tastes in our storytelling and I'm sorry that so many people are so disappointed. This kind of action, however, is a ridiculously disgusting example of how entitled and spoiled people are these days. Thank you baby boomers for raising generations of children who feel as though they are owed the world and that if they don't get exactly what they want precisely how they want it, well that just isn't fair, so they should be able to complain to anyone who will listen until it's fixed. You may have interpreted certain comments made by the developers differently than how they were intended, but there is no grounds for false advertising. This isn't a broken game that is rendered unplayable because of the issues people are pointing out. It's exactly what it is meant to be and many critics and fans believe it's one of the best games ever made. Are we seriously complaining about the level of control we have over the story in the Mass Effect games? Because I can't think of a series that has offered more control over how the story unfolds, where I have felt more like the character I was playing was an extension of myself. Skyrim won game of the year last year and for good reason, but I hardly felt as though I had any real control over the story and I still have at least a half dozen broken quests sitting open unable to be completed. Were there cries of outrage over these issues? No. But give us a challenging and complex ending in which we have to make an ultimate choice between three different options in which none of them are blocked out to us based on previous choices? (Never mind that each choice clearly presents itself as the obvious choice to make based on how you've played the game up to that point) Well that's just unacceptable, so we have to listen to weeks of whining, see ridiculous petitions, and now a freaking formal complaint, all because it wasn't exactly what you wanted. Give me a break. I have yet to read a thoughtful examination of what exactly is wrong with the ending that feels like an even remotely compelling argument and this whole movement has officially started to sound to me like a bunch of whining babies crying because they want to drink their juice from the cup with the bear on it, not the one with the penguin on it. I pray that this is a vocal minority and not a true reflection of the gaming community, because if it isn't, I fear developers will stop making games like Mass Effect and we'll all lose out if that happens.
Devils_Advocate
Personally, I'm fine with them complaining to the FTC. As games consumers, we have the right to get what we properly paid for. If people were not satisfied with the product they got, they are well within their rights to complain about it. We are a capitalist-run economy and I believe that game companies cater to the needs of the consumers. If a product does not satisfy what you paid for, you protest it and bring your money to another company as a way to show that you don't support what they did. Filing to the FTC is a legitimate although, IMO, a kind of harsh way to go as well, since the FTC was established to encourage companies to give a great product.
Star Wars IS NOT LIKE THIS AT ALL, part of me wishes someone did something about it to change it back to how it used to be. As for Mass Effect 3, even though it is very harsh and over-the-top, I still believe that filing for the FTC is a legitimate way to protest to show games companies that we, as consumers, are the hands that feed them and that they should take us seriously.
Madbagofhorses
I hear everyone saying that going to the FTC is ridiculous, I really do. Was my first impression... BUT... the inaccuracy of video game ad campaigns has been escalating further and further into the distance. They have to be corralled in at some point, why not now? Why not with this game's egregious instance of it?
LadyDevil95
This has gotten completely out of hand! So what is next? If we don't like the ending to a movie or a favorite book series we contact a government agency to complain because we totally blew out of proportion what the commercials or book jacket have to say about what we bought. Stupid! It's called creative freedom and for those that disagree with this game or any game being a form of art, you're wrong! If there is a story, there is an author which means that you are at the mercy of the author of that story. Yes, it's a product too, but as with every product, you take your risk of either liking it or not. I didn't exactly like the ending to ME3, but I also know that there is more to come in regards to content and I also have an appreciation for the whole gaming experience I had from ME to ME3. I think there are too many people who have too much time on their hands that are way too worried about this. Get a life, get off the couch, and get some fresh air and exercise. Maybe then you might actually worry about things that matter (i.e. working, paying the bills, the economy, the war, etc). A game's ending...eh, not that serious. Bioware creative teams, I don't suggest you make any trips to mountainous areas prone to snow storms. You may wind up stuck in some disgruntled fans home getting your legs broke. Misery is a b^&*%!
MrLam
ok i gotta finsish me3 everyone seems so pissy about the ending i haunt even got there yet but still i love this series and i doubt the ending is what people say it is hell even if it does suck this gaming series was amazing
Steak067
SPOILER
Here's the deal.
I mean sure I am not a fan of commander shepard dying either and the whole serious take on changing the very fabric of the universe in order to get rid of the reapers. I mean they have been reaping since the beginning of time so it's understandable that solution is not going to be using the crucible as some super destructo cannon. I have no right to ask the people who made this game to change it based on my mood but I think I do have a right to see a little bit more closure. I mean (for me mainly) I want to see like liara rebuilding thessia whilst raising my "little blue kids". I want to see wrex and his planet and his kids beating the ever loving crap out of each other. That too me is what is important. The characters that I have grown to genuinely care about.
I mean heck I would accept a legend of zelda style credit scene where it just goes down the list of everyone I knew and how they are having like a super space dance party.
LadyDevil95
This has gotten completely out of hand! So what is next? If we don't like the ending to a movie or a favorite book series we contact a government agency to complain because we totally blew out of proportion what the commercials or book jacket have to say about what we bought. Stupid! It's called creative freedom and for those that disagree with this game or any game being a form of art, you're wrong! If there is a story, there is an author which means that you are at the mercy of the author of that story. Yes, it's a product too, but as with every product, you take your risk of either liking it or not. I didn't exactly like the ending to ME3, but I also know that there is more to come in regards to content and I also have an appreciation for the whole gaming experience I had from ME to ME3. I think there are too many people who have too much time on their hands that are way too worried about this. Get a life, get off the couch, and get some fresh air and exercise. Maybe then you might actually worry about things that matter (i.e. working, paying the bills, the economy, the war, etc). A game's ending...eh, not that serious. Bioware creative teams, I don't suggest you make any trips to mountainous areas prone to snow storms. You may wind up stuck in some disgruntled fans home getting your legs broke. Misery is a b^&*%!
Displaying 41–60 of 149
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