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On Bioware's blog this morning, the company's co-founder, Dr. Ray Muzyka, directly addressed the concerns of gamers over the ending of Mass Effect 3. After acknowledging that the feedback from the gaming community was "incredibly painful" to hear, Muzyka promised that Bioware would address the gamers' questions and concerns with new content.
"Exec Producer Casey Hudson and the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey. You’ll hear more on this in April. We’re working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we’ve received. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue.
"The reaction to the release of Mass Effect 3 has been unprecedented. On one hand, some of our loyal fans are passionately expressing their displeasure about how their game concluded; we care about this feedback, and we’re planning to directly address it. However, most folks appear to agree that the game as a whole is exceptional, with more than 75 critics giving it a perfect review score and a review average in the mid-90s. Net, I’m proud of the team, but we can and must always strive to do better."
So it looks like the passionate response of gamers to the ending has been successful. It seems as if Bioware is planning to address concerns. While we won't know what that actually means until April, it's not too early to speculate. My guess: The first DLC that's released will change/explain the ending to Mass Effect 3.
My question: Could this have been Bioware's plan all along? Even though Muzyka's post lays out the opposite scenario, a more cynical person might think Bioware created the ending of Mass Effect 3 in order to make the first piece of DLC more "indispensable" than it would have been otherwise. Also: If an "unpopular" ending can be changed by enough complaints, how does this affect the idea of games as an art form?
All of the best people are following Stephen Johnson's twitter feed. Also, email me if you wanna.
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Alien_Number_Six
This was Biowares plan from the beginning. get ready for the ten dollar ending.
bossrday
All you people whining "all that time spent on the series," you come off as though your entire life's meaning revolves around Mass Effect. A game. A form of entertainment.
Kinda pathetic, don't you think?
Ask yourself this question: Did you enjoy the majority of the series? It's like you're all forgetting the other 99.9999999999999% ever happened, ever made you want to keep playing for just another hour before you go do anything else.
The people who want some closure, fine, that's a valid expectation. The ones screaming for an entirely different ending, you're being childish. Clearly you aren't mature enough for this game.
bossrday
All you people whining "all that time spent on the series," you come off as though your entire life's meaning revolves around Mass Effect. A game. A form of entertainment.
Kinda pathetic, don't you think?
Ask yourself this question: Did you enjoy the majority of the series? It's like you're all forgetting the other 99.9999999999999% ever happened, ever made you want to keep playing for just another hour before you go do anything else.
The people who want some closure, fine, that's a valid expectation. The ones screaming for an entirely different ending, you're being childish. Clearly you aren't mature enough for this game.
RuinedXJosh
To me, storytelling is an art form all its own, which is what Bioware allowed us to do with the Mass effect series. They created a universe for the players to create a story within, which is what made each Mass Effect game such an exciting and involved story, because each player had the ability to shape the story and the universe they played in. Mass Effect gives you the ability to say "My Commander Shepard is different from everyone else's." In a way, doesn't that make each playthrough your creation? Your art? Your masterpiece? Why shouldn't we, the players, be able to change the ending to our liking?
*Outdated spoilers* In Gears of War 3, I was upset by Dom sacrificing himself to save the rest of his squad, and Marcus finding out his father was alive only to have him sacrifice himself to save his son, and the rest of humanity as well, in the end, but I accepted it. It wasn't my story to tell, and it was supposed to be that way.
However, I feel that Mass Effect's story is an exception from the "Preserve the story as an art piece" angle, because it's not Bioware's story, it's my story. They created the universe, they created the game, they created all of the choices and the possibilities, but they didn't create a story set in stone. If Bioware had made the Mass Effect games just another third-person shooter, like Gears of War, without the ability to create the story, I would say "No, don't change the ending. You'll ruin the artistic value of the game." but they made a role-playing game that gives you an overwhelming amount of choices to create the story with. I don't like the ending(s) I was forced to choose from, because none of them are how I wanted to end my story, so I say "Hell yes they need to make a new ending. All of the endings made me want to jump off a freaking cliff."
awsomegamer369
Mass Effect 3 Ending: Bioware Vows To Address Gamer Concerns..... Sure they will.....
Cabal234
How are people okay with the ending of Mass Effect 3? I say ending because they are the same video with different colored explosions. The Arrival DLC for Mass Effect 2 established that if you destroy a Mass Effect Relay it destroys the star system that it's in. So there goes Earth and all the home-worlds of the races. All that work that was put into it to save the planet. Gone. Also, the "Citadel Defense Force" that you can get up with side quests does absolutley nothing. All of the choices you make amount to nothing! I could play through the main story only and still get the same endings! It doesnt matter what you do! It all amounts to the same thing! Theres no closure! Nothing is explained! Not enough facts are given to come up with your own ending! Also, Why is Joker running? How does he know what it is? The ending just left me angry and confused because the ending is saying, "All of the choices you have made are pointless! There was no reason to even do any of the things you did and there's no way you can change it! Take that!"
xFlamexOfxHellx
I'm done with G4, screwing over gamers is Ok as long as we "uphold artistic integrity". The people who are upset at empty promises have no right to be right. "artistiv intergrity" my ass.
umainebearman
Sorry Bioware you don't get a "do over" on this one. My "journey in the Mass Effect universe" most definitely WONT continue.... ever. Also the game play and story isn't as great as the lapdog critics give it credit for. ME 2 was far and away a better game and experience. Mostly because it doesn't have a big FU at then end that makes the playing of the previous games a complete waste of time.
Xenoxaos
To anybody identifying themselves as the "true fans" of Bioware artistic appreciation or whatever, the fact will always remain that the ending didnt make any sense in that Joker lands the ship and the crew members that were part of the ground team 'Hammer' who also happened to get wiped out by Harbinger's beam happen to accompany him right out the airlock. No freaking way thats valid. It may not have happened to some of you but it did happen to some of us. My Ashley died in that beam, as unfortunate as that is for my Shepard considering he had a romantic relationship with her, I wasn't happy when I saw her emerge from the Normandy with Joker and the Prothean like she didnt get hit by that god awful thing. Hoe does Bioware explain that?
T_Dawg135
Two things. First, Dr. Muzyka's post does not claim that they will be changing the ending. What he said is that the endings "will help answer the questions, (and) provide(ing) more clarity". Further tweets from the Mass Effect twitter account have also stated that the endings will not be changed. This is, of course, not what the Retake Mass Effect movement is after. For starters, there isn't any plausible way to answer our questions without completely changing the ending.
Second, to answer your question of "how does this affect the idea of games as an art form?", it doesn't. Video games are not some painting that the artist did and then hung in a gallery somewhere. This is a commercial endeavor. Making your customers happy is GOOD for business. Besides, not only have games like InFamous 2 "caved" to pressure from fans and made artistic changes (albeit before release) receiving praise from people on G4TV.com, but Bioware has always said that they are actively looking at fan responses. Entire portions of DLC have been created due to fan response in the past. Why is taking fan feedback into concern now somehow "violating" their artistic integrity, when that's the same thing they've been doing all along?
BoydofZINJ
After watching the trailer for Epic Mickey it dawned on me. Most people want the Epic Mickey ending for Mass Effect 3. BioWare should just hire Disney to make Mass Effect 3: Epic Mickey DLC. We need the Disney version of an ending to finally be happy?
I played Mass Effect 1 thru 3. I did not play Mass Effect 1 when it first came out - I was too busy at the time. However, when I heard the reviews of Mass Effect 2, I played it (the collectors edition was only a few dollars more and it came with some extra DLC, like the third, so got the collectors edition for ME 2). I went OMG WOW! Basically, I played where I went to Omega first and met some alien called Garrus and he and my character, Shepard, seemed to know each other and I made random choices that I knew nothing about. That is when I learned that saves from the previous game carried over to this one.
I bought and played the first Mass Effect. I thought the first one was "okay." The fighting was not polished and some of the Mako exploration was the worse. I made it to the end - never played it more than once. I played Mass Effect 2 several times... but the endings in both part 1 and 2 were almost all the same. Mass Effect 3 came out, hyped, of course.
I played it, avoided the spoilers and thought the end was above average - not perfect, but I did enjoy it enough to create a second play thru. In the middle of my second play thru it comes to my attention about the ending and the controversy (from non gamers at work). I visit the G4tv and see this article and shocked. What have we become as a society? We now need Epic Mickey type endings for Mass Effect?
If you never played Epic Mickey, it has a few different endings...and you get a glimmer of what happens to your major choices and events and characters. WTG, make this game into EPIC MICKEY, mass effect style people. Please.
I enjoyed the ending, it told me enough to let me draw my own conclusions without baby sitting me with the explanations. Such is fate, I knew there will be more DLC with Mass Effect 3, might as well have new endings, right?
EtzioAuditore
Another ending wouldn't even make any sence, they ended shepards story perfectly, although he died, there was still no other outcome he friken got melted for god sax,
KatNexis
Come on now ...... We didn't even GET to see HARBINGER!!!!...... i was looking forward to it !!!!!!??
KatNexis
all these years i've put in this series ,,,, for what ... a confusing disappointing ending?
i can understand Shepard sacrificing himself.....but after all ... the concept of decision making in the game is destroyed here .....and rpg style games allows YOU to make your ending ... and its bioware's job to frame our desired ending fitting the game...
the ending was just completely off....JUST OFF the PLOT ...... bioware must have tried the make it like what Joker said to Shepard before Eden prim in the first game .... and then Shepard asks him .... is the same going to happen on earth ...."the mission is bigger than it seems ".... those were the words ..... but the ending was way off the plot ..... i mean every thing you did in the game ... weather it be stuff for krogan ... better galaxy ...being good or bad, your love interest .even the whole idea of saving earth was destroyed .... i wouldn't even say destroyed ... but slaughtered .... now i feel it would have been better if i had never completed the game ....would have saved my love and respect for the game ....all the efforts you put in to save planets and talking peace just ........... i wouldn't buy any other game that bioware creates unless they do something about the ending .. i have a feeling that bioware have lost the concept of decision making RPGs...
oopssorryy
I think Bioware did this on purpose. With the day one DLC that really adds a lot to the overall story, I do think this is a way for Bioware (more likely EA at work) to milk a bit more money out of this game. If you really want closure you'll be forced to get the DLC. I thought this was to be the last ME, and I really was looking forward to an end that would make me ponder my decisions and their overall effects on the ME universe. Instead your left hanging on whats happened to the universe except for who won. Hopefully this isn't just a ploy to make people buy DLCs, we already have to deal with games that have to be patched for the first couple of months (to be fare ME has never been this way) I don't want to pay 60 bucks for the "full game" and then spend at least 10 more to see the ending.
I disagree with people wanting to change the ending. It's a crap ending, but a great game. If you want games to be considered an art form you can't go changing things willy nilly. If you did the same to movies there would be no M.Night Shyamalan movies and no Stephen King books. If you don't like the ending that's fine, but it's a piece art, and changing the ending is a form of censorship, but from the fans. If you don't want the industry to start censoring your games you need to live with the endings your given.
pnathan28
pnathan28's comment is abusive and has been removed.
Nivekwons
I don't see why everyone seems to hate the ending soo much. Are you made at the events of with Shepard or the inconclusivity? I just finished it and it is pretty much exactly what I thought would happen, my only complaint (if you could call it that) is I would have liked to see more of what happened to your crew and companions, instead of the one scene they show you. I was pleased with the end but was it the best conclusively...no.
Physick
Alright fellow g4'ers, I think a large majority of you have missed the real meaning of the ending. As gamers we all like to escape reality every once in a while and just take what we see on screen as the true meaning of a game, and so very few game developers have had the guts to do what bioware has done with ME3. In all reality I believe bioware had more planned for the ending but EA came in and "assuming full control" made them release the ending as is-in order to make more money with dlc in the future. EA is the real creator of the reapers! Don't believe the gold child.
//May contain spoiler
HINT- during the intro mission-escaping from alliance hq with Anderson when u fire at the climbing husks, forget the husks and look to the right at the door of the building u enter which gets destroyed by the reaper. You will see someone run into that room. For more see angryjoeshow's video on ME3 ending.
//end of possible spoiler
If you've found yourself struggling with the meaning of the ending please do yourself a favor, google 'angryjoeshow' and find his video on the ME3 ending. As a person of reason, I can't say that all the proof is there but there is plenty of proof that cannot be dismissed. A lot of people have been compiling such information, and Bioware's twitter feeds have been hinting enough info. I hope to keep this comment spoiler free-so check it out for yourself. I know I'm just disgusted at the fact Bioware would go with such a tactic. Of course if the product is worth it, people will buy and I'm fortunate enough to have the resources to have doven into the rich universe that is Mass Effect and I will probably continue to do so.
acunamatata530
As @ntnrbryson said, EA and Bioware are pretty much indoctrinating us to make us believe that there ending was fully finished when really, it seems it was there plan all along to extend it.
I also truly believe that the final mission was Shepard fighting indoctrination, the proof from every game is just overwhelming to not believe it and knowing Bioware, they always have a great story and make everything connect and with Indoctrination, they do. I wouldn't believe that Bioware would screw us over with a crazy Deus Ex Machina but i do believe that they were rushed by EA so they could make as much money as possible, its truly upsetting.
axzaw
There, are you guys happy? Why dont you write michelangelo and tell him to fix the mona lisa. is she smileing or not? why do i get the feeling that this dlc is gonna frack up the ending for me. thankyou all big babies out there. oh and nothing ruins the image of the game like femshep. thats what bioware should be of. you guys wanna see women with real command presence? talk to wildland fire fighters. those women set the standards for powerfull woman.
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