Dev Dropped Multiple Endings for Mafia II

[Logan Westbrook]

Dev Dropped Multiple Endings for Mafia II

2K Czech's senior producer said that in order for Mafia II [http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=77969] to be great, some things had to go.


Denby Grace, senior producer for Mafia II, said that 2K Czech left three of the game's four endings on the cutting room floor after it found that playtesters only really liked one of them.

"We had four multiple endings at one point in the game, and then we looked at it and we had one really outstanding great ending to end our story," said Grace. "We worked on these things and we have our players that focus test [the game] and we found that people were just replaying and ultimately only felt satisfied when they got to the one GREAT ending."

Grace said that rather than try and improve the lackluster endings, 2K Czech decided to cut them and focus on the one that people were enjoying: "We just said 'You know what? Let's just ditch these other endings, this is the ending everyone wants' and that's one thing we're happy with."

Losing 75% of a game's endings seems like a pretty significant change, but without knowing exactly what those endings were or how you got to them, it's impossible to say for sure. One thing is clear, however, and that is that 2K Czech is very keen for Mafia II to tell the best story it can, even if it only tells one.

Mafia II is due to be released on August 24th for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Source: Inc Gamers [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/882/News/23682/mafia-2-drops-multiple-endings]












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[Jared]

Well, tis a shame, but, at least coming out soon...I am curious as to wgat they were though...

 

[Booze Zombie]

It's sad to hear that you can't get "a bad ending", but I suppose you can't take too many risks with a game or you'll probably not make any money.

 

[Bat Vader]

In my opinion that is really going to cut down on the re-playability for some people. I like multiple endings in games. It feels like I am influencing the world around my character and deciding their fate.

If the game-play is really good and the story is excellent than I won't be so sad to see the multiple endings be taken out.

 

[Yureina]

I wonder what this ending will be like... Mafia 1 was awesome, though I am a little leery about buying this game at the moment.

 

[Irridium]

Well thats a shame. I enjoy multiple endings.

However, I'll take one amazing ending over 4 "meh" endings any day.

 

[chstens]

This doesn't bother me at all. Multiple endings in a game like Mafia seems... Off.

 

[WrongSprite]

That's fine. I only ever play most games through once, so it's not an issue to me.

 

[SovietSecrets]

Good. Saves me the trouble of looking up the other endings on Youtube.

 

[theSovietConnection]

Well, if it was done in order to make the game better, I can't really complain.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Squeeeee....sorry...just like seeing another "Grace" in the computing industry.

I wonder how long was lost on those endings though and why couldn't they be plugged in?

I mean, there's got to be the Scarface ending as well as the nice one.

 

[Woodsey]

EDIT: Sorry, dunno what happened here.

 

[Woodsey]

Squeeeee....sorry...just like seeing another "Grace" in the computing industry.

I wonder how long was lost on those endings though and why couldn't they be plugged in?

I mean, there's got to be the Scarface ending as well as the nice one.

It's sad to hear that you can't get "a bad ending", but I suppose you can't take too many risks with a game or you'll probably not make any money.

Where does it say the ending they've got is a nice one? He's saying "great" as in quality, not "all's well that ends well".

OT: GOOD.

You know what was the best part of the first Mafia (apart from absolutely everything)? The story.

You know what the best part of the story was (apart from all of it)? The ending.

You don't need multiple endings, nor do you need tacked on moral choices (do you now, GTA IV). If you're developing an RPG with 1000 choices running through it then great, go for it.

If you're playing out a characters life in this way then give me a strong, single narrative every single time.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I mean, there's got to be the Scarface ending as well as the nice one.

"The world is yours... ironically you're dead, though!" "The world is yours... for real!"

Not to be cynical, but it would probably have boiled down to that.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I mean, there's got to be the Scarface ending as well as the nice one.

"The world is yours... ironically you're dead, though!" "The world is yours... for real!"

Not to be cynical, but it would probably have boiled down to that.

And that would have been cool, imho.

I mean, there's got to be the Scarface ending as well as the nice one.

Where does it say the ending they've got is a nice one? He's saying "great" as in quality, not "all's well that ends well".

It'd be good to have both was what I was saying.

 

[Booze Zombie]

And that would have been cool, imho.

I'm not arguing that it wouldn't be cool, but I imagine why these guys removed the endings is not because it ruins the game, but because it's pretty transparent, even if they say they didn't intend it, which ending is the "good" ending.

Such is the nature of our fledgling AAA games industry.

RIP multiple endings, may you rise better and stronger in the future.

 

[The Last Nomad]

Multiple endings eh?
That could have been good. It could have been great, but only if your choices affected what happended throughout the game (Like in GTAIV) and not just a tacked on choice at the very end to give players a reason to play through the identical-up-until-the-end story again.
But the way they were able to just cut off the endings suggest that it may have been the latter. But whatever, if the endings really wern't that good, it would be better to get rid of them. The story of Mafia 1 was good, and if they didnt think those 3 endings were good enough then who are we to argue?

 

[Savagezion]

I don't know what to think until I play the game and watch the "leaked" videos on youtube.