BioWare Co-Founder Promises Closure For Mass Effect 3

[Ezekiel T Bluff]

Well what a circus this turned out to be...
I wish that they don't change a thing.

If you are unhappy with this or any other ending: don't play the game, don't like the game, but live with it, same goes for books, movies, TV shows...
I didn't like the Deus Ex HR ending at all, but the game was fun, and I will play it again probably. I hated the fact that Fallout has become a quasi FPS, but F3 and NV were somewhat fun, not close to originals, but fun.

My point is the ending doesn't make a good game, esspecially in RPGs. And the more time the developers spend pleasing every fanboy, the less time they spend thinking of ways to make any future game ending suck less.

 

[SillyBear]

My point is the ending doesn't make a good game, esspecially in RPGs. And the more time the developers spend pleasing every fanboy, the less time they spend thinking of ways to make any future game ending suck less.

Nonsense.

This isn't a case of developers dropping to their knees and changing everything for the sake of a few people who didn't like it, this is the case of a business responding to its consumer base. The amount of disappointment over the ending is absolutely amazing. In most polls, over 90% of fans were displeased. I can't think of anything that has failed this badly to live up to consumer expectations.

Bioware have a responsibility to do something. Why? Because they want to ensure the commercial success of their company and they need to ensure their fan base continues to engage in their product in a positive light.

This nonsense of "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T PLAY IT" would be catastrophic for Bioware. They'd lose thousands of consumers and don't underestimate how damaging a pissed off fan base can be.

They don't want that - so they are fixing it.

Another reason why I don't like your post was you were making this out to be all due to difference of opinion. I think it's deeper than that. I think Bioware objectively dropped the ball on their ending. I think the ending was bad. Not "in my opinion" or anything like that, I believe it was objectively flat out bad.

I explain why here:

I'm fine with a depressing ending, I just ask two things:

1. That the ending matches the theme and tone of the game. This didn't.

2. The ending has falling action and resolution. We put hundreds of hours into this game and got about 20 seconds of "resolution". That's what really annoyed me. I thought not only was it a bad decision, it was a dick move and it showed little respect on Bioware's behalf.

 

[Ezekiel T Bluff]

I agree with you on that one. It would be catastrophic for Bioware. But I think they already lost a part of their consumers. For some people the damage is already done, and I find it insulting if they try to repair the damage with DLC. They should have made a better ending in the first place.

 

[beniki]

Oh really? New games and DLC for us to buy? You're too kind.

I stand by my opinion that the ending of Mass Effect 3 was a marketing choice, and has as much to do with 'artistic integrity' as... you know what, I can't think of an appropriate analogy. Basically, it has nothing to do with artistic choice, and I'm almost certain we'll be hearing how it was forced on the devs in a few years time.

They had another ending that made more sense that they scrapped when half the people writing it either left or got laid off. Then they made a new one in the span of the last half a year (Probably less) or so.

That's an interesting bit of news... do you mind if I ask where you read that? I want to find out more

 

[Eric the Orange]

"Tell your friends if you feel it's a good game as a whole."

I like the if there. Ya know if you don't feel it's a good game as a whole, don't tell anybody. We don't want the bad press.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I don't think he finds it incredibly painful to hear at all...he's probably thinking "oh boy, more money from dlc"

There's only so long you can sit in an office full of people shouting out "CHA-CHING!" before it becomes physically painful.

 

[Don quixote's mule]

I don't think "take the ending of another game (Deus Ex) and paste it on ours" qualifies as "legitimately artsy".

Just because something has shown up somewhere else doesn't mean it is chained to that property It is relevant to this story. I have never played the Deus Ex games I can't speak to what the similarities are or aren't, however I will defend the artistic value of Bioware's choice. The scenario at the end of ME3 works as a method of driving the point point of the series home. All the time spent playing Shepard all the choices made the relationships forged and the characters lost, is a set up. a set up to ask one question. What kind of person are you? Not what kind of person is Shepard? Not what is best for the Galaxy? What kind of person are you? They nailed it.

 

[Kashrlyyk]

Muzyka wrote. "Even so, the passionate reaction of some of our most loyal players to the current endings in Mass Effect 3 is something that genuinely surprised us."

I don't buy this.

I do not believe that every single person within Bioware looked at the final ending and said: "Yup, that's a perfect ending to this trilogy; fans are gonna love it!"...

It is a weird thing that happens all over the world in all kinds of areas of expertise, but it seems that CEO, politicians and other people responsible for decisions are much more likely to claim "We are incompetent." than admitting they made a mistake. I'm not sure why they think that is a valid defense.

That is actually the exact opposite of what makes a scientist a good scientist. The worst that could happen in that work field is being seen as incompetent, sometimes in science that is called "Not even wrong.".

 

[luvd1]

Ok, the end was badly written, lazy and thought it was being cleverer then it was. But that still doesnt invalidate it as the ending, many works of litature have bad endings. Live with it and remover it next time you hear bioware are making a game. As for "changing the ending", well that valid too, they aren't not the first authors to change a final ending, sir Arthur conan Doyle did the same with Holmes due to public pressure and it happens every day in comics. Anyway bioware are not known for their great endings, the human reaper in ME2 is till a shining example of WTF was that!?! Even ME1 ending was cringing worthy. I still have to turn away when he "poses".

 

[PlasticLion]

It's a shame that I'll never play ME2 or ME3 because of this scandal and I think a lot of people will do the same. I bought ME1 when the economy wasn't shitty and I could afford to buy games for $60US. It was great; I played it twice, once as a good male Shepard, then as a bad female Shepard who liked to get down and dirty with blue female aliens. Heck I even enjoyed wacky-wheelin' around planets just to find stuff.

ME2 came out when I couldn't really afford to buy games. So I said to myself, by the time ME3 comes out 2 will only cost around $20US so I'll get it then I'll get 3. Maybe I would have to get 2 used, but getting 2 used and 3 new would be better for Bioware than if I never bought either.

Then this ending shitstorm hit the internet. If you frequent game review websites then you can't avoid it. Eventually I had to know what turned the 1st game that I thoroughly enjoyed into something else. So I did something horrible and went to Youtube and watched the endings.

Now I don't want to play either game. I can usually play a great game two or three times because the choices I can make significantly affect the ending. I think Bioware missed something that this recession has made abundantly clear.

The value of "art" has decreased in this recession. You couldn't sell me the Mona Lisa for one dollar because I can't eat it and if I want to look at it I'll just google Mona Lisa. So Bioware, just suck it up that your art isn't that valuable anymore and focus on making games that are entertaining and that includes an ending. "Boo hoo hoo we're artists and we can't compromise our artistic integrity!" Please

 

[Don quixote's mule]

Why is it when people demand that a company's product live up to the MULTIPLE AND REPEATED PROMISES that the company made, assholes like you show up to belittle and demean us?

"Artistic License" is not a criticism proof shield that can be thrown up to justify bullshit.

The endings are nonsensical (within the context of the story), provide NONE of the closure we were promised, render the previous games completely irrelevant, and generally smack of just plain bad writing.

To answer your question, it's because my mother never hugged me as a child. Actually, that isn't true, my mother was/is a wonderful, caring woman. There are several reasons Really. I think the argument is wrong, so I am opposing it. I think that the issues people are having with ME3 stem from an inability to understand the concepts being presented and I think a clarified ending would compromise the integrity of the story. There are also traits of nerd culture that I am repulsed by, gaining traction through stuff like this, and most importantly it sets a president that threatens all forms of expression artistic or otherwise.

I didn't say that is was "criticism proof," I personally hated Jack's new haircut, but to argue artistic value there needs to be more than just technical nitpicks and continuity errors.

The bottom line is that the fans did not create this game, Bioware did, it is not the fans' decision how it ends. This entitlement to a "good ending" are, at best misguided fanaticism and childish petulance, but more accurately described as aggressive bullying.

 

[Zortack]

Why is it when people demand that a company's product live up to the MULTIPLE AND REPEATED PROMISES that the company made, assholes like you show up to belittle and demean us?

"Artistic License" is not a criticism proof shield that can be thrown up to justify bullshit.

The endings are nonsensical (within the context of the story), provide NONE of the closure we were promised, render the previous games completely irrelevant, and generally smack of just plain bad writing.

To answer your question, it's because my mother never hugged me as a child. Actually, that isn't true, my mother was/is a wonderful, caring woman. There are several reasons Really. I think the argument is wrong, so I am opposing it. I think that the issues people are having with ME3 stem from an inability to understand the concepts being presented and I think a clarified ending would compromise the integrity of the story. There are also traits of nerd culture that I am repulsed by, gaining traction through stuff like this, and most importantly it sets a president that threatens all forms of expression artistic or otherwise.

I didn't say that is was "criticism proof," I personally hated Jack's new haircut, but to argue artistic value there needs to be more than just technical nitpicks and continuity errors.

The bottom line is that the fans did not create this game, Bioware did, it is not the fans' decision how it ends. This entitlement to a "good ending" are, at best misguided fanaticism and childish petulance, but more accurately described as aggressive bullying.

The "philosophy" of the endings or "message" has been attacked by many people who've shown to have a better grasp of philosophical theory than any supporter I've come across. Most supporters usually just stop at "you don't understand" or "it's about hope".

The ending's teleological views on evolution (yes, these are mutually exclusive) aswell as it's social darwinist approach to the nature of conlict is something you'd expect in a 19th century novel not in a 21st century game.

Anyone with even the slighest capacity for critical thought can see these endings for what they are, rushed, poorly thought out heaps of nonsense.

 

[Gameonicon]

MovieBob has had a few interesting things to say about the ending on twitter, I'll post them here:

In response to this:

"Congratulations, "Mass Effect" crybabies. You've officially set the entire medium back a DECADE as an art form. Also, Bioware? SHAME on you for caving. You've chosen to make coloring books instead of The Mona Lisa."

and about fans wanting and demanding a new ending:

"Look, a medium can produce ART or it can produce PRODUCT. If games can be changed at the whims of fanboys, then they are just product and we have no right to demand that Ebert etc take them (or US) seriously."

Some interesting stuff.

Then Bob should realise that the same thing happened to comics, his favourite "artform"
and by this logic neither movies (director cuts), comics (reboots) and games can be considered art. Isn't he one of the biggest crybabies complaining about Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Transformers?

"Look, a medium can produce ART or it can produce PRODUCT. If games can be changed at the whims of fanboys, then they are just product and we have no right to demand that Ebert etc take them (or US) seriously."

He is contradicting himself. A medium can produce art and it can produce a product. No medium produces only one "thing". He argues also if it turns out to be a product the medium itself doesn't have to be taken seriously? Sorry no! "Transformers" is a product, "Breaking the Waves" is art, and both can coexist. This is just another "inconsistent industry insider defense speech".

 

[Britisheagle]

Hell I love Mass Effect, and that includes the third installment but was absolutely let down by the endings. It was awesome up till the magic elevator and everything that followed.

I will pay for DLC, even though I feel I shouldn't have to that gives proper closure. If not could Bioware at least release a statement or a video that explains the ending and all of it's plot holes?

I had heard about the rubbish ending, it was hard to miss, so was expecting the worst and was still let down. That's gotta say something. Initially I was unphased by it. Then as I thought about it more and more I realised what a load of shit it had been. Oh well.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

I've never jumped onto the Mass Effect band wagon yet, but bloody hell there is alot of bitching. I'll assume the ending was as big of a cliff hanger then Pirates 2 was, but bloody hell they spent a lot of time working on it, it's not like DaVinci went "oh dear, no one likes my planes, I'll guess I'll do what they want me to do and make stone carvings from a thistle."

Point is, give them time. It's been out for what, a week or two? If its so bad, go make a mod and do it yourself. :\

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

The way I see it, Bioware will roll with the Indoctrination Theory and say "Yea! that's been our masterplan all along!" , but I'll never believe it, especially if it takes them too long to release something. Too many things in it just seem too convenient to me and I believe they're just examples of bad writing. Think about it. Just like Lost, this game thing ended up getting too big, with too many characters and plot lines. Not to mention it's not even written by the same guy.

At first, the Reapers are all like "our motivations are too sophisticated, you could never understand us" *puts on hipster glasses*... and that was fine. It gave the impression that you don't wanna fuck with them. But then in ME 3 we are told their motivations are... destroying organics so they won't create synthetics that will destroy organics? Holy shit, that's so deep.

Anyway, at the end of the day, your choices never mattered so I'm not really upset that the ending was shit. The fact you can just save/reload makes every choice you make useless. Consider saving Kaidan or Ashley. Player choice! And who cares, the only difference that choice makes is who gets to have a cameo in the next games. The same thing happens with everything else. The council, Wrex, Rachni queen, etc. It doesn't matter because in the next game the only difference is that instead of Wrex, you get a guy named Not Wrex. And maybe one or two different lines of dialogue.

I've replayed ME1 many times over the years, but I just played my first Renegade Shepard in ME1 recently, and it makes absolutely no difference. I can be a total asshole and I'll still get all the side quests and shit.

Your choices don't matter at the end of the ME 3 because they never did at any point in the series.

And that little prompt at the end of the game saying "Commander Shepard saved the Galaxy! He was a hero! (by the way, there's DLC coming)" left me thinking what the fuck, fighting games have more conclusive endings than this.