BioWare "Falsely Advertised" Mass Effect 3

[Von Strimmer]

No, they're getting sued for false advertising, not because the ending sucked (even though it did) but because the choices that you had at the ending achieved nothing. Hell, is it even possible to fail mass effect 3? If I rushed through the game and didn't collect war assets, picking the worst choices, I would still beat the reapers.

There wasn't meaningful choices. At all.

Do you REALLY feel they deserved this? Games marketing ALWAYS promises more than the game could deliver. Why is Bioware being singled out?

I think the reason people are upset is because games are always marketing all these different options and choices, people have simply had enough of being told things and not getting them. Mass Effect is just the unlucky flashpoint that cops all this rage and hate.

Honestly I think they (along with every other company that pulls this crap) is deserving of the piles being dumped on them. You keep pissing on peoples good natures and they will snap eventually.

Personally I think its great people are complaining, it shows people wont just accept shoddy craftsmanship. Game companies now need to lift their game if they want people to buy their product. As it is with every company and industry, I dont know why game companies think they are above all this, especially as it is becoming more popular and mainstream.

I get where you're coming from though, this could cause game companies to close up and play safe. If they do then good, it will give other studios an oppertunity to rise and become great developers.

Disagree with the entitlement thing though, if someone advertises something and you dont get it (and this is hardly an isolated incident) then it is your duty as a consumer to complain, cant have progress without a few bruised ego's unfortunately :/

 

[Lovely Mixture]

snip

I understand what you mean now. But "decisions affecting who we were" is not going to cut for some people because it doesn't have consequences. To me and them, a monumental build-up resulting in nothing is something that a movie can accomplish without the five years of waiting.

 

[Knight Templar]

Let me be perfectly clear: NOTHING will make most of these "fans" feel better. The ones who weren't frothing at the mouth and spewing vitriol and death threats?

Oh, Oh, that's me!

They'll probably be fine with the DLC.

I am not. The lack of closure with the ending is a problem, a big one. Not resolving the tension is part of what makes the ending, not really and ending. Fixing this is a step in the right direction.
But its only part of the problem, the problem is large and since we are about to be given more of the broken endings the problem may even grow. That would be bad.

 

[Emiscary]

This is years of pent up frustration with game devs finally coming to a head. It's finally happened: promises were made, then broken- and people will not accept it. Period. They want restitution.

And honestly? Good for them. Maybe if everyone remembers how high their standards were at the end of Retake ME we'll see a marked improvement in the quality of games and PR with gamers.

 

[Yosarian2]

Congratulations! You got what you wanted, though. That's all that really matters, right? This company, that you loved so much and created a series we all love, getting hit for false advertising because you all didn't like what happened. Congratulations!

Or, you know; getting hit for false advertising because they lied in their advertisements about their product?

 

[punipunipyo]

on one hand, I rage about the ending being just color filters in terms of "dynamic differences" when making choices...

I wanted to say to all who flamed about my statement "wow... looks like GoW, where is the story part of this game? what happens to characters? like mass2? from the trailer, I think it's going to be action packed, but less story driven, and from the grim of the whole look, and theme, I assumed it will have a rushed ending as well..." I just want to be nice and say "I told you so..." but that's besides the point...

EA/Bioware said not long ago, a new sets of ending is on the way... we should just be patience and wait for it, I think the rage was answered... I thik we should just let the guys in Bioware work it out, and we will see in few months...

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

Extended Cut DLC: An entire extra 25 seconds of red, green, or blue.

Problem?

 

[chadachada123]

No, they're getting sued for false advertising, not because the ending sucked (even though it did) but because the choices that you had at the ending achieved nothing. Hell, is it even possible to fail mass effect 3? If I rushed through the game and didn't collect war assets, picking the worst choices, I would still beat the reapers.

There wasn't meaningful choices. At all.

Do you REALLY feel they deserved this? Games marketing ALWAYS promises more than the game could deliver. Why is Bioware being singled out?

"That means the endings can be a lot more different. At this point we?re taking into account so many decisions that you?ve made as a player and reflecting a lot of that stuff. It?s not even in any way like the traditional game endings, where you can say how many endings there are or whether you got ending A, B, or C.....The endings have a lot more sophistication and variety in them."

There's a big difference between this and "our game is going to be really long and awesome and deliver in a way that none other have." One is fluff, the other is false advertising. For cases where marketing DOES straight-up lie, they should be called out just like Bioware is.

 

[chadachada123]

on one hand, I rage about the ending being just color filters in terms of "dynamic differences" when making choices...

I wanted to say to all who flamed about my statement "wow... looks like GoW, where is the story part of this game? what happens to characters? like mass2? from the trailer, I think it's going to be action packed, but less story driven, and from the grim of the whole look, and theme, I assumed it will have a rushed ending as well..." I just want to be nice and say "I told you so..." but that's besides the point...

EA/Bioware said not long ago, a new sets of ending is on the way... we should just be patience and wait for it, I think the rage was answered... I thik we should just let the guys in Bioware work it out, and we will see in few months...

It's not a new set of endings, though. It's the same ending, but with a couple of extra scenes to "clarify" some things. The actual problem (the ending being nonsensical and shitty) can't be solved with extra clarification unless you make it based on the indoctrination theory.

 

[Epic Fail 1977]

Hey Andy, why didn't you call Stephens a whiny entitled ****? Isn't that par for the course with these articles?

 

[Andy Chalk]

 

[Metalrocks]

lol, now this made my day. if this takes action, it would make my year.
false advertising indeed. A,B or C. wow, thats what i really wanted in ME3. just give us an ending were all our decisions dint matter.
i still have a problem with this extended ending DLC. i want this stupid brat kid out. like he never existed.

 

[Undeadpool]

Let me be perfectly clear: NOTHING will make most of these "fans" feel better. The ones who weren't frothing at the mouth and spewing vitriol and death threats?

Oh, Oh, that's me!

They'll probably be fine with the DLC.

I am not. The lack of closure with the ending is a problem, a big one. Not resolving the tension is part of what makes the ending, not really and ending. Fixing this is a step in the right direction.
But its only part of the problem, the problem is large and since we are about to be given more of the broken endings the problem may even grow. That would be bad.

Hence why I included the qualifier "Probably." Also the ending wasn't "broken," it was classic, high science fiction. If that's not to your taste, that's one thing, but in no way was it "broken."

 

[Still Life]

you said something you knew would upset people in as insulting a way as possible in a thread that's about a legal FACT.

No.

What has been presented is a glorified blog where a member of the BBB has merely chimed their opinion.

It only becomes a legal fact if ever there is a trial -- and there has been no talk of a trial. The foundation of the matter is shaky at best because the definition of 'meaningful' has displayed a great diversity of interpretation. Furthermore, this is assuming the courts don't throw it out (due to it being rather frivolous) after the case spends a couple of years in legal limbo.

 

[Fijiman]

I know you report what gets views... but GOD DAMN, can we just drop the Mass Effect shit.

sorry for going off the handle but I am more than sick of hearing about this. I know I don't have to read it, but I do see it popping up every other thread made.

Agreed. It'll be years before I even think about getting into the Mass Effect series just because all this whining about it has made me sick of it.

 

[Kingsnake661]

I know you report what gets views... but GOD DAMN, can we just drop the Mass Effect shit.

sorry for going off the handle but I am more than sick of hearing about this. I know I don't have to read it, but I do see it popping up every other thread made.

This makes me want to scream. Entitled douchebags, all of you. No arguments, deep down you all know its true.

Mass Effect 3 fiasco sticking around like a bad rash. I was hoping all fallout over this was over.

Where were all of you on my other post? I made one pointing out that these over-entitled fans should be labeled as "Massholes" and condemned, but the entire post ended up getting flooded with Massholes butthurt about my name calling and tried to tear me a new one.

Glad to see I'm not alone in thinking this is a dead issue.

your post got flooded because you are in the extreme minority. It should be easy to see that.

People in Retake Mass Effect: 60.000?
Mass effect 3 sales: over 3.500.000?
Irony?

It's called a cross section of the total population. When you take a survey, you can't accually poll EVERYONE, you take a sample group. You can argue the survey group may have a bias, but it's not 60,000, vrs 3.5 mill. it's 60k verses the total user base in the BSN which is smaller. And a majority in that poll of people. It is a true majority accross the whole 3.5 million? *shrug* My gut tells me more people are unhappy with the ending then happy, but who can really say? Neither of us. SO it's a moot point really.

And even so. 60k people at 60 dollars a pop is 3.5 million in buying power. Sure, it's not THAT much, but it's nothing to sneaze at either. That much money can put a real dent in your quartely earnings i'd bet.

 

[Still Life]

Hence why I included the qualifier "Probably." Also the ending wasn't "broken," it was classic, high science fiction. If that's not to your taste, that's one thing, but in no way was it "broken."

It's like a mob has gotten its hands on a glossary of popular terms, and is stitching arguments together without even stopping to consider the definitions of their favorite buzzwords.

 

[RevRaptor]

I'm not too sure how American law treats this but the advertising for Mass Effect 3 definitely violates the NZ Fair Trade Act. Not that I'm all that worried this isn't the first game to not live up to the promises the Company makes.
Anyone remember how Mass Effect one was supposed to let you go on these big exploring missions on lots of planets but they ran outa time so the end product was far less than expected.

 

[RedDeadFred]

People are even more angry about the Extended Cut DLC?

I was actually moderately pleased ._.

The bad ending is already out there, no point taking it all back now, the only thing worth doing is making it less bad.

Agreed. The whole lack decisions meaning much at the end didn't actually bother me nearly as much as the gigantic plot holes or lack of closure.
If they can actually patch all of the plot holes in the extended cut (I kind of doubt they will) then I will forgive Bioware and Mass Effect series will go back to being one of my favorites.

 

[Paragon Fury]

-"the decisions you make completely shape your experience and outcome,"-

So far that has been true enough for me.

I think that since the ending has been bitched about so much, that I could never honestly feel the vitriol expressed in these last few weeks. Maybe when I finish it, the ending will make me hate the entire experience (so far) enough to make me hate EVERYTHING more than the hours of great game I've experienced.

Doubtful, but maybe possible???

Sigh...

Lets put it this way; if you have any sort of investment in your Shepard, you'll be pissed. Especially if you've played through multiple ways to try and get different endings.

The only redeeming thing about the end is that it ends.