Mass Effect 3 Outrage Causes Unrelated Game to Change its Ending

[Guardian of Nekops]

Now, if only they'd STARTED with the T-rex and Pony, then replaced it with the ending that makes sense, the situation would have been analogous to what Bioware's being asked to do.

Seriously. The last 15 minutes of Mass Effect 3 have more plotholes than the rest of the series, and the only theory I've seen that explains them implies that Bioware intentionally ended the product we played for with a fever dream rather than an actual conclusion to events.

That said, this is just about the first I've heard of the Frozen Synapse folks, and I bear them no ill will. Rock on, and go in peace, I guess.

 

[zinho73]

Just change the ending. Game development is a collaborative effort, why not take input from the people that matter, your fans. People need to stop defending Bioware, they fucked up and need to fix it. That ending is not art, Mordin's death was art, Grunts last stand was art. These things evoked emotions, the ending evoked nothing and then because of that nothingness people became angry.

Because under no circumstance are you actually part of the creative process. The choices you made throughout those games were designed BY BIOWARE. There is only one type of art where the consumers/fanbase gets a part in creating it: bad art.

Anyway, this is some mighty trolling. Heck, I'd even say it's a proper critique of Bioware's spineless reaction. If they're going to sell their integrity so readily it sets a bad standard for games as narrative media.

I will repeat what I said elsewhere:

The ending is art and it evokes emotion - mostly anger and disappointment. If this is not the emotion the artists intended to emulate, I see no problems with them revisiting their work.

Specially because their work is also treated as a commodity by the artists themselves with a very clear objective to get money from us.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

No we are not, but if the owner of a restoraunt punches you in the face with absolutely no reason whatsover, you will inquire and go "WTF, Man?" and consequently demand at least an explanation or more to the point an apology.

The ending betrays the entire game series, destroys all essence of art that Mass Effect carried, which smells like Bioware rushed it out for no discernable reason, I'm not pointing fingers at the culprits who pressured Bioware(I'm looking at you EA), but people STILL.DESERVE.AN.EXPLANATION.

Cute. News flash: a shitty ending is NOT the equivalent of someone punching you. It's the equivalent of finding out the dessert you ordered was mediocre despite the meal which had actually being pretty damn good. Learn to keep the hyperbole in check.

 

[PingoBlack]

If you still think this is about changing an artistic vision of the ending you are delusional. This is about lack of quality and false advertisement. If this makes a precedent for anything is that consumers are much more aware of PR BS than companies thought they were - the artistic integrity of video-games in the future is completely safe.

This is very well said.
You cannot demand artistic integrity, you freaking earn it through your works.

I don't worry about future either. Hopefully, public becomes educated enough so we can have that future sooner rather than than later. And what BioWare did kinda helped that.

 

[Moosejaw]

Broken Steel turned out great. Maybe it happened and I didn't notice, but I don't remember anyone talking about how horrible it was that Bethesda sacrificed their artistic integrity or that they were vandalizing their own game.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

That was awesome, I can't wait for more stuff like this to be created. It's a very good point, but obviously it is going to fly over most people's heads.

I'm really getting tired of people saying things when they shouldn't be allowed to. Can we end this whole 'everyone is entitled to their opinion' thing and make it so that you have to pass some kind of test to ensure that people actually learn how to read and comprehend what is being said to them?

Yes because it is just wrong that some people think differently, that don't think exactly like you.[Sarcasm]

I for one loved ME3 endings and all. It really doesn't matter that 31 flavors of endings to try and appease everybody. The hole way through the game I felt like my choices mattered, and that was enough. When I got to the end, I guess it was the exaggeration of all the people complaining about it, but witnessing it, I was meh, really, this little thing people were creating such a stink over. People just need to accept that things won't always end like they want.

Of course, future game designers could avoid having to "sabotage" their work - no matter what precedent has been set - by writing good games. I know that's a bit of an extreme concept, but just putting it out there...

BioWare did write a good game, a great game, it impacted me more than the previous games. It is just that there are a small group of people that didn't get exactly what they wanted. I can say that I have have never read, watched, or played a story that had all of its loose ends tided up.

 

[nathan-dts]

Just change the ending. Game development is a collaborative effort, why not take input from the people that matter, your fans. People need to stop defending Bioware, they fucked up and need to fix it. That ending is not art, Mordin's death was art, Grunts last stand was art. These things evoked emotions, the ending evoked nothing and then because of that nothingness people became angry.

Because under no circumstance are you actually part of the creative process. The choices you made throughout those games were designed BY BIOWARE. There is only one type of art where the consumers/fanbase gets a part in creating it: bad art.

FOCUS TESTING. Portal 2 wouldn't have portals if the creators had their way. Peoples reactions are gauged and things are changed accordingly, shitty game mechanics and shitty writing are removed. Letting people do things without input is not a good syatem; you get the Star Wars prequels.

 

[krellen]

Yet another industry moron trying to use "art" as defence for shoddy workmanship.

Y'know what, Mode7? Best I can tell, you actually worked hard and made a good product. You're not in the firing line here because you're not a bunch of lazy assholes.

 

[zinho73]

If you still think this is about changing an artistic vision of the ending you are delusional. This is about lack of quality and false advertisement. If this makes a precedent for anything is that consumers are much more aware of PR BS than companies thought they were - the artistic integrity of video-games in the future is completely safe.

This is very well said.
You cannot demand artistic integrity, you freaking earn it through your works.

I don't worry about future either. Hopefully, public becomes educated enough so we can have that future sooner rather than than later. And what BioWare did kinda helped that.

My guess this can only mean good things for the future of games. Next time:

1. Developers might think twice before moving the key writer of a franchise to another because the other will give them more money.
2. PR people will be more careful with their promises.
3. Developers might think twice before rushing a project because they are reaching the end of their fiscal years.
4. And think twice about removing content to sell as DLC.
5. They might not put a message in the end of their game saying "Buy DLC" because it really sells short the whole artistic integrity thing.

And so on.

I really do not see this amount of noise happening again because an ending is simply bad. It really needs a perfect storm of bad decisions and bad PR. This whole thing might be a lesson, but not a precedent.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

hahahahaha, this is pretty crafty. XD

well played, Frozen Synapse guys!

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

You know what Game Developers, and very much, all of Media needs to shut up about?

Having critical comments posted on their work.

I would love to visit the world of game developers, because it seems like a magical place. Where everything you do is sacred. However, we live in the real world. Where just because you make something doesn't make it Holy and untouchable, just because you present it doesn't make it bulletproof.

The game got criticism. And if it was one or two people, ok, they are bitchy. But if it's the vast majority of people who are saying it... Yeah, the game's damn ending wasn't satisfying for a lot of people. Get over it, game designers. You tried for something, it fell flat with the masses. You ignore people constantly saying Mass Effect is one of their favorite series of all time because they said they didn't like the ending. Holy crap, people. Do you know how many people say they love Star Wars but the nigh Ewok Orgy felt completely out of place? And that's the one thing Lucas had no problem with keeping!

I write. I've had people love my work and have had the work fall flat. How full of myself would people felt if I lashed out at those who didn't like it? MORE OVER, how out of touch with reality would people consider me if I lashed out at them for not liking someone else's work, and I felt like somehow that could relate to my work in the future?

Get over yourselves. I try to be nice, but really, I understand what it is to be out in the world. People are judging everything you do. That's why some people succeed and some people fail. The ending was judged poorly. Developers AND gamers need to just wash their hands with the whole affair. That's the ending Bioware chose. Sorry. This is how the public feels about your choice. Sorry. There is still a vast world of imagination and game play to consider before we need to start hamstringing ourselves and distancing our fan base before we even get to 'negative' points!

 

[ThePS1Fan]

If Mass Effect 3 had ended with that music I wouldn't of cared how it ended

 

[Gigatoast]

... Not entirely sure what he was trying to prove by doing this... if he's going for some kind of biting commentary about the "Retake ME3" guys then the whole think kinda falls apart when you realize that THIS ending was better written and made more sense then ME3's. Or perhaps he's trying to illustrate that changing the ending of a game isn't nearly as big a deal as people think it is.

Regardless it still proves the infallible point that everything is better with ponies and top-hats.

 

[applesandoranges]

edit

 

[PingoBlack]

I really do not see this amount of noise happening again because an ending is simply bad. It really needs a perfect storm of bad decisions and bad PR. This whole thing might be a lesson, but not a precedent.

If nothing else they might realize making a single ending but investing some real effort in it will reap better rewards than souless Ending-O-Tron that gives you a coloring book choice.

I won't post the "color my explosion" meme here, as tempting as it is. Hehe.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Well that was as pointless as a sanded down hedgehog.

ME3's ending wasn't even an ending, and nobody is demanding that Bioware change anything. We're requesting that they change it.

It's up to them whether they want to lose thousands of fans.

Being 'art' doesn't give someone the excuse to be lazy, being 'art' doesn't mean that fans can't tell you how terrible it is.

 

[sifffffff]

He didn't need to change the ending of his game to "vandalize" it IMO.

 

[Simonoly]

I suppose it is interesting that they did this, even if it does come across a little smug and pretentious. But this whole "wah! don't tread on my fledgling artist integrity" whine fest is getting really old now.

Why can't we just treat Mass Effect 3 like any other game with a horribly written ending? You know - write snide reviews, make up our own endings whilst laughing at how inept the writers must be and treating all future products from the same developer with a sense of suspicion. Why must we demand redemption and "retake" the game? What makes Mass Effect so special?

 

[zinho73]

Broken Steel turned out great. Maybe it happened and I didn't notice, but I don't remember anyone talking about how horrible it was that Bethesda sacrificed their artistic integrity or that they were vandalizing their own game.

Of course not, this whole artistic integrity thing is ludicrous. If Bioware thinks that they should change or add to their game because of artistic, commercial or even loyalty reasons it is OK.

I get that some journalists and game designers don't like that people use the word "demand", because it implies ownership*. It is an exaggeration, but the emphasis is needed when someone is outraged because otherwise there would be no commotion at all.

This is art for you. The public reaction might be explosive. The artist is in a little more delicate position if he chose to treat his art as a commodity, because now he has artistic and commercial issues to consider - which is perfectly normal and do not justify the media frenzy.

* And I would say that in the case of Bioware even that implied ownership is not a big deal because the company said time and again that the fans were co-authors of the series. Or they were lying?

 

[Murmillos]

Great, another developer who think they can be a pretentious cock over a situation that doesn't affect them.
In this case, he isn't making a point, he is trolling for free publicity (and is getting it).