Mass Effect 3 Petition Raises Funds For Charity

[Frenzy107]

Andy, get back to us once you finish the game. Then you can say whatever you want after you understand and experience what people are talking about.

 

[walsfeo]

It could be time ran out, and cuts were made, or perhaps the effort of crafting a final usable story out of all the possibilities was just beyond their ability in the budget allowed. However everything I've seen and heard about the ending feels like EA made them do it. I've worked for a company that EA used to produce a project, and the project managers can enforce their stupid ideas on a product.

The EA meddling probably isn't what happened, and it may not even have been possible in Bioware's situation, but it would explain the strangeness.

 

[roguewriter]

Have to love the fact that bloggers, writers, and "journalists" trying to belittle the movement are, of course, in BioWare's camp on this. I understand that no writer ever wants to be forced to change something they wrote, either due to "integrity" "principle" or "ego." But, the fact is, sometimes you write something and it's shit.

What's more, there's no shame in admitting that it's shit. What's *More* is that it can be to your great benefit (financially, artistically, etc) to take a step back, look at it from the perspective of those who see said shit and acknowledge that, "Yep, thought that was deep and complex and not adhering to some cliche...but, yes, it's shit."

Sadly, most writers would rather stand on the tracks, waiting for the train, declaring, "But it's *my* shit, HaHaHa!" That might work in the medium of literature, but not in games where there is a much deeper investment by the player in what's happening over the course of the narrative said writer helped create.

 

[RatRace123]

I'd say throw a thumbs up at it. Regardless of why, they're raising money for a good cause.

Plus, it's obvious these people care enough about the series to throw actual money at it and want it to get the ending they feel it deserves.

And after playing the game myself, I'd say the series does deserve a better ending.

 

[tautologico]

However, demanding the ending to be changed is entitlement. There's no other word for it.

I'm not sure where you get demanding from when the petition acknowledges that Bioware can do as they please and simply asks them to change it because fans feel it's a terrible ending. Entitled? Maybe, but again, recognizing that Bioware can do as they please undermines that assumption a bit. Though to be perfectly honest, and speaking as someone who hasn't bought a Mass Effect game since the original and has no direct stake in this whole debate, I have to ask why people throw words like entitlement around like it's a bad thing when to be perfectly frank, those who have invested $180+ dollars and well over 100 hours into this series have a right to be a little entitled. They paid good money and invested a lot of their free time for an ending that can at best be described as a bit of a slap in the face. Sure Bioware has the right to end it as they see fit, but fans have the right to complain as well, and the right to take their money elsewhere if Bioware can't be bothered to at the very least acknowledge that they dropped the ball big time on this one.

If they really wanted Bioware to do whatever Bioware wants, why start a petition and charity drive? The charity part of it is even worse. The whole thing is a manipulative low blow, at best.

And no, even people that spent $180+ in this series have no right to ask for a change to the endings. It doesn't matter. They all have, however, the right to complain, to get disappointed, to vow to never buy Bioware games again, whatever they want. As I said, not liking (or even hating) the endings is as good an opinion as any other. But nothing in this gives players the right to demand from Bioware (or try to manipulate them into doing) a change to their story. You pay to see a movie and you can have whatever opinion you want about it, you can go to the internet and rant about it all you want, but you can't demand from the studio that they change what you didn't like about it.

 

[Agente L]

First of all, thanks for not acting like jim sterling did at destructoid. What he did was plain sad.

But outright saying "I have no idea what all this fuzz is about", "I haven't finished the game yet", to "This claim is beyond ludicrous and I should laugh at all this" was terrible impartial and simple wrong.

 

[Dr.Nick]

Do you really think it's ridiculous for fans who have spent hundreds of hours and hundreds of dollars to demand a better ending for a series they like? There is no getting around the fact that the current ending is just plain bad.

 

[leafs43]

However, demanding the ending to be changed is entitlement. There's no other word for it.

I'm not sure where you get demanding from when the petition acknowledges that Bioware can do as they please and simply asks them to change it because fans feel it's a terrible ending. Entitled? Maybe, but again, recognizing that Bioware can do as they please undermines that assumption a bit. Though to be perfectly honest, and speaking as someone who hasn't bought a Mass Effect game since the original and has no direct stake in this whole debate, I have to ask why people throw words like entitlement around like it's a bad thing when to be perfectly frank, those who have invested $180+ dollars and well over 100 hours into this series have a right to be a little entitled. They paid good money and invested a lot of their free time for an ending that can at best be described as a bit of a slap in the face. Sure Bioware has the right to end it as they see fit, but fans have the right to complain as well, and the right to take their money elsewhere if Bioware can't be bothered to at the very least acknowledge that they dropped the ball big time on this one.

If they really wanted Bioware to do whatever Bioware wants, why start a petition and charity drive? The charity part of it is even worse. The whole thing is a manipulative low blow, at best.

And no, even people that spent $180+ in this series have no right to ask for a change to the endings. It doesn't matter. They all have, however, the right to complain, to get disappointed, to vow to never buy Bioware games again, whatever they want. As I said, not liking (or even hating) the endings is as good an opinion as any other. But nothing in this gives players the right to demand from Bioware (or try to manipulate them into doing) a change to their story. You pay to see a movie and you can have whatever opinion you want about it, you can go to the internet and rant about it all you want, but you can't demand from the studio that they change what you didn't like about it.

Retcon's and ending changes happen all the time i.e. Fallout 3 Broken Steel, Neon Evangelion, etc..


Customers do have the right to demand companies do better. That is how capitalism and markets work. If a company wants to put out a slap dash ending, fans and paying customers have a right to call out a company and demand better. To not do so only encourages companies to treat fans like money pinatas, which is a disservice to everyone. And telling customers as an individual to keep their mouths closed makes you a bad customer.

 

[tautologico]

Since the game is digital they can go back and add extra chapters to the game, and they can add them any where they want in the game. That opens up some problems when you can do that. Yes it is a great thing that they could express the ending in the artistic way they made it. ( I don't agree about it, and in fact I really can't accept the ending, but they have a right to do it. ) But at the same time. If they expect fans to buy their single player DLC, and buy multiplayer DLC then they have to keep fans happy. Otherwise the fans will move on, and that sadly happens a lot in video games. Mass Effect is one of those rare cases where the fans care enough for the game series..

Is it right or wrong... We could debate that all day and never get anywhere. What is the truth is the fact that Bioware is a business, they do need to release DLC to make more profit. They have been planning all along to release DLC to make more money. Seeing that the DLC will mostly come from origin which is owned by EA, they will have a lot less over head releasing it compared to releasing the game itself, but they will most likely release about 50 or 60 dollars worth of DLC. It would be easy to say that a good amount of their profits come from the DLC. I hate to say it, but most of the people who would go out to buy this DLC are the hard core fans who care enough about the game to want to change the ending. They are the fans who feel betrayed, and while willing to fight to change the ending, but will move on to other games if they are not satisfied.

So it really comes down to this. You have a very large group of fans not happy with the game, and most of them feel it was ruined by the last 10 minutes.

These are good points, and I think the ending shouldn't be really changed, even if I think it was badly executed (I don't have a problem with the final outcomes in itself, just that the story doesn't connect very well and the explanations for the Reaper cycle are off). But yes, there are market considerations at stake.

But one important question in all this: exactly how many people want to change the endings, in relation to the overall players of the game? I believe the estimates for ME3 sales are at more than 1 million copies, how many people are signing these petitions to change the endings? I think none of them got even 10% of 1 million. So is this really a very large group of people, or just a vocal minority? (I know a lot of people probably don't like the endings but don't feel passionate enough to sign petitions or donate to charities, but if they're not demanding a change, they shouldn't really be counted in this).

 

[O maestre]

incredible 33000 dollars for a video game...cgi sequence. i must admit i have not played ME3 yet so i am completely ignorant, but surely there are worthier causes more deserving of a donation, like charities.

damn i really need to do my research before i post, please delete if possible my comment has been rendered irrelevant

 

[Emiscary]

I feel this whole debate needs an example to present to people without any frame of reference, so here goes:

Let's take the Star Wars triology as our hypothetical example here. Imagine if you will that we're in the latter half of Return of the Jedi, Luke's staring down the Emperor. They chat, they dispense with the cuffs, the guards are dismissed. And finally he invites Luke to strike him down, Luke raises his lightsabre- and one of the guards shoots him in the back. See he was waiting behind the door the whole time listening, the Emperor was never in any real danger. All hope is lost- OR IS IT!? The Ewok that stowed away on Luke's transport makes his presence known then by putting his spear in the Emperor's neck. Darth Vader then commits suicide from grief, and every starship in galaxy explodes at the same time.

THE. END.

Now imagine if George Lucas had the balls a week later to make a press release claiming "I really wanted to leave a lasting impression y'know, leave people talking and discussing and debating. Stay tuned for the deluxe edition release in a few months if you're dying to learn more about what happened to that galaxy far far away!"

Now all you smug 30-40 something's chortling at our childish sense of entitlement ruminate on that for a while, then get back to me.

 

[leafs43]

I feel this whole debate needs an example to present to people without any frame of reference, so here goes:

Let's take the Star Wars triology as our hypothetical example here. Imagine if you will that we're in the latter half of Return of the Jedi, Luke's staring down the Emperor. They chat, they dispense with the cuffs, the guards are dismissed. And finally he invites Luke to strike him down, Luke raises his lightsabre- and one of the guards shoots him in the back. See he was waiting behind the door the whole time listening, the Emperor was never in any real danger. All hope is lost- OR IS IT!? The Ewok that stowed away on Luke's transport makes his presence known then by putting his spear in the Emperor's neck. Darth Vader then commits suicide from grief, and every starship in galaxy explodes at the same time.

THE. END.

Now imagine if George Lucas had the balls a week later to make a press release claiming "I really wanted to leave a lasting impression y'know, leave people talking and discussing and debating. Stay tuned for the deluxe edition release in a few months if you're dying to learn more about that galaxy far far away!"

Now all you smug 30-40 something's chortling at our childish sense of entitlement ruminate on that for a while, then get back to me.

Don't forget that the Emperor first gives Luke the choice to be Emperor first but on choosing this event every starship in the galaxy would blow up as well. And the Emperor explains to Luke that he had the Death Star made because someone else might have made the Death Star and blew up the whole galaxy.

 

[William Ossiss]

As much as I hated the endings, I would never want them changed. It's like reading a book and having it end with book 1 while there is CLEARLY a set up for book 2... (I'm looking at YOU Dragons' Winter!) I can see the potential for the DLC that is obviously going to come, but not for the reasons of a petition. Or the bitching of the fans. It was planned.

 

[walsfeo]

incredible 33000 dollars for a video game...cgi sequence. i must admit i have not played ME3 yet so i am completely ignorant, but surely there are worthier causes more deserving of a donation, like charities.

Well, the money is going to a charity, so no, there isn't a worthier cause like a charity.

But there are certainly more rational things to be outraged about.

Examining the endings, and hearing some of the interpretations, has lead me to believe that many of the people complaining are too lazy or dim to understand what's really going on in the ending. Or perhaps Bioware did a poor job actually communicating the story they tried to present of the five minutes of CGI that have turned the ME Tribe on its head.

Edit to clarify.

 

[leafs43]

incredible 33000 dollars for a video game...cgi sequence. i must admit i have not played ME3 yet so i am completely ignorant, but surely there are worthier causes more deserving of a donation, like charities.

Well, the money is going to a charity, so no, there isn't a worthier cause like a charity.

But there are certainly more rational things to be outraged about.

Examining the endings, and hearing some of the interpretations, has lead me to believe that many of the people complaining are too lazy or dim to understand what's really going on in the ending. Or perhaps Bioware did a poor job actually communicating the story they tried to present of the five minutes of CGI that have turned the ME Tribe on its head.

Edit to clarify.

Actually the endings are quite clear. A 15 year old can interpret them quite easily if they are supposed to be taken at face value.


That is not the problem with them however. The erroneous plot holes they create in 10 minutes is immense. Not to even mention the ending pretty much acts like Mass Effect 1's plot never existed, which is a huge slap in the face.

 

[carpathic]

Im reminded of this Nerf Now comic. It says pretty much all i need to on this subject.



Though i have to give credence to how quickly the fans shifted from... uh... "Boycotting" ME3 for day 1 DLC to literally upending thier wallets and outright begging for a different ending.

Here's the thing though. Even if the "true' ending becomes a paid DLC and everyone rushes to get it...that's only a short-term gain. Bioware's brand loyalty has been utterly shattered for a lot of people (including myself), and I know they're losing thousands of fans by the day.

I mean think of this. We were promised a game with a conclusive ending that would answer all our questions. We were promised this CONSTANTLY over the last year, from several different people. And you know what we got? We got an ending that not only doesn't make sense, but asks more questions than I started the game with.

And if the heavily supported "Indoctrination Theory" is right, that means Bioware willingly shipped a game without an ending. We paid for an ending, and they didn't give it to us. That's unacceptable.

Well said sir, well said. My faith in bioware has been shattered, I only bought DA:O because of Mass Effect (well, and some of their other games I played an loved). These endings though, raise some serious questions for me. It just strikes me that a game that was delayed like ME3, at some point, someone must've seen these endings and thought "wtf are we doing?". I just hope there wasn't a collective group think where they all thought "Yes, the fans will love this".

 

[Iamaglassoftea]

This movement is ridiculous. Congratulations, you became emotionally invested in characters over the progression of a series.
Awesome. However, your emotional investment doesn't allow fan-ownership of the Mass Effect narrative, yes the ending(s) were bad, but can't it just be left at that? Who are you to effectively ask for a retcon?
I'm not typically one to becry a group for gamer entitlement, but this just reeks of first world problems.

 

[dubious_wolf]

Outraged! Infuriated! let's raise a few thousand dollars to force a multibillion dollar company to spend millions on remaking the game. Or better idea....
RETURN YOUR GAME TO THE LOCATION YOU BOUGHT IT FOR A REFUND.
....
THEN DONATE YOUR $60 TO CHILD's PLAY!!!

Equal parts charity and Boycott.

 

[gigastar]

Outraged gamers are throwing some serious money at the Retake Mass Effect - Child's Play donation drive, a way to raise funds for charity while calling for a "better" ending to Mass Effect 3.

This is just a warning for you, expect flames from the Bioware forums.

They arent pleased.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect-3-Story-and-Campaign-Discussion-Spoilers-Allowed/Idiot-Contributor-to-Escapist-Magazine-Sneers-at-RetakeMassEffect-campaign-9933761-1.html

*reads thread*

...they seem OK with it...

Please remember youre talking about a fanbase that is incredibly touchy at the moment. I would bet money that at least one of the fresh users we see today on this thread came here in the wake of that thread.

 

[goliath6711]

I think your demand for a Mass Effect 3 rewrite is beyond ludicrous,

You admitted that you haven't finished the game, so you have no idea what the ending is. Seems like that would be relevant to how "ludicrous" this demand is.

It doesn't matter if he saw the ending yet or not. Just hearing the demand for an author to change the ending of their story because people didn't like it is enough to show how stupid a request it is.