The main, key point I think of this whole debacle was that it was Mass Effect. The single most continuous series I've ever seen of video games (I don't know much of the history, but I'm pretty sure, maybe the Witcher), players were ensured that the choices that were carried across every game would have consequences in the end. And to keep people interested, they actually did, although somewhat superficially overall, I remember discussing with friends that the payoffs we'd all be waiting for would come at the end. And Bioware squandered this one chance. How many other games have ever done, or will do for quite some time, what Mass Effect promised? Bioware had the chance to make good on a gaming phenomenon and instead opted to make a quite frankly uncreative and stupid ending(s). If it's meant to be making a point, I don't care, I didn't play one game multiple times and many others two games multiple times to see someone make a point. If it's just time considerations and laziness, perhaps that would be a bit more excusable, speaking as someone who has experienced laziness but never the need to ruin something over a trivial matter. I don't think the ending even can be changed now, whether or not it should, to show the full effect that player choices should have had. But I lament what it could have been. As far as I'm concerned, the thoroughly thought-out context was the only other thing the game did really well. Appearance customisation wasn't that good, animation was at points unexpectedly bad, the class system was alright actually, I'll give them that, but no points for cover based shooting with the Force involved. The dialogue and assurance that choices mattered was really the only other thing I played the game for.
tl;dr yes I mad. I don't necessarily think the ending should be changed, I just think that everyone should have a chance to return the game for a full refund.
EDIT: Oh and as for the whole games-are-art thing, I don't even think some abstract paintings are art to be honest, but my feelings are when a game is developed with influence from anyone other than a central team or single person (like a publisher for example), it ceases to be art because it ceases to have a defined purpose. Heavily monetised games, for example, I do not consider art. Although, I can accept it being art as long as people then distinguish between good art and shitty art.
