In August, writer Blake Snow made a contentious claim based on anecdotal evidence from video game industry veterans. Based on his interviews and limited data provided by gaming social network Raptr, Snow concluded that only about 10% of people play video games to completion. That estimation needs to be re-examined if fan reaction to Mass Effect 3’s ending is anything to go by. So intense has the feedback been that Bioware is now promising to release new endings to the game in the near future.
In the two weeks since its release, the dialogue surrounding Mass Effect 3 has been dominated by dissatisfaction, both with EA and Bioware’s decision to release downloadable story content for $10 simultaneously with the game, and with its ending. This is hardly a matter of vocal players grumbling on message boards and social networks. The Retake Mass Effect campaign, a group of fans organized on Facebook, opened a ChipIn fundraiser to have Bioware change the ending of Mass Effect 3. The group raised $50,000 to donate to charity Child’s Play.
Nothing compels a business like Electronic Arts like the promise of more revenue. Bioware president and co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka issued a statement on the studio’s official website on Wednesday morning saying that while he defends the existing work that is Mass Effect 3, feedback can’t be ignored. “Our first instinct is to defend our work and point to the high ratings offered by critics – but out of respect to our fans, we need to accept the criticism and feedback with humility,” reads the statement.
After going on to discuss his faith in the video game medium and the nature of people’s stake in the finished product, Muzyka goes on to say that Bioware has researched fan feedback from “industry press, forums, Facebook, and Twitter, just to name a few.” As a result Bioware will plum forward by making new content “for those seeking further closure to their journey,” the details of which will be revealed in April. “We’re working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we’ve received. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue.”
Fans should be careful what they wish for. The open dialogue between audience and creators created by the Web offers a fruitful transparency to the creative process, but it can also muddy artistic vision. Look no further than Final Fantasy XIII-2 for an example of what happens when game makers take fan demands to heart. That game was created as a direct response to people’s complaints about Final Fantasy XIII’s linearity and constrained storytelling. The result was a game that was more garbled than its predecessor and built around selling additional piecemeal content after its release to maximize the possible profits earned from a fickle audience.
If people are dissatisfied with art, better to make their own than force other artists to change their work.
The more I go through my 2nd playthrough and look back at the endings(the super good destroy ending in particular) the more I’m convinced BioWare always planned for more, but were taken by surprise by the vehemence of the anger from the fans and responded, butnow some people will think that BioWare was somehow forced against their initial intent to do this.
Knowing what I know of the story and being able to look deeper this 2nd time though is making it as enjoyable as the 1st time for me.
Art? video games are not art, they are an INTERACTIVE entertainment platform made for COMMERCIAL purposes. Art is a form of self expression, it is not made for conumers, it is not interative. Get your facts straight. Also to call that mess of an ending artistic is beyond ludicrous. Corporations are not artists, they only care about profits…stop using buzzwords for articles, its getting old.
-Shakespeare changed his plays due to fan feedback
-Arthur conan doyle changed sherlock holmes due to fan feedback
-Bethesda released Broken steel due to fan feedback
-Infamous 2 development team changed character appearence due to fan feedback
“If people are dissatisfied with art, better to make their own than force other artists to change their work.”
Nobody is “forcing” anyone to do anything here. Besides, its the ending to a video game. Its not like people are asking Leonardo da Vinci to draw a mustache on the Mona Lisa. Directors cuts of movies come out with alternate endings literally all the damn time. Were not talking about anything sacred. The relationship between artist and audience isnt sacred either. It can be whatever people want it to be. Since when is changing your mind to accomodate the desires of others such an inconceivable sin?
Personally, I think most of the people who are commenting on the ending are missing the fundamental point of the outrage concerning said ending of Mass Effect 3. It isn’t the ending per se, it’s the lack of choice of possible endings. This series, since its very first teaser print ads, was hyped as open ended content that you, the player, had ultimate control over. What Bioware delivered was indeed an epic “space opera” that had intense details everywhere you looked. The characters had depth, the story line was compelling and you had control over which avenues you wanted to take from beginning to end. The second in the series only increased player based control by having the possible death of any of your team members totally in your hands as you played through the game. By the third iteration, you felt that you must do everything you can to gather war assets and unify the entire galaxy in order to survive extinction, but that it was still your choice how you wanted to accomplish those goals, if indeed, you wanted to at all.
**spoiler alert**
By the end, in the final climatic culmination of hours of game play (and replay), you are given one ending with three different color choices for the explosion, a plethora of plot holes, and the total undoing of Shepard, in whatever version you chose him or her to be. This is why people are angry, frustrated and dissatisfied with their purchase. This is firmly not a group of people crying because it didn’t end the way they wanted it to, it is a group of people angry that a game based on choice suddenly had all choice ripped away from them.
And to comment on a couple of things specifically from your article:
I believe that the statistic relating to only 10% people playing games to completion, is that so many games are repetitive button mashers with no sense of story, only other levels. This has, of course, been less so over more recent years, but so many games that attempt a cohesive, interesting story still miss the mark, especially when compared to a lot of titles produced by Bioware.
And as far as your ending quote: “If people are dissatisfied with art, better to make their own than force other artists to change their work” this is both pretentious and fallacious. Firstly, few have the resources to create their own game, film, or any other high budget creation particularly in this economy. Not to mention, many of us do not live in an area with this being even a hypothetical possibility to do, but I digress.
In much of modern western art, whether it be film, literature or game crafting, it is very much a collaboration between the artist(s) and the masses. No modern American film is released without multiple test screenings, several authors are subject to rewrites or go back a resurrect characters or change “the canon” to fit a wider reception to the readers. And there has been quite a few recent precedents where game companies have release downloadable content or made whole new versions of games to appease their audience and their evolving gaming preferences. Bioware in particular has from the very get-go been very responsive to customer feedback, even almost demanding that those who partake of their products to be very vocal about their likes and dislikes.
So let me conclude, sir, that instead of being dismissive of very large group of disgruntled consumers who – for the most part – have attempted to express their frustrations in a civilized discourse that you might want to research the information for an article you are about to write with a bit more intensity. And if you’re simply posting a fellow writer, angered by a group who want the ending of a story changed, be aware that writers who care nothing for their readers’ opinions are only appreciated after they’re dead – if at all.
http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3-ending-hatred-5-reasons-the-fans-are-right/
the most comprehensible article to date that actually expresses why the game fans are upset and it agrees with your post but more detailed and well thought out….. check it out if you have not already done so and anyone else who may disagree with out actually considering why people are upset over the game …… but with that said maybe bioware will listen this time …. hopefully they will understand why their fanbase and i mean most of the fan base is upset over this …..and change it to what it should have been ….
its hard to explain to anyone who never plays the game, but the moment the game ended i know i just felt empty. the ending itslef just feels wrong too. Every other part of the game was well thought out and awesomely done, but when u get to that ending no matter which “choice” you make it just feels… off. Like really off, like they forget to make the ending two weeks before the game came out. Also this is there chance to fix it which gives fans hope, so they really better not blow it this time or its really game over.
P.S. BioWare if you’re reading – if you cant fix it then im done with your games forever… just can’t handle that kinda dissapointment again and i should know i played through the game twice, and was just as dissatisfied the first time.
“If people are dissatisfied with art, better to make their own than force other artists to change their work.”
……genuinely doubt the author ever played any of the ME games and clearly he has no idea about what he is writing :( I think people like him wrote up Deception.
also the movie industries will change the ending responding to fan feedback.
it wouldnt be the first time how many directors cuts have we seen or movies that when re-released again with slightly different endings or added movie footage. but with that said lets be honest this is a choose your own story product and even bioware has said the consequences and story outcome are determined by our choices we are robbed what we bought into and was promised ……
I like many others have spent countless hours getting everything right in the last two games to get the ending we want, some of us want a happy ending , we like romantic movies and want to have the girl at the end .If you like the ending fine and don’t buy the DLC and leave it as it is.
its not about happy ending its about an ending that makes sence and delivers what it promised. this franchise is built on the creative aspects of the player with the choices having a meaning and consequence good or bad. the ending throws that all out the window …..
http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3-ending-hatred-5-reasons-the-fans-are-right/
this article clearly defines why the ending is bogus and rushed and does not work intelligently and without simple bias or fuitless whimsical commenting.
marat azhyppo is right,about Arthur Conan Doyle, he killed Sherlock Holmes , but their was such a outcry that he bought him back to life.
So sick of these tools whining about how bioWare are artists and everyone should just shut up and play their offering, no matter if it sucks or not. Hey pal, after investing 120+ hours into the story line, having myriad promises about choices that matter, and bioWare harvesting player data to further their story according to what’s popular, this is no longer a solely corporate entity. This is now a player-company collaboration with the story writers becoming a conduit for their creativity combined with the will of the consuming public.
If artistic integrity is the buzzword, why can’t crowdsourced art be a new angle on that? Reframe the argument and quit acting like being irritated over a crappy ending means people are “entitled”.
@John Griffin: Take a hike.
True. They’re making the art CHEAP by calling everything art and everyone artist. It’s like a monkey with a camera doesn’t make him a photographer. ME3 have high production value. Game play was good, nice graphics, intense story with touching moments. It’s entertaining. A good game. But in order to call something ART, it’s not enough. The title ART for a video game need to be earned. With this kind of ending and the impression it leaves in fans, it’s….just a good video game. I walked away from ME1, ME2 with a special feeling, but after ME3, I walked away just like i finished any other cover-and-shoot FPS game with little focus on story. The ending ruined everything before that even though they were perfect. All that’s left was good gameplay, good voice acting and dialogue. It was very good for a shooter/action but still lacking for a RPG
artist are not free of critisism and are aften shaped bye those they wish to sell their art to. a movie will not sell if is not artistically appealing a chef whose vision is not appreciated will not last long as a chef …. artist are shaped in part by the demands of those who would appreciate their art. this is the world of business and the art is sold and bought on what people make of it.
Its like a reverse George Lucas. He changes shit and doesn’t care that a lot of the fans would like to have the original as well as his “vision”… Bioware heard large bunch of the fans and listened….
Wack.. leave the ending as is..
Zach is obviously a badass.
Funny how alot of the people who keep calling the fans cry BABIES (learn how to spell) are going to be some of the first ones to purchase the DLC when it comes out. If you like the ending then dont worry about it. You got what you wanted. :)
yea i dont get whats the big deal…you like the ending, it wont change, you dont like the ending fine buy a DLC and be happy, simple as that.
Hi. Sorry if this is gonna sound irritating seeing as I’m totally not actively interactive in this convo at all, but seeing your ‘learn how to spell’ comment I simply had to butt in to bite you in the ass (no pun intended): there is no such word as ‘alot’. (Also you missed an apostrphe splitting the N and T in ‘don’t’.)
Sorry if that makes me look like a wannabe spelling Nazi and you wanna call me an ass :)
Ian, No I never played Mass Effect. (;
I haven’t made it to the end yet but, even if I hate it, I will still think this is a bullsh*t decision. Even with its various branches, this is the story the artists wanted to tell. I’m interested in *that*, and I paid to experience *that*, not what a committee of bitchy fanboys think they want.
Well said. Its the enjoyment of the journey that counts. And I found the ending acceptable. Maybe the fanboys can resurrect JRR Tolkien and ask him to write a more conclusive ending.
I agree, although it DID make me sad to see that so manty of my friends over the years, died during gameplay. It didn’t anger me – if so I directed my anger toward the Reapers, taking in the advice of an old friend ;) What DOES inspire me is that there WILL be more Mass Effect in the furure, says the producer team. There’s at least one article that gives that statement, but I can’t remember what it’s called. Something about BW deciding to ‘bow’ to gamers’ demands of new alternate endings, which this article is also obviously about. Just wanted to let you know in case you didn’t :)
You know – I think a pivotal part of the ending was prior to the last battle – when you basically get to contact everyone and say your goodbyes. That was all the closure I needed. For me personally – I wanted Shepard’s last battle to be a one way trip. I mean what would a guy like Shepard do without war and conflict anyway? If they continue the franchise I wonder if it would be the same. Guess I’ll still buy it and find out.
People with at least a high school diploma should understand that if you don’t at least have the facts like everyone else does, keep your mouth shut or everyone will just laugh at how stupid you are. Finish the game, be INFORMED then comeback later. If you actually played the game you would see how the ending is not art, there is no creativity. You also would see that it was RUSHED, and made in a very SLOPPY way. Those people responsible for the ending are sellouts. I called them that because i refuse to believe that they are such bad writers. It is even worse than Lost ending. The 5 mins ending is not related to the previous hundreds hours of gameplay at all, as if the writers died before they wrote the ending and bioware just found some one on the street and came up with something in 1 hour by watching battle star galactica ending. There was no ARTISTIC INTEGRITY to begin with. So funny how an idiot calling other people “fanboys” thinking they’re more stupid than him when he doesn’t even know the basic rule of making an argument and participating in a discussion
^ You’ve probably never played Mass Effect
What crybabys.
Sir,
The issue isn’t the artist vision. If Bioware wants the game in a certain way then fine. The issue is the narrative quality takes a sudden decline at the end of the story. The ending is poorly written, has plot holes, and violates its own cannon/lore. This not so much a case of wanting to destroy the artist vision but holding the artist responsible for the quality of their work. If they keep the same endings but addon so that the ending fits the narrative, good. Bioware should be held to a standard for the quality of its art and maintain that for its customers.
Respectfully,
Daniel Keating
Hi there Daniel,
Your point is well made and Bioware should certainly be held to a higher standard of quality in their stories. That said, many of their games suffer from the same inadequacies you describe in Mass Effect 3′s ending. The endings of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire are also woefully abrupt and poorly written. That doesn’t mean that the company is obligated to amend those works after the fact though. They should rather learn from those mistakes and strive to improve them in future work.
Yours,
Anthony J. Agnello
Any discussion about “artistic integrity of the original story” needs to take into account that Bioware rewrote ME3′s ending after story leaks. Why weren’t they willing to stand behind that story?
The fact that Bioware is caving now means that they took the initial whining regarding the original script into account as well. Thats why they changed it. That was a mistake.
I wonder if the original ending script would be experienced as “better” regarding the fans who now think the ending is bad? We might never know…
From what I understand there was an outcry when that original script was leaked as well. Maybe there was just too much hype behind this game. One wonders now if even an alternate ending will satisfy the fans. I would hate to be the scriptwriter trying to envision the “new” or rather more conclusive ending.
How can you judge the quality of art? Art is expression. In this case – a company’s vision expressed in a video game. Almost every great piece of fiction we read or see is flawed in some way. I don’t believe Bioware deserves all the grief they are getting. And by giving in to the demands of “fans” they are diminishing their own integrity.
Could there be an ‘intimate’ description of being a fan? Wouldn’t a ‘true’ fan be able to accept something as is without stepping in selfishly, and if at all, constructively?
Yes – I believe that in essence that would signify a true fan. For example there are many people who weren’t happy with the new Star Wars movies, however my good friend is a SW fan who has never till this day critised these movies. He accepts them with the flaws. I think that’s what separates a fan from a fanboy.
i personally think in the end it boils down to what the game was “advertised” as being. SW was never advertised as being anything other that what it was and so one can accept it with its flaws. Whit this game is some what different; let me continue with the SW analogy, imagine Lucas had told us that ROTJ was set up like one of those “pick your story book” and at the end you could press button A hand have Luke be a true Jedi or button B and have him join the dark side …..then you find out that whether you press A or B the death star still gets blown up and the empire falls …would your reaction not naturally be ” WHY THE HECK did i bother pressing A or B ?” well THAT in my personal opinion and experience as some one who played the game is the basis for the reaction of most people.
as absurd as it might sound it is almost a mater of “false advertising” …imagine you are at a Subway and you go through the line ot make your sandwich but no matter what you make or ask at the register they give you a Big mack …maybe it will be with pickles maybe without ..but still a Big mack …too bad you ordered a netball sub.. would you not want your money back or the store to make you a new sandwich ?
From what I gather you feel robbed that the ending didn’t offer more variety based on the choices that you made. I can’t contest that. Sure I was satisfied with what the game offered. However I’m not sure about the false advertising as I’m not sure how many endings Bioware did offer. I will agree that they should have provided more variety for people considering the amount of choices being made in the game however I don’t really believe alot of those choices should have really affected the end result of the game. I think maybe you should just wait for Dragonage 3 – if thats your thing. I heard it will have 28 different endings.
yes, you have grasped my just rather well !
and i might just do that, DA is has been a rather satisfying game so far and for that one just as ME i am hoping for great things :)
cheers
and holly crap what was i on when i wrote this last reply ??@@ my apology for making people head spin lol