[Kayla Bee]

Hmm *clicks* oh hell no. I refuse to give that [censored] views.
Its rare I see a "reviewer" worse than people like IGN. But that man makes them look godlike. God I hate him.

I love his reviews, but his "top" lists are usually meh and he has a tendency to assume he's the "voice of gamers everywhere", which is quite a load of BS. His reviews are usually very fair, though, with a few exceptions where he's either blinded by his fandom or makes a bad call.

[Courtney Foren]

Except we can change it, so why limit yourself to such a small array of choices? Why not shape the story? What if you could have a video game that presented you with thousands of ways to construct your own story instead of simply following a few linear paths? It's the future. This is a step towards that future, but only if we realize that due to their unique interactive nature and the social tools we've come to adapt that players are in a small way or perhaps larger way creating the game just as much. Would it hurt them so much to put this DLC? I think the majority of us realize we're going to have to pay for it, it is hard work to make after all. Sure some will be bitter and deluded to think it will be free, but I know better. It would help that company learn from their mistakes, make money form the DLC, and other things. No one here is asking for a happy ending. Only one that makes sense for the story. So much got thrown out the window at the end. Or introduced, it was such an ass pull. It's like they switched sci-fi genre in the last 10 minutes. Just look and read how little sense it makes if you have any idea of what Mass Effect is like as a series.

It would be like the original Star Wars trilogy ending just as they fired the missiles into the deathstar and we witness them mid explosion. Then the END! And suddenly a random space god ai child comes out and presents luke with three choices to save the universe.

The https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QT4IUepvrU1pfv_B95oQj0H84DlCTUmzQ_uQh1voTUs/preview?pli=1&sle=true

The ending is so bad a scientific journal, a literary one has reviewed the game. Called it literary suicide. If it ends like this it will be a laughing stock ending for a long time. Legendary troll. All we got at the end was a "Drink you Ovaltine" message to buy more DLC.

[Charlie Sarson]

Don't get me wrong, even after all of this, I do recommend giving the series a try. The entire series is still great apart from the last 5 minutes.

ah, well, I'll have to think about it, although it makes me really hesitant. I may just play the first two games, something like that. These two games seem to be good enough to stand on their own without the third game.

It is a tad militant. Know why? Companies don't listen unless we affect their bottom line.

That's a fair point. And I agree, I think video game critics are seriously lacking in the field of professional ethics, collusion is a real issue. I'm just pessimistic about the outcome.

People are taking it too seriously. You would swear the ending had a rusty blade come out of the screen and stab you. Before Shepard says you now have aids.

People need to just move on.

this made me laugh, thanks. It kinda felt like that when I first read this thread.

Imagine a huge franchise of 30 choose your own adventure books, where all your choices are stored from the last book to the next one, only too discover the last book is exactly the same no matter what.

After you've sunk hundreds of hours into something only to get a crappy cutscene and pseudo-enigmatic ending it's natural to be pissed.

I don't blame Bioware though. I blame the people who leaked the ending and supposedly made Bioware change it.

EDIT: I do think the holocaust comment was a bit disproportionate though.

Yes, as I said in my last post I understand how you all feel a little better. Can't help but feel sad for BioWare, though, despite everything, as they are going to have a tough time fixing the damage made to their reputation, they were still recovering from DA2 and now it seems to be even worse.

Anyway, I'm out of this thread now, I'll leave you all to your discussion on the ending.

[Chloe Botham]

IGN is news limited owned by rupert murdoch of the fox network, so what do you expect.

I must admit i thought the idea of them changing the ending was just plain stupid, it was unrealistic, but then i thought hang on this game is going to end up with a few other games in my never bother playing again pile, because i know what happens at the end, and cant be bothered doing it again, unless i ctrl alt delete out of it before the end, ive lost count of how many times ive replayed me 1 and 2, but im just not interested in replaying this again, ive done all 3 endings thats it, the others lead somewhere, im with the reviewer on youtube why couldnt they have done multiple endings to what happened to all the survivors, fallout 3 and new vegas have the slide shows at the end that vary due to the way you end it, what was stopping them. If anything they could put out a patch instead of a dlc, patching the ending, they have origin they can spread a patch through their cloud.

[Carlos Rojas]

IGN is news limited owned by rupert murdoch of the fox network, so what do you expect.

I must admit i thought the idea of them changing the ending was just plain stupid, it was unrealistic, but then i thought hang on this game is going to end up with a few other games in my never bother playing again pile, because i know what happens at the end, and cant be bothered doing it again, unless i ctrl alt delete out of it before the end, ive lost count of how many times ive replayed me 1 and 2, but im just not interested in replaying this again, ive done all 3 endings thats it, the others lead somewhere, im with the reviewer on youtube why couldnt they have done multiple endings to what happened to all the survivors, fallout 3 and new vegas have the slide shows at the end that vary due to the way you end it, what was stopping them. If anything they could put out a patch instead of a dlc, patching the ending, they have origin they can spread a patch through their cloud.

Right, but here's where we need to concede a little. To make this ending seem tantalizing for EA, we need to offer to pay for it if they release it. Or they will flat out not consider it. I want this fixed, and this is the last game of theirs I'm going to buy. So I would be fine with that. It would be great if it's free, but reality dictates we play this smart.

[Johanna Van Drunick]

When EA won't even let Bioware develop the From Ashes DLC before release without slapping a $10 price tag on it, it seems unlikely that they would develop a better ending for free. And a paid DLC ending would cause even more controversy, so I don't see that happening either.

Unless they can somehow justify it as an investment. If people aren't pissed off at the ending they might continue buying DLC...

[:)Colleenn]

Unless they can somehow justify it as an investment. If people aren't pissed off at the ending they might continue buying DLC...

Maybe the entire thing was a New Coke manuevor ?

[Sheila Esmailka]

When EA won't even let Bioware develop the From Ashes DLC before release without slapping a $10 price tag on it, it seems unlikely that they would develop a better ending for free. And a paid DLC ending would cause even more controversy, so I don't see that happening either.

Unless they can somehow justify it as an investment. If people aren't pissed off at the ending they might continue buying DLC...

They're in a precarious position. Damned if they do and damned if they don't. So I'm hoping the next phase of our movement is to wise up and let them know the majority of them will be satisfied with a paid dlc ending. This would make it more tantalizing than going into bunker down mode and trying to hold through the storm suffering the backlashes. I would say our chances are slim, but growing as our movement does. EA has already admitted to being caught off guard by how large the movement is. This was before it got to CNN/USA today news level. So we went from forlorn and hopeless to merely daunting level of stuff we need to do. If we play it smart we can make this happen. I'm personally feeling optimistic about this.

[Irmacuba]

I love his reviews, but his "top" lists are usually meh and he has a tendency to assume he's the "voice of gamers everywhere", which is quite a load of BS. His reviews are usually very fair, though, with a few exceptions where he's either blinded by his fandom or makes a bad call.

Search for his video on Alpha protocol.
He shows in the first minute, he dosent understand how the basic mechanics in this game work.
Pro tip, just becuase you have a gun and are in third person, doesnt mean a game plays like gears of war.

I don't blame Bioware though. I blame the people who leaked the ending and supposedly made Bioware change it.

Well you should blame Bioware. The ending I saw from the leaks, was EXACTLY the same. Also putting the entire plot on the beta, they deserved it.
That leak saved people time, money and stopped them experiencing the dissapointment that is ME3.

[gemma]

The ending was awful. It was actually painful to look down that pathway at the three options knowing it wont make a difference. Nothing else in my game mattered at the end. On the plus side, the rest of the game was pretty fantastic and the multiplayer is a blast! I'll just have to remember to stop playing the game halfway through earth....

[Trevi]

To make this ending seem tantalizing for EA, we need to offer to pay for it if they release it.

... I have no words.

[Far'ed K.G.h.m]

Search for his video on Alpha protocol.
He shows in the first minute, he dosent understand how the basic mechanics in this game work.
Pro tip, just becuase you have a gun and are in third person, doesnt mean a game plays like gears of war.

Yep, that's one of his bad calls. It still didn't look like that great a game, but he did screw up big time with that one. But hey, nobody's perfect.

[Adam Kriner]

... I have no words.

Leave videogames behind, find a new hobby. Games are going to [censored].
I have, and I feel better already.

Yep, that's one of his bad calls. It still didn't look like that great a game, but he did screw up big time with that one. But hey, nobody's perfect.

Alpha protocol wasnt perfect, but its what mass effect should have been. It reminds me alot of ME1, before BW turned it into gears, but joe didnt [censored] about ME1. Hell the texture issue was a problem in ME1 too.
Giving it a 4/10 is just stupid, it does C&C amazingly, and has great replay value. Characters were great too (Steven Heck was a bro). Then again, I cant expect much from the guy who took around 10 minutes to find the door to escape the asylum demon in dark souls.

Yes no one is perfect, but the man is an idiot, he also gave skyrim a 10/10. How the hell can he not see that games flaws, is beyond me.

[Jessie Butterfield]

Leave videogames behind, find a new hobby. Games are going to [censored].
I have, and I feel better already.

I hold out hope for Dishonored. If that fails, I'll try out these magical "VNs" everyone raves about. Nothing is on a constant downward spiral. I hope gaming turns around soon. But if Dishonored doesn't buck the trend, yeah, I'm jumping ship. There are more worthwhile things on which to spend time.

[Hussnein Amin]

Leave videogames behind, find a new hobby. Games are going to [censored].
I have, and I feel better already.

Nonsense!, I'm still slogging my way through all of the games on PC Gamers 2011 top 100 list.

EDIT: Most of those are old games though, oh well. TBS and RTS games still have a glimmer of hope

[LuBiE LoU]

Call me a pessimist, but I do agree gaming is just going south, and fast. The ending to as powerful a franchise as Mass Effect turning out this way, the shocking revelations of Ninja Gaiden 3's DLC plans, The death of the stealth genre (though I still hold a shred of hope for Thief 4), RPGs turning to action, so much emphasis on multiplayer content and cinematic sequences, games like Heavy Rain and Asura's Wrath going back to the simplistic formulas of past titles such as Dragon's Lair, and the fact that companies like EA, Activision and Square Enix seem to work on a 100% for-profit basis all seem to be pointing to a gradual declining of the quality standards in the industry. It's as if a profit's all they care about anymore. Everything's become far too commercialized and mainstream. Gaming's gotten too popular for its own good, everyone wants in on it, and the influence of money-hungry publishers is showing in many, many games, Mass Effect 3 being an extremely recent yet prevalent example.

I refuse to believe this is what Bioware's plan for ME3's ending really was. They may not be as good as they used to be, but I know they can't possibly be that daft, not when the writing for everything else is actually rather solid. Who knows, perhaps the employees over at Bioware's developer studios feel even worse than we do, held down by a contract they may regret signing, wishing the potential for this franchise could have been seen through to the end. But that's a very hopeful way of thinking. Fact is, I can't say whose fault it really is, but I can say that the industry, perhaps slowly, is falling apart. It may be bigger than it ever was, but that just means it will suffer a bigger demise in the end. It can't stay good forever, and there may very well be another crash in our generation. But you know what? Maybe a crash is exactly what gaming needs. What do you do when your PC or console suffers a critical error and cannot function? You reset it and hope for the best.

[Angel Torres]

snip

I agree, in regard to gaming it seems that the writing's on the wall now, look how Mass Effect was simplified.

[Prue]

I agree, in regard to gaming it seems that the writing's on the wall now, look how Mass Effect was simplified.

But look at the Wasteland 2 concept, if it succeeds we can vote with our wallets.

[Jonathan Braz]

But look at the Wasteland 2 concept, if it succeeds we can vote with our wallets.

I fear the only option we have left.

[Richus Dude]

The death of the stealth genre (though I still hold a shred of hope for Thief 4),

Don't forget Dishonored!



I heard Fox News (inaccurately) reported on the ending controversy. Does anyone have a link to that?

[Andrew Lang]

I heard Fox News (inaccurately) reported on the ending controversy. Does anyone have a link to that?

I doubt they would want to report on a "six simulator"

[Ann Church]

In fact, you could twist the meaning of ME3's ending in such a way that it doesn't hurt as much (For me, anyway):

Spoiler

The God Child says that the Reapers exist to put a stop to a vicious cycle, a cycle where synthetics inevitably turn against their creators in an attempt to destroy them. Maybe this is Bioware's way of saying that gaming is a cycle as well. It will rise and then fall, each time to the greed of the people in power. EA, Activision...these are the "synthetics" the game refers to. The God Child and the Reapers are the crash in a physical sense, both eliminating everything but giving birth to new potential, a new era for greatness. The fact that you're forced into this catastrophic ending is because Bioware and developers and gamers everywhere are forced into a position they don't want to be in. They wish for better but they don't get a chance to have it, because a force beyond their control tells them how things will stay.

And I know that is reading too much into it, but really, it kinda works in a metaphorical sense, don't you think?

[Frank Firefly]

Just finished the game, and honestly, I don't really understand the issue. The ending satisfied me, and they did it much better than anything I can think of off the top of my head. Granted, there are some things they could have done different, like not having all three ending videos be roughly the same, but it was an ending none the less.

I'm very interested to see what they do next.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoUW6B9SOWI-vQd5LEo0wRZDQZg03JFx1bFYtODc6rbMYeEo4euxpekGnX

[Miragel Ginza]

Just finished the game, and honestly, I don't really understand the issue. The ending satisfied me, and they did it much better than anything I can think of off the top of my head. Granted, there are some things they could have done different, like not having all three ending videos be roughly the same, but it was an ending none the less.

I'm very interested to see what they do next.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoUW6B9SOWI-vQd5LEo0wRZDQZg03JFx1bFYtODc6rbMYeEo4euxpekGnX

It all depends on how much you have invested emotionally in the series. Generally speaking lots of years and investment into your character is going to lead to more dramatic brain explode at the end. Not to mention as an author

Spoiler

I abhor the crappy story telling. It completely disregards two games in the series and it one of the most literal examples of a deus ex machina ever seen. A literal god from the machine with no hints or warnings. It offends every one of my writing sensibilities. Inspiring me in that I would have to purposely take the time to design an ending so thoroughly poor for my audience. The more you think about it, the more it will fall apart. The biggest one is the hypocrisy. I mean the child tells us they want to stop organics and synthetics form fighting. And yet they're the synthetics we're fighting. I see Geth and Quarian flying by outside shooting Reapers. Not to mention the series has went out of it's way to state that there is little difference between synthetic life and organic. One is merely not constructed of organic material. And that they both have wants and needs. Apparently in the final hour this whole running theme since game two just gets thrown out the window. The idiot child ai just tells as matter of fact that synthetics and organics fight. He sounds so matter of fact it's like he's reporting on the weather. Despite all evidence to the contrary.

Edit
It's simple to deride anything as drama without seeking to understand the cause. I honestly didn't expect such a reaction from you Morrowind. Seems almost ironic, in a depressing kind of way.

[biiibi]

The Two sequences before Astro Boy is up there as some of the best within ME3 and possibly the series itself. It's a shame that Astro Boy had to ruin everything with his plot hole thesis crap, "Oh robots can't work with Organics", The geth and EDI would like to have a word with Astro boy.

Not to mention the endings all being the same removes the choice aspect, something that was promised to the fans at the beginning of the trilogy. That your choices were suppose to matter, well I guess that was just PR [censored] talk.