Mass Effect 3 Ending, opinions and feelings?

[Satxer]

But, if you look at NV, the DLC didn't really provide anything AFTER the game ending per se. With 3, you had Broken Steel, which shows you survive, as well as your friends, and you could continue on freely. You defeat the Enclave and can free roam. Not the brick wall of an ending that it was, where it looks like you just die and everything else is business as usual.

The DLC for NV provided more of an additional few things to do on the side. I didn't really feel it added any real ending. But, then again, if you really think about it, the story in NV ends with you confronting Benny.

I just read on Foxnews' site that they made it official that a new ending is being made for ME3. Which means that prepare for at least 50,000(based on the facebook group) people to pay $10 for the new DLC, hahaha! Just give me closure on my friends, the relays and the rest of the galaxy, haha!

 

[Paul Andrew]

All of those example have little to nothing to do with why fans don't like this ending.

It doesn't matter why fans don't like it, that's my point. When you purchase story driven media you run the risk of not liking the story. You don't go pout on the internet until the great big mean faceless corporation puts a bandaid on it for you. Suck it up, it's a game. If you're that offended by it don't buy their dlc, or their next game.

 

[booksandcorsets]

I just read on Foxnews' site that they made it official that a new ending is being made for ME3.

All those news articles going out about the "new ending" are completely false. They are ALL based on Ray's blog post (which I linked above) and NOTHING else. And Ray did NOT say that they were creating a new ending.

 

[grimlock2d]

It doesn't matter why fans don't like it, that's my point. When you purchase story driven media you run the risk of not liking the story. You don't go pout on the internet until the great big mean faceless corporation puts a bandaid on it for you. Suck it up, it's a game. If you're that offended by it don't buy their dlc, or their next game.

I'm of two minds on this.

Disclaimer: I haven't finished the game yet. I have seen the endings.

I can see where people are upset and angry that the game didn't end how they would have preferred. It sucks and I think that the studio should have thought a bit more about how the fans would react to the various endings the offered.

I do get that they talked about how all your choices would matter at the end and from what I have seen that isn't entirely true. I don't see ME1 or ME2 having any impact on the end (the last 10 minutes of the game) in a narrative sense. However, the studio probably believes that they do because certain decisions in the other games seem to impact your overall military strength as you have additional war assets available based on some of those choices.

Legally I suppose that might pass muster, though I leave that to the attorneys here to decide.

As a consumer, from what I've seen and heard of the endings, I don't feel that they lived up to their statements of how much your choices really do impact your conclusion. I'm speaking narratively and interactively not just mechanically.

I do think that the consumers have a right to express their distaste for the product they were given. They can and should voice it because Bioware needs to hear why they're angry so they don't make the same mistakes in the future. Rage without a well crafted explanation of that rage is just wasted energy.

I don't think that filing a complaint with the FTC is warranted but voting with your future business is.

 

[Kerr Avon]

I finally watched the three endings on Youtube, and I'd say that if I had played through all three games which boasted so much about how your choices decide the fate I'd be pissed too. The ending comes down to only being which color radiation flies out of the satellite thingy, they didn't even really bother to render anything new other than change the colors. I didn't understand the holographic kid so looked up more info about the ending and found up he was never seen before. It's new BSG all over again with 'God did it.' Ugh. Good luck guys getting a better ending.

 

[JediCarl]

It doesn't matter why fans don't like it, that's my point. When you purchase story driven media you run the risk of not liking the story. You don't go pout on the internet until the great big mean faceless corporation puts a bandaid on it for you. Suck it up, it's a game. If you're that offended by it don't buy their dlc, or their next game.

^ This, this... A thousand times this. ^

 

[Wes R]

I've come to think that Bioware/EA had this planned all along so that they could sell a DLC with stuff they had to cut out do to EA's forcing them to work faster.

 

[Kerr Avon]

It doesn't matter why fans don't like it, that's my point. When you purchase story driven media you run the risk of not liking the story. You don't go pout on the internet until the great big mean faceless corporation puts a bandaid on it for you. Suck it up, it's a game. If you're that offended by it don't buy their dlc, or their next game.

You do realize this is exactly what the gamers are doing right? But as a consumer and a producer, the producer needs to be aware when the consumer doesn't like the product or they will continue to make ****ty products. The gamers have made their complaints heard, and the game company is realizing that they are about to lose a LOT of future business so they are scrambling to make their **** poor product better by looking for an alternative ending to provide. The producer that makes a product that just pisses everyone off and doesn't meet the consumer's needs goes out of business quickly. So yeah, people do have every reason to go on the internet and ***** to them. That's how business works.

 

[Paul Andrew]

I'm all for voicing your dislike, but demanding a new ending because your personal tastes weren't satisfied? Go jump in a lake.

 

[Kerr Avon]

I'm all for voicing your dislike, but demanding a new ending because your personal tastes weren't satisfied? Go jump in a lake.

Why? Because they were unsatisfied with the product, they are less likely to purchase future products, and the producer wants to retain their business so tries to make good on the sale? How is that in any way bad? They aren't being forced to do this, they aren't being sued to provide a different ending. They are making a business decision that, 'yup, our consumers don't like this garbage we fed them, if we want more money from them in the future maybe we should do something better.'

 

[JediCarl]

I've come to think that Bioware/EA had this planned all along so that they could sell a DLC with stuff they had to cut out do to EA's forcing them to work faster.

I wouldn't put that past EA at all, but I'd be much more disappointed in BioWare if they were part of something like that. It would certainly be more cause of ire than a story ending I didn't like, IMHO.

 

[Paul Andrew]

Why? Because they were unsatisfied with the product, they are less likely to purchase future products, and the producer wants to retain their business so tries to make good on the sale? How is that in any way bad? They aren't being forced to do this, they aren't being sued to provide a different ending. They are making a business decision that, 'yup, our consumers don't like this garbage we fed them, if we want more money from them in the future maybe we should do something better.'

Because it sets a ridiculous precedent for one. Because it can't erase the ending that's already there for two. What does everyone expect out of this? a 15 second animated scene that ties up your loose ends for you? They're not going to rewrite the game after release, and they're not going to remove anything that's already in there. The best anyone can hope at this point is that their DLC plans are malleable enough to work in some story changes, if they weren't already planned to address how things wind up for the galaxy.

 

[grimlock2d]

I've come to think that Bioware/EA had this planned all along so that they could sell a DLC with stuff they had to cut out do to EA's forcing them to work faster.

I could totally buy this. My understanding is that they really pushed Bioware to hit first quarter of this year after they had to delay ME3's release.

 

[DuneMuadDib]

It doesn't matter why fans don't like it, that's my point. When you purchase story driven media you run the risk of not liking the story. You don't go pout on the internet until the great big mean faceless corporation puts a bandaid on it for you. Suck it up, it's a game. If you're that offended by it don't buy their dlc, or their next game.

A big selling point for Mass Effect is that player choice drives the story. It's not a static media like a book or a film, the player's input affects the story. Hell, they made a conscious choice to alter the balance between the RPG and shooter elements for Mass Effect 3 to focus greater on story. Bioware themselves have given partial ownership of the story to the fans though:

- Interview with Mike Gamble (Associate Producer)
Interview: Mass Effect 3: 'We've brought back a lot of what was missing in ME2' - ComputerAndVideoGames.com

“And, to be honest, you [the fans] are crafting your Mass Effect story as
much as we are anyway.”

-Interview with Mike Gamble (Associate Producer)
BioWare: Mass Effect 3 ending will "make some people angry" • News • Eurogamer.net

“Every decision you've made will impact how things go. The player's also the
architect of what happens."

Players were promised their choices would matter. The only choice that affects the ending is how much multiplayer you play (contrary to another statement made by Bioware). The end is a choice of what color space magic you want.

 

[Drewid]

Not sure how much this adds to what they've already said, but signs are looking good for a more fulfilling ending:

'Mass Effect 3' makers to rewrite 'soul-crushing' ending for furious fans | Fox News

 

[DuneMuadDib]

Doesn't really say much beyond "we're listening" and "hey, look at these good reviews we've had." April could come and they could say "we listened, and we decided that you guys should just suck it up" and that wouldn't contradict anything said thus far.

 

[Drewid]

Very true, very true indeed.

And I just shake my head whenever they say "look at the great reviews we've gotten". I love especially how they use Penny Arcade as an example of a great review. I think this was Penny Arcade's response:

 

[DuneMuadDib]

The problem with touting so many good reviews is how many of those review sites do they advertise on? Possible conflict of interest?

Saw that PA comic, not sure if it's Tycho just going way over the edge for comedy or if that's his honest view since he's on record supporting the current ending and not leaving it as is.

 

[CB2001]

Very true, very true indeed.

And I just shake my head whenever they say "look at the great reviews we've gotten". I love especially how they use Penny Arcade as an example of a great review. I think this was Penny Arcade's response:

The cake is a lie! THE CAKE IS A LIE!! :lol

 

[Jeyl]

It doesn't matter why fans don't like it, that's my point. When you purchase story driven media you run the risk of not liking the story. You don't go pout on the internet until the great big mean faceless corporation puts a bandaid on it for you.

I haven't. I'm just a viewer voicing my opinion. Whether they do anything about the ending or not, the one we got still sucks.