Mass Effect 3 Getting a New Ending?

Dr. Ray says the team is back at work to quell the disheartened fans.

Mass Effect 3 has been out long enough for the hardest of the hardcore to have finished it. Others are still getting their crew ready to face the Reapers, but even for those trying to avoid spoilers one thing has become very clear: people don’t like the ending of the game too much. It’s caused a huge backlash among fans and non-fans alike. You can listen to our own Jason Ross talk about it on the PB & Jason podcast, and the fervor for this game has site director Nick DiMola asking gamers what the big deal is. Well, it seems that when enough people cry out, their voices get heard. Today, Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder and GM of BioWare, made a statement on the BioWare blog addressing the concerns over Mass Effect 3’s ending.

“I believe passionately that games are an art form, and that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism,” says Dr. Ray. “At the same time, I also believe in and support the artistic choices made by the development team. The team and I have been thinking hard about how to best address the comments on ME3’s endings from players, while still maintaining the artistic integrity of the game.”

Dr. Ray goes on to say that he and the team were surprised at the passionate outcry from even the most ardent Mass Effect fans, and that it was something they weren’t expecting.

But his statement isn’t just to let people know that he stands by the team and is surprised by fan reaction. Dr. Ray states that the team is working to try and come to some kind of happy medium: keeping true to the vision of the creators but acknowledging player feedback.” Building on their research, Exec Producer Casey Hudson and the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey,” he continues.

This comes hot on the heels of the announcement that the Dragon Age team is moving on from working on additional Dragon Age II content and is instead looking to the future of the series, and trying to bring player feedback into the equation.

A similar situation came about with the ending of Fallout 3, but in that situation the ending was changed to accommodate the addition of DLC.

Dr. Ray says there will be more information on these “game content initiatives” in April.

Our Take

Julian Titus Senior Editor

03/21/2012 at 10:16 PM

I haven't finished ME 3 due to a couple reviews falling into my lap, so I'm still on media blackout mode for this one. I've heard people complaining about the ending, but I luckily haven't heard the specific complaints besides "I didn't like it."

There's no way ME 3 could end and make everyone happy. There's just too much hype and too much emotional investment in the characters and the universe. With that being said, I would like to point out that both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 have pretty lackluster endings. It's the moments that lead up to them that are memorable. I've had moments in Mass Effect 3 that has made the game a wonderful conclusion already, so whatever happens in the last two minutes of the game is not a big concern for me.

What is a concern for me is how much BioWare is listening to feedback lately. The last time they did that, Mass Effect 2 had all the RPG mechanics ripped out of it, and it became a watered down third person shooter. This also led directly into the way Dragon Age II was developed.

So, maybe BioWare needs to listen to their gut more and less to their fans.

Nick DiMola Director

03/21/2012 at 11:42 PM

I can't comment much on the quality of Bioware's titles as a result of listening to fans, but I have a big problem with them caving on this one. They made a choice of how they wanted to end their trilogy. If the vocal minority doesn't like it or it gives them pause, that's not a valid reason for Bioware to change their work of art.

This is a slippery slope. Sometimes you just have to say no and let it be what it's going to be.

Jason Ross Senior Editor

03/22/2012 at 12:05 AM

I think the biggest problem here is marketing. Had they not made certain marketing claims, as well as a few claims in developer interviews, there wouldn't have been a fan outcry. If you don't want to upset your fans, don't promise one thing and then deliver another.

That said, it's pretty silly to change an ending just because people are upset about it. To me, that's very inauthentic, and so even if I were in the group that cared and wanted a different ending, I wouldn't be satisfied. I think the best response might have been to deliver something like unfinished scripts that were in development and then thrown out for the ending in the game, and let those die hard fans read and enjoy them. in those scenarios, I think fans would be happier, and they'd be recieving something more genuine, probably.

Angelo Grant Staff Writer

03/22/2012 at 10:28 AM

Ah, but did the artists fail or did the publisher / marketing team not represent their work correctly?

Honestly, I'm always, always disappointed by game endings. Usually the better the game experience, the more let down I am by the finale. There's just never a satisfactory way to bring a great journey to an appropriate resolution in my opinion, because no matter how they frame it, it brings an end to a relationship you've established with the characters in the game world. Considering how invested people are in the Mass Effect universe, I don't think they'll ever create an ending that brings joy to the masses.

Jon Lewis Staff Writer

03/22/2012 at 10:15 AM

Despite the fact that I was slightly displeased with the ending for the first few days after I finished the game, I found peace with the endings. Sure, the ending still has its problems as far as Im concerned, but it doesnt destroy the amazing experience I had while playing the game. I also think that the endings, (if/when explained) will be a lot more interesting than what people give them credit for. The pure fact that I've had many discussions with my friends about the ending is a credit to the shock factor of it all.

That said, I feel that as stated by Nick and a few other opinion pieces, this sets a dangerous precident for games to come. Now, with every bad or unsatisfying ending will be a flock of fans saying "Bioware did it"! This sends the wrong message. Bioware hasn't even had the opp to clarify things with their planned dlc or anything. Its kind of sad.

Its safe to say that whatever expansions are released for this game, I will be playing. In some ways, this is great because I may get the closure that I didnt get from the endings. However the overall message it sends is a dangerous one...

PixlBit