[WARP10CK]

It´s Casey Hudson himself :

There’s been a lot of discussion and debate about the conclusion of Mass Effect 3, so I thought I’d share my perspective with you here. I’ll avoid outright spoilers, but I’d still recommend finishing the game and experiencing it for yourself before reading this.

For the last eight years, Mass Effect has been a labor of love for our team; love for the characters we’ve created, for the medium of video games, and for the fans that have supported us. For us and for you, Mass Effect 3 had to live up to a lot of expectations, not only for a great gaming experience, but for a resolution to the countless storylines and decisions you’ve made as a player since the journey began in 2007. So we designed Mass Effect 3 to be a series of endings to key plots and storylines, each culminating in scenes that show you the consequences of your actions. You then carry the knowledge of these consequences with you as you complete the final moments of your journey.

We always intended that the scale of the conflict and the underlying theme of sacrifice would lead to a bittersweet ending—to do otherwise would betray the agonizing decisions Shepard had to make along the way. Still, we wanted to give players the chance to experience an inspiring and uplifting ending; in a story where you face a hopeless struggle for basic survival, we see the final moments and imagery as offering victory and hope in the context of sacrifice and reflection.

We've had some incredibly positive reactions to Mass Effect 3, from the New York Times declaring it “a gripping, coherent triumph”, to Penny Arcade calling it “an amazing accomplishment”, to emails and tweets from players who have given us the most profound words of appreciation we've ever received.

But we also recognize that some of our most passionate fans needed more closure, more answers, and more time to say goodbye to their stories—and these comments are equally valid. Player feedback such as this has always been an essential ingredient in the development of the series.

I am extremely proud of what this team has accomplished, from the first art concepts for the Mass Effect universe to the final moments of Mass Effect 3. But we didn't do it on our own. Over the course of the series, Mass Effect has been a shared experience between the development team and our fans—not just a shared experience in playing the games, but in designing and developing them. An outpouring of love for Garrus and Tali led to their inclusion as love interests in Mass Effect 2. A request for deeper RPG systems led to key design changes in Mass Effect 3. Your feedback has always mattered. Mass Effect is a collaboration between developers and players, and we continue to listen.

So where do we go from here? Throughout the next year, we will support Mass Effect 3 by working on new content. And we’ll keep listening, because your insights and constructive feedback will help determine what that content should be. This is not the last you’ll hear of Commander Shepard.

We look forward to your continued support and involvement as we work together to shape the remaining experiences in the story of the Mass Effect trilogy.

Thanks for taking this journey with us.

Casey Hudson

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to...index/10089946

[Salvadora]

I wonder what the DLC will be considering that ending.

[JBuccCP]

Well I'm satisfied!

[djplaeskool]

D-D-D-D-DLC-C-c-c-c...

[Derrick01]

As I said in the spoiler thread (now bigger than the game's OT by the way), he wrote a lot to give a non-answer.

They're just going to keep saying we're listening to get everyone to shut up.

[ViewtifulJC]

I wonder what the DLC will be considering that ending.

It was all a dream, 12-year old boy wakes up and goes to school. DLC chronicles middle-school life, with Paragon choices to stay in library to study, or Renegade options to smoke cigarettes in the boy's bathroom.

[Shalashaska161]

It was all a dream, 12-year old boy wakes up and goes to school. DLC chronicles middle-school life, with Paragon choices to stay in library to study, or Renegade options to smoke cigarettes in the boy's bathroom.

So the DLC is Bully? I'm down.

[Atrus]

It's still somewhat surprising that any group of people decided the current ending would be sufficient given the scope of a 3 game saga dependent on player choices.

Did someone not put their hand up at any point and say... we only really have one ending and it appears to be fairly bad at achieving any sort of closure.

[dygiT]

I must have missed out on the deeper RPG systems. Which Razer peripheral did they come with?

[soultron]

BioWare has too many controversies these days.

[DaBuddaDa]

"We liked making these games, I'm sorry you don't like the ending, buy our DLC this upcoming year to see more ending content."

Great. Thanks.

[onlyindreams]

This guy is the worst.

[Darknessbear]

Dammit, that says nothing. Makes it sound less likely that the close by End DLC is non existent...

[INDIGO_CYCLOPS]

Wow, classic.

[Plywood]

"We liked making these games, I'm sorry you don't like the ending, buy our DLC this upcoming year to see more ending content." Great. Thanks.

Boom.

[SRTtoZ]

Lol @ anyone who didnt think this was Bioware's plan all along. They knew that if they left all these things unanswered they could keep popping out DLC.

[Foffy]

Seems like typical Bioware PR responses. I love how he had to highlight the praise with specific examples. It's almost as if he's trying to be subtle in justifying the awful fucking ending.

[Derrick01]

It's still somewhat surprising that any group of people decided the current ending would be sufficient given the scope of a 3 game saga dependent on player choices. Did someone not put their hand up at any point and say... we only really have one ending and it appears to be fairly bad at achieving any sort of closure.

Rumor has it several of the writers didn't like it at all but Mac Walters (lead writer) ran with it and got Casey to approve it anyway. It's one of the many things we've talked about in the spoiler/group therapy thread.

What we know did happen, thanks to that ME final hours app, is that Mac thought about doing an actual investigate-style conversation at the very very end but later thought "the players didn't need to know about the mass effect universe" and took it out.

[bigace33]

He has already said the ending we have is the ending they had envisioned. He also said any dlc we get will be self contained and not necessary to the total ME3 experience. We are not getting any kind of closure to that lame brain ending, and if that truly be the case, I'm done and will not buy a stick of new content. They can go jump in a lake as far as I'm concerned.

[WARP10CK]

Rumor has it several of the writers didn't like it at all but Mac Walters (lead writer) ran with it and got Casey to approve it anyway. It's one of the many things we've talked about in the spoiler/group therapy thread. What we know did happen, thanks to that ME final hours app, is that Mac thought about doing an actual investigate-style conversation at the very very end but later thought "the players didn't need to know about the mass effect universe" and took it out.

Yeah they did not account for the shitstorm this would bring unbelievable I am truly amazed how much controversy this company have been able to get themselves into these last few months.

[vireland]

I wonder what the DLC will be considering that ending.

Zombie Mass Effect?

Edit: Which, given Mass Effect's pedigree to this point, could lead to Zombie Alien Dating and Sex DLC. Has that been done before? :)

[Zakkath]

Well, you see, thats the thing. There is only 1 word for the ending : sabotage.

I would have loved that the decisions I made and the efforts I put in gathering allies actually mattered or were at least reflected at all in the ending.
I could have settled for a sad ending.
I could have accepted a fatalistic defeat ending.
I just can't be satisfied with a sabotage of this series.

[bluehat9]

So, "Buy the DLC and maybe, just maybe you'll get what you want eventually (but probably not then either). See ya, lol"?

[Darknessbear]

Seems like typical Bioware PR responses. I love how he had to highlight the praise with specific examples. It's almost as if he's trying to be subtle in justifying the awful fucking ending.

Yea seriously, seems like he's complacent with the ending and it's suppose to be that way. Then what the hell were all the Bioware employee's hinting at on Twitter? Trolling hard. They really made it sound like, the ending wasn't what it seems and they just needed extra time to finish the real ending. Guess not...

[Amir0x]

'Buy the DLC to see the true ending'

these fuckers are bold

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

Seems like typical Bioware PR responses. I love how he had to highlight the praise with specific examples. It's almost as if he's trying to be subtle in justifying the awful fucking ending.

I was going to post pretty much the same thing then I decided to avoid an eventual flame war.
I agree with you, anyway.

[Big-E]

I was thinking of checking this out regardless of my reservations of it once I finished Skyrim but now I am not so sure. Might just check the spoiler thread and save myself some money and time.

[Zakkath]

I was thinking of checking this out regardless of my reservations of it once I finished Skyrim but now I am not so sure. Might just check the spoiler thread and save myself some money and time.

The game is awesome, just don't finish it.

[Salvadora]

'Buy the DLC to see the true ending' these fuckers are bold

I'd take that over the ending we got.

[Moaradin]

I was thinking of checking this out regardless of my reservations of it once I finished Skyrim but now I am not so sure. Might just check the spoiler thread and save myself some money and time.

It's still the best in the series. Last 10 minutes suck but the first 40 hours are probably some of the most enjoyable experiences I've got a chance to play.

[Amir0x]

I'd take that over the ending we got.

see they already got you. you're conditioned to just take it on the chin

[JWong]

'Buy the DLC to see the true ending' these fuckers are bold

Man, I woulda just said that instead of a block of text.

[LiK]

Real ending: only 1200 points.

[Y2Kev]

Nonresponds, you mean!

[HP_Wuvcraft]

BioWare has too many controversies these days.

And for some odd reason, they give them way too much thought.

This was entirely overwritten and melodramatic.

[Darkkn]

Brilliant. Make a crappy ending to the game and then 'listen to the fans' and make them pay a tenner for better closure :trollface:

[Salvadora]

see they already got you. you're conditioned to just take it on the chin

I've been indoctrinated. But seriously, I want this series to go off on a high at least. I didn't buy From Ashes.

[EatChildren]

Believing there's some crafty manipulation of consumers to sell DLC and that this response is nothing other than PR dodging gives BioWare too much credit (in all the wrong ways). I prefer the simple answers: their shitty, undeveloped fucked up the ending, and Hudson (like no doubt Walters) still genuinely believes they did a good job regardless of the outcry.

[Darkmakaimura]

Some heads may need to be examined at Bioware. The owners are doctors, aren't they?

[SailorDaravon]

Whole lotta nothing in that post. Only remarkable thing about it is that they felt the need to throw in quotes from NYT and PA, which just absolutely reeks of desperate justification and is sad.

[Kyou]

Mass Effect 3: Game of the Year Edition: Now With Better Writing

[Salvadora]

Believing there's some crafty manipulation of consumers to sell DLC and that this response is nothing other than PR dodging gives BioWare too much credit (in all the wrong ways). I prefer the simple answers: their shitty, undeveloped fucked up the ending, and Hudson (like no doubt Walters) still genuinely believes they did a good job regardless of the outcry.

Even they couldn't have thought the ending was acceptable. I mean come on.

[Derrick01]

I was thinking of checking this out regardless of my reservations of it once I finished Skyrim but now I am not so sure. Might just check the spoiler thread and save myself some money and time.

Honestly it's a good game but I have no clue how it would have affected my enjoyment had I known about the ending beforehand. Not necessarily what happens, just vague yet important things like certain things don't matter. The game was really building up to something that just didn't happen in the last 10 minutes.

[EatChildren]

Even they couldn't have thought the ending was acceptable. I mean come on.

They keep producing comics with awful writing, and have made no effort to admit to past writing fuck-ups or even attempt to fix them with DLC.

I mean maybe they'll latch on to the outrage and use it as a platform to exploit players with DLC, but I don't believe that was their intentions from the start. Instead I believe they wrote a game, thought it was amazing, and sent it off to their fans, completely unprepared and likely baffled at the response of "this is fucking stupid".

[Pachterballs]

I haven't played ME2 (own the game) backlogged - and will get to 3 but Jeff Gershmann on twitter said that there was no ending so I'm guessing this is that. Felt okay to come in here; because at least I know that.

seriously what a joke.

[SirPenguin]

Lots of PR nonsense and more proof that they'll release DLC to fix their awful writing. I'll bet infinite dollars they'll be a FO3-style retcon.

The one part that stuck out to me was the Penny Arcade bit. I feel like they've really destroyed their reputation with the defending of the ending and the mocking of people's reactions to it (see today's comic and Gabe on Twitter). In the past they've absolutely lambasted companies that drag their canon through the mud, only they completely turn a blind eye to BioWare every single time, including ME3 and DA2

You know, the company that they have deep financial relationships with, including creating pr-launch hype comics and exclusive in-game items.

how fucking transparent.

[Averon]

Is Bioware aware of the bubble they live in?

[Arkaerial]

Yeah they did not account for the shitstorm this would bring unbelievable I am truly amazed how much controversy this company have been able to get themselves into these last few months.

What is surprising is the shit they've taken for DA2, and thought they could get away with it on this game which is much higher profile.

I'd just like to say I didn't hate the ending, I was just really let down. It was like the series turned into Scooby Doo. Sovereign would haven't gotten away with it, if it wasn't for that meddling Shepard and the kids in the Mystery Machine.

[Karishin]

Shepard is really Patrick Duffy

[Ammish]

I'm still in the middle of playing Mass Effect 2 and don't own ME3. And there's a chance of DLC ending to sort out those mediocre endings?

Wow. I'll take my time really slow at ME2 until ME3 get a fixed ending. Might go through my backlog this time around just to make sure.