BioWare Responds To ME3 Ending Backlash, Are Fans Pacified?

Got a problem with the Mass Effect 3 ending(s)? Well, don't be so hard on BioWare. And whatever you do, don't pass on playing a fantastic game just because of the backlash.

That's what franchise director Casey Hudson had to say in a recent address to all gamers in the BioWare forums. He says the team has always worked extremely hard on the series in question, and they always welcome feedback from the fans. Every last bit of it, even the nasty stuff. Here's the most important part of his message:

"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."

Well, there's your official explanation. We wonder if it calms down those who remain upset about the endings, and we appreciate the rationale behind it. There will always be gamers who feel disappointed when it comes to "bittersweet" endings, but this is a franchise that deserves to be remembered for its fantastic quality. Don't you think?

Related Game(s): Mass Effect 3

Tags: me3, mass effect 3, bioware, mass effect 3 ending, mass effect 3 fans

3/18/2012 8:17:36 PM Ben Dutka

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Comments (44 posts)

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oldmike
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:40:15 PM
Reply

the fact is the ending has logic holes a mack truck can drive thou

the other thing is there needed to be a realy good ending even if it needed extra work to get

Also how do they think they will sell DLC or a new game with this ending

3 up, 1 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:57:01 PM

If you get over 5000 war creds, and to specifics things in the end, then you get a extra cut scene. Search the 'perfect ending'.

Also the guy below has spoilers. Be careful.

0 up, 0 down

oldmike
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 12:41:28 AM

i got that ending my 1st play thou i talking about a GOOD ending

0 up, 0 down

Peterjames
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:46:29 PM
Reply

***SPOILERS***

The whole game is the ending, I get that, I respect that. In that case the ending was awesome besides the last 10 minutes. The problem I have with the last 10 minutes are the plot holes and things that just don't make sense. I can live with the why the Reapers exist explanation, would like a better one, but I can live with it.

What I don't like is when the relays explode. According to The Arrival, an exploding relay is the equivalent of a super nova and would wipe out the system. Was this a "special" explosion at the end?

Also, I don't understand how/why Joker could fly down, pick up my crew including the ones that were either dead or seriously wounded in my squad, abandon me and the whole war, and get through the relay in the 10 minutes it took for me to blow it up.

Joker was traveling pretty fast in front of the blue/green/red light and even at that speed with the rear of the Normandy damaged, they still managed to crash/land marginally intact on a planet that just so happens to have an Earth-like atmosphere and the guy with the brittle bones struts out of the ship like nothing happened (although I can understand it if this was the synthesis ending as he would be a more improved Joker, but this was every ending).

There are other holes, but after investing in the story, you'd think the writers would have saw these inconsistencies, unless these were different writers.

All-in-all, an awesome series. For now, I'm just going to pretend the last part of the ending never existed.

4 up, 5 down

aaronisbla
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:50:32 PM
Reply

^^^ even though you have the spoiler tag before your post, perhaps some of the stuff you mentioned shouldn't have been typed here especially since there is very little space between 'spolier' and you going on about the ending, take it to the forums if you must

7 up, 2 down

Underdog15
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 9:38:50 AM

I don't really care anymore as it's already been spoiled for me, but I don't know why people don't grasp the concept that MOST PEOPLE do not read silently the same way you would read out loud.

MOST PEOPLE are capable of reading multiple lines at once and can comprehend most of a sentence with just a very small glance.

0 up, 0 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:53:26 PM
Reply

Re-posted from week in review:
Note all links contain ME3 spoilers.

OK I beat ME3 and I thought the ending was okay since it kind of wrap up the franchise with the fate of the characters and in a way rebooted the franchise. However after I read this :

http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3-ending-hatred-5-reasons-the-fans-are-right/

It change my opinion from okay to just bad writing. I still think its okay but at least explain the plot holes, give me a reason to go back to the other games since those decisions won't matter for the endings, and dialogue options for the ending before I chose. I really hope the theory the fans made is correct:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbghjn7_Byc

I know it means DLC for the real ending but I'll buy it if it means a better ending. I also found it funny that THIS was the final boss of a epic trilogy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=467pmIX-oZo

Note all links contain ME3 spoilers.

Also I should add that not everyone expected a happy ending. Its that if your going to do that, then I least do it better and not rush it.

3 up, 0 down

aaronisbla
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:54:18 PM
Reply

In a way, what he said makes quite a bit of sense. At the end of each huge story arc in this game, you do get some closure on things and it does feel like its a series of endings.

However, it will NOT matter to those who expected a better ending, thats just how it is.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:03:45 PM

I've heard of some scary plot holes too (not from the guy in the first post). Those are always unsettling.

1 up, 0 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:10:43 PM

World trust me some of the explanations about the universe are scarier and stupid than the plot holes.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:27:11 PM

That sounds like the story in FFXIII-2. Snow: "Oh I got worried so I started jumping through time..."

WTF?

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 3/18/2012 10:34:28 PM

0 up, 0 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 11:15:59 PM

In a way this is worst since sherpad proves that one of the explanationa its wrong since he solved it earlier but he/she doesn't even mention it. And in the dlc, the protean mentions they solved a similar problem their own way which is more dumb. I swear the leaked script was way better since it made sense why they do it.

Last edited by Pandacastro on 3/18/2012 11:20:01 PM

0 up, 0 down

Jeffy
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:54:50 PM
Reply

Except that's not the problem. Nobody is complaining about Shepard's sacrifice (he can even live in one ending), the Relays being destroyed, hell it's not even the Normandy (well for some it is). The complaints are not at all about the ending being "bittersweet", people are angry because Bioware boasts to us that there are "many different endings", "your choices shape the outcome!", and that there will be "closure". When infact we got none of those. The ending is basically star child asking us what our favorite color is. Every ending ends up pretty much exactly the same and your choices don't affect anything. Spending all those hours working to build relationships and coming to love the world around you. Then to have all that cast down and have no idea what happens to the galaxy you have worked so hard to perfect. There is so much wrong with the endings that it is inexcusable to promise such things and to deliver on none of them.

2 up, 2 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 9:58:42 PM

Dude, SPOILERS for those who not play it yet. Also search for 'perfect endiing' or the theory people made.

3 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:02:16 PM
Reply

That's his explanation? It sounds like he is saying that the endings HAVE everything they LACK.

There's bittersweet and then there's bitter, I'm trusting the fans on this one and waiting for a massive price drop.

3 up, 0 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:05:31 PM

With the one with all the dlc. I beat it and the 'perfect ending' and secret ending definitively hinted at dlc.

0 up, 0 down

Dotaownz
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:02:49 PM
Reply

I can see how many people are very angry about the ending because in my own opinion it was pretty terrible. Many people including myself where looking forward to seeing how the trilogy would be resolved and expected the ending to be bittersweet. The problem many people have with the ending isn't that it is bittersweet it is that it seemed poorly done when put against the rest of the trilogy and had many plot holes and in general did not make much sense. It also did not explain very much and all three choices you are given have almost no difference between them at all.

With that said even though the ending is near the top of my list of bad ending I would still recommend the trilogy to anyone looking for an enjoyable experience as everything in Mass Effect but ME3's ending was superb, in my opinion of course.

I found this to be a good read, I am no expert on screenwriting but this guy wrote a pretty detailed description of why ME3's ending is so bad.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/355/index/10022779/1

0 up, 0 down

Dotaownz
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 1:35:26 AM

I found another really great article explaining why many fans are so upset with Mass Effect 3's ending.

This is an excerpt from the article.

"You didn't hate the ending because it made you feel sad, or angry, or cheerful. You hate it because it frustrated you. It stopped you from feeling as a human should feel. Made even worse, because it did such a great job of making you feel as you should for the last hundred hours. It brought you in and showed you true art. Then denied you the reason you played at all.

There really is not much more to say. I originally wanted to start out to explain that it is not that the fans want a 'happy' ending, but that we wanted an ending that was related to the story we have been experiencing. I wanted people to know why they felt the way they did, what they were being denied, and what they were expecting."

I would recommend reading the entire article as well as the one in my previously posted link.

http://www.themetagames.com/2012/03/why-you-enjoy-art-and-one-problem-with.html

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:04:36 PM
Reply

Will everyone stop spoiling the ending? You people already infected me and a few others, stop it!

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 3/18/2012 10:04:48 PM

3 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:11:03 PM
Reply

I haven't even played ME3 yet, & it still sounds like a lot of Yada, yada, yada back-pedaling to me.

2 up, 0 down

PC_Max
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:15:21 PM
Reply

Well I read the same quote on another site but here they may have omitted something important.

Supposedly Casey Hudson said "This is not the last you'll hear of Commander Shepard."

You can interpret that every which way you like. It might just be a hint to wait and see.

0 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:29:13 PM

If you banged somebody heterosexually they will have a Commander Shepard child.

2 up, 0 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:17:47 PM
Reply

Honestly I don't think anyone would be complaining if the game ended before that "white platform" came up. After that is when people started complaining.

4 up, 0 down

oldmike
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 12:59:09 AM

true that is were the game jumps the shark

0 up, 0 down

Jeffy
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:26:21 PM
Reply

First of all, if you anyone hasn't finished ME3 yet why would you be on an article specifically talking about the ENDING and then complaining about spoilers in the comments? Common sense people.

And the "perfect" ending is not perfect. Far from it infact. Trust me I know all about the endings, the extra 5 second cutscene doesn't count as a different ending and it actually gives even less closure than the others. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the concept of the endings and what they were trying to do. However I believe it was executed terribly by Bioware, there are too many plot holes and unanswered questions for it to pass off as a true ending. It looks a lot like it was rushed to meet a deadline and they couldn't finish everything so they patched this together and served it on a silver plater.

3 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:31:19 PM

The article doesn't discuss the ending, it discusses the response to the backlash. Common courtesy is also expected.

1 up, 0 down

ravens1star
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:26:49 PM
Reply

I'm getting closer to the end of the game, but it seems that I cannot achieve an ending that I would like to because I can't do the multiplayer part that really sucks. The end of the game shouldn't have to depend on your ability to have access to online players.

1 up, 0 down

Jeffy
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:35:42 PM

Yeah, apparently it's not possible to reach 5000 / 4000 EMS (if certain criteria is met right before the ending) without whatever pre-ending DLC they release in singleplayer. Even though Bioware says you don't have to play multiplayer to get the "perfect" ending, you do. Either that or mod it with a save editor. But regardless it doesn't seem to even be possible to get it through purely singleplayer.

1 up, 0 down

oldmike
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 1:02:12 AM

u think if you replay it you get more points so you can get it

0 up, 0 down

Jeffy
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 10:42:35 PM
Reply

While I understand the want to stay spoiler-free, but if you truly wanted to avoid spoilers about the ending you would stay away from places like this. I simply don't understand why someone who doesn't want to be spoiled about the ending they have not seen yet, would even go to an article about the backlash of the ending which they wouldn't even understand because they have not yet seen it.

4 up, 2 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 11:22:31 PM

This place isn't your average place that's going to be filled with junk, many of us have known each other through this site for years and we usually keep the community on track and intelligent.

2 up, 3 down

Underdog15
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 9:41:56 AM

^ What World said.

I propose a better idea...

People should stop being idiots with their spoiler drivel.

Last edited by Underdog15 on 3/19/2012 9:42:13 AM

1 up, 0 down

Pandacastro
Sunday, March 18, 2012 @ 11:21:01 PM
Reply

Okay if anyone wants to talk about the ending please go the forums.
http://www.psxextremeforums.com/gaming-discussion/13306-mass-effect-3-ending-will-include-spoilers.html

1 up, 0 down

Underdog15
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 9:43:16 AM

^--- THIS is the proper way to discuss spoiler topics.

You outline that there will be spoilers on a SEPARATE page you navigate to. no blind-siding.

1 up, 2 down

Gamer46
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 12:40:46 AM
Reply

One of the most pathetic excuses for a putrid ending I've ever heard. Bioware would be better off just admitting the ending sucks and that they did it so they can nickel and dime us for post-game DLC, possibly a series of episodes, to get the 'real' ending. It's a disgusting business practice and now that Bioware has resorted to it, I will never look at the company the same again. They clearly do not care about its fans, the only thing driving them in the $. That's fine, business is about making money, but don't blow smoke up everybody's ass.

1 up, 0 down

oldmike
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 1:06:03 AM

true do to this and the changes in DA2(that i rented to to them)
i think i am done with there games
dont even think i will bother renting them

1 up, 0 down

Knightzane
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 1:06:20 AM
Reply

Alright i had to post a comment. I just finished ME3 and honestly i loved the ending. I think it leaves alot for the imagination like based on your choices. After the credits theres ...well no spoilers from me but i thought it was well written out. i mean: control, destroy, or combine. Took me like 5 minutes trying to decide what i wanted to do and i decided destroying (mainly because of FF10) and i wasn't left feeling unsatisfied. Its a great game and people should seriously calm down...lets talk about mw3's story instead.

0 up, 0 down

FxTales
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 1:32:45 AM
Reply

They felt they gave an ending that provided finality to the series. While for some it did the mass outcry only reaffirms that no, they didn't. I don't think they can change the ending because what's done is done.

2 up, 0 down

Kevin555
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 2:01:31 AM
Reply

It ends how it ends, get over it. Time to suck it up guys. Not everything is going to end the way you want it too.

Not every story has a happy ending with closure. Were people expecting Garrus & Tali to get married with Hanar & Krogan attending the wedding or Shephard standing on a pedestal with a sunset & spaceships flying past in the background or Joker getting cured for his bone disease & having children on the Citadel? What were the masses wanting other than closure exactly?

What ending were you guys picturing exactly? Describe it to me in a paragraph, i would love to read your amazing ideas.

The ending is unexpected, which is what makes it so great imo. Alot of games have turd endings, but unlike the Mass Effect series, not many can boast about the amount of hours of quality that this series has given gamers over three installments.

BioWare gimp? No, not at all. I just appreciate Mass Effect for what BioWare intended it to be.

Dutka's last paragraph sums it up nicely imo. "This franchise deserves to be remembered for its fantastic quality" Yet most seem to be forgetting that & shedding crocodile tears over an ending that they weren't expecting.

Last edited by Kevin555 on 3/19/2012 2:10:57 AM

1 up, 0 down

Dotaownz
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 3:06:20 AM

As I have already said I was very disappointing with the ending. In my opinion (and many others) it wasn't bad because it didn't end the way I wanted it to end, it was a bad ending because of bad story telling. As I have already stated I am no expert story teller but I have provided a link to someone who provides a very descriptive reason of why the ending is bad.

I am kind of standing on the fence about the whole issue as I am not demanding Bioware change the ending. I have not signed any of the petitions or even belong to any of the groups that want them to change the ending, however I also see no reason why people can't ask for an alternate ending via DLC that people can choose to download if they did not like the ending.

As I have already stated I did not like the ending and think it was damaging to the Mass Effect universe. With that said even if Bioware does not provide an alternative ending I will still remember the Mass Effect series as very enjoyable and will look forward to more Bioware masterpieces in the future.

I hope my posts and the article links I have provided in my previous comments will dispel the illusion many people are having that fans did not like the ending because it did not end with Shepard and his crew prancing through fields of flowers and everyone in the galaxy magically coming back to life or whatever it is people think. I do not know where these ideas even came from considering I have not seen a single person on any website stating this to be the case.

0 up, 0 down

Gamer46
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 3:21:28 AM

I couldn't care less if the ending is 'happy' or whatever, but when I'm promised answers and closure to a storyline, I damn well better get it. All this 'ending' did is create more and more plotholes. Plotholes that will be filled by $10-$15 DLC on top of the $60-$80 people already paid. Disgusting. It's a shame that this series will be remembered for this and not for it's otherwise great quality but it is what it is, five years and hundreds of hours ruined by a beyond pathetic final 10 minutes and the group at Bioware has nobody to blame but themselves, they knew exactly what they were doing and they're just pissed that gamers are calling them on their bs. Companies have always done sneaky, underhanded things to get more money out of consumers but this gen it has reached absolutely ridiculous levels and courtesy of Mass Effect 3, Bioware finds itself right at the top of the list of the worst offenders. This is for me the last straw and I hope it's the same for many others. EA/Bioware, Activision, Capcom... these companies need to be told that enough is enough.

Last edited by Gamer46 on 3/19/2012 3:28:01 AM

1 up, 0 down

Kevin555
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 3:52:42 AM

@Dotaownz,

"I do not know where these ideas even came from"

Youtube & GameFaq users mostly from what i've read.

@Gamer46,

"But when i'm promised answers"

Since when could you fully trust "promised answers" this gen? I was promised no more expansions in MvC3, i was promised classic stealth gameplay in Splinter Cell Conviction & i was promised that VF5 would one day get an online patch after the 360 version got online play. & guess what, none of the above happened.

Hearing bs like this is when i stopped hanging on to the flimsy word that is "promised" regardless of what dev's mouth it seeps from.

Last edited by Kevin555 on 3/19/2012 4:10:57 AM

1 up, 0 down

Dotaownz
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 3:28:34 AM
Reply

In a previous post I stated that I did not see anything wrong with fans asking for an alternative ending to ME3. I would like to give my opinion on why.

Generally with art in its many forms asking for a change would not be right because it is a vision of it's creator. However, video games are an interactive art form. I think it is only fair that the people interacting with your art are given at least somewhat of a voice in how your art concludes. I think this is especially true for Mass Effect because one of it's points is making your own Shepard and making choices. If an artist wants to tell a story and expect for fans to not ask for changes then maybe they should choose to express their art in a different form as in a book or movie.

This is all my opinion as with all my posts and I am just expressing my opinion and I know not all will agree with me.

0 up, 0 down

Looking Glass
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 6:12:32 AM
Reply

Bioware doesn't seem to get it. The fact that the ending(s) is bittersweet only seems to be part of the problem at most. As I understand it the ending(s) of Mass Effect 3 also has some serious logistical problems and worst of all a very notable lack of closure.

And furthermore one of the hallmarks of the Mass Effect games is having things you do and the decisions you make effect the story. But as understand it there is a notable lack of this with the ending(s). So I don't think it's really any wonder that the ending(s) left a lot of Mass Effect fans feeling betrayed.

Last edited by Looking Glass on 3/19/2012 6:19:56 AM

2 up, 0 down

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BioWare Responds To ME3 Ending Backlash, Are Fans Pacified?

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