Better Business Bureau: ME3 Is Guilty Of False Advertising
See Full ImageIf you're not going to advertise a product correctly, there's bound to be some consumer backlash. Or...a lot.
It's part of the reason why Mass Effect 3 fans remain upset about the ending(s) in BioWare's latest role-playing offering. And now, the Better Business Bureau says "technically," the developer and publisher (EA) gave consumers a misleading advertising campaign for ME3.
BBB director of marketplace services Marjorie Stephens explained why BioWare and EA did the fans a disservice. She highlighted two of the game's marketing taglines; the first involved a promise to players that they'd be able to "experience the beginning, middle and end of an emotional story unlike any other, where the decisions you make completely shape your experience and outcome."
And of course, you can't completely craft a unique experience. Secondly, Stephens cited- "Along the way, your choices drive powerful outcomes, including relationships with key characters, the fate of entire civilizations, and even radically different ending scenarios." That isn't entirely true, either. And at the end of the day, companies need to be careful:
"The lesson to be learned here is companies should give careful consideration to how they word their advertisements. Otherwise, there could be detrimental effects, especially in the era of social media and online forums."
Oh, it has been detrimental, all right.
Related Game(s): Mass Effect 3
Tags: me3, mass effect 3, bioware, mass effect 3 endings, bbb
4/11/2012 8:18:42 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (80 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 10:12:16 PM
2 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 10:32:41 PM
And nothing beat the NG endings back in the day.
Sweet sweet Irene Lew... My first love =p
3 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 10:33:22 PM
1 up, 0 down
telly
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:49:50 AM
That said, I'm making a conscious effort to not let them get me down. They wanna hate on one of the best games ever because the ending wasn't what they wanted(which still has FREE ending DLC coming this summer and surely plenty of other "epilogue" stuff in the pipeline as well) they can go ahead and be bitter. Not me. I loved the game way too much to be upset :)
2 up, 6 down
Palpatations911
Friday, April 13, 2012 @ 1:16:57 AM
What does that have to do with the article?
Fans filed legitimate complaints. Bioware stated that the decisions made throughout all 3 titles would have an impact on your personal experience and the ending. The decisions did not have any impact.
They took thousands, or even millions of possible combinations of decisions and actions that could be taken throughout all 3 games and consolidated them all in to 3 endings that varied only slightly.
Last edited by Palpatations911 on 4/13/2012 1:26:57 AM
2 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 9:24:19 PM
Reply
Actually it is true. That stuff happens through out the games and at the end, a lot. So... That's not a very valid point. With out giving away any spoilers I'll leave it at that.
With that said I really haven't experienced much of this type of thing before, and never did I expect the BBB to be involved. This is getting crazy!
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/11/2012 10:10:11 PM
3 up, 6 down
oldmike
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 9:50:07 PM
be see that part is not
6 up, 2 down
bigrailer19
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 11:52:11 PM
I'll start by saying different ending scenarios doesn't necessarily in my mind have to be limited to the actual endings of the game. But rather could also be the end of a relationship or the end of a battle or dialogue sequence and depending what you do there are drastic differences, like for example the "fate of civilizations". The endings of the game also could change drastically by your choices. There's a lot of different outcomes in ME2 from Survivors to choices u made. Same goes for ME3, whatever choice you make is "drastically" different from eachother.
3 up, 5 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 8:36:37 AM
I know that Bioware views the entire game as an ending. But this I believe constitutes a massive creative miscalculation on their part. Because this "ending" still has an ending. In which case the issue is not with the ending per se but with the ending of the ending.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 8:36:49 AM
9 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 8:42:08 AM
1 up, 7 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:21:11 AM
Oh sure. Multi-colored explosions. If that's Bioware's idea of "wildly different" endings then I think it's safe to say that they've probably got issues.
7 up, 1 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 10:20:33 AM
1 up, 3 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 10:40:15 AM
But you see that's exactly the problem, or one of the problems to be more specific. The players are not allowed to actually see the fruits of their labor. And that is the problem. The players are ultimately denied the satisfaction of seeing how their choices mattered. And that in turn ultimately means that their choices ultimately don't matter because there's no pay off. The players don't get rewarded with any ACTUAL CONTENT. All the players actually get for all their hard work is multi-colored explosions.
Or let me put it another way. Aftermath? What aftermath? There is no aftermath because there is no such content in the game. All there is is multi-colored explosions and an unsatisfying scene with two nameless characters nobody has seen or heard from before (a grandfather and a grandchild). And no your choices don't effect the galaxy because there is no such content in the game.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 10:56:53 AM
5 up, 0 down
xenris
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:10:55 AM
We only know of the aftermath because people are speculating what they think happened, and the strategy guides on IGN and other sites state the tiny differences that your galactic readiness effected. Which is why the ending is so confusing and people were really hoping that it was the indoctrination theory at play, which I think has been confirmed it isn't. Which in turn creates another problem. That readiness is more important for the ending of the ending than any choices that you made in ME1 or ME2 heck even in ME3.
It was an expectation thing too. People were hoping that choices they made in ME1 came back to save or bite them in the butt in the ending of ME3, why? Because thats what they were sort of promised.
SPOILER**************************************
Also as for aftermath. The relays all exploded, which means according to ME2 Arrival DLC that the star system with the relay in it gets utterly obliterated. So you can infer that there is no tangible galaxy left, and shepard essentially destroyed more than the reapers ever were going too. However, you see the crew alive after so, someone at Bioware bent the rules a little bit, and disregarded previously established lore(which isn't a first ME2 did this a bunch) in order for your crew to crash land on a planet.
END SPOILERS********************************
Even if the whole game of ME3 is considered the ending of the trilogy, they could have been more clear. Either way it was sort of misdirection and not clear enough for the fans you know? I'm sure no one who read and heard the promises about the ending assumed that they were talking about the whole game and not the finale of the game.
4 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:28:11 AM
But your choices are clear, very clear in fact. Even though you don't see the outcome, you know what the outcome is, you just don't see how it affects the galaxies and races, organics and synthetics (which yes is very unfortunate). But you are given three choices and you know what the conclusion of them is. That is how you make your final decision, because you know what they are. The unfortunate thing is we don't get to see them played out. But the game doesn't say "pick a path" and sends you in blind. You know up front what your choices are and how it will and could affect the galaxies. That's all I'm saying. My argument isnt about Biowares approach to how they concluded the game, only that there is in fact choice, with distinctly different outcomes.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/12/2012 11:37:35 AM
1 up, 7 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:39:02 AM
No. Actually there are no outcomes. There are just hints and implications of outcomes. But there are no actual outcomes. There is no actual content to that effect.
And we don't actually know anything either. All we have is evidence, theories, and speculation. But we don't actually know anything because there is no actual content to that effect.
8 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 12:09:02 PM
I'm not arguing with you, I just don't think we are talking abiut the same things. I'm talking about the fact that there are distinct choices to be made. You're talking about us not knowing what the outcomes are.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/12/2012 12:15:07 PM
1 up, 3 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 12:24:45 PM
Ahh. Perhaps the key words here are "would have". Maybe the choices would have outcomes. They would have but they DON'T.
And the problem isn't that there are no choices or that you don't know what those choices are. You do have choices. But problem is that your choices ultimately don't matter.
You get to choose what color those explosions are. That's it. Your choice doesn't have any other effect.
Why? Because there is NO CONTENT to that effect. Your choice doesn't effect any other content in the game.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 12:28:23 PM
4 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 12:56:12 PM
I've agreed with you in regards to there not being any content and for some reason you aren't seeing that either.
Bottom line is, you have 3 choices and it's very safe to assume what will happen when you make one of those choices because they are explained, very clearly! That's all I'm saying! I don't care about arguing if there is content to show the extent of the choice because that's a different argument! Which I've agreed with you on.
1 up, 3 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 1:20:16 PM
You have been claiming that there are distinctly different outcomes. But unless you're referring to the different color explosions this just isn't true. It doesn't matter how well defined or explained the choices are because no matter what choice you make the only thing that gets effected is the color of the explosions.
And I'm not talking about us not knowing what the outcomes are because there are no outcomes. There are multi-colored explosions and that unsatisfying grandfather scene. And that is one of numerous reasons why the fans are so unhappy.
3 up, 0 down
Pandacastro
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 2:25:44 PM
1 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 2:55:15 PM
Actually I believe what you're referring to is EMS, or Effective Military Strength. You're EMS rating is essentially War assets x Galactic Readiness.
And what your EMS rating basically determines is what choices you have available to you when the time for the final decision comes. But the thing is as far as I know with all the possible choices the endings are still nearly identical and use over 90 percent of the same assets.
So essentially the EMS rating is just a tool for giving yourself choices. But even so no matter what choice you make the difference is minimal and your choices ultimately don't matter.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 2:56:31 PM
0 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 3:21:49 PM
I know that, I'm not talking about the immediate ending, cutscenes and what happens to the crew and what not. I'm talking about th lasting impact that one of your 3 choices at the end would have on the galaxy!
Glass-
Ok again I agree with you that Bioware did not present any outcomes! I have been saying that!
Let me put it this way, anyone open minded enough to understand the choices they made at the end of the game can comprehend what would have happened, and they are all different.
Does it suck that Bioware didn't expand on the outcomes? Your da** right it does.
But all I've been talking about this whole time was that there is choice and with each different choice a different outcome WOULD represent it.
This is to both of you- throughout my comments I've also been referring to not just the ME3 ending. I'm also referring to general Choices through out all the games, that you would make through dialogue for example, that would have different outcomes. Take that as you will.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/12/2012 3:28:53 PM
1 up, 2 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 3:52:48 PM
But you see it doesn't matter what WOULD or WOULD HAVE happened. What matters is what DID happen. And what did happen? Nothing. It's not that Bioware didn't expand on the outcomes. It's that there are no outcomes. You can't expand on something that doesn't exist.
And why don't the "woulds" and "would haves" matter? Because they only exist in people's heads. They don't exist in the actual game (this is what I mean by no content). And if something doesn't exist in the actual game and it's not acknowledged or established by the original creator or creators then by all means it's little more than fan fiction. And this is still true no matter how well it fits with the actual source material. It's still not part of the actual game and the actual story.
Maybe that kind of thing is good enough for you personally but it was apparently not good enough for most of the Mass Effect fans. They didn't want stuff that exists only in their own heads. They wanted their choices to be reflected in the ACTUAL GAME. And this is something that Bioware had been leading them to believe would happen. And ultimately that is just not what happened.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 3:59:14 PM
1 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 4:39:00 PM
You're gonna make my head explode. On one level I sense we are on the same page but then you go back to, Bioware didn't conclude the endings witch I'm assuming what you want is a long cut-scene maybe?
All I know is I made a choice at the end of the game, I knew what was going to happen to the reapers, the mass relays, the organics, and the synthetics. I didn't know which would have been nice, yes, is how it shaped the galaxies for the future.
1 up, 2 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 4:52:28 PM
Well I think a more accurate or precise way of putting it would be that you knew what the implications of your choice were. It really is too bad that Bioware just gave us implications and little else. I suspect that EA deliberately had Bioware end Mass Effect 3 in this way so as to leave the door open for future content (like another Mass Effect game for example) so that they can milk the franchise as much as they can for as long as they can.
1 up, 1 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 5:36:20 PM
But let's end that now, and I will agree that looking back they did sort of leave the door open. But I think with what is releasing this summer, the "extended cut" maybe that will close that door.
0 up, 2 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 5:48:51 PM
I'll put it a different way. I think you know what's SUPPOSED to happen as a result of your choice. But there's just one problem. Nothing actually happened. Maybe something will happen whenever Bioware gets around to making content to that effect. But for now all we have are implications.
1 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 7:32:14 PM
I'm obviously thinking about it differently than you.
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 8:04:18 PM
The choice and the color are precursors to an outcome at best. There currently is no outcome.
0 up, 0 down
xenris
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:24:19 PM
Now, bigrailer I will explain what I think about it. The problem is, your told the outcome of each of the three choices. BUT, that means that each outcome is the same, because when all the relays go down, everyone is basically going to die who are in systems that were near earth. Earth is SCREWED no matter what. Problem is maybe this is false, maybe Bioware will retcon what happens when a relay explodes, which they obviously did or else joker would have been annihilated in the blast.
So you see, thats why the ending really irks me. Also before we knew the ending was to be taken at face value and not some indoctrination theory it was even more confusing what actually happened in the end.
So while you can assume the ending and outcome of each explosion choice, its so vague and terrible and contradicting in lore that people who look at it critically can't help but shout a big ol WTF.
0 up, 0 down
Palpatations911
Friday, April 13, 2012 @ 1:36:07 AM
1 up, 0 down
Geobaldi
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 9:27:03 PM
Reply
5 up, 0 down
inkme101
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 10:06:51 PM
4 up, 0 down
anjpikapp3
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 3:50:54 PM
0 up, 0 down
kraygen
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 9:37:54 PM
Reply
7 up, 2 down
oldmike
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 9:52:13 PM
the 2ed one was a good 1/2 year before it started dropping
1 up, 0 down
oldmike
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 10:09:36 PM
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/mass-effect-3-xbox-360-english-only/10072668?trail=SRCH%3Axbox+rgb&fromPLP=true&ancestorID=alldept&searchString=xbox+rgb&moduleName=S0011&startSearch=yes&fromSearchBox=true&addFacet=SRCH%3Axbox+rgb
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 12:48:21 AM
1 up, 1 down
kraygen
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 3:32:04 AM
Unless of course I don't enjoy the game and then I feel better about it because I didn't pay as much. I may play my games a year after a lot of people, but I always get 3 games for the price of one and I only buy them new so my money still goes to the developer.
3 up, 0 down
telly
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:52:07 AM
0 up, 3 down
xenris
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:13:50 AM
I'm just curious if you are aware of the actual and factual plot holes with the ending, or if you didn't pick up on them.
2 up, 1 down
telly
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:31:58 AM
2 up, 3 down
xenris
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:26:38 PM
If the answer is yes then, cool your satisfied with whatever is put in front of you good job. But you really have no grounds to call people whiners when you clearly didn't really care about the fine details of the series.
0 up, 1 down
Clamedeus
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 10:11:30 PM
Reply
5 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 10:14:42 PM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 8:25:04 AM
1 up, 2 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 8:43:41 AM
3 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:28:37 AM
2 up, 1 down
telly
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:57:02 AM
That said, the graphics, missions and yes, the choices in ME3 are all sublime :) Look forward to reading your thoughts.
0 up, 2 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 10:23:16 AM
1 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:03:41 AM
Maybe you personally didn't encounter any such problems but the same is not true for others.
Shortly after the game was released there were a number of players reporting that they were having problems with the character import feature.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Just go to google and type in "Mass Effect 3 character import" or something and see for yourself.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 11:06:18 AM
2 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:29:29 AM
0 up, 0 down
SirLoin of Beef
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 1:14:28 PM
I got ME3 the day it was released and imported my Shepard that I first made back in the day when ME came out, and had no issues with the character. There might have been some issues importing but it did work, at least for some.
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 1:41:43 PM
Oh I'm well aware of that. I never actually said that this issue effected all the players (although I admit that I might have implied that), just a number of them. Although I gather that it was a significant number.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 1:42:24 PM
1 up, 0 down
gray_eagle
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 11:00:38 PM
Reply
just to be clear,
my comment is'nt aimed at psxe or anyone here
4 up, 4 down
Maruf
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 12:50:43 AM
Reply
Correct me if I'm wrong but my thought is that those who actually liked the game's ending started another profile for another playthrough and of course there is the multiplayer as well. What I'm saying is that most of the haters were ranting online while very few from the group that liked the ending countered them online since they were very busy playing the game. If there is a site where you vote to request a new ending, is it not safe to assume that only those who did not like the end went there to vote? I think this extended cut was unnecessary.
I loved how much room for interpretation and imagination the game left for us. That is in fact what I liked about the whole series
1 up, 4 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 1:25:44 AM
0 up, 1 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:24:34 AM
Last edited by Looking Glass on 4/12/2012 9:30:57 AM
3 up, 0 down
xenris
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:19:01 AM
This site the poll was quite different from practically every other website. Most of the readers of this site were satisfied, but CNET, Bioware social forum, and another one I don't remember where I saw it, basically were like 70-90 people wanting something more from the ending or flat out thinking it was crapola.
As for interpretation, yeah those types of endings are amazing for some games, Shadow of the Colossus was a great one and I had lots of fun theorizing on gamefaqs with other people. However, you don't make a character driven RPG about choice and consiquence, market and sell the game on the promise of your choices changing the trilogies conclusion, and then create an ending that causes wild speculation :P
3 up, 0 down
Gabriel013
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 2:07:41 AM
Reply
Taking the ending videos I've seen at face value and not associating the indoctrination approach, I do wonder which one of the choices will become cannon for ME4.
Last edited by Gabriel013 on 4/12/2012 2:08:21 AM
0 up, 1 down
telly
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:59:17 AM
0 up, 0 down
xenris
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:21:16 AM
2 up, 0 down
___________
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 5:15:42 AM
Reply
thats EXACTLY the problem with almost every single game this gen!
if i had a nickel for every time a developer promised something then did not deliver i would be 10 times worlds riches man by now!
exactly why almost every game this gen is a massive disappointment!
simply because the developers promise things then dont deliver on them!
if someone said to you on your 50th bday im buying you a ferrari, then bought you a suzuki instead wouldent you be disappointed?
developers need to start watching what they say and only say something if there actually going to do it!
sigh, gone are the days where false advertisement was illegal!
4 up, 2 down
PC_Max
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 7:31:42 AM
Reply
And with the DLC that is coming out, a whole new wave of complaining I can imagine is coming. From what I have read, the ending is not being changed to any extent other than filling in plot holes. I thought maybe Bioware secretly planned to release and extended ending that MAY lead to another game, but it looks like that might be a mistake on my part.
That all said this is getting old and the complaints on both sides of the issue should let thing go, lets all move on to the next games that are coming out and lessons learned.
Have not played ME3 yet, waiting to see what DLC is coming for it. Probably wait until next Xmas.
1 up, 1 down
Looking Glass
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 8:38:04 AM
Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M0Cf864P7E
2 up, 0 down
DeathOfChaos
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:08:11 AM
Reply
5 up, 7 down
Underdog15
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:18:11 AM
Reply
but then I realized...
Didn't a lot of us all call BS when they said you could completely shape everything? There's no way a game for XBOX could be that in depth.
3 up, 5 down
pillz81
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 11:25:33 AM
1 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 1:52:54 PM
Reply
1 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 2:19:05 PM
1 up, 0 down
Maruf
Friday, April 13, 2012 @ 3:04:11 PM
Reply
It is one thing to come up with a story for a game but the next steps are not so simple. Would we face this debacle if the developer had more time to connect the dots in the story. Making a story based game is not so easy as there are too many people involved in the story writing in my opinion, or at least such is the case with ME3 according to one of the developer diaries vidoes.
The other factor is the publisher. I suspect EA provides the developers with very strict deadline. This is a result of their business targets they set to achieve. I don't know for sure but I suspect that this may be the major cause that prevented ME3 from getting a fantastic ending. I wonder what the game would be like if they had six more months. Or maybe I'm wrong and bioware really lost it in the end - but I very much doubt that is the case.
I think publishers should give developers more time to develop story based games as compared to games that are lighter on plot. I mean Mass effect series is huge. There is a lot of figuring out to do with the story of such scope. Also you can't just make the ending first and do the first parts later. So the ending may have become rushed than earlier parts of the game. I have been worried since the time the announced the ME3's release date. I was so worried that the time is too short. Too bad it appears that I was right.
0 up, 0 down
SS4
Sunday, April 15, 2012 @ 11:22:27 PM
Reply
1 up, 1 down
Bariikade
Monday, April 16, 2012 @ 7:16:05 AM
Reply
Spolier.......................
The mass relays are destroyed no matter what ending you pick and you don't know what happens to the races of the ME universe. Also they add a cliff hanger, depending on what ending you pick you see Shepard alive in what appears to be rubble on Earth. I know their's the Grandad and Grandson moment but what happened inbetween Shepards last moment (Or is it?) and that end scene? They all end in the same way, Shepard makes a choice and it ends with a reference to him becoming some kind of legend.
1 up, 0 down
TheIllusiveMan
Reply
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 @ 9:24:12 PM