Mass Effect 3???

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

And, there we go. Bioware announces a free DLC coming this summer to clarify the ending. Good stuff.

doesn't matter how much you clarify a crappy ending. you can explain a turd all you want, it's still going to be a turd. if they had gone with an alternate indoctrination ending and gotten rid of the star child and doors 1, 2, and 3, i would have gotten excited

[Luder]

http://news.ea.com/portal/site/ea/in...04&newsLang=en

BioWare, a Label of Electronic Arts Inc. announced Mass Effect™ 3: Extended Cut, a downloadable content pack that will expand upon the events at the end of the critically acclaimed Action RPG. Through additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will give fans seeking further clarity to the ending of Mass Effect 3 deeper insights into how their personal journey concludes. Coming this summer, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will be available for download on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC for no extra charge*.

meh

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Only just finished the genophage mission, and enjoying the game, but from what I've gathered about the ending I'd say that gif is more EA (in the blue coat) directing as BioWare punts Mass Effect fans (and BioWare fans generally) into the river.

[Luder]

Officially from Bioware

http://blog.bioware.com/2012/04/05/m...-extended-cut/

Here is a mini FAQ to help you understand what the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut is and isn’t:
What can fans expect from the Extended Cut DLC?

• For fans who want more closure in Mass Effect 3, the DLC will offer extended scenes that provide additional context and deeper insight to the conclusion of Commander Shepard’s journey.

Are there going to be more/different endings or ending DLCs in the future?

• No. BioWare strongly believes in the team’s artistic vision for the end of this arc of the Mass Effect franchise. The extended cut DLC will expand on the existing endings, but no further ending DLC is planned.

What is BioWare adding to the ending with the Extended Cut DLC?

• BioWare will expanding on the ending to Mass Effect 3 by creating additional cinematics and epilogue scenes to the existing ending sequences. The goal of these new scenes is to provide additional clarity and closure to Mass Effect 3.

When will the Extended Cut DLC be available?

• Currently the Extended Cut DLC is planned for this summer, no specific date has been announced at this point.

Why are you releasing the Extended Cut DLC?

• Though we remain committed and are proud of the artistic choices we made in the main game, we are aware that there are some fans who would like more closure to Mass Effect 3. The goal of the DLC is not to provide a new ending to the game, rather to offer fans additional context and answers to the end of Commander Shepard’s story.

So there you have it. Are we proud of the game we made and the team that made it? Hell yes. Are we going to change the ending of the game? No. Do we appreciate the passion and listen to the feedback delivered to us by our fans? Very much so and we are responding.
Summer is coming…

[Hemi-Cuda]

so a couple of extra cutscenes, woopee. same stupid star child giving you the same 3 stupid choices that in no way reflect any of the past decisions you've made in the series, and all 3 choices still cripple the galaxy for any possible future Mass Effect stories

Bioware sucks

[Burninator]

What did you want Hemi?

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Burninator

What did you want Hemi?

Spoiler!

the indoctrination ending, where Shepherd wakes up in the rubble of London. the whole trip up to the citadel was in her head and the star child was just Harbringer trying one last ditch attempt to control Shepherd and prevent the reapers from being wiped out. it would be a perfect continuation of the themes present throughout the entire series, and whether you won or not (since the crucible was just a false hope created by the reapers to waste resources) all depended on your decisions throughout the series. if you were able to get enough fleets together, you win through conventional means, none of this space magic BS

it's just sad that fans can come up with a better finale to this series than the developers can, and that they're too stubborn to admit it

[MarchHare]

Best post I've seen about this on the BioWare forums:

Spoiler!

So now I get to actually SEE Liara abandoning me at the conduit instead of just imagining it? AWESOME!!!

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Spoiler!

the indoctrination ending, where Shepherd wakes up in the rubble of London. the whole trip up to the citadel was in her head and the star child was just Harbringer trying one last ditch attempt to control Shepherd and prevent the reapers from being wiped out. it would be a perfect continuation of the themes present throughout the entire series, and whether you won or not (since the crucible was just a false hope created by the reapers to waste resources) all depended on your decisions throughout the series. if you were able to get enough fleets together, you win through conventional means, none of this space magic BS

it's just sad that fans can come up with a better finale to this series than the developers can, and that they're too stubborn to admit it

I am not in the least surprised by this announcement and I will reserve judgement until after I have seen the additions.

Spoiler!

As I've said before, if the writer leaves a reader hoping that the ending they've just read is a "it was all a dream," then that writer has done a terrible job. Bioware has done a terrible job at ending this series.

I am most disappointed that they hide behind this "artistic integrity" label. As an artist myself, I find that their stance comes across as arrogant and condescendingand no self respecting artist would defend something that is so fundamentally flawed.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by cDnStealth

I am most disappointed that they hide behind this "artistic integrity" label. As an artist myself, I find that their stance comes across as arrogant and condescendingand no self respecting artist would defend something that is so fundamentally flawed.

this is the worst part, and the one that made me the angriest reading that blog post. Metallica used the same artistic integrity excuse for their Lou Reed album, and no one bought it then either. just admit that you royally screwed up and fix it

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by cDnStealth

I am not in the least surprised by this announcement and I will reserve judgement until after I have seen the additions.

Spoiler!

As I've said before, if the writer leaves a reader hoping that the ending they've just read is a "it was all a dream," then that writer has done a terrible job. Bioware has done a terrible job at ending this series.

I am most disappointed that they hide behind this "artistic integrity" label. As an artist myself, I find that their stance comes across as arrogant and condescendingand no self respecting artist would defend something that is so fundamentally flawed.

It's not arrogant or condescending to believe in what you've produced, and 'artistic integrity' is a genuinely important concept, not something you can simply dismiss whenever you feel like it - especially when it's other people's artistic integrity that you so easily cast aside. You can define your integrity or lack thereof any way you like, but you can't define it for Bioware.

But what actually is incredibly arrogant and condescending is how you and others approach this issue and how you treat Bioware, as if you've somehow objectively established that their artistic choices are wholly illegitimate. Again, I marvel at the fact that there appears to be no room for disagreement or differences of taste - but I guess those are also things that only occur in the other arts but not in games. In games, the people who type the loudest get to decide what is valuable and what is not, and what is covered by the idea of artistic integrity and what is not.

[3 Justin 3]

I had a lot of respect for Bioware and I loved their games, but ever since EA bought them they have turned into a really crappy dev. studio. Whether that's because EA put a bunch of their people in there or the money went to Bioware's heads.

Dragon Age: Origins was a good game and would have been a great start to a series, then they release Dragon Age 2 a year later which was pathetic and is a slap in the face to gamers.

Then they streamline the hell out of ME2 to make it for the casual fans (still better than ME1 though), then this ME3 BS.

How can you be proud of your teams "artistic vision" if it is universally panned and ripped apart by fans? I understand they don't want to throw their team under the bus, but if it were my company I'd rather piss off a handful of people who decided this POS ending was good (ie. fire them and admit we screwed up), rather than piss off millions of fans who actually buy the fataing game.

It's hard to see one of my favorite franchises turn into crap.

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

[...]

How can you be proud of your teams "artistic vision" if it is universally panned and ripped apart by fans? I understand they don't want to throw their team under the bus, but if it were my company I'd rather piss off a handful of people who decided this POS ending was good (ie. fire them and admit we screwed up), rather than piss off millions of fans who actually buy the fataing game.

It's hard to see one of my favorite franchises turn into crap.

Do you really need to be explained this? Either you believe in your vision based on your own understanding or you don't - why should the opinion of some fans change your view, even if they are a majority? But I guess if things like artistic vision or integrity are meaningless now, it's hard to understand why a self-appointed group of emboldened fans shouldn't be allowed to change any piece of work they wish - because by god they feel so deeply about it.

[Yeah_Baby]

I think Henry Fool and I may be the only ones in the world who currently didn't hate the ending.


Also I have to wonder how much the internet is fueling rage.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

I think Henry Fool and I may be the only ones in the world who currently didn't hate the ending.

I get that tastes are subjective, but it baffles me that anyone could defend that ending. Even if you like the concept, don't you think the execution was sloppy and poorly impemented?

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I get that tastes are subjective, but it baffles me that anyone could defend that ending. Even if you like the concept, don't you think the execution was sloppy and poorly impemented?

I think any ending to the series was going to be a let down.

Spoiler!

I mean sure the fact that the very end result is the same no matter what is sloppy, but I think that conceptually the synthesis ending makes the most sense. While if the game was another hour or two longer, I could buy into the indoctrination theory as a plot device, but I think to retcon that as an ending does do a major disservice to the spirit of high concept Starchild ending

Allegedly though Casey Hudson and one of writers locked themselves in a room and came up with the ending though, so who knows.

[MarchHare]

Spoiler!

What I was getting at was the fact that the ending just seemed so rushed and incomplete and poorly thought through. How much time has passed between Shepard entering the conduit and the start of the ending video? Why is Joker flying the Normandy away from the battle? Did other ships also flee? If it was just the Normandy, why did the crew choose to abandon Earth? Why does Joker look behind him (at what, the corridor to the CIC?) when he's trying to outrun the RGB explosion? How did my companions, who were "wiped out" by Harbinger's blast along with the rest of Hammer Team, emerge from the crashed Normandy completely unscathed?

All of these things are left to the viewer's imagination, as the game certainly doesn't answer any of those questions. It's simply sloppy storytelling even if you liked the basic premise of the ending.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Spoiler!

What I was getting at was the fact that the ending just seemed so rushed and incomplete and poorly thought through. How much time has passed between Shepard entering the conduit and the start of the ending video? Why is Joker flying the Normandy away from the battle? Did other ships also flee? If it was just the Normandy, why did the crew choose to abandon Earth? Why does Joker look behind him (at what, the corridor to the CIC?) when he's trying to outrun the RGB explosion? How did my companions, who were "wiped out" by Harbinger's blast along with the rest of Hammer Team, emerge from the crashed Normandy completely unscathed?

All of these things are left to the viewer's imagination, as the game certainly doesn't answer any of those questions. It's simply sloppy storytelling even if you liked the basic premise of the ending.

Which fine, and yes it was rushed. But that's why I curious to see what this DLC entails.

[CaramonLS]

I find the timing of this quite humerous, the day after they were voted the "Worst Company in America"

Article

This has to be my favorite comment from EA though, basically being condescending as per usual.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by Henry Fool

Do you really need to be explained this? Either you believe in your vision based on your own understanding or you don't - why should the opinion of some fans change your view, even if they are a majority? But I guess if things like artistic vision or integrity are meaningless now, it's hard to understand why a self-appointed group of emboldened fans shouldn't be allowed to change any piece of work they wish - because by god they feel so deeply about it.

"some fans", I didn't realize millions of people were "some" fans.

If I made a painting that I thought was good, showed it to a hundred people and 98 told me it looked like dog sh**, I'm pretty sure that personally I would re-think my stance on whether or not it's a good painting. Same goes for the game; so you as a group in Bioware thought that this dumb ending was satisfactory, then almost the entirety of the ME3 crowd said it was ######ed, but fata it, I still believe it is good and the millions of fans must be wrong.

Honestly, how can you defend this sh**?