Jimquisition: The Positive Side of Mass Effect 3's Ending Drama

[Izzy1320]

You make a good point, as you often do in your snide, cynical comments on the video game world as a whole, and I agree with the vast majority of the points you've made. Yes, Mass Effect 3 and the controversy it has sparked within a mere week of its release is astounding, especially in such a young and progressively evolving medium. At the same time, the fans, as I see it, are not specifically 'cheesed off' so to speak, because of a lack of their own 'personal' ending. It is more a matter of the game writing off the mass effect style as a whole. While the Mass Effect style is CHOICE AND CONSEQUENCE, to be sure, the normal mass effect series has consequences beyond the immediate, and I feel that that is where many fans feel let down. The immediate consequence of the final choice, however cut and dry that it is, is inherently different from every other choice the player has made before. Add to this a complete lack of difference in the various endings, besides a slightly altered color palette and minor details in cinematics, and I believe that the Mass Effect fan base is suffering more from a lack of due closure than anything else. They (again, this as what I've gathered from piecing together some of the more legible comments...) feel that having invested over one hundred hours in this series, that they deserve more than the sudden and quick death of their character, and nothing but questions regarding every other race or character in the world.

 

[Schnookums]

And that this is the first episode put up under his Forum commenting profile instead of his usual one for putting up videos.

If you look back at prior videos, they're currently posted by "Jimothy Sterling." Looking at his profile, this account is listed as the one to have done the prior "articles," too.

So....

If you guys crack this case, you get to find out where Jesus' body is buried.

It's an old family secret isn't it? Seeing as how you're related and all

 

[wooty]

Me no like ending to Jim vid! Me want new one! Kidnap the devs daughter! Hold hostage until change is made! [/baiting]

But on a serious note, well done Jim, its finaly nice to hear some level headed views coming out of the internet regarding this.

 

[Callate]

"The Michelle Rodriguez of video games?" What? Jim is killed off every other episode for not being considered feminine enough by the marketing department?

I'll grant some of the Mass Effect ending response (demanding a "real" ending, specifically) are kind of over-the-top, but if some of the response might be described as infantile, I wouldn't describe the emotions generating such responses as such. The investment of time and passion by those who play a trilogy of games is a real one, and if- as some articles have suggested- the people responsible knew from the outset that the ending would enrage some of those who made that investment, I think that anger is justified. If "art games" have a responsibility to entertain the player and not just lead them by the nose towards some moral or philosophical point the author wished to make, so all the more do more "conventional" games- especially a series of such games- have a responsibility to lead their consumers to an ending that will reward and satisfy them, not to thumb their nose at those consumers because someone got tired of writing conventional space opera.

 

[T3hSource]

Thanks Jim,now I can look at this in way that isn't a deus ex machina(no pun intended) wound to my commitment to Mass Effect(it's still there).
About seeing the universe as OUR universe,that's actually normal,many people say my Shepard.Simply because the game is supposed to be about making choices over and over again,and then marketing says that these choices matter,and we expect that to be true,because we've seen it in smaller quantities.
After I saw the ending for myself I was literally enraged,even if I am calm person,100+ of my life,getting every quest,every NPC,every asset,every mineral,all to be bogged down to a child hologram and 3 trivial choices,which just color the galaxy in different colors is just...unsatisfying to say the least.
Shouting out with such a massive force is truly an achievement for the industry,but I don't see that as something good,it doesn't help our image as "gamers" in the very least.Perhaps something good might come out of it,but I still discourage this movement.
Then again I'm an apathetic bastard and this is the internet after all...

On one last note: When I saw the title screen I thought: "That it's finally over?" Because I'm happy that the trilogy has ended and the EA mass marketing machine finally quiets down(mostly).

EDIT: I also admit that it has been quite fascinating watching how this movement has progressed,the scale,the impact is immense.But I still feel smart that I didn't part take in it.

 

[Qitz]

I suppose that is one way to look at it but by god man WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO SONIC?!

I demand a re-doing of the ending where Jim takes Sonic out to a classy dinner first!

 

[girzwald]

Jim stop being lazy with your videos. You're milking ME3 harder than Microsoft milking the teat of halo. Move on and talk about something else.

 

[Eric the Orange]

And that this is the first episode put up under his Forum commenting profile instead of his usual one for putting up videos.

If you look back at prior videos, they're currently posted by "Jimothy Sterling." Looking at his profile, this account is listed as the one to have done the prior "articles," too.

So....

Huh, that's odd, it wasn't like that last week. Some kind of administrator wizardry is at foot methinks.

 

[sumanoskae]

While I agree with the point you made, that this kind of reaction is good because it proves how involving the game was, I don't think ALL the fans are wrong. I mean, sure some are childish brats, but that's a given, in ANY situation.

In the end, the mature and reasonable members of the fanbase are aware that nothing they can say or do will outwardly force Bioware to change the ending. The reason this seems so outrageous isn't merely fan reaction, the end of the game really is THAT BAD. It itself is an extreme reaction to the rest of the series.

But this is still just expression. This is still just people expressing their opinions on the game and making suggestions for improvements. The fact that their so loud isn't because any one member of them is loud, but because there are so many people who hate the ending and love the series, that they're willing and capable of bringing together a petition for which to express their dissatisfaction, in order to make absolutely sure that Bioware is aware of it.

We now live in a world where it's possible for an artist to make changes to an established work after it's release, should they see fit. I see no reason such a technique shouldn't be considered, especially when Bioware has made it so clear how important feedback is to their design philosophy.

We have more than enough reason to be disappointed, and Bioware has more then enough reason to take those complaints under consideration.

I think a lot of people fall into the trap of simply dismissing ANY type of fan outcry, because they're so used to fans being whiny and insatiable, that they don't bother to consider that they might have a point

 

[CleverCover]

You know, this actually made me feel better about the whole thing.

Thank you, Jim Sterling.

Also, there was an issue about Sonic's eyes-What the hell are you doing in the shower with that doll?!

 

[Soviet Heavy]

The sonic outburst made me laugh.

I do wish more games would focus on their endings. They do tend to either peter out, or at the least are more technically flawed than the rest of the game.

Take Dragon Age Origins. Great game, but good lord the last hour feels like it was never bug tested. Same goes for Knights of the Old Republic, and Killzone 3.

 

[Blade_125]

I imagine there will be a contraversy over Kim's pronunciation of contravasy

 

[Imp_Emissary]

And that this is the first episode put up under his Forum commenting profile instead of his usual one for putting up videos.

If you look back at prior videos, they're currently posted by "Jimothy Sterling." Looking at his profile, this account is listed as the one to have done the prior "articles," too.

So....

If you guys crack this case, you get to find out where Jesus' body is buried.

Well now who would want that? It would be all rotten and full of dirt. Besides I was raised catholic. I have already eaten the body of Christ. It was....Okay.

Now if we got a code that got us early access to a new Jimquisition episode, or at least told us where to get one of his fancy chainswords well now that would be neat.

Oh! Or even better. On of his art game critic hats.

 

[KAPTAINmORGANnWo4life]

never promised you a different ending to the one you got.

[edit] someone enlighten me: what ending was promised and where?
(sounds a bit strange off the bat - divulging an ending to a game before it's release...)

"It's not even in any way like the traditional game endings, where you can say how many endings there are, or whether you got ending A, B, or C." - Casey Hudson


I'm not trying to start an argument, but here you are.

 

[Bloodtrozorx]

Thank God for Jim!


Pretty good stuff there....I think I saw God eating out a hedgehog.

 

[MonkeyPunch]

"It's not even in any way like the traditional game endings, where you can say how many endings there are, or whether you got ending A, B, or C." - Casey Hudson


I'm not trying to start an argument, but here you are.

Thanks! You got a reference link to go with that per chance?

You won't find an argument out of me (yet) because I literally don't know much on this specific subject. I didn't even really know that they promised some kind of ending at all until this thread.

Mind that statement you provided doesn't really seem to promise anything either, but it's hard to tell what he's actually saying without context. Hence why a link to an actual article that came from would be appreciated.
I'm just trying to see where these dudes are coming from at the moment

 

[twm1709]

This is one of your better ones Jim. I actually LOLed at the sonic bit.