Poll: ME3 - Aren't You Guys Rather Embarressed?

[Terramax]

I would like to start by saying I've no intention of upsetting anyone on these forums, nor am I criticising their oppinion. I'm genuinely wanting to understand the difference between what I see to be a similarity.

So I've noticed the gaming industry's come to a near complete stop surrounding the controversy of this ME3 ending, not that this is the first time a game has flooded the news and forums.

Throughout the years I've seen people pointing out the hypocracy or stupidity of politicians taking videogames out of context, parents raging video games are the fault for a multitude of social ills, people mis-enterpreting stories and symbolisms, with their actions far beyond logic, reason, and so forth. And then this happens.

A video game has an unsatisfactory ending, and it seems the entire gaming community cries in outrage. Petitions, hate against developers, filed complaints, talks about people never buying Bioware games again, people believing they've been robbed financially!

On the latest Jimquisition, he argues we should be proud of this - proud, that as gamers, we take the medium as seriously as film, television or books. That games contain the same level of artistic value. But isn't this more a reflection of the immaturity within our community, and that we shouldn't be taken any more seriously than the eccentric politicians we rebuke?

As he mentions, people were pretty upset about the ending to the Lost TV series. Or how George Lucas milked the Star Wars franchise for all its worth. But surely these aren't examples of the fans of the said medium showing sophistication, rather the latter, that in many ways people reacted pretty childish or overzealously?

Picture yourself as a non-gamer looking into this. Or even watching, from a distance, fans of a franchise you don't like making a fuss over a similar issue.

Imagine the final Twilight book ending on an unsatisfactory cliffhanger that had teenage girls worldwide go crazy. Would we respect them more for taking the same extreme actions than what's on display here? I suspect not. We'd probably be poking fun at them.

So my question is - what is the difference? Are people within the gaming community going too far? Or is this really a serious issue for the gaming community and industry?

Finally, I've decided to add a poll to see how many people, at least on these forums, really do care about this issue. As I'm not a fan of this franchise, I'm somewhat exhausted to see 80% of threads being solely of this one issue.

On a positive note, perhaps these reactions to endings might see companies interacting more proactively with fans. In the film industry, there are test screenings to see audience reactions to stories - should we see something similarly implemented in video games (I don't think play-testing counts as it's mainly for bug searches)?

 

[boag]

you can either parrot other peoples statements as your own and make mass blanket generalizations to cover your points, but when you do both, dont expect anyone to take you seriously.

Understand that there are lots different types of people complaining about the endings, so are vocal and vociferous about it, some just feel cheated from a consumer perspective, others are completely fine with it just wished the ending had more closure.

Shit canning everyone into "THEY ALL JUST CRAZY FANS" makes you as dismissive and irrational as the most shit flinging fan.

I suggest you amend your OP Post if you want any replies that dont call you out on your statements.

 

[evilneko]

No. The rage is justified, in my opinion. It all boils down to something very basic: people were told throughout the series they were getting X, and X was a major selling point, and they got Y instead.

Any consumer would rightly be miffed.

 

[TheTim]

I thought it was being taken too far, before i finished the game.


Then when i experienced the ending myself, i felt the same rage and dissapointment that my colleagues feel.

 

[Tony2077]

i played the game saw the ending. i didn't feel the pointless rage that everyone else and their dog is feeling. most of what i see is the game didn't have the ending they wanted so ragefest here we come

 

[DoPo]

Yes, definitely. Most fans make too big a fuss over nothing. Other fans are entirely reasonable in their complains but it's like speaking and explaining calmly thing in a shouting tournament. Their voices are lost in the flood of shouts. I feel some gamers just hated ME3's ending because they wanted to hate ME3 for something.

CAPTCHA: case closed

 

[putowtin]

snip

I'm not embarrassed, I'm quite pleased that for once, a group of people have stood up and said, "wait a minute, no, I won't accept this."

Is it getting out of hand? Maybe, but let me put it another way, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. If you have no interest in Mass Effect in any way, shape or form then don't read a thread about it.

But look at it this way, give me somethng you love, a book, a film, a game. Give me something you've invested over 100 hours in, something you're emotionally invested in, then watch as I change it, so it's a shadow of it's former self.

Let me quote Mass Effect 3's assistant producer, Mike Gamble,

?How could you go through all three campaigns playing as your Shepard and then be forced into a bespoke ending that everyone gets? But I can?t say any more than that??

Now then, when you have been built up to the end of a story with promises like this (and many others from Casey Hudson) and then receive the exact opposite, I feel you're entitled to complain and make your voice heard.

 

[Fappy]

Just beat the game again a few minutes ago (got meh Insanity achievement >.>) and I have got to say, "This is a cause worth dying for."

Sorry, I'm not that dramatic, its just fun to quote the game to make your points for you

 

[Fr]anc[is]

Who gives a shit what other people think? I don't and neither should you. I don't even know how noticeable this is outside the gaming community, but I'd gladly trade some temporary embarrassment for a permanent improved ending.

 

[psicat]

I'm pretty much at a point where I think screw other gamers! I like the ending, and even if some people don't they are acting completely ridiculous.

 

[Pjotr84]

The concept of gathering experiences on game elements before release through some sort of bèta is worth looking into, I think. You needn't really change much in comparison to the bèta testing we have now.

As for the whole ending drama, I got sick of it already. I haven't bought the game yet, as I'm taking the most cost effective route on this one, buying the GotY with all the DLC included. I haven't even properly finished the original Mass Effect, so I'm in no hurry.

 

[Nimcha]

I'm not really surprised, the gaming community at large is characterized by whinin self-important people who always claim to have the moral high ground.

Thankfully that's not everyone.

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

Holy shit yes this has been taken too far.

Hey, back in 2005 we were promised that the Houston Astros would totally beat the White Sox in the World Series. Unfortunately they really fell apart in the final inning.

You know, I ought to file a complaint about that sometime.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

I'm other because, while the ending is full of plot-holes and doesn't fit with the tone of the entire series, it's not worth fighting for. Good for you if you think Mass Effect is the best game series of all time but if this is Bioware's vision for the end then it's Bioware's decision to make it that way and we shouldn't change that.

I would change certain things, some things I wouldn't though, that's just me.

 

[SpaceBat]

While I believe that people do have the right to speak their opinion on the matter, I'm just disappointed how a decent percentage of its community handled the entire thing. The entire thing quickly turned into little more than a whine fest, destroying any possibility of discussion. It also showed the immaturity of the community in many different ways (such as the tendency to dismiss anything that isn't directly seen in the ending).

 

[Savagezion]

A video game has an unsatisfactory ending, and it seems the entire gaming community cries in outrage.

You know why this crybaby whining annoys me, because you know that infantile child's toy view most people have of our mediu

SHIT LIKE THIS IS WHY.

So thanks so very much for degrading my passtime because you never learned that things don't always go your way.

You guys need to understand the consumer has the RIGHT not to be lied to. Biwoare has countless actual quotes in the press saying the ending was NOT going to be exactly what they ended up having it be. These press releases were made 2 months before the game came out. There was no "changed their mind and decided not to" bullshit, they straight up lied to anyone reading press about their game. They made it a point that the end of this game was NOT going to be exactly what it is. The spoke negatively about ending the game the way they did.

Petitions, hate against developers, filed complaints, talks about people never buying Bioware games again, people believing they've been robbed financially!

Hmm, makes more sense now doesn't it?

Picture yourself as a non-gamer looking into this. Or even watching, from a distance, fans of a franchise you don't like making a fuss over a similar issue.

Well considering how many gamers, people in the industry, gaming websites, etc. refuse to see it as anything other then "oh they must be upset the ending wasn't a happy one". Try to understand that marketing for this game lied, and you will understand the outrage. You can go look up the many quotes from publications endorsing the game which are all over the internet and included in the videos explaining why fans are upset. If you haven't bothered to even look into the reason why the fans are upset then what are you doing trying to mediate the topic as if you have insight. I am not saying this to sound aggressive, but honestly the idea behind this thread is essentially blowing smoke.

Imagine the final Twilight book ending on an unsatisfactory cliffhanger that had teenage girls worldwide go crazy. Would we respect them more for taking the same extreme actions than what's on display here? I suspect not. We'd probably be poking fun at them.

If you would poke fun at them without finding out why, you'd be in the same situation. When controversy is going on, my first reaction is to find out what the core argument is behind both sides. Right now it is a "hipster movement" to point at any consumer base that takes issue with something and call them whiners. Just because it has a tendency to be true often doesn't mean its true every time.

So my question is - what is the difference? Are people within the gaming community going too far? Or is this really a serious issue for the gaming community and industry?

Hope that Bioware will deliver a free DLC ending. Otherwise, you are setting a precedent that it is ok to shove a game out the door before it is finished and then charge consumers for the ending. You can decide which of these two are the best case scenario:
1) Game gets released where the ending is completely randomized and not congruent with the rest of the story. It makes NO sense, just random crap thrown together with no clear structure to the story. Best guess is they ran out of time to wrap it up.
2) Game has no ending.

Then you can buy an proper ending.

Like you, I don't mean to ruffle feathers but people that plan to provide a solution to the issue should probably look into it more than just the industry's side of things. Right now they are saying "I don't get what the problem is" and many uninformed are following suit. Consumers are putting the problem for everyone to see out there loudly but no one is listening to their argument because they are too busy calling them whiners. People like Zeel on these forum isn't helping matters, though.

 

[Jodah]

No, and the fact you (and others) feel that way boggles the mind. People complain about movies, television, books, music, and every other kind of media. Yet when it comes to games we are "entitled" and "childish." It is our right to complain when a product doesn't live up to expectations or even the advertisement. Nobody is forcing the writers to redo the ending just like nobody forced George Lucas to redo the prequels.

Even if nothing comes from all these complaints this becomes a lesson in what not to do in the future. Perhaps developers will avoid making such stupid decisions in the pursuit of "art" next time. If that comes to pass then every single piece of these complaints is valid.

 

[Savagezion]

I'm other because, while the ending is full of plot-holes and doesn't fit with the tone of the entire series, it's not worth fighting for. Good for you if you think Mass Effect is the best game series of all time but if this is Bioware's vision for the end then it's Bioware's decision to make it that way and we shouldn't change that.

I would change certain things, some things I wouldn't though, that's just me.

When you actively state that you are making your game to "be more accessible to a wider demographic", you just threw your "artistic integrity" out the window. If you want to "make the game the way you see fit" then it is of no consequence the demographic. If you try to claim the artist's vision is to appeal to a wider demographic, considering how the demographic doesn't like it, you failed - unless you fix it. The "artistic integrity" claim doesn't work here. It's double talk. It's simply them trying to dodge responsibility.