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Okay, this is going to be kind of tricky. Apparently, fans of the Mass Effect brand are less than enthused with the ending to Mass Effect 3. I don’t have any specifics on the issue, because I haven’t finished the game yet and I’m avoiding those articles like the plague for fear of having some huge plot point spoiled. So, we’re going to have to work in vague terms.
Basically, these fans feel that whatever happens at the end of Mass Effect 3 isn’t appropriate for the series, and doesn’t provide the capstone they were expecting for the franchise. Some have organized and are now protesting Bioware in the hopes of unlocking some sort of alternate ending, which would presumably be delivered via patch or DLC.
It’s an interesting case study—player choice is what makes Mass Effect so great, so it stands to reason that players would want more control over their ending. However, developers have the right to tell a story however they see fit. If Bioware thinks the best ending for Mass Effect is Commander Shepard brandishing a lightsaber and shouting at Reapers in Latin (don’t worry, this doesn’t happen. I hope.), it’s sort of valid. Since, you know, they own the characters and the franchise.
So we here at QJ want to know what you think. Should gamers have input on how their favorite franchises evolve, or should we trust developers to lay out their own stories?
Sound off! And, no spoilers, please.
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What fans? Where? How many? A few people on the internet mean nothing to anyone.
"Should gamers have input on how their favorite franchises evolve, or should we trust developers to lay out their own stories?"
Devs already give way to the masses. They give people what they want for the most part. Devs however will NEVER listen so a few idiots on the internet that are speaking out simply because they didn't get what they felt they are owed.
How many copies sold? If 51% of that number speak out and say they hated the story then the Devs should go in a different direction as their product clearly didn't stack up.
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Unfortunately, in this age of special interest groups, a few hundred people determine whether TV shows, radio programs, DJs, and other personalities continue to have a job by threatening sponsors because they were "offended", and threaten the sponsors of the shows claiming that they represent all listeners/users, instead of just the small percentage. The only thing that's worse? when the corporations who provide the content kowtow to the groups and pull the show, or have the host read a fake apology, or tell us how they placed a whole bunch of rules in place to prevent anything to be said that might be off-the-cuff or spontaneous or, god forbid, be taken as offensive.
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False. You watch too much Fox news. Having a media firm as a partner, I can't possibly describe vividly enough how much "hate mail" such channels get from which nothing ever comes about.
For example, some radio personality uses the N word. You see it on the news and think a few hundred people had issue with it. A few thousand. Enough to get the attention of other news channels. The fact of matter is, it doesn't mean shit how many people complain. It only matters how many people of which it was brought attention to and you have the media to thank for that.
Media channels get things changed. Not people complaining. At least, in this case.
Just to throw a ratio out there...1,800 people complained about the N word. Meanwhile entire mail servers are brought down by hundreds of thousands of people complaining about some person calling a PETA member a douche. Yet you never hear about it.
It would take an crap ton of people to complain to get the attention of a higher power in order to get anyone to even begin thinking about change.
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I hear about the DJ cases a lot from the Opie & Anthony show, who have protection from the FCC since they are on satellite radio. They have told countless stories about how other DJs have had to do the sensitivity training after making one joke that some people took offense to, or how one DJ after another gets fired because they decided to say something that 'offended' a group of people.
Do you think any of these firings or apologies would have happened if:
a) special interest groups didn't bitch like little whiny cunts
b) the station/person in charge didn't fear losing his/her job
c) the higher-ups didn't fear losing advertising money
d) the corporations didn't fear the negative backlash and/or loss of sales, no matter how slight.
Yeah, it is partly the media's fault for blowing this shit out of proportion, but it's also the fault of the companies and the host/DJs who then have to give the fake apology. Just once i wish someone would just publicly tell the special interest group to go fuck themselves.
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Right, those companies, the ones that matter are not "hundreds of people". Those companies are MONEY.
Money talks louder then people.
Imus didn't do anything until the media took hold of it. The average person didn't give a rats ass about what he said. Once the media took hold of it they created a situation that closely matches your prior example. Again, Money talks.
"DJs have had to do the sensitivity training after making one joke that some people took offense to"
False. The real issue was policy. They broke policy, period. Meanwhile, as I stated in my previous post, HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of complaints role in about X, Y and Z yet no one ever cares. If it's not important enough to hit the media, it goes in the trash can.
"Do you think any of these firings or apologies would have happened if:"
A) yes. Anything media worthy get immediate attention. How do you think the special interest group heard about it in the first place?
B) does exist without my A.
C) does exist without my A.
D) does exist without my A.
"Just once i wish someone would just publicly tell the special interest group to go fuck themselves."
It happens all the time. No one has to apologize. EVER. The only reason they do is again, because of money. If no money is involved, they are simply told to fuck off. Other then the moron that is Michael Richards have you ever heard a comedian apologize for using the N word? Making fun of Mexicans, Whites, Chinese, Japanese???
The end result is always the same. Corporations apologize because of money only when in the media spotlight and only because of the "what if" scenario.
So again, it doesn't matter if ONE person complains versus 500,000. If that one person gets media attention that could be enough to cause hell. Meanwhile the 500,000 is never heard from.
Media, media, media. Good for nothing but entertainment.
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But the fact is that if you can please the 'few people' (a single Facebook poll had 40,000 voters) WITHOUT displeasing an equal amount in return, it could be good for public image, company reputation and future games may sell better.
But, like you said, devs do already give the public a lot, and people, particularily on the internet, are too demanding. If they don't want a product, they should not buy it, that's the most they can do in their favour, but they feel like clogging up the internet with bullshit opinions and polls is more productive.
It's all bout public image now, and since these polls have hit gaming news sites, BioWare will probably make some statements on it soon. Hopefully it will be along the lines of the ex-employee's "Stop trying to be producers" rant at GDC.
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You give too much credit to such nonsense.
ME3 initially shipped over 3.5 million units. 40k of anything wouldn't mean squat to the devs. That's hardly 1%. Especially since you can easily assume that a good chunk of it is from liars.
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http://www.qj.net/xbox-360/news/bioware-responds-to-the-change-the-me3-ending-furor.html
And fans have raised over $30,000 for a charity to show their anger:
http://www.qj.net/ps3/news/upset-mass-effect-fans-raise-30k-for-charity.html
I'm saying that BioWare will need to pay attention to it in a way that pleases the general public. Change the ending? No. Include a new ending? No. Act like they care more than they do? No doubt.
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"in a way that pleases the general public"
My point is, the GENERAL PUBLIC has not spoken yet. Only a teeny tiny little fraction that BioWare obviously isn't worried about.
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"watch about 75% of the fan base protest"
Which part of the following quote from myself was too complicated for you to understand?
"How many copies sold? If 51% of that number speak out and say they hated the story then the Devs should go in a different direction as their product clearly didn't stack up."
Let me know and I'll dumb it down for ya
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However, if they make games that have RPG elements like "choice", they should probably make more varied endings that represent the effects(Mass Effect...lol) that player's choices throughout the game.
In games like Gears of War, a definite ending is natural, since it tells a story that the player doesn't really make their own choices in.
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