It’s been about a week since this cry fest over Mass Effect 3’s ending began. I have
finally started to pay attention. I want to make this perfectly clear:
I have never played any of the Mass Effect games. I’ve seen it played and have friends, Big Mike included, who LOVE this series. I’ve always had a respect for BioWare, even
if I wasn’t inclined to play any of their games past their Star Wars offering.
So that being said, I’m on the outside looking in when it comes to this debacle. Let’s focus on the fallout of gamers who aren’t happy, because this article is about their mindset, NOT the game.
I find it irritating at how some people feel they are entitled to getting exactly
what they want because they “paid $60 for a game.” When interviewed by BBC.co.uk,
Sebastian Sobcyzk, a boutique clothing store owner from Chelsea, London was
quoted as saying that,
“They [BioWare] just completely destroyed the whole game for us. If I wanted
to get my soul crushed, I could just turn on the TV and put the news on.”
Though I commend members of the gaming community for supporting Child’s Play by
donating on behalf of the Retake Mass Effect initiative, I pose a simple question:
At what point exactly did you ‘own’ Mass Effect for you to ‘retake’ it?
And that’s the rub. The disgruntled ME3 players are missing the point of creative
expression. This is a story that BioWare wanted to tell. Not every story, be it
through books, comics, movies, TV shows or video games are going to have stories that
will please everyone all the time…and nor should they. Not every story needs to have a
happy ending nor every loose end be resolved. I know these mediums are means of
escape for consumers, but if every tale had a happy ending, there would be nothing
at stake…and what’s the point of getting invested in the plight of characters
if you already knew that everything will be alright in the end. Real life sure
doesn’t work that way.
Sorry, but hearing word that someone actually filed a complaint with the US Trading
Standards Organization regarding BioWare’s failure to produce on its promises is pathetic.
Also, the concept of paid DLC that will have a proper ending? Don’t care.
In closing, I’ll leave you with this:
Neon Genesis Evangelion, an extremely popular anime series that initially aired
in Japan between 1995 and 1996, had a very contraversial ending that resulted in series
creator, Hideaki Anno, receiveing multiple death threats and countless demands
to change the ending to the series. He did. Man, did he ever.
The new ending was a theatrical release that was, in my opinion, the same ending
shown from a different perspective. In this version, everyone died.
Be careful what you ask for.
Terence Kelsey
source sited: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17444719
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