Yesterday the gaming universe exploded with talk of BioWare wanting to change the ending of Mass Effect 3. This came after waves of people feeling that BioWare had let the down and that the ending was rubbish.
I too got swept up in the moment and tweeted the following;
“I think BioWare should not change ME3 ending. Stick to your original creative destination. Let people moan! Don’t do a lucas…”
Only after that did I actually read the blog post from BioWare Co-Founder, Dr Ray Muzyka . Having read this very well written letter to the players of Mass Effect 3, I have realised that at no point does he mention changing the ending of Mass Effect 3. Let’s get that straight. However, what he does say is this.
“the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey”
Now, to me that looks like rather than wanting to change the ending(s), they want to explain and justify them to the users.
Should they have to? What right as gamers do we have to demand that BioWare explain anything? It is their game, it is their creative content. I find it laughable that gamers of any type feel that the ending was wrong. How can it be wrong if the people who wrote the story decided that that was the ending? It is like telling Tolkien that Lord of The Rings didn’t end the right way or Dickens that he didn’t get the characterisation of Oliver quite right.
It is not unprecedented though. Just look at Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed him off and then had to bring him back after the public went into meltdown. I feel that BioWare should not cave into this kind of daft peer pressure. They should stick to their guns.
So in hindsight I would like to change my original tweet. It should have really read
“I think BioWare should not have to justify or explain the ME3 ending. Stick to your original creative destination. Let people moan! Don’t do a Doyle!”
Let me know what you think in the comments. Do you agree or do you feel you deserve a new ending? Or…. is it all a secret conspiracy to get you to talk about the game an buy the DLC?