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‘Mass Effect 3′ to get a modified ending in response to backlash from fans

Many fans of the Mass Effect series have voiced their opinions: they aren't happy with how Mass Effect 3 concluded the trilogy. It seems that developer BioWare has listened to their complaints, and is doing something about it.

BioWare's GM and co-founder, Dr. Ray Muzyka, has announced via the company blog that there will be changes coming to the ending of Mass Effect 3. Muzyka says that the Mass Effect team is going through all of the feedback that they've received, and are developing "a number of game content initiatives" that the company will elaborate on in April.

As explained in a BBC story, the changes will provide "further closure" to the series, although the exact form that will take — whether it's an entirely new ending, more available endings, downloadable content that furthers the story or something else entirely — remains to be seen.

One of the hallmarks of the Mass Effect series has been the ability for players to shape how their game would play out through the choices they've made during game-play. Much of backlash over the series' ending has been over how limiting the ending is, offering few alternative endings with little difference between them.

As Muzyka explains in his blog post, it is difficult to provide an ending that would be satisfying for all players, since each one has had a different experience and has spawned different emotional reaction to the game. Nevertheless, we'll find out in April how BioWare plans to "fix" the ending.

But should BioWare be catering to the whims of fans? Gamers and game writers are mixed in their responses to that question. Stephen Totilo at Kotaku argues that yes, it's a sign of how video games are different from other mediums in their interactivity. He characterizes video games as a kind of ongoing dialogue between developers and players, and suggests that this is just one more way developers are showing that they are listening.

Other game journalists aren't quite so forgiving. IGN's Colin Moriarty says that changing the ending sets a "dangerous precedent" and threatens small developers in particular. Moriarty says that BioWare is catering to a very vocal minority, and gives that minority the power to criticize developers in the future who do not respond to them the way BioWare has done.

(CP Photo)

What do you think Right Click readers? Did BioWare do the right thing by offering alternatives to their original ending?