Mass Effect 3
#827
DVD Talk Reviewer
Re: Mass Effect 3
http://blog.bioware.com/2012/03/21/4108/
TO MASS EFFECT 3 PLAYERS, FROM DR. RAY MUZYKA, CO-FOUNDER OF BIOWARE
POSTED ON MARCH 21, 2012 BY DARKLARKE
To Mass Effect 3 players, from Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare
As co-founder and GM of BioWare, I’m very proud of the ME3 team; I personally believe Mass Effect 3 is the best work we’ve yet created. So, it’s incredibly painful to receive feedback from our core fans that the game’s endings were not up to their expectations. Our first instinct is to defend our work and point to the high ratings offered by critics – but out of respect to our fans, we need to accept the criticism and feedback with humility.
I believe passionately that games are an art form, and that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism. At the same time, I also believe in and support the artistic choices made by the development team. The team and I have been thinking hard about how to best address the comments on ME3’s endings from players, while still maintaining the artistic integrity of the game.
Mass Effect 3 concludes a trilogy with so much player control and ownership of the story that it was hard for us to predict the range of emotions players would feel when they finished playing through it. The journey you undertake in Mass Effect provokes an intense range of highly personal emotions in the player; even so, the passionate reaction of some of our most loyal players to the current endings in Mass Effect 3 is something that has genuinely surprised us. This is an issue we care about deeply, and we will respond to it in a fair and timely way. We’re already working hard to do that.
To that end, since the game launched, the team has been poring over everything they can find about reactions to the game – industry press, forums, Facebook, and Twitter, just to name a few. The Mass Effect team, like other teams across the BioWare Label within EA, consists of passionate people who work hard for the love of creating experiences that excite and delight our fans. I’m honored to work with them because they have the courage and strength to respond to constructive feedback.
Building on their research, Exec Producer Casey Hudson and 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. You’ll hear more on this in April. We’re working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we’ve received. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue.
The reaction to the release of Mass Effect 3 has been unprecedented. On one hand, some of our loyal fans are passionately expressing their displeasure about how their game concluded; we care about this feedback, and we’re planning to directly address it. However, most folks appear to agree that the game as a whole is exceptional, with more than 75 critics giving it a perfect review score and a review average in the mid-90s. Net, I’m proud of the team, but we can and must always strive to do better.
Some of the criticism that has been delivered in the heat of passion by our most ardent fans, even if founded on valid principles, such as seeking more clarity to questions or looking for more closure, for example – has unfortunately become destructive rather than constructive. We listen and will respond to constructive criticism, but much as we will not tolerate individual attacks on our team members, we will not support or respond to destructive commentary.
If you are a Mass Effect fan and have input for the team – we respect your opinion and want to hear it. We’re committed to address your constructive feedback as best we can. In return, I’d ask that you help us do that by supporting what I truly believe is the best game BioWare has yet crafted. I urge you to do your own research: play the game, finish it and tell us what you think. Tell your friends if you feel it’s a good game as a whole. Trust that we are doing our damndest, as always, to address your feedback. As artists, we care about our fans deeply and we appreciate your support.
Thank you for your feedback – we are listening.
Ray
POSTED ON MARCH 21, 2012 BY DARKLARKE
To Mass Effect 3 players, from Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare
As co-founder and GM of BioWare, I’m very proud of the ME3 team; I personally believe Mass Effect 3 is the best work we’ve yet created. So, it’s incredibly painful to receive feedback from our core fans that the game’s endings were not up to their expectations. Our first instinct is to defend our work and point to the high ratings offered by critics – but out of respect to our fans, we need to accept the criticism and feedback with humility.
I believe passionately that games are an art form, and that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism. At the same time, I also believe in and support the artistic choices made by the development team. The team and I have been thinking hard about how to best address the comments on ME3’s endings from players, while still maintaining the artistic integrity of the game.
Mass Effect 3 concludes a trilogy with so much player control and ownership of the story that it was hard for us to predict the range of emotions players would feel when they finished playing through it. The journey you undertake in Mass Effect provokes an intense range of highly personal emotions in the player; even so, the passionate reaction of some of our most loyal players to the current endings in Mass Effect 3 is something that has genuinely surprised us. This is an issue we care about deeply, and we will respond to it in a fair and timely way. We’re already working hard to do that.
To that end, since the game launched, the team has been poring over everything they can find about reactions to the game – industry press, forums, Facebook, and Twitter, just to name a few. The Mass Effect team, like other teams across the BioWare Label within EA, consists of passionate people who work hard for the love of creating experiences that excite and delight our fans. I’m honored to work with them because they have the courage and strength to respond to constructive feedback.
Building on their research, Exec Producer Casey Hudson and 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. You’ll hear more on this in April. We’re working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we’ve received. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue.
The reaction to the release of Mass Effect 3 has been unprecedented. On one hand, some of our loyal fans are passionately expressing their displeasure about how their game concluded; we care about this feedback, and we’re planning to directly address it. However, most folks appear to agree that the game as a whole is exceptional, with more than 75 critics giving it a perfect review score and a review average in the mid-90s. Net, I’m proud of the team, but we can and must always strive to do better.
Some of the criticism that has been delivered in the heat of passion by our most ardent fans, even if founded on valid principles, such as seeking more clarity to questions or looking for more closure, for example – has unfortunately become destructive rather than constructive. We listen and will respond to constructive criticism, but much as we will not tolerate individual attacks on our team members, we will not support or respond to destructive commentary.
If you are a Mass Effect fan and have input for the team – we respect your opinion and want to hear it. We’re committed to address your constructive feedback as best we can. In return, I’d ask that you help us do that by supporting what I truly believe is the best game BioWare has yet crafted. I urge you to do your own research: play the game, finish it and tell us what you think. Tell your friends if you feel it’s a good game as a whole. Trust that we are doing our damndest, as always, to address your feedback. As artists, we care about our fans deeply and we appreciate your support.
Thank you for your feedback – we are listening.
Ray
#828
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Mass Effect 3
I think its pretty cool that Bioware actually responds and wants to add content that will (hopefully) make people more satisfied. Although i'm sure the internet folks will find some reason to complain.
There's all sorts of shitty games out there that don't get an apology.
There's all sorts of shitty games out there that don't get an apology.
#829
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Mass Effect 3
I really don't understand how the
of the endings doesn't tell everyone that they're setting up for more content/sequels in the universe. Really,
they still need a sensible starting point.
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
#830
Re: Mass Effect 3
Thank you for your feedback – we are listening.
![LOL](/images/smilies/lol.gif)
#832
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
#833
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Mass Effect 3
Seriously? Am I the first person to say that out loud? That was one of my first thoughts, but I figured by hour 7, it had been beaten to death across the internet
![LOL](/images/smilies/lol.gif)
#834
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Mass Effect 3
#835
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Mass Effect 3
Since the original plan was that further games in the Mass Effect universe will, to quote executive producer Casey Hudson; "happen before or during the events of Mass Effect 3, not after," that wouldn't seem to have been a consideration at the time.
Spoiler:
Last edited by ultimaton; 03-21-12 at 04:39 PM. Reason: Edited for clarity
#841
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Mass Effect 3
Chris Priestly of Bioware posted on their forum today that for anyone who had issues importing their ME1 or ME2 Shepard's appearance into ME3, they have figured out what the issue was and a fix will be in the next patch. The downside is that he has no idea when the patch will be out, because it has to go through the certification process at Microsoft and Sony.
#844
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Mass Effect 3
Chris Priestly of Bioware posted on their forum today that for anyone who had issues importing their ME1 or ME2 Shepard's appearance into ME3, they have figured out what the issue was and a fix will be in the next patch. The downside is that he has no idea when the patch will be out, because it has to go through the certification process at Microsoft and Sony.
#845
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Mass Effect 3
Chris Priestly of Bioware posted on their forum today that for anyone who had issues importing their ME1 or ME2 Shepard's appearance into ME3, they have figured out what the issue was and a fix will be in the next patch. The downside is that he has no idea when the patch will be out, because it has to go through the certification process at Microsoft and Sony.
#846
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Mass Effect 3
The thing I'm wondering is if the patch will require restarting ME3 and re-importing, or if it will retroactively correct a face that was messed up in the import.
#848
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Mass Effect 3
Honestly it is smart business to give a possible altrrnate ending dlc, how else are they going to sell dlc and future mass effect games (which mayzuka confirmed today)
#849
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Mass Effect 3
I'm not going to ask anyone watch this since it doesn't bring anything new to the conversation, but the quote at the end is kind of poignant.
Yup.
Originally Posted by yahtzee
Is it possible you're dissatisfied with the ending simply because it *was* ending, fanboys?
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