Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut DLC

[Shotaro]

So Bioware are releasing the "extended cut" of Mass Effect 3 this week. Apparantly this DLC adds epilogue and changes some scenes in the ending.

Here's the question that immediately came to my mind

When was this DLC designed and agreed upon?

Don't get me wrong, whether this is a new idea or an original idea it makes Bioware look bad.

Before:
If the "extended cut" was intended and designed as DLC from the off then effectively they screwed every Day 1 purchaser of the game out of the original and intended ending. Especially since the game has been out for a few months, which, in videogame time is a looong goddamn time to wait before releasing any DLC, let alone gamechaning, story changing DLC.

After:
If it were afterwards then Bioware gave in. They've pandered to the vocal minority that either didn't understand or got upset by the original ending of Mass Effect 3. I'm not judging those people, it was their opinion and they are more than entitled to express it but Bioware should not have given in. If videogames are ever to be taken seriously as art in the way that cinema and television can be videogames need to be uncompromising. If it were designed afterwards then one of the biggest and most well respected studios has played a major hand in setting games back just that little bit further.

Either way Bioware look bad in my opinion. What do you guys think? Is this DLC folly? Why? Does this DLC tarnish Bioware's reputation for you? Would you seriously consider investing in a trilogy they create again knowing that one of the above must be true?

 

[BK Styles]

If I remember correctly, Bioware took in all of the negative responses and went back and made the Extended Cut. So it wasn't originally intended to be made at all.

It's annoying for a number of reasons. Number one, like you say, they're bowing down to pressure from the fans. As dissatisfied as I was with the ending, my expectation was that they'd take a bullish stance and stand by what they created. In fairness, up until the last 20 minutes, I loved the game. Absolutely adored it. And the end does let it down. But the studio, as a whole, had a creative vision that must have been agreed on, and I'm amazed that changed it because fans didn't like it. From a business point of view it does make sense, because there is a possibility that people would boycott future Bioware games, and them admitting they dropped the ball could be a way of damage limitation in that respect.

But that brings me on to point two; they're admitting they're wrong. How the hell could they have gotten it so wrong in the first place. If they'd have turned around and said 'this is our creative vision and this is how the game is', I would have still been dissatisfied, but I'd have at least respected them for sticking by their product. But by releasing this, they've effectively admitted that they made a glaring error, and by way of this, are trying to rectify it. They shouldn't have to rectify it.

One interesting thing is this; the first Mass Effect was written by Drew Karpyshyn. The second, by Karpyshyn and Mac Walters. The third, by Walters and Neill Pollner. This is relevant because Karpyshyn had his own ideas about the trilogy, and wrote the first one accordingly, with subtle hints as to where it was going. The same with the second. Walters however went down a different route in the final installment, pretty much disregarding Karpyshyn's original intentions:

http://www.oxm.co.uk/39736/revealed-the-mass-effect-3-ending-bioware-canned-before-release/

Admittedly, he says this was one of the possible endings he had in mind. But even so, surely this would have been a little better? Even just that little snippet of information makes me think of what could have been, and makes me wish that they'd just gone down that route.

As for whether this tarnishes Bioware...for me, a little bit. It does depend entirely on the game to be honest. If they release a game that looks fucking awesome and has positive feedback, I'll still be willing to give it a go. I'll probably just be extra critical. In fact, scratch that, I WILL be extra critical.