Minor threadnomancy here, but I think this is relevant:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/article ... 3-The-Wall
Having picked up and played the DLC myself, I can state that it's a *much* better ending than what we got originally. I still have some problems with it. They are admittedly somewhat petty. I won't spoil the endings -- they're worth watching fresh -- but the gist of my complaint is that the polish is a bit lacking in places. Not all, definitely not all, but in some there are cheap tricks that I'm disappointed Bioware resorted to. They are not related to the plot at all; it's purely a presentation gripe.
All in all this reinforces my suspicion that Bioware let EA pressure them into several things, all of which were bad for the original-flavor release of ME3 (and arguably bad for ME2 as well). I think they had a strong enough franchise they could have done it without EA, but they (Bioware) probably felt at the time that partnering with EA would give them the cash influx needed to continue right away instead of waiting. This does not, in my mind, absolve them of the responsibility for some of the crap that has happened. It's just an explanation.
I think EA pressured Bioware into including multiplayer. And Bioware pulled a rabbit out of the hat there, no doubt -- the ME3 multiplayer, crippled as it is by the horrendous EA-designed networking/matchup system, is phenomenal. There are things that could change, things that should change, but my god is it still a fun ride. I still play it. Not every day, but probably every other day or so. But working on the multiplayer meant a lessening of quality elsewhere, and I think the ending is what got hit the hardest. Because the DLC really seems like something that was cut, during storyboard phase, rather than something that was crafted out of whole cloth to 'fix' things.
I think EA pressured Bioware into an early release. I can't point at evidence, but I suspect that the publisher basically said "ship or die" to the Mass Effect division, because TOR (also Bioware) was not getting the love they'd been counting on after pouring so much money into it. I think EA demanded a justification for Bioware's continued existence, and since ME3 was cooking...
None of this in any way makes me think better of Bioware. I used to love you guys. I'd buy Bioware sight unseen, because, Bioware! But you let yourself get pushed around by EA, and now I have to treat you like I do any other EA-owned studio. Which makes me sad.
But the Extended Cut DLC? You guys did that right. It should have shipped with the game. And while I'm not going to trust you sight-unseen again, this is a good apology and a good, and fitting, ending for Mass Effect.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/article ... 3-The-Wall
Having picked up and played the DLC myself, I can state that it's a *much* better ending than what we got originally. I still have some problems with it. They are admittedly somewhat petty. I won't spoil the endings -- they're worth watching fresh -- but the gist of my complaint is that the polish is a bit lacking in places. Not all, definitely not all, but in some there are cheap tricks that I'm disappointed Bioware resorted to. They are not related to the plot at all; it's purely a presentation gripe.
All in all this reinforces my suspicion that Bioware let EA pressure them into several things, all of which were bad for the original-flavor release of ME3 (and arguably bad for ME2 as well). I think they had a strong enough franchise they could have done it without EA, but they (Bioware) probably felt at the time that partnering with EA would give them the cash influx needed to continue right away instead of waiting. This does not, in my mind, absolve them of the responsibility for some of the crap that has happened. It's just an explanation.
I think EA pressured Bioware into including multiplayer. And Bioware pulled a rabbit out of the hat there, no doubt -- the ME3 multiplayer, crippled as it is by the horrendous EA-designed networking/matchup system, is phenomenal. There are things that could change, things that should change, but my god is it still a fun ride. I still play it. Not every day, but probably every other day or so. But working on the multiplayer meant a lessening of quality elsewhere, and I think the ending is what got hit the hardest. Because the DLC really seems like something that was cut, during storyboard phase, rather than something that was crafted out of whole cloth to 'fix' things.
I think EA pressured Bioware into an early release. I can't point at evidence, but I suspect that the publisher basically said "ship or die" to the Mass Effect division, because TOR (also Bioware) was not getting the love they'd been counting on after pouring so much money into it. I think EA demanded a justification for Bioware's continued existence, and since ME3 was cooking...
None of this in any way makes me think better of Bioware. I used to love you guys. I'd buy Bioware sight unseen, because, Bioware! But you let yourself get pushed around by EA, and now I have to treat you like I do any other EA-owned studio. Which makes me sad.
But the Extended Cut DLC? You guys did that right. It should have shipped with the game. And while I'm not going to trust you sight-unseen again, this is a good apology and a good, and fitting, ending for Mass Effect.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs