By on 19 Mar, 2012 at 10:15 AM
299 Views | 38 Comments

Man Making Federal Case Over Mass Effect 3′s Ending

Man Making Federal Case Over Mass Effect 3′s Ending

You’ve heard of the idiotic petition to try and make Bioware change the ending for Mass Effect 3

A user on the Bioware forums by the name of "El_Spiko" has now filed a complaint of false advertising, directed at EA, with the Federal Trade Commission, in regards to how the game was marketed. He also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. In a post on the forums, "El_Spiko" vents his rage:

“After reading through the list of promises about the ending of the game they made in their advertising campaign and PR interviews, it was clear that the product we got did not live up to any of those claims. This is not something I was happy to do, but after the terrible ending that was in no way the product that had been advertised to me and the lack of any kind of response from Bioware/EA to address this, I felt it was one of my only recourses.”

“I’ll be returning my copy of the game before the end of my 30 day return policy if the ending still hasn’t been addressed by then.”

El_Spiko is asking other gamers discontent with the ending to join his crusade and file FTC and BBB complaints. Great, a cult of people who have nothing better to do with their life but complain about a game’s ending, blindly try to get it changed. Just what the world needed.

Source: Kotaku

If You Liked This, You Should Try These!

Name: Alessandro Barbosa
Location: Johannesburg
Position: Editor, Tech

Alessandro has published 1241 posts. Read all of Alessandro's posts.
  • Treble

    Thats how sad gamers have become in todays time

    • http://twitter.com/Weeman360 Pienaar Anker

      agreed

  • kluch

    CaViewhut?

  • http://www.facebook.com/brendon.bosch Brendon Bosch

    I`m speechless. Actually i`m not. How many games advertise things and dont live up to it. ALOT but nobody takes those games companies to court. Also if this guy wins the case it`s going to cause havoc in the gaming industry as everyone will be taking game companies to court for not providing what they said they would.

    It`s a sad sad day when a grown man acts like a child… even if he is a gamer

  • Adam Meikle

    Peter Molyneux made plenty of promises with the Fable series and never lived up to them. Therefore people should start cases against said man. This is a case of unadulterated bullshit, of the highest order. People become so invested in video games (which I understand). But to take it to this extreme is a show of true ignorance. 

    • Timothy

       Read all my comments dude, that’s my position on the matter

  • Treble

    I did not like Red Dead Redemptions ending can i go start a law suit? Oh and L.A Noire as well and lets not forget Skyrim. But big bloody deal right fuck the damn ending the game was amazing and i loved it, i will not let the ending of ME3 tell me that it was a bad game

    • reV

      If you are truly passionate about the game you play and is heavily emotional attached to the plots and the characters, I don’t see why not? Admitted it does feel like the man is going a little too far, but I don’t honestly blame him.

      And good for you for liking the ending and thinking the game is great, but you need to learn to respect others’ subjective opinion of the game as well, it’s not like people’s reasons for hating the ending/game is completely unfound.

      As much as you fucking bitch about all the complaints, you yourself need to pipe the fuck down with your “OH GOD PEOPLE ARE HOLDING OPPOSING OPINIONS, WHAT A BUNCH OF DUMBASSES”.

      Oh wait is that a ManU avatar? How fitting. :3c

    • Treble

      And people need to get the fuck over the fucking ending are they going to that with every single damn game that gets released now? But hey i suppose its ok right people have the right to complain about a damn game because they have nothing else better to worry about

    • reV

      When almost every new PC title is fucking atrocious thanks to EA/Activision bullshit or thanks to lazy developer (“FOV? What’s that?”), yeah, people have every damn right to be bitching. If people would stop bending over and taking it up the ass, maybe we wouldn’t be getting all these sloppy ports and ridiculous DLC nonsense.

      Though I have no idea how this has anything to do with this dude complaining about the ending. Generalizing all the complaints and bitch about them all together is about as silly and over the top as what the dude is doing.

      “Nothing else better to worry about”? And what do you suggest they worry about? KONY2012? Or your lack of fucking tolerance?

    • Timothy

      Remember that a game is an entirely subjective thing, and on that basis, no one person or group (unless by an immense majority) should change what others have already agreed to and potentially enjoyed. It’s pathetic to cling so heavily to something your imagination can just as easily alter; imagine a different ending, there problem gone. To complain is fine and I can agree to being angry but making a federal case is absurd.

      What if a majority (which me must legally assume as the size of the group who signed the petition to change the ending is not even 10% of the sales of the game) actually like it. What gives the few the right to change it for the many, and even if they did, who’s to say another group won’t like it?

      It is an entertainment product and it’s not within the law to hold the developer accountable for something subjective and entirely circumstantial. The game is functional and he got all he payed for, it would be impossible to judge and ridiculous to use tax payers money to fund a court that would have to deem the new ending acceptable. And what if it wasn’t, should they change it again? This is what boycotts are for and if he doesn’t like it then don’t buy another Bioware game, no tears shed on my account.

      And finally, if the case was successful, what’s to stop Bioware just making some BS ending and saying there you go asswipes, enjoy the now even worse ending. This will also have huge and detrimental effects on the entertainment media. The developer is exercising their creative right, we have to either accept it or do not and don’t buy it.

    • Cloud Strife

      reV: Games are meant to be played so gameplay trumps all…read a fucking book if you want a story..

    • reV

      @Cloud: Not necessarily, games are not what they used to be, it has evolved into a perfectly valid medium for story telling, an interactive one at that. Why READ a story when you can LIVE in one? Hell, you are a Final Fantasy fanboy, surely you should be well aware of that? Feed the gamers with 13 iterations of the same game, each with some, if any addition to the game play, yet people would still buy that? You got to ask yourself WHY.

    • AG_Sonday

       Agree with reV, games have evolved and if gameplay is everything, games like Heavy Rain might be a bit dead in the water.

      Honestly, the guy has a right to be outraged at the ending if he’s a real fan of the series but let’s be honest, this is extreme and possibly ridiculous for even the biggest fan.

      Azhar is foaming at the mouth over these endings but you don’t hear him running to his mommy/some authoritative board.

    • Cloud Strife

      @ reV: I loved the story behind FF7 but I enjoyed the gameplay more (the whole materia thing). I have read books that are far better than the best story in a game. Google Judas Unchained by Peter Hamilton. It puts ME and any other scifi game/story to absolute shame. A well written book is easily lived in. Dont expect everything in one place or medium. Find who does what best. Read a book for the story and play a game for the gameplay.

      And yes, before anyone asks, I still play Skyrim, I cant be bothered how it ends with Mrs and Mr Packman..they are in it right??

    • reV

      Of course games still cannot fully contend with books in terms of story-telling just yet, but we are very much heading in that direction and it won’t be long before games catch up, just look at how game story has evolved over the years. There was actually a very good video regarding that on ExtraCreditz, I’d link it if I could find it again.

      AGAIN, there is the matter of interactivity, which adds a lot to the experience. Why do people absolutely have to read a book for story and play game for gameplay when they can enjoy both at the same time? What if the combination creates something unique and special that people absolutely love? There really is no reason why people must be confined to one or the other, and no reason why they cannot have the highest expectation from both elements of a game.

    • Cloud Strife

      I’m not saying dont play games for the story, I’m saying dont look for a Peter Hamilton novel in a game. Just like I dont look for Stephen King in a horror film. All this crying leads me to believe that you wont be satisfied until its Peter Hamilton-like.

      The highest expectations are usually unrealistic in a capitalist world..

    • kluch

      reVRage FICK JA!

    • reV

      Well, nobody is looking for a Peter Hamilton novel in the story, they simply find the grand finale to be a complete let-down, that is after following the franchise through three brilliant games over the span of five bloody years. How would you feel if Square-Enix decided to make a FF finale that will conclude the franchise, but it turned out to be a complete joke and an utter let-down, arguable even a troll attempt?

      >”All this crying leads me to believe that #YOU# wont be satisfied until its Peter Hamilton-like”

      When have I cried about it? All I’ve done is rationalize the man’s action and the fan outcry in response to all the unjust bashing.

      >”The highest expectations are usually unrealistic in a capitalist world..”

      I suppose I could just go ahead and call it “desires”, people desire perfection despite the fact that we all know it’s impossible to achieve, doesn’t mean we can’t ask for it and desire it, help pushing and motivating the developers to their limits to produce the most amazing game they can possibly produce. Besides, “highest expections” is subjective, and people are more than capable of having the highest reasonable and realistic expectations.

    • Cloud Strife

      I would feel nothing if FF had a “let down” ending. I told you already, the gameplay was what saw me through. I remember Aeries dying and killing sephiroth. Thats about all I remember. So it couldnt have been that great.

    • Timothy

       Suing a company; an act that damages the company, backs them into a wall or tries to strong arm them into changing something is not respectful in any possible iteration of the thought.

      Positivity breeds positivity, violence breeds violence and all that

    • http://egamer.co.za/ Azhar Amien

      Treble, this is very stupid and perhaps taking it too far, but the idea
      behind it I agree with. The ending to Mass Effect 3 was insulting, and
      you cannot say that it doesn’t matter simply because people need to
      “stop bitching”. Granted, it’s perfectly fine if you liked the ending,
      but then don’t be an ass and tell others they don’t have the right to
      NOT like it. And considering that people are reacting to this degree,
      and that they by far have legitimate reason to be angry, your argument
      of “lol lol get a life you has no right to complain” isn’t actually
      relevant. Essentially all you’re doing is bitching about people
      bitching, which has zero value in this case where there is absolutely good enough reasons to complain.

      If you’re fine with the ending, that’s perfectly okay. But I’m not happy
      with throwing R1000 or R1800 (PC/console) at a franchise and enjoying
      it and becoming passionate about the story only for that to be what I
      walk away with. And that’s my business. That seems to be how many are
      feeling.

      I completely agree with reV. If no one gave a shit and just took
      everything in and around the mouth then there would be zero incentive
      for the industry to continue involving.

      Treble, you have the right to disagree and the right to your opinion.
      But if you want to have such a strong opinion, then don’t get your
      panties in a bunch when someone has an opposing opinion or when someone
      thinks differently to you. Gamers have all the right in the world to
      speak out against it.

      The mere FACT that BioWare have now said they haven’t discounted the
      possibility of changing the ending based on feedback (which I think is a
      stupid idea) and ADMITTED that they didn’t give gamers enough closure
      with the ending, must fucking tell you something? That gamers have
      _some_ ground?

    • Timothy

      There’s giving a shit and then there’s fucking shit up for everyone else because you’re unhappy dude. I agree you have the right to be angry but no one has the right to go over to someone else’s house and kick their shit into a mess because you didn’t like something they own as well. Return your product and don’t buy another from that company.

      It’s fair to say that you came away with a bad ending, but not fair to say “R1000 or R1800 (PC/console) at a franchise and enjoying it and becoming
      passionate about the story only for that to be what I walk away with” Because that’s not what you came away with. You came away with the entirety of the experience, you came away with hundreds of hours of enjoyment, discussion, joy, tears and all that shit. The ending is not the experience you should take away from any experience, it’s the journey. I know that’s some preachy shit but it’s true for so many. And I don’t just mean for the little things but for those who have lived their lives, religious journeys, journeys of spiritual enlightenment or and enlightenment of the mind; we should all consider the entirety of the series. I have practically shed tears for this series, loved characters and it’s given me more hours of entertainment and joy than I care to share; I cannot in good conscious sue Bioware for 5 minutes I disagreed with, even if I hated it immeasurably.

      What I’m saying is after all they given me in a gaming experience, one of the greatest gaming experiences to have ever graced this planet, I’m gonna fuck Bioware up because I’m having a tantrum. Boycotting is fine; actually starting a group that supports charity in order to persuade Bioware to see otherwise; giving constructive criticism and using positive feedback are all things I’m 100% for. But as soon as you try to sue them, or hate like some have; well then I just lose all respect for them.

  • SuperMata

    I realy never thought I would come across something like this.

  • kluch

    You people are really overreacting. This is really not THAT bad.

  • Timothy

    This is why the rest of the world looks down on us

  • http://egamer.co.za/author/cavie Caveshen “CaViE” Rajman

    I give up… There is no hope for humanity. Harbinger, you know what to do. 

    • Timothy

      This is like when that stupid chick sued McDonalds for spilling coffee on herself and that it was too hot. Or when a little VW Beetle pulls up at the side of the road, 800 clowns climb out, and kick your ass because you don’t believe in the power of magic hamsters

    • kluch

      No actually it is not the same

  • http://www.facebook.com/brendon.bosch Brendon Bosch

    I see alot of people have raised their voice. Glad to see a game was the cause of this may it be for the wrong reasons. Both sides have valid points even though i`m on the side that didnt have an issue with the ending as it`s not a life threatening problem.

    Now with that said hate the ending or love the ending you cannot deny that the game was and is friggin awesome and trumps most games in the past year for GOTY. Yes that last bit was my opinion and i`m standing by it just like someone else has a different opinion and disagrees with me.

    So in the immortal words of Mick Foley

    “HAVE A NICE DAY”

    • Cloud Strife

      I’m sure this game kicks ass and I intend to play it as soon as I’m done with ME2. And a nice day to you as well.

    • Treble

      People are going to moan, groan, bitch and throw fits about the ending of ME3 for many years to come so yeah you carry on doing that we shall continue to enjoy our games and not make such a damn fucking big deal about the ending. Have a nice day to everyone indeed

  • Pea_Peralta

    Well i say good on him for having the time plus the resources to file a suit against EA and Bioware..
    The said thing is wiith games most of the time the game doesnt live up to the promises the marketing made like most gamers we shrug it off after a rant or 2 and move on..but thats wrong we should actually be doing something about it..

    If i buy a car and when i read the pamphlet it said it will make me tea by God if it doesnt make me tea i am going to return said car and express my utter disgust with the manufacturer..

    This is actually going to set a precident that  you as a developer need to fulfill the fans with the promises you made during development..

    I can understand this guy’s passion for the game that he feels he has to do something instead of just rant about..Just imagine the quality of games we would have if developers feared such backlash from fans and how marketing will try to stay true to the actual game..Lets think about it a bit before we just classify him as a looney with too much time on his hands..

    • Treble

      Tl;dr

    • reV

       *shakes head*

      Pathetic.

    • Timothy

       Quality will actually most likely drop considerably, look at my latest comment to see why. But in case you deem it too long to bother with, imagine this. If one person is all it takes to sue for unsatisfactory content then studios, scared of being driven under by lawsuits, will be forced to reproduce generic and tired old content they know works because then no one can legally complain against it. Creativity and difference will become to dangerous.

      Even if you want to argue Bioware is not being sued for creative issues and perhaps its that lack, ending wise, that people are suing for; it doesn’t distinguish from my above situation. The law, which a lawsuit falls under of course, cannot be so specific and particular about the subject matter it attends; it has to be general and effect all or nothing. Specifics are too complex, too expensive, too open to loopholes and being taken advantage of.

  • Timothy

    A creative product developed for media entertainment is not something one can sue because it displeases them. They are expressions of creativity and their narratives can only be interpreted subjectively; you cannot make objective claims about something you have interpreted with semiotic interpretations only available to your faculty of understanding. Bioware cannot be hold liable for something a minority had interpreted as wrong or a ‘lie’. And it is a legal minority, even the Facebook ‘Retake Mass Effect’ campaign is tiny compared to the consumer base, many of which who have not complained at all. And I love how so many say “It’s a majority who have complained, just look at any forum and count how many are against it.” People who don’t have reason to complain or do not find Bioware guilty of which they are now accused have not bothered to voice their opinion, hence the obviously negative voice on the internet.

    Like I’ve said before, who gets to decide the ‘new ending’ is satisfactory? Who gets to decide this new ending, which must be judged subjectively is any better than the last? This must be legally subjective because to make it objective would mean circumstantial evidence of any type would then be considered objective and that would have the worst ramifications I can imagine. I am all for being displeased or angry at a media product you feel wronged you but that’s what boycotting is for, return the game and get your money back. The funniest thing is how many who want legal action actually enjoyed the rest of the game. Does that mean if I did not think level 5 of Rayman met its promises made by the developer I can sue them?

    And now here’s the most important thing, the thing almost every extremist hater forgets, the thing that unfortunately shows a lack of sense or ability to understand consequences. If the lawsuit was successful, could I then sue a restaurant for not meeting their promises of being the best in a area? Could I sue a car manufacturer because they promised comfortable seats and I, just me, find them uncomfortable? Can I sue Fight Club if the developer promised a controversial ending and I alone found it noncontroversial? No, I cannot and to do so would destroy so many industry standards that actually aid us. Besides of which, consider it like this, who defines the ending of a game. Bioware clearly had points throughout the game that were effected by my previous game and perhaps some of those times that occurred are considered the end of the game, even if it is not the choice for the final confrontation. If it’s a subjective thing then Bioware gets to decide when the ending occurs and if it is objective you need to consider the average play time and a certain percentage is considered the conclusion. I can be choices fall into that ending time and so, well, your ending then had choices. You may have not liked the endings and may consider them illogical or just different coloured explosions but that is still multiple different endings. Subjectively that may not be the case but objectively it is and you can only sue on objective faults; now who’s stupid for wanting to criticise on objective grounds?
    And there are other negative ramifications of a successful lawsuit. Game studios would close down left right and center if this became a precedent, all of which are guilty of not providing on some sort of promise. They’d all be sued for something. And it could possibly mean the death of creativity because if one fan is enough to hate their new (and creative attempt), effectively closing them down, game developers will be forced to reproduce generic (safe) games that no one will be able to find fault in.

    Hate Mass Effect 3 or just its ending, be angry and throw your gamepad through your LCD screen; I promise, I will not judge you and I’d understand if you wanted to return the game. Sorry if this comment seems a little over the top but I’m just lost for words and how insane this is, AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE SUPPORT THIS FTC SHIT. And if you’re going to argue with me, please argue with the entire comment, I will ignore any childish comment that attacks some small or a singular fact in my comment. Give me a good reason, not just any idea your mind vomits out.

  • Timothy

    I found this and I think it speaks bounds for everyone considering the lawsuit as a potentially positive force for game development and change.

    “Hoped outcome:
    Dude gets value of the game compensation.
    EA and entire games industry learn not to treat customers with contempt or as thieves.

    Predicted outcome:
    Case thrown out.
    EA expand their “No class action” clause in their T&A to include buggy, faulty, misrepresented products.”