For some time now, Bioware has been really quiet, and they have not even updated their website with news or even rumors. The "Mass Hysteria" surrounding the latest chapter in their popular Mass Effect series, and the way it failed to tell a story that would please the fans, has given me some thoughts I'd like to share with everyone.

STORY:

When telling a story, be it in a book, a movie or a game, you will start to appeal to peoples emotions, invoking something in their minds and hearts that may have been there before in a dormant state, or simply giving them inspirations that may even change their point of view in certain areas. This is one of the most beautiful things about a good story, and the fact that stories can be made interactive through games, just helps the developers make their products more interesting.

Unfortunately, this can also have serious repercussions. When Mass Effect 3 was released, it was clear that Bioware had forgotten to treat the story of ME 3 the same way you would a book or a movie, namely, they forgot that ALL STORIES play with people's emotions.

When telling a story to an audience, you must always remember, the audience may not always expect a "HAPPY ending" but they do expect a "VALID," something that makes sense in the grand scheme of things, and the best way to do this, is by stating the truth in a discrete way that does not make it to obvious, but by ensuring that it does not surprise people in a negative way. When trying to explain the ending, the way Bioware wanted it, they came up with the idea of an AI, that was ultimately the very reason for every bad thing that had happened through the entire series. This seems like a way to wrap up the story, in such a way that it might have a chance of continuation, if the opportunity arises.

The "last minute" reveal of this main villain that had been hidden through the entire series, was a factor that turned the entire story of the series upside down, and NOT in a subtle way, but very sudden and shocking, there by not allowing the player to get used to the idea. As for the emotions involved in this process, The players of ME 3, most of them have been playing this series for years, and have build their own little story, because this was the whole meaning of the franchise, to give the player a limited amount of control over the events of the series, there by allowing the consumer to feel as close to the product as the developers themselves.

By changing the entire "flow" of the story in the last minute, they broke this rule of storytelling, and practically "threw" an ending in the face of the consumer, not allowing anyone to get used to the idea of complete 160 degree turn, and thereby removing the players ability to direct the story in any way.

Consumer/Developer relationship:

When letting the consumer get so close to the events of the story, as ME 3 has done, it also makes the consumers think that this product, and the work behind it belongs to them, just as much as the actual developer. This has allowed the players to develope an unhealthy devotion to the game and it's story. So by taking the control completely away from the player right at the end of the story, would naturally cause some emotional conflicts between the consumer and developer.

The actual developer has every right to change the story in any way they see fit, but this is a very stupid thing to do, when the game from the start has been all about putting the story into the hands of the consumer, and then suddenly removing it in the last, and most important moment. When a relationship based on trust, has been made between developer and consumer, it is very important not to "rock the boat." But it seems that Bioware was in a hurry to finish the product, such a hurry that this factor was not taken in to consideration.

Conclusion:

I believe that ANY ending to a story is a good one, if told in the right way, and at the right time, but with a story as complex as a game that lets you transport saves from game-to-game, it will take a lot of time and hard work. Did Bioware run out of time??? Mass Effect made it feel like we had actually created the story our selves, and then in the last minute, it was taken from us.

I'll admit, I was one of the very furious people, who would originally spend time on the web, reading about every-body's negative reaction to this game, but I have since realized that I am just as responsible as the developer. Sure, they tempted me to get very emotionally involved in the story, but I was the one who gave in, and I should have seen it coming. Instead I held my head high and hoped for the best, but secretly I expected far to much.

(I would like to extend my personal apologies to Bioware, for not bringing any "constructive" criticism to their doorstep, and spending most of my time venting my anger on the forums of several websites, when this post is something I should have done long before.)

For people to get so emotionally involved in a form of entertainment, is very dangerous, since ultimately they have no real control over it, but the Mass Effect series let us all believe that we did. When we discovered the truth, it hit us in a way that bypassed ALL of our natural defences and went straight for our emotions, and that's where it really hurts.

Maybe it's time for the consumers to HELP the developers, instead of verbally insulting them, since that will only have a Mass "negative" Effect. And maybe giving the player, control over the story is a risky thing that will only lead to disaster.