Mass Effect Series - Interview @ The Complex

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The Complex has a new interview with writer Mac Walters at the NY Comic-Con were he talks about the comics, and the controversial ending of Mass Effect 3.

Complex: So with Commander Shepard gone, are you starting anew, or are you going to continue any of that story?

Mac Walter: Well, I can’t get into details, but the idea is that we have agreed to tell a story that doesn’t relate necessarily to any of the Shepard events at all, whatsoever. Beyond that, that’s what we’ve been deciding for awhile. But throughout it all, one of the key things is that it has to be Mass Effect. It can’t just feel like a spin-off. It has to feel like a Mass Effect game at its heart, at its core. Just without the Shepard character or the Shepard specific companions.

Complex: What are your thoughts on all the people who complained about the third game’s ending?

Mac Walter: It’s been 18-19 months since it came out and my thoughts on it are that we addressed it the best we could in the extended cut. We’re obviously not going to be changing anything now. We’re only going forward. But you know what’s interesting? The only view I’ve had on it was, well, I was watching Breaking Bad, and that deals with (spoiler alert) the main character dying. And in no way do I think that anybody was surprised that he died. It was set up, even from the get-go, that this was a character that was going to die. But the interesting difference there is that that’s not a character that people had control of. They didn’t have any say at any point at what would happen to Walter White. Period.

And I think that’s one of the things we really underestimated, which was how much ownership people would take over a character that they could do that. You know, you’ve been given free choice to make all these decisions with this character, with the fates of millions of people, and then, you don’t get to choose your own fate. And I’m not saying that our decision was wrong or right. I think we just underestimated the impact that would have on certain players. To be fair, I get people, especially at the Cons, who will say, “I loved it. It was heart-wrenching, but I felt it was right for my Shepard.” And to me, that’s why it was the right path. But because there was no choice, it was going to be right for some people, and for others, in the middle, and other people were obviously very upset about it. In hindsight, I don’t think there was anything we would have changed about that, but it is a really good lesson learned.
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I was watching Breaking Bad, and that deals with (spoiler alert) the main character dying. And in no way do I think that anybody was surprised that he died.
First of all I didn't watch those series, but planned and this ruins it for me. A huge thanks M. Walters, you really know how to "play".

Second, is ME3 really at the same level as that series final season so he can draw a comparision like this? Although I didn't watch BB, I don't think so.

Third, was it so hard to use an example where a game hero dies in the end. For example:
Soulbringer.
 
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I never watched Breaking Bad, or plan to as I find I hate watching tv as I get older. Sorry about the spoiler, but I just copy pasted without reading it all.:blush:

As for Commander Shepard I'm fine with them moving on with a new trilogy. He/She had their time bring on something new.
 
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Haven't seen Breaking Bad but I understand he turned to making drugs because he had terminal cancer. How is it a spoiler that he died?
 
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I've watching Breaking Bad since the day it started, wondered where it would travel next at the end of each season, and fervently prayed that White would die in agony and pain for all the evil that he did. I'm also familiar with Mass Effect 3.....which is no Breaking Bad. A better comparison might be some sad reality tv show, not such a hallmark piece like Breaking Bad. This comparison is a pure insult.
 
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This comparison is a pure insult.
Hehe, I knew it!
Because of that Escapist could have a comic spitting on Bioware very soon. :evilgrin:
 
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This just shows he doesn't understand our is deliberately ignoring the criticism. Most people don't have an issue with Shepard dying. It is the abrupt, internally inconsistent ending that the third game had. And the whole star child thing...
 
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First of all I didn't watch those series, but planned and this ruins it for me. A huge thanks M. Walters, you really know how to "play"….
Frankly it won't ruin anything, as SonOfCapiz quoted. It's a very great series IF you can accommodate with high morale ambiguity, high violence, and humor between dark and macabre if not gore sometimes.

EDIT: About the comparison. The comparison isn't about the quality it's about how immature are reaction of players to whine when at the end the hero dies. It's a very pertinent comparison, there isn't many contemporary series making this choice. I doubt those whiners are able to appreciate Breaking Bad.
 
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"This comparison is a pure insult."

In my view Mass Effect was a billion times more entertaining than any TV show, boringly non-interactive as the latter is. To each their own, but hopefully people can avoid feeling insulted when there is disagreement.

For ME3 I had no problem with the death at the end, that was perfectly fine in my view. The ending was okay, the rest of the game was great and it's unfortunate that the greatness of the rest of the game is overshadowed in many people's memories by the ending.
 
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The whole "death at the end" thing is a red herring and a PR-devised strawman to again shift the problem onto the consumer (previously we were treated to the 'entitled gamer' thing).

People's problems with the ME3 end were much deeper than PC death. Here we go again … It was about 3 games' worth of choices ignored. It was about a nonsensical deus ex machina asspull in the last 5 minutes. It was about the way the game had morphed from 50:50 RPG:shooter to 10:90. It was about retconning and disrespecting own lore. It was about shifting the whole tone and vision of the franchise from something special to something very mainstream.

That's not to say there's no problem with the 'death at the end' thing, though I'd say it's more the depressing hopelessness overall, culminating in a dead Shepard, a wrecked Normandy, a largely dead squad, a starving fleet and a galaxy knocked back into the stone age without mass relays, most of which needed to be hurriedly "fixed" with post release tweets and DLC.

Dragon Age had a dead Warden ending and BioWare fans loved that. They felt that they had a choice in it, and that the sacrifice was right for Ferelden, and the ceremonies were fitting and touching. Before the sacrifice you had a goodbye chat with each of your party members. No shitstorm there from whiny entitled "fans", funnily enough.
 
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Bioware was trapped. They could not upkeep the promises as shown by the game design.

They sold their game to a customer audience who wish to play exceptional characters, it is all about big decisions.

Bioware served their customers so well with Cdt Sheppard being so influencial in his game universe, taking on his/her busy agenda to make archeological science advance, better the economy by recording commercials and so much more.

Until the final point, the big decision of big decisions when Bioware could not do otherwise than withdrawing the player's input importance.

Cdt Sheppard and all those players who so closely associate to their avatar were betrayed.

It has nothing to do with writing. The best writing in the world could not have saved the day.

The most influential avatar gaming ever known failing on the big day.

Bioware gave players what they wanted: playing exceptional characters that matter in their world. Until the point that path ended in a painful deadend.
 
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A prequel relates to the main story.

Bioware stated they did not want to make either a prequel or a sequel.

They might not deliver but it is their intent.
 
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EDIT: About the comparison. The comparison isn't about the quality it's about how immature are reaction of players to whine when at the end the hero dies. It's a very pertinent comparison, there isn't many contemporary series making this choice. I doubt those whiners are able to appreciate Breaking Bad.

I dont think you or Mac Walter really know what people didnt like about the ME3 ending. Maybe you should read up on the topic. Or just troll on, good luck with that. :>

Dragon Age had a dead Warden ending and BioWare fans loved that. They felt that they had a choice in it, and that the sacrifice was right for Ferelden, and the ceremonies were fitting and touching. Before the sacrifice you had a goodbye chat with each of your party members. No shitstorm there from whiny entitled "fans", funnily enough.

Must have been a compleeeetly different audience, right? I guess we can finally blame it all on science fiction fans… ;)
 
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A prequel relates to the main story.

Bioware stated they did not want to make either a prequel or a sequel.

They might not deliver but it is their intent.

Can you point/link to where they said they didn't want to make a prequel? Because there's quite a conversation taking place on the BioWare forums, and no one has mentioned that.
 
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Mac Walter didn't say anything that would rule out a prequel either: "it has to be Mass Effect. It can’t just feel like a spin-off. It has to feel like a Mass Effect game at its heart, at its core. Just without the Shepard character or the Shepard specific companions."
 
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Can you point/link to where they said they didn't want to make a prequel? Because there's quite a conversation taking place on the BioWare forums, and no one has mentioned that.

The information is taken from a thread posted on this forum (news section). Usually, it is internal referencing. I dont take outside much.
 
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People's problems with the ME3 end were much deeper than PC death. Here we go again … It was about 3 games' worth of choices ignored. It was about a nonsensical deus ex machina asspull in the last 5 minutes. It was about the way the game had morphed from 50:50 RPG:shooter to 10:90. It was about retconning and disrespecting own lore. It was about shifting the whole tone and vision of the franchise from something special to something very mainstream.

In ME3 they couldn't even bother with making a decent quest log that tracks your progress. This more than anything shows how little they cared about their previous audience.
Not that I don't agree with all the other points you've raised.
 
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Oh, and I read this interview now and the guy is either dishonest or not too smart. One quote is particularly glaring:

It was set up, even from the get-go, that this was a character that was going to die. But the interesting difference there is that that’s not a character that people had control of.

I would argue that the interesting difference there was that the character was set-up to die from the get go. That 'schoolteacher with terminal cancer goes bad' is not quite the same premise as 'larger than life military commander kick-ass and chews bubblegum' should be obvious even to BioWare.
 
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I dont think you or Mac Walter really know what people didnt like about the ME3 ending. Maybe you should read up on the topic. Or just troll on, good luck with that. :>

Ha ha too much known trick: you have nothing to say so let launch a random troll accusation.

You don't know better than me what players complain about the end. You have any statistic? No you just read this of that like I did. And I saw many whining about the hero death and the interview was about that, so please spare me your false arguing out of subject and pointless accusation of troll.
 
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