I have recently sumbled across something called the “Mass Effect 3 Controversy” where the Mass Effect series of games made the player’s choice a key element in shaping the story of its 100+ hour saga. But the disappointing endings (because they all render the decisions you made along the game irrelevant and basically boil down to a different color tint in the ending sequence) to the game left many fans unhappy.
In their unhappiness fans tuned creative. For example there was a $80k Child’s Play fund raiser and a huge cup cake delivery to Bioware.
But the real question remains: did they really screw up the ending (I can’t reproduce the link to a forum thread where a member of the writer team disclosed some insider info about the process the ending got written) and by the help of resourceful fans have a way of mending it with a genius twist or they really had a good ending, but cut it short in order to sell it as additional DLC?
At this point, I don’t know what I wish to be true. That Bioware just screwed up the finale the old fashioned way, or that they had a brilliant ending, cut it and made what they did show cryptic in order to sell DLC down the line. In my eyes, either situation is equally tragic.
– Forbes