EDI from Mass Effect 3.

[palefunnyghost / cosgeek]

Just in from San Diego, the premiere trailer has hit for the animated Mass Effect 3 prequel, Paragon Lost.

The feature, from FUNimation, follows James Vega's early career in a fight against The Collectors and will debut November 13, 2012.

[funimation]

Christine Schott's Mass Effect 3 hoodies, based on the game's character designs, are about to go from DeviantArt concept drawings to official BioWare merchandise, sold alongside the already-awesome official N7 hoodie.

Schott writes:

Chances are my hoodies are nowhere near the final product, after all I'm no true designer and haven't got the slightest idea what looks good on clothing and what doesnt. I just conceptualized the idea. they will be redesigning the hoodies, and will sell a few as a trial run, and if it goes well more hoodies will be added I'm sure.

For a non-designer, she sure came up with some sweet clothing concepts.

No word on prices or a street date for Commander Shephard's favorite sweatshirts on the Citadel.

[marysue.]

The autobiography of the raddest, most bestest soldier in N7, James Vega -- as illustrated by James Vega, in crayon.*

• Actually illustrated by skoolmunkee.

Warning: may contain Mass Effect 3 spoilers.

[ianbrooks.]

A lucky Mass Effect fan writes, "My boyfriend calibrated the KitchenAid Mixer and Nerf gun."

It sounds like their relationship has the possibility of a happy ending, unlike some video games I can think of.

[obviouswinner.]

At the peak of fan outrage against EA and BioWare over the ending of Mass Effect 3, a BioWare Forums user going by el_spiko filed false advertising complaints against the companies with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau.

Improbably, the BBB has responded to el_spiko's complaint with an extensive blog post. Even more improbably, they basically agree with him that the level of player choice in Mass Effect 3 was misrepresented in ads for the game.

The BBB's Marjorie Stephens:

The issue at stake here is, did BioWare falsely advertise? Technically, yes, they did. In the first bullet point, where it states "the decisions you make completely shape your experience", there is no indecision in that statement. It is an absolute. The next statement is not so absolute. It states "your choices drive powerful outcomes". A consumer would have to very carefully analyze this statement to come to a conclusion that the game's outcome is not "wholly" determined by one's choices.

The post may bring a sense of vindication to outraged ME3 fans, but it doesn't have any direct consequences for BioWare or EA (beyond any sales they may already have lost due to the ending controversy).

[toplessrobot.]

BioWare has announced the summer release of an extended cut of Mass Effect 3's controversial ending, but what does that mean for the Indoctrination Theory -- the popular fan-driven idea that the entire disappointing end of ME3 was a figment of Commander Shepherd's mind after being "indoctrinated" by the Reapers?

A BioWare rep addressed the theory for the first time at a PAX East panel, saying, "The indoctrination theory illustrates again how committed the fanbase is. We don't want to comment either way. We want the content to speak for itself, and we'll let it do so."

We'll see this summer whether the extended version of the ending confirms or debunks indoctrination as an explanation for what Shepherd sees at the end of the game.

[g4tv]