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]

EA has announced an "Extended Cut" DLC for Mass Effect 3, which will add "additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes" to the game's controversial ending.

The new ending promises to provide some clarity to the ending and expand on the fates of the game's main characters in a way that will be "more personalized for each player."

"With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team's artistic vision for the end of this story arc," said BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka.

The Extended Cut will be available for free download sometime this summer.

[joystiq]

With the fan backlash against the ending to BioWare's Mass Effect 3 showing no signs of dying down, BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka has issued a statement promising DLC that will (hopefully) make things right with disgruntled players.

Muzyka:

Building on their research, Exec Producer Casey Hudson and the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey. We're working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we've received.

Muzyka promised that upcoming Mass Effect 3 content would "directly address" fans' dissatisfaction with the ending, but said that it wouldn't interfere with existing plans for new DLC and future Mass Effect games.

He was also clear that he supports the artistic decisions made by Hudson and the ME3, which makes it sound like the proposed fix will be an addition to the story, not a rewrite of the controversial existing endings.

[rockpapershotgun]

The fan outrage at EA and BioWare over Mass Effect 3's ending has escalated from complaining on Twitter and Facebook to filing a complaint against EA with the Federal Trade Commission.

One fan, BioWare forum poster El_Spiko, decided that pre-release promises the developers made about ME3's ending in ads and interviews constituted false advertising, and he filed the complaint -- along with a Better Business Bureau complaint -- to "hold the company accountable."

The complaint doesn't have much hope of succeeding, though. Although the ME3 team did make some statements about the game's endings in interviews that turned out not to be true, the FTC is unlikely to consider those interviews "advertising," and the game's actual ads make ambiguous claims about the ending at best.

The Twitter and Facebook campaigning and a petition that just raised thousands of dollars for charity might be a bit more effective in "taking back Mass Effect 3" though: Director Casey Hudson has said that fan feedback will shape upcoming DLC releases.

It's not a complete rewrite of the ending, but it does offer some hope that it might be fixed.

[slashgear]