FTC Complaint Filed Against EA Over Mass Effect 3 Endings

March 21, 2012 - 7:13am

A Mass Effect 3 fan has decided to take the ongoing campaign against the game's endings to a new level by filing a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

In the complaint, the player accuses EA of not delivering on its promises to consumers.

"After reading through the list of promises about the ending of the game they made in their advertising campaign and PR interviews, it was clear that the product we got did not live up to any of those claims," the complaint reads.

The complainer posted on BioWare's forum, asking other dissatisfied fans to file similar FTC complaints in order to lend more weight to the accusations.

He also revealed that he has filed a Better Business Bureau complaint and that he intends to return his copy of Mass Effect 3 before the end of his 30 days return policy if the endings were not changed before then.

Comments

Wouldn't go that far

The endings were not what I was hoping for, but I wouldn't have taken it so far. I do think they should have been deeper... just a bit... All the endings are pretty much the same animations with different colors (except the reapers dying or the reapers leaving)

We did spend the majority of the game traveling the galaxay asking for help... I would have loved to see how my choices affected all those that came to help seeing as the relays were destroyed and they were unable to return to thier systems.

Just my thoughts...

Good

Good I say, it's about time someone did something like this to make a point to these lazy game developers and their terrible writing. We get so tired of paying $59.99 for long anticipated games to be let down by TERRIBLE game play and even worse story lines and abysmal half @ssed endings.

Agreed that the last part of ME3 sucked.

It is true that it is the developer's story. However, when you advertised that Mass Effect 3 will tie the majority of the decisions you have made in the past two games and you don't do it, that is false advertisement. Now because Bioware stated ME3 will conclude my past decisions, I invested a lot of time building a few save files from ME1-2, female and male, paragon/renegade. None of the less, Mass Effect 3 is still an epic game, I don't really believe that the last part of the game concludes anything therefore, it's not an ending. Maybe the indoctrination theory is correct, but it still doesn't conclude shit... Anyone with me on that?

ME3 -Why Me3 sucked at the end

if anybody actually has played Me 1 more then once and Me 2 more then once then imported and played me3, They will see just how poorly written the ending really is.. Mass effect 3 was a good game up till the very ending. Where it prety much falls apart.. Now I know everybody has multiple theories on you being indoctrination and not..

Lets skip that and go to the facts.. Facts are there were more then few KEY people who we're involved with whole Mass effect world/games/comics and what not. Several of those people that we're involved in making of Me3 we're no longer there at the ending of the game.. Some were either a) let go b) quite c) fired or d) simple left,

This is why Mass effect 3 fell apart at the end.. Becasue some writers/idea people we're no longer there. It has been said and posted Bioworks forms and other people have hinted that some who we're involved in making of Me1/me2 we're not there for ending of me 3..

The original person who did some the music for Me1 and Me2 left and not there for me3. This is why ME3 fell apart and why Bioworks is sticking to there guns..

The add on stuff for the end will not change ending.To already pourly written ending.. There promis to fix it was just another lie, They throw banaid on it, throw free stuff at us because they think general public is stupid and will not notice. Well look at everybody complaining or saying something.. Did anybody notice how poorly the Quest info was compared to ME2 or even 1? I Really loved Bioworks and Mass effect world. You could play Me 1 and 2 over and over again. Me 3.. prety much kills that.. Why? Poor writting.. I doubt I will ever buy another bioworks game or ever buy another Mass effect game.

Tax?

Thank god the FTC is the federal government of America and not the UK. Good luck with the time wasting and if you don't like the game don't buy it. If you have bought the game and still don't like it. Just fucking use your brain and return it and buy another game :D

Are you freaking kidding me?

Are you freaking kidding me? I thought the complaints that MGS4 should be "taken off shelves, declared non-canon, and redone from scratch" were ridiculous, but this dumb ass seriously takes the cake. It was the developers' story to tell, not yours. If you don't like it, that's your problem, not theirs. I hope the FTC laughs in this idiot's face.

Rebutal

You do realise that their is a standard code of ethics as well as laws that say if you promise something about a game then you have to deliver or send in some kind of retraction and i think that it is about time that some video game developers were held accountable for their actions it's wrong what they do to us they raise the hype up so high just so you'll spend 60-70 on a game that they barely even finish that have so many errors and that generally just tend to be disappointing I expect more when i pick up a copy of final fantasy or Mass Effect. Oh and your point about it being the developers story is that they actually say this is your story in several of their commercials and interviews. Plus the whole point of the mass effect series was choice and consequences and at the end they just say fuck you we dont give a shit about promises that we made, and that sir is not okay

oook

Its still a VERY good game regardless of the ending being dissatisfied or not ... I for one will play it over and over just to enjoy the game itself and not just play the game to get the storyline over and done with just to have a person file a complaint ....its quite stupid ....lol

I agree fully

The ending was a complete break of a lot of promises made, and the companies involved have done nothing to console its shareholders and consumers. Even on a purely business basis, this was a terrible act of false advertising.

(And also that ending was absolute sh*t.)

As did many other games...

many other games also, if this is what you want to call it which its not, 'False advertise' but because ME3 was such a heavily anticipated game it gets all the hype. It's not "False advertising' as in no where in any interview, comercial, ect. did Bioware plainly state that it was fact. In order to false advertise you must state that something is fact and it not be so. Bioware did nothing of the sort. And either way if you don't like the game, take it back and get a new one. Like one of the other comments says,"It's their story to tell." It's their story, and they gave you options. Get over and get on with your life. I'm sure people like you will have plenty of hating to do about Halo 4 when it comes out.

Rebutal

word for word in an interview they said the ending will be massive a culmination of all of your choices stretching from mass effect 1 through ME3

Is this a joke?!

He's actually gone to the FTC?! I can't believe he's wasting government resources just over a (admittedly shit) Mass Effect 3 Ending! This has gone too far now, I have had enough of this crap. Yes the ending was bad, If you don't like it, DON'T BUY THE FUCKING GAME! And if you have bought it and are dissatisfied with the game as a whole, return it and get your money back! I for one, will sit here and enjoy the amazing gameplay and graphical qualities of Mass Effect 3.

Ending

Bioware/EA needs a mulligan to redo the last part of ME3. After 2.9 games up build-up, the ending of ME3 was horrid (and if you don't know why a huge number of ME fans think so, you haven't been reading the forums) -- quite possibly, it ranks as the worst trilogy ending I have ever seen. It's almost tragic ... because until the last 10 minutes, ME3 was on course for exceeding every expectation I had for the franchise. ME1 & 2 had tons of replayability ... ME3, one and done.

That said, would I even consider letting my disappointment in the ending of ME3 lending my support to an FTC complaint? No. There's hope that Bioware can fix it still (I suspect they won't, but I do hope, as historically they've shown they do listen to fans) ... and if I don't Bioware/EA will ultimately suffer -- because I won't buy another of their offerings in the future.

Wow... just wow...

I agreed up until the end. It's your loss if you're going to quit playing all future releases over one shitty ending. Are you going to discard the endings of ME 1 & 2 because ME 3 had a shit ending? That my friends is ignorance and you must be one giant ignoramus to do such a drastic thing over this. It's annoying little prissy fanboys like your self who throw a fit because they don't get what they want. Grow up. You bought the game, you're problem. Not Bioware's, but since their such a great company although it was a HUGE blow to their pride in their video game they have decided to add more detail into the ending.

Nope

These people need to stop being so butthurt. The game's ending was fine, stop crying because you don't understand it.

this whole mass effect talk

I agree on many points here, firstly - Bioware did claim it would tie all the choices you've made to the finest detail and would reflect what happens, my info came from old Gameinformers, as you know its info isnt flawed because if it was the company would be gone. secondly - yes its by FEDERAL LAW that if you advertise something it needs to be set in place where it is as claims. as you all have seen, ME3 ending was a bs way of saying "haha fk you!" the ending was not as the claims had been made. your choices from 1, 2 and 3 were shot at the ending. what good is makeing friends with the Geth if you either break them or fuse them? makes no sence. Thirdly - whats the point in makeing a romance bit in all 3 games simply to end all in the end. all your efforts to date one of the characters was just blown to dust. good job Bioware, nice logic. Fourthly- whats the point in adding on more allies and a cowardly alien race that hides in water all the time if you're simply ganna end the game with that POS laser detination sequence that either kills the ppl you worked delectaly to help or fuse them all to force them to get along? isnt it supposed to be that the more allies you get the more you max your readyness you get the better cances you have of killing the reapers? Lastly - yes the gameplay was nice, the graphics were great, sure you guys fucked up with the mako and the map equiptment but seriously, to end a game like that after all that efort tossed in, yall fked up Bioware. sadly I'm hesitent to buy DA3(dragon age 3)because of your crappy piece together ME3 ending FK up.

kotor2 ending

You had 2 endings in kotor 2, the dark side ending where you took control of that asteroid or whatever, or the light side ending where you killed kreia and took off.. nobody argued about that ending..

Kotor 2

If I remember correctly, if your skill is high enough you can redeem Kreia at the end without killing her, you do still go off to wherever Revan ended up though. Not a bad ending necessarily, but not nearly as satisfying as the ones at the end of Kotor One.

Stupid American.. From an American

heh, Guess he didn't fully read his Terms of Service over Purchasing a Software game. Besides the rediculous waste of gov resources over a ending of a game.

Thirty Day Return Policy.
Somones going to be cranky :D Every Retail industry in America to my knowledge (from working at majority of them, not sure about Steam) is 7 days (at gamestop) for a direct return, 14 days (for exchange of software for same title if title is damaged), 30 days, you will get laughed at. You can not Return/ Exchange software titles in America for store credit/ different game due to copyright laws. So I wonder if he will file complaints about that to.

Captcha
Bacon & eggs

Yup you are stupid because

Yup you are stupid because you have 30 days to return a product back to the store if you are not satisfied with it. I know because I work in an electronic store. It doesn't matter if it's a game, opened or unopened.

Actually, only partly true

Telling people to return their game is all fine and good, but failure all the same. Every single business in my town has signs all over that say any -unopened- games -can't- be returned. You can't even trade in for full price. So it really depends on -where- you live and what kind of stores you have. Our town doesn't have rental stores either so you're kind of taking a flying leap of faith because you're pretty much SOL if you hate it in my town. So not always is returning it an option.

Thanks for the laugh! I'm

Thanks for the laugh! I'm sure whichever FTC employee who had the good fortune of reading this disgruntled whiner's complaint got a good laugh as well. I'm an American, but I've been thinking of changing my nationality due to the assumed stupidity bestowed upon the few of us normal folk remaining.

toe the line

I find this to be funny, The game was excellent. Now these morons are QQing over nothing (Remember Halo 2 ending?, now that was epic) What I know they will do, is make another DLC for a better ending, and charge you dumb idiots for it lol. Honestly feels like a marketing scam just to make you people buy "The Real ending(s) DLC"!

You Hate America??

UM, Let me get this strait Most of you Rag heads live here but the ones that cant sneak in and are stuck in there own country hate America, O I love it if I can sneak in but since im stuck in this Crap hole of a country I hate America Sound about right?? YA I THOUGHT SO!!!!!!!!!

FTC complaint

The federal trade commission I doubt would be highly interested into the ending of a video game or especially the emphasis one individual has put into the ending of a non-necessity.

The ftc should be interested into how pc games are releasing full retail priced games to consumers yet are releasing patches afterwards to the consumer showing an unpolished game.

This is the larger problem to the complaint and should be the emphasis into a non-necessity. The games such as Call of Duty series are releasing 7 patches a game in the 4th and 5th installation showing a game that is more in the working stages than final product. A base price to the consumer should be set to reflect this--this has to be lower than a full priced game.

Fair call

Mostly, no - but when the devs and publishers ramble on and on about how choices taken from the first two having consequences that will affect the story and ending then they should follow through on it, or ironically - face the consequences - don't make promises you simply have no intention of keeping.

This was a major PR and selling point for the game and seemingly they have not fulfilled those promises.

you're actually right. they

you're actually right. they did trout that if you have your orginal saves from ME 1 and 2, the ending for 3 should be different from what you've done. I'm certain that some gamers are purist, attempting to play different angle to find out the many possible ending. such as ME2, where the ending could result in the relationship which may result in your death or not.

however, if the ending for ME3 does not reflect, but show only three possible ending, where blue is gud and red is bad, but green is neutral, yet still the same ending, i find it stupid to play a game whose ending is teh same, regardless of how you play the games.

A small mercy

Sorta glad they decided to go the Origin only route now, no doubt I would have bought it on steam to continue my saves then raged hard when I found out the promised "consequences of my actions" weren't played out to their conclusions in the end sequences.

Ugh

I don't think I need to say anything more about this. This whole thing over one stupid ending in a game(a GAME for God's sake) is just painfully, and agonizingly, ridiculous.

The whole thing does look

The whole thing does look stupid but then again, people spent a lot of money to buy this game under the premise of what they where told... Bioware (or maybe it was EA pushing to get the game out there ASAP) just seemed to say "There are way too many different decisions to take into account for the ending, f**k it, let's just put 3 different dialogs which lead to the same crappy ending and be done with it"... and by "crappy ending" I mean nonsensical full of plotholes ending. If you stop to think about it, it IS a terrible case of false advertising. It's not a secret that they spent all these years proclaiming there would be different endings depending on what you did during the 3 games... can't hide from the obvious.

False advertising. But then

False advertising. But then again, it happens with most of their games. C&C saga last game? Dragon Age 2? Need for speed the run? Now Mass Effect? People fail to see the pattern and jump right in the band wagon of their PR bs and advertise.

You know... I would usually

You know... I would usually say that this kid just got too angry about something stupid. I like ME (and hate the ending of the third one too). But this is EA, if someone wants to give'em hell for whatever the reason, I'll back them up :)

I honestly agree with

I honestly agree with smashing EA, that's always fun. But the problem with these complaints is they'll hit BIOWARE first, then they'll hit EA. I don't believe Bioware, who were thinking of changing the ending or extending it via DLC later, deserve this level of blind hatred.

I would love to blame EA

I would love to blame EA for all of this bunch of arse whipes they are but quite frankly Bioware holds alot of weight within EA if they say NO then EA listens, the crappy ending probably isnt a result of EA interfernce but some dipshit from within Bioware itself who thought the ending was a good idea, even if EA did have input it would have been more along the lines of JUST GET IT DONE not as specific as to what the ending should be, a brain dead monkey could come up with a better ending in no time, it still comes down to someone within Bioware dropping the ball on this one, I know that Bioware has stated they want to fix things but that doesnt mean that it wasnt Biowares fault to begin with, unless we find out more we will never know but dont be so quick to defend Bioware and crucify EA based on track records and personal opinion because this really does stink of a Bioware Fuck Up.

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