Am I missing something or is the gaming community at large misinterpreting the recent letter released by BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka? Ever since his response to the outcry against the ending of Mass Effect 3 hit the web, the internet has been ablaze with reports that BioWare has agreed to change the ending. Nowhere in Muzkya's response to the fans does he ever use the word "change", "alter", or anything else along those lines. Don't believe me? Well let's take a closer look at exactly what he wrote.
Note: If you haven't gotten a chance to read the letter in its entirety, you can check it out here. I'm going to highlight the part of pertinence for the sake of brevity.
The part of his response that I would like to bring to your attention is as follows:
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. You’ll hear more on this in April. 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. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue.
I don't see the word "change" in there anywhere, do you? However, what I do see are phrases like "providing more clarity" and "answer the questions", which would imply that the original ending will remain intact. After all, he does go on to say that they are "working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story." I don't see how it could have been said much clearer than that; so why is it that everyone is jumping the gun and saying that BioWare is folding to the requests of fans to alter the ending?
For one, the massive outcry against the ending has caused such a major uproar in the gaming community that everything is bound to get blown out of proportion. We need to remember that the team over at BioWare is under the leadership of some pretty intelligent minds, and as such there's no doubt that this letter was not written in haste. Muzyka chose his words carefully and we shouldn't be so quick to gloss over what he says without careful examination.
So what exactly is it that I am saying? Well, based on the wording in this letter, there's no confirmation whatsoever that BioWare is changing the game's ending. Will they be providing clarification for fans who want some of the blanks filled in? Yes. That is what Muzyka has said BioWare plans to do. Last time I checked, elaborating on something doesn't inherently alter whatever it is you are explaining. So fans hoping to get some closure will certainly be getting the explanation that they so desire, but those looking for something completely different from what they got on the disc will be in for a huge disappointment.
Once again, I repeat, BioWare is not changing the ending of Mass Effect 3. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a fact. The words of Muzyka have been twisted into meaning something that he clearly did not intend. Clarity will be coming, NOT change. If you're having trouble making that distinction, I suggest you find yourself a dictionary.
