It's physically impossible to step figurative foot onto any Internet forum or blog dedicated to video games of late without seeing some kind of commentary on Mass Effect 3's various endings. There are those who hate those endings, those who hate them with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, and also apparently a few people who either don't mind them or are--*gasp*--totally cool with them. But as with all things on the Internet, the fiery passion of a thousand suns folk generally tend to dominate these discussions, which has made the last couple of weeks exceedingly uncomfortable for anyone who just wanted to talk about Mass Effect without getting shouted at by angry people.
Presumably, BioWare would have to be among those most exhausted with getting shouted at, because lord have they been shouted at loudly and frequently lo these last couple of weeks. With petitions popping up demanding the ending be changed, and even some crazy person filing an FTC complaint claiming false advertising, the developer has been getting it from all ends. So it is perhaps unsurprising that Dr. Ray Muzyka took to the BioWare blog today to announce that through future updates to Mass Effect 3, the developer will be providing clarifications to the ending.
Said Dr. Ray:
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.
This has led some on various forums and social media outlets (myself regrettably included, as I first read about this on Twitter) to postulate that this means a straight up retconning of Mass Effect 3's ending, but reading Dr. Ray's statement, it doesn't sound like it'll be quite that drastic. More likely this would simply entail some kind of DLC update with story exposition that fills in some of the larger plot holes people have been complaining about.
Dr. Ray also addressed the rather vitriolic tone this whole Mass Effect 3 conversation has taken on, in just about the most polite way possible.
Some of the criticism that has been delivered in the heat of passion by our most ardent fans, even if founded on valid principles, such as seeking more clarity to questions or looking for more closure, for example – has unfortunately become destructive rather than constructive. We listen and will respond to constructive criticism, but much as we will not tolerate individual attacks on our team members, we will not support or respond to destructive commentary.
So, there you have it. Whether you hated Mass Effect 3's ending or didn't, you're getting extra content designed to make you understand it better. Of course there's no guarantee that these clarifications will actually sooth any of the current unrest over the ending, but one can presume that if they don't, this whole petitioning and insulting cycle will just begin itself anew, and continue repeating itself until everyone gets the exact ending they want. Because that's how the world works now, I guess.