" Unfortunately, Biowares foray into other media which expands the Mass Effect universe, like comic's, pretty much demands default shepard marketing. For such an expansive universe as Mass Effect, it just wouldn't be conceivable any other way I imagine. As much as I dislike the design of shepard, you need a 'face' to represent such a story driven game like Mass Effect. Although, if I can play devil's advocate for a moment, it is interesting that there's no default options for creating your shepard's military profile/history too. "

" You've played too many JRPGs methinks.  "

You've played too many JRPGs methinks. 

I don't mind them using a guy for the default Shepard, presenting him as the "real" Shepard. 
 
Then again I like the way default M Shepard looks (he's purty), I like the design of Cole Mcgrath and I think Roxas/Ventus and older Riku look pretty badass too.

In a sense, making Shepard as bland and unimaginative as they have encourages people to create their own like this hottie I found on the MassEffect2Faces.com site. 

"

"

" Shepard sucks. Then again, so does most of the ME cast. "

If that model ever plays Mass Effect he just saved himself a hell of a lot of time.

Unfortunately, Biowares foray into other media which expands the Mass Effect universe, like comic's, pretty much demands default shepard marketing. For such an expansive universe as Mass Effect, it just wouldn't be conceivable any other way I imagine. As much as I dislike the design of shepard, you need a 'face' to represent such a story driven game like Mass Effect. Although, if I can play devil's advocate for a moment, it is interesting that there's no default options for creating your shepard's military profile/history too.

" @EveretteScott said:

" @FancySoapsMan said:

" Shepard sucks. Then again, so does most of the ME cast. "

Either lazy trolling or I pity your opinion. "

Ok. "

" @FancySoapsMan said:

" Shepard sucks. Then again, so does most of the ME cast. "

Either lazy trolling or I pity your opinion. "

" Shepard sucks. Then again, so does most of the ME cast. "

Hallinel, you won't play the game so why do you care?  You don't care.  You, do, however, care that you can take a swipe at a product which is quickly eclipsing your favourite RPG in terms of Western Audience Exposure.  Your argument is contradictory and flawed at almost every turn, as has been pointed out many times.  You say you find Vanderloo's presence bland and yet he's meant to be an everyman, bland is just a function of that process.  I don't agree that he's bland, but if we're to concede that he is then as an everyman it makes sense.  Then there's character customisation aspect which discounts his value or real impact on the game as a whole.  
 
You say you're OK with him being in the ads but not on the box cover, which is ludicrous.  How are people who don't know about the game at any intrinsic level beyond the marketing (say, seeing one ad on TV etc) meant to connect the dots?  They can't be relied on to always remember the name of the product, so the marketing using Vanderloo as Shep on the cover gives them more than just one point of interest to remind themselves that *this* was the game they saw in some ad and it sparked their interest.  It's basic Marketing 101.  It's also why the Special Edition of ME2 had a different, non Vanderloo cover - just the N7 logo from the starting suit; Interested Fans would know this and think it's super cool.
 
But hey, all you're doing is taking a really poorly aimed potshot at some product you quite clearly have some vested interest in taking down a peg or two.  Clearly.  Otherwise your argument would make more (any?) sense and you would've played the game to criticise it in the first place.
 
Even the GB crew are quite clear on this point, they have said on multiple occasions that you can't talk shit about something you've never played, which is exactly what you're doing.
 
Yes I like the game.  Yes I've played it.  No I'm not a huge fan of it.  No this is not a defensive post.  It's a critical analysis of your post.

Hailinel:
 
 I could try to defend my favorite series ad infinitum , but we know that it would be pointless. But in reality I too dont like much the extensive use of Vanderloo Shep in ME ad campaigns , actually a lot of fanatics complaint about it , even more so the lack of use of the better fem Shep voice and the fact they didnt gave femshep a "face" like they did to Male Shep , but they didnt listen to us :( 
 
 The one thing tho Mass Effect IT IS a RPG  >:3 albeit  it is not heavy on the loot side or endless lists of useless items / equipment and is more of a hybrid , I would sujest you to download the demo at least , you may like it and you dont loose anyhting  for trying it out , also you will get a glimpse of the character customization

Would you rather he looked like Steve Buscemi? *shudders*

It's just marketing. I really don't care what a marketing team decides to portray as the default model for the main character in any game where you can fully customize your characters looks like Oblivion, Fallout 3, Saints Row 2... I don't see why I should.

Mark Vanderloo for life.

" @KingWilly:  That default model, which has become the face of the series even though there is a character customization system behind it.  That's my point.  Making the generic default the face rather than doing anything to promote individual creativity.  You never see Bioware releasing screens of more creatively designed Shepards.  It's always Commander Bland.  If they have any sort of pride in their character creator, why not use it instead of going to the effort of scanning in the looks of a live model? "

" @Baillie said:

" @Hailinel: Don't link it to the forums? I don't think you're quite understanding what I mean. Your post is clearly going to stir up arguments, mainly against you. You knew this and yet still did it.  I DO NOT APPROVE !  "

THESE ARE THE RISKS I TAKE!
 
@JJWeatherman: What I'm saying is, you can have both a consistent Marketing Shepard for screen shots, as well as a collection of screen shots that feature alternate Shepard designs.  This does not mean, however, that Marketing Shepard needs to be on the front of the box, or be deemed the cover boy.  My point of view is more or less this:  Why go to the effort of marketing the default male Shepard to such an extent when the game allows for not just male or female Shepard, but multiple variations of each?  Mass Effect is about choice, is it not?  Then why portray a single instance of Shepard as though he's the guy? "

 I actually like the default Shepard, his appearance is very neutral. When I played through the original Mass Effect I customized the appearance of Shepard, then after about 3 hours I realized he looked exactly like Spock. It was really distracting during cut-scenes.

" @Hailinel: Don't link it to the forums? I don't think you're quite understanding what I mean. Your post is clearly going to stir up arguments, mainly against you. You knew this and yet still did it.  I DO NOT APPROVE !  "

" @Hailinel: Don't link it to the forums? I don't think you're quite understanding what I mean. Your post is clearly going to stir up arguments, mainly against you. You knew this and yet still did it.  I DO NOT APPROVE !  "

" @JJWeatherman said:

" @Hailinel said:

" @KingWilly:  That default model, which has become the face of the series even though there is a character customization system behind it.  That's my point.  Making the generic default the face rather than doing anything to promote individual creativity.  You never see Bioware releasing screens of more creatively designed Shepards.  It's always Commander Bland.  If they have any sort of pride in their character creator, why not use it instead of going to the effort of scanning in the looks of a live model? "

It's all done for effective marketing. If nobody is able to recognize Shepard from one released screenshot to the next, then how are they supposed to be able to comprehend what's going on? They'd think "Oh, who's this guy? Oh, that's Shepard?". The next day, "Wait, who's this? Oh, that's Shepard too?". Does that not make perfect sense to have some carryover while they're marketing a game? Do you have an alternative to this marketing strategy that wouldn't confuse people?  Almost everything you've argued in this thread comes off as ignorant. If you were to play the game and at least learn the ins and outs of the customization system, then I'd be more willing to take your points seriously. "

I'm not saying that there can't be a couldn't be a consistent Shepard for the marketing,  "  

 but to have only one (or two, in the relatively rare instances that FemShep is used) Shepard in all of the marketing over an array of possibilities is limiting.

But did Shepard himself need to be on any covers?  Why just do as Dragon Age has done and go for a an art design that doesn't require the main character front and center on the box art?    

" @Baillie said:

" @Hailinel said:

" @natetodamax said:

" You're not interested in the game because of what's on the cover? "

No.  I find what's on the cover bland and misrepresentative. "

Why did you post this topic? Was it to get your name recognised or something? 'The dude that is shitting on Mass Effect due to the generic looking character'. Classy.  I haven't played Mass Effect further than the first start of the first - so, I'm not here just to blindly defend my favourite game. I think you need to look at lots of other games and realise he isn't as generic as you might think. "

It's what I felt like writing about.  Is that a problem? "

" @Hailinel said:

" @natetodamax said:

" You're not interested in the game because of what's on the cover? "

No.  I find what's on the cover bland and misrepresentative. "

Why did you post this topic? Was it to get your name recognised or something? 'The dude that is shitting on Mass Effect due to the generic looking character'. Classy.  I haven't played Mass Effect further than the first start of the first - so, I'm not here just to blindly defend my favourite game. I think you need to look at lots of other games and realise he isn't as generic as you might think. "

" @natetodamax said:

" You're not interested in the game because of what's on the cover? "

No.  I find what's on the cover bland and misrepresentative. "

"

"

" @natetodamax said:

" You're not interested in the game because of what's on the cover? "

No.  I find what's on the cover bland and misrepresentative. "

" You're not interested in the game because of what's on the cover? "

" @Hailinel: I can see where you are coming from. The Shepherd that is featured in marketing is far from definitive (though, he is my definitive version), but on the other hand, what do you expect them to do? Granted they could have opted not to feature characters on the artwork, but would it have ended up any less generic? "

" @Hailinel: hehe. i'm sorry Hailinel! i couldn't resist.  "

" @Hailinel said:

1. Who said I had zero interest in Mass Effect?  All I had said was that I hadn't played the games.

i'd just like to point out: well, you didn't say zero interest, but..  

 But even with the release of Mass Effect 2 on the PS3, I have no interest.  Not in the universe, and certainly not in Bioware's method of RPG design that involves stripping most all of the elements of RPG design out and glorifying a third-person shooter as a new genre standard.   

unless i'm totally seeing something wrong  "

He's "plastered everywhere" because you can only have 1 design to plaster. You can't just make infinite ads with the infinite creation choices. It'd make no sense. You have to pick one design and stick with it for the advertising/art. 
 
Then, if people - say you for example - don't like that design, you can make your own. 
 
Kinda a dumb complaint.

" @Hailinel said:

" @KingWilly:  That default model, which has become the face of the series even though there is a character customization system behind it.  That's my point.  Making the generic default the face rather than doing anything to promote individual creativity.  You never see Bioware releasing screens of more creatively designed Shepards.  It's always Commander Bland.  If they have any sort of pride in their character creator, why not use it instead of going to the effort of scanning in the looks of a live model? "

It's all done for effective marketing. If nobody is able to recognize Shepard from one released screenshot to the next, then how are they supposed to be able to comprehend what's going on? They'd think "Oh, who's this guy? Oh, that's Shepard?". The next day, "Wait, who's this? Oh, that's Shepard too?". Does that not make perfect sense to have some carryover while they're marketing a game? Do you have an alternative to this marketing strategy that wouldn't confuse people?  Almost everything you've argued in this thread comes off as ignorant. If you were to play the game and at least learn the ins and outs of the customization system, then I'd be more willing to take your points seriously. "

" @McGhee_the_Insomniac said:

" @Jazz:  Eh? The OP obviously sought to spark debate with the post. I disagreed with him and was trying to figure out where he was coming from, mainly because I thought his reasoning was so nit-picky it was a little ridiculous. Your post, on the other hand, adds nothing to the discussion besides you trying to make yourself sound cool. You also began doing the very thing you were criticizing others for, which is funny. "

His reasoning is his own, not yours. I find people how hated the Mako ridiculous...but that's life isn't it? Is this blog something to get offended by? Really? He finds the character design bland. THATS IT. No mention on the actual core gameplay, and yet some people take it as a stinging attack on the whole game. Anyway, I think Neko hit the answer on the head, and lord help me if that was me trying to seem cool. That would explain why nobody likes me..I was just trying to highlight how ridiculous the whole enterprise is. He doesn't like it, you disagree...and then what? Nobody's mind is going to get changed. You're arguing with a computer screen..much like I'm doing now. It's totally pointless and futile. Much like my job actually. There's an inherent madness in this whole thing, and it's rather amusing. "

1. Who said I had zero interest in Mass Effect?  All I had said was that I hadn't played the games.

 But even with the release of Mass Effect 2 on the PS3, I have no interest.  Not in the universe, and certainly not in Bioware's method of RPG design that involves stripping most all of the elements of RPG design out and glorifying a third-person shooter as a new genre standard.   

1. My complaints are with the marketing, representation, and overall acceptance of the bland default male Shepard as the Commander Shepard.  This has absolutely nothing else to do with any other aspect of the games.
2. Yes, I know that you can change it from the default.  Once again, that's not my point.
   
3. Why in the heck are some of you so defensive over point number one?

You're not interested in the game because of what's on the cover?

 I'm not really convinced that Bioware has shoved "default" Shepard down our throats. He certainly has been used, there's no doubt about that, but judging by the statistics that they realised a few months ago in regards to players personal choices it hasn't influenced many people. He is simply there as a template and a face to represent the character, which in the context of character driven story-teller, is understandable. You could argue that the addition of a customisation feature makes that a tricky thing to pull off, but as I'm not sure what other alternative there is, unless you exclude Shepard completely, which probably wouldn't have worked. Regardless of whether Shepard is male or female, customised or not, he/she isn't your typical "shell" avatar that you create and impose a personality onto, such as Dragon Age, to give another Bioware example. That's not the way the game was designed. Shepard has a very distinct personality that you can influence one way or the other, unlike something like Dragon Age where you can create an entirely new character each time. There isn't a  good vs evil system as such, you see; all you determine is whether Shepard is your typical good, play by the rules type of guy (paragon) or whether he is a bit more reckless and aggressive (renegade). It's an important distinction to make because because even with those choices, which can often dramatically change the course of events, you don't fundamentally change who Shepard is. It's just his methods that changes, not his core personality. 
 
The only reason I am pointing this out is because if Shepard was just another mute shell of a character then I think your argument would carry more weight, as focusing on an specific default avatar that will never be the same for any two people would be a mistake and a waste of time. It sounds to me like the main issue you have though is more down to the design choice of Shepard more than anything else. In this case I would simply argue that rather than been 'bland', default Shepard is just modelled after the archetypal soldier or marine, which considering the character and the tone of the story in general is a very apt choice. It's a commonly used and well established look, so If that is 'bland' then you really have to discount it's use in all instances, regardless of genre, fiction or otherwise. Overall, I glad they decided to go that route. Anything more over-the-top would have felt out of place to me. If people want to change things up make a larger than life character then they are completely free to do so, but in terms of initial public image I think they needed to go for a more down-to-earth look. You know, keep their options open.
 
What this really boils down to is how much value you put on marketing for this game, or any other for that matter. It's really up to you if you pay attention to it or not, and if it bothers you it's very easy to ignore. I usually do. I tend to pay very little attention to it, other than mild curiosity, as I don't feel that it often gives a true representation of the final content, which ultimately skews opinion and alters expectations, something that I think has happened in this case. I always try and go into a game knowing as little as possible (same with movie's, books etc too). It's a personal preference, but I find that it works quite nicely. 
 
Anyway, I can understand why you are thinking down this route, especially if you are not a big fan of Bioware's design style, but I must respectfully disagree. :) I would recommend at least giving the games a go. You may not like them but there's no harm in trying, right?

" Umm. . . Shepherd IS a space marine in a sci-fi universe that is going for a serious tone. What do you expect? A Final Fantasy costume covered in belts and zippers? "

It's a shame, because you're missing out on the absolutely stellar universe that the Mass Effect 1 presents to you. Mass Effect 2 not so much.