Careful, Internet Users--Mass Effect 3 Leaking All Over the Place

I can't imagine myself playing Mass Effect without the conversion options.

Saves Bioware the trouble of revealing every last detail in their marketing I suppose.

@MattBodega: Would you rather they wreck the main game? I see no problem with having an action mode. Hell, the way Bioware writers their games, I almost wouldn't mind if you pull the left trigger to only see the paragon scenes all game or right trigger to play as renegade.

I don't see why people are so upset with action mode. You don't have to use it, and I doubt it takes any signficant amount of time and resources to put the dialogue choices on autopilot.

I've read the story spoilers, including the final choice and basic gists of the ending cutscenes.

...I really hope they change it, because it reads like fan-fiction level of bad. Really hackneyed.

I've read the spoilers and like many others sincerely hope that they aren't final or complete representations of the end product. Not because the game would be spoiled for me, but because what I've seen certainly doesn't live up to the other games in the series.

Spoiler: Femshep > Maleshep by a factor of 10

any word on kelly chambers?

Spoilers:

So many games getting leaked lately. Wonder why.

@MaddProdigy: PC Gaming man. Shit is destroying everything. Hopefully those bleeding-hearts at EA will be more strict with Origin DRM.

That must have been a fun little convo between the human that made this error and his or her boss.

OK so I'm going on a Mass Effect 3 blackout starting from.... now!

Ar Pee Gee mode!

I hope that the different play modes work out well, and that the RPG mode actually allows for a deep RPG experience instead of being watered down. Bioware has been focusing too much on trying to appeal to everyone with their games lately that they aren't appealing to very many(*cough*Dragon Age 2*cough*). Perhaps this is a way that they can deliver deep gameplay while allowing people who don't like that to play it like it was Gears of War with a story.

im just here to to complete my quest :)

GG Microsoft.

That was close, I clicked the GB wiki on Mass Effect 3 and there is SPOILER info right on the page when the game isn't even out yet. Click at your own peril.

Now that I think of it...EA and Activision are really sparring over this CoD/BF3 joint, are they really going to take this into other genres like Sci-Fi Action RPGs? I can't think of the Activision equivalent of Mass Effect 3, but I shudder at the potential that kind of marketing could have across all games now :(

The fact that they are even considering putting "Action mode" in worries me about the game's direction.

Jesus Christ, Microsoft. Five months out is a little fucking early to have to start worrying about spoilers. Guess I'll be avoiding Mass Effect 3 forums like the plague.

Are my fish still alive? Kelly Chambers, so help me if you murdered my fish....

BioWare sending out a cease and desist notice to a popular gaming forum about the story leaks... crazy.

Damage control I guess.

Action mode should be great if it existed in the earlier games too. Then beware could claim some sort of canon.

Do I really need the plot to be leaked to figure out that it's going to be "Travel around the universe collecting your crew again and running a few personal missions to gain their affinity and then go fight the big-bad, all along the way keeping your eyes open for an opportunity to have a mild prime-time-esque lame "sex scene" with whatever character will have you"?

Seriously, if the final part of the trilogy does the same story gimmick that the first two did, I'm not going to play it. I love Mass Effect, but I'm not going to go through that gimmick a third time all the while feeling compelled to heap praise on them for the "original" and "creative" writing.

As if ME2 was so difficult/deep they needed to make options to add the ability to dumb it down even further. At this pace they will soon be putting out games where you click one button to win. :)

It's truly fucking sad to see Bioware a maker of some of the finest RPGs, so blatantly chase the CoD crowd with one of their franchises and the WoW crowd with another. Will they try to go for the Farmville crowd next?

Saw some of the spoilers, moved me from vaguely hopeful for ME3 to completely indifferent.

Kind of a bummer for people who are excited, I guess - going to be an ever-present danger of SNAPE KILLS DUMBLEDORE.

This seems like the wrong approach to be taking with the FINAL game in a trilogy. I'm a little worried about what that game actually is with some of the statements put out there.

My mom will love story mode. She's 65 and tried to get into ME, but couldn't get the hang of the dual analogs for shooting.

I dont get what all the fuss is about. A simple code change will just automatically select the "canon" dialogue choices in action mode, while the story mode will probably just give all the enemies 10% of their normal health. Options are good. Gamers are both young and old now, folks. Time to realize that there are business opportunities outside us "hardcore" gamers and deal with it.

I'm not going to get outraged by an optional feature that I can just ignore, but the idea of an action mode is simply bizarre. So much of the game is about dialogue trees and making you feel like your decisions matter, having them all go on auto pilot seems sort of crazy. How would you make that compelling? Wouldn't the type of person who chooses to forgo the most interesting things this series has done because they just want action be bored to death by watching conversations full of exposition play out in front of them with no user input? Unless the pacing and structure of this game is significantly different than the last two, I can't imagine someone enjoying that experience.

@thetenthdoctor said:

My mom will love story mode. She's 65 and tried to get into ME, but couldn't get the hang of the dual analogs for shooting.

Unless story mode straight up aims and shoots for you she will still struggle with the controls, me thinks.

Have she tried playing it with a mouse? Since most people even eldery use some form of PCs these days, it might be easier for her to adopt to that. Just possibility, I dunno.

Action mode, story mode... the hell? More power too 'em I guess but is that really necessary?

@Branthog: Don't forget the Star Maps.

I kind of take issue with saying that ME (spcially 2s) dialogue is any deep. It all boils down to Paragon/Renegade/Neutral. Plus some expansionary dialogue options that don't really do anything else.

All they would have to do is have you choose your tone at the start of the game, and this mode would just select the appropriate one for you every time. (either ignoring or going though all the the exposition, but it will be probably ignoring)

IM TURNIN OFF MA INTERWEBZ

Wait wait guys, I GOT IT!

This is so great I'm amazed Bioware didn't think of it, check this out:

Combine Action Mode AND Story mode aspects. Now you only have to walk from A to B!

I'm a genius. Thankyouverymuch.

@Getz said:

Action mode, story mode... the hell? More power too 'em I guess but is that really necessary?

OH MAN I HATE DIALOGUE OPTIONS SOOOOO MUCH!!

@Lukeweizer said:

“These modes are designed to give players an even finer degree of control over their game experience than ever before.” Give players a finer degree of control by taking away part of the experience? Either by taking out the best part or making the combat a cake walk? Jesus. Just make a fucking game and quit trying to please EVERYONE. Skyrim... I want you so bad right now.

Yeah man like why even have casual difficulty frak that right?

Come on dude it's different difficulty settings don't use them

@Slaker117: Well now we no longer have to pretend :)

But those of us that still want to, can. I know I will. /shrug

Why is everyone so up tight about adding "action mode." It's not like it's the only mode you can play. I understand the argument "I'd rather have them spend more time making the game good," but maybe they finished the game how they wanted it and used the delay as a means to push in the new modes. EA wants this to sell alot, so the trying to bring in more casual gamers makes sense, but as long as the end result is good, why waste time bitching about it? Especially when its not even out yet. Make accusations about "dumbing down" and "too casual" after you have actual data to back up the opinion.

Man, Microsoft are the leakiest bunch of leaks that ever leaked.

@EmuLeader:

I think most people take issue less with the mode itself but more with the overall direction of Bioware, or at least the direction that they are perceived to be heading towards.

As far as the data and the results to back up that opinion well we only have to look at how their games changed with time:

DA:O -> DA2

ME1 -> ME2

Oh man.. That ending.. Bioware's story department is officially worse than any Call of Duty developer's

wow gaf got a C&D from bioware and the hefty story spoilers thread got nuked. Naturally some uproar is going on right now Glorious.

Yeah it's totally awesome that a developer/publisher has veto power over what an independent gaming forum talks about.

@nmarchan said:

Yeah it's totally awesome that a developer/publisher has veto power over what an independent gaming forum talks about.

And no journalists will say anything about it because they don't want to lose those cushy events and review copies. Don't worry though, we'll get an article about people being upset about reviews.

@EmuLeader:The thing is that it's less 'they're making it for casuals' and more that they're attempting to attract an audience that will never play an ME game. Just seems like a waste of resources.

It's going to be pretty interesting to see if any of the changes they've made actually attract new players.

They seriously sent a cease and desist to Neogaf and had the thread of users discussing the spoilers removed? That's insane. Someone needs to post them here, then. Clearly labeled, obviously, but that's too fucked up to let them get away with.

Bioware sent a C&D to NeoGAF for this, crazy.

That also pretty much confirms that the spoilers are true.

A thrilling tale of complete incompetence and damage control.

A cease and desist to NeoGAF of all places? This will only stir up more interest in the actual spoiler.