In the end games are not truely art or just consumer driven products, but are destined to float in between the two and continue to incite heated debates such as this current topic while be rejected and accepted as both depending on whichever is convenient at any given time. Games are DESIGN!

Bioware can stand firm in their creative direction as long as they want it is their right, however they must be will to stand up to all of the criticism that comes with that stance. They will also have to face EA who rights their checks and could very well change their fate. EA is a publisher and they will pressure Bioware to appease their fans at the cost of their "art", because EA's bottom line is at stake long term. I don't always agree with the process and surely did not put in in place, but everybody has to play the game and unfortunately artists always loose. Finally I will close in saying that Bioware's own Casey Hudson stated in one of his interviews that ME3 would infact have an outcome that reflected your choices in all 3 games (implying that there be more than one ending). I have no problem with the vague and open ending (infact thought it interesting and true to it's predecessors which inspired it), but I would surge that it should have atleast 3 or 4 distinct endings to reflect what was said in that interview. I also thought it was interesting to see all of the ways different people interpreted the ending (YouTube has a particularly intriguing version where the poster claims Shepard has been indoctrinated if you chose any outcome other than Destroy).

Now comes the hard part. While I do believe as artists and writers Bioware has the right to take the story (ending included) where ever they wish it to go. I also agree that Bioware has no legal requirement to change what is registered as their property. We are allowed to enjoy their work through purchasing a copy of any of the ME games, but Mass Effect is still very much Bioware's property and they alone have rights to it's creative direction. Now, I would like to state games are not just products for consumer use just as they are not (and never will be) accepted or considered true art. This is because games are...ready for it...DESIGN! I am a graphic designer and i acknowledge that while each member of Bioware's staff can be titled artist, but they are also designers which is different from art in that it is driven by a consumer market, and will always bend to what it's clients' will demands even at the cost of their own creativity. I have made countess revisions to projects and altered the creative direction of many others just to find that my creative license was undermined by a suit with a business degree who has not an ounce of creativity in his entire being. I understand the sentiment of retaining the creative direction the artist intended, but am a designer and as such I am a realist.

I love mass effect 1,2 and 3, and I will continue to enjoy them. I finally finished my first play through earlier this week and already being aware of this ongoing and inflamed debate of the ending I checked the other endings out. I will admit it wasn't what I expected or where I thought the series would take it, but after see the ending and recalling that early on it was explained that this is meant to be a throw-back to retro and classic scifi movies and takes inspiration from the likes of Blade Runner, Metropolis and Battlestar Galactica (as well as many others), and it is clearly evident in their art and musical direction. Most of these classic scifi films share a common element among their endings...they often have a very ambiguous and a somewhat open ended climax meant to drive the audience to a certain point and then allow them to draw their own conclusions of what they just witnessed and what out ones may lay ahead after the final credits and the story is over.

I would like to point out that while I don't disagree that it feels like we are being milked by EA just so we can gain access to a small amount of interesting backstory or vital character background and even a few minor but crucial plot developments, I still believe that if you have played the 3 core games (thoroughly) along with all mission based dlc for each you should have no real problem understanding the complex ME universe and it's inhabatents. I have only read a few of the comics, books and other media and have found most if not all of their story can be revealed through the dialogue of certain characters. I also notice that even if you have not played the dlc for part 2 that the details in between ME2 and ME3 can be revealed in conversations. One example was on ME2 when you talk in more detail with Liara she will share the same story with you that was in the comic "Redemption". I do agree that it is inconvenient in that EA has resorted to an overblown marketing plan for their games, but in the end I don't feel that you need them. The 3 core games along with dlc will give anyone interested plenty of info to follow plot points without buying any further merchandise. I've enjoyed all 3 mass effect games and most of their dlc (aside from "Pinnacle Station" for part 1) and would buy it all again given a choice. I do agree that ME's universe exsists on too many forms of media, but none of them affect the experience of the core story/game in a big way.

I am shocked at how childish this whole situation is. It is ridiculous to think that a bunch of gamers, who are by the way statistically shown to likely fit in the ages of 25-35, are more immature than my 2 year old son. I am ashamed to be called a gamer right now for the disgust I feel towards these few who can't allow a different point of view. I happen to agree with her statement. I personally enjoy the combat experience, but my wife doesn't always feel the same even if she enjoys the story. None of us would deny that some games are better written than many movies these days so it would be nice if my wife could enjoy them too. On the other hand Helper never once said to remove combat she just offered another option in gameplay in which you can take it or leave it. I am in graphic design and just like in any other creative or product driven field people have ideas, and without them you have nothing. Helper was making a suggestion for an additional option to be added, and truthfully it wouldn't hurt to try it given that the combat would remain. If an idea is not shared by anyone else let it show in the low purchases of that product. To end my rant (sorry for this going on and on), I would close in saying to those who have acted so poorly, "grow up and use big boy/girl words so we know your side of the argument, otherwise you seem as childish as saying 'she's a poopy head.'"

I totally and completely agree with the belief that music adds much more emotional depth to a game despite being "non-essential". It is almost as compelling as the imagery itself when telling a story and since most games today have blurred the line between movie and video-game I feel that music is more vital than ever to convey an effective story. Movies have been using music to elicit any number of emotions for decades and now games have almost come to a point that they rely on great soundtracks as much as any movie. In Jaws you just know the shark is near when you here that deep tone hammering "da da da da", and I almost always jump when hear the zing of the soldier who just spotted snake in Metal Gear Solid for the PSone. That tone became part of it's identity throughout the entire series. I also have a collection of game soundtracks that upon listening to them I can recall most of that specific part in the game and what I felt when I played it for the first time, and my wife who hasn't played many games thinks I'm nuts because I get excited or moved in a number of ways to a "stupid Soundtrack" and it's because she cannot relate to what she has not experienced.

There is a notice amount of more dark and gloomy graphics in Fable III than Fable II, but it still has plenty of light, sunny landscapes with the typical amount of goofy British humor in the Fable series. Most of the gameplay features people complain about being stripped out aren't exactly taken away, but instead changed into something different. I've played 1 & 2 and both had plenty of differences between the two as well. I rather liked the Sanctuary (pause menu), and thought it added to the game. Where a basic inventory list would be you have a graphical interface that makes it more fun and interesting to see. The only real complaint I have with the new features is the expression wheel being dumbed down to a basic choice between good, bad, rude, or scary actions that are preselected in a cycle. The frame rate issues can be annoying, but as long as it's downloaded on you drive it is not too big of a deal. I do like the Road to Rule as a visual means of progress and your replacement for the XP orbs.