"If you ported that same software to a another device, you wouldn't have that same responsiveness." I just laughed out loud. If anything, you would get more responsiveness on another system than you would get from an underpowered Wii-U processor. Tuned for performance? That's like saying you wouldn't be able to keep up with our Ford Escort if you were driving a Porsche.

Is Bioware a DJ that takes time to dig in crates for each record carefully and figure out how they will mix together who won't even look up to acknowledge a request or are they a gutless reunion DJ that will take any requests from people who ask for top 40 music? A musician that writes and performs their own original songs even if they have popular songs (ie Radiohead)or a cover band that shamelessly rips off the original artist? Artistic integrity...you can't have it both ways.

"1. Video Games are not art, because artists do not do what they do with any intention of making millions." Sorry to say, that is quite a flawed statement. First of all, art comes in many forms. The medium of film and video games require millions of dollars to fully realize. So because of this enormous investment that it is no longer art if they expect to make a return on their money, maybe even a profit? I've heard a similar statement made about musicians. "Real musicians" don't care about making any money. If you aspire to do anything that will reach a larger audience beyond your friends, it takes structure and support. And that often requires hiring people, painters included. Why is it that people only equate starving painters with art? It's a really off-base perspective when you consider how much art goes into concept drawing of all the characters, creatures, costumes, exotic worlds, spaceships, weapons, etc. Everything on Mass Effect 3 was drawn prior to being rendered in 3D. On most games and films, there is usually an art director who oversees each department to make sure the visuals match the original conceptual artwork. Mass Effect 3 is most definitely art, albeit commercial. But there's nothing wrong with wanting to make money from your art if it allows you to make bigger and better projects down the line. If the first Mass Effect had failed, we wouldn't be talking about this ending.

@GoonerKeith I can empathize with the point of view that players wanted to see the results of their choices. I just finished the game last night and am still reeling from the ending. Perhaps they can add some alternate endings kind of like a Special Edition version of the game, as they would with a movie Bluray. I feel that the ending of Fallout 3 was more annoying, because you can't continue the game afterwards. It's obvious people became very immersed and invested in this game, myself included. You can customize the character to look like you, and romance just about anyone you want. So you get people this attached to the game and the characters, and then you get ripped out of it, it's like everyone has a bad case of narrative blue balls...if you didn't buy the ending. But what is a new ending going to change? It's going to feel insincere and tacked on if it ever happens. We've already finished the game, so it's time to put it to rest in my opinion.

@fas So essentially you feel that Bioware made a game with an inferior quality ending, I take it? The thing about storytelling, everyone, including the storyteller is going to have a different opinion and motivation regarding the story. The audience wants to be entertained and get their money's worth, essentially. The perspective that I feel is being forgotten here is that the storyteller. Believe it or not, storytellers have to entertain themselves too. In this case, these storytellers (Bioware) have built up such a following after the two previous games that there are some very loyal and fervant fans now venting about the ending. Bioware has stated repeatedly that Mass Effect was conceived as a trilogy. With that in mind, you knew the end was near. If Shepherd had beaten the Reapers and then settled down with one of his romantic subplots, that would've been nice, yes. But it would've been conventional and forgettable, and that's what Bioware has said that they don't want. This petition is misguided because it's basically demanding that the game be recalled and "fixed" the way they want it. Why can't people accept that they have their own interpretation, then respect and accept the motives of the creator?

(cont. 3/3) My point is that game audiences are still developing their shell, and the reaction to Mass Effect 3's ending mirrors early audience reactions to other artistic mediums such as television and film. At the end of the Wild Bunch, all the characters get killed, including William Holden's lead character. But this is not a case where the bad guy ultimately won. Imagine if Kai Leng or the Illusive Man killed Shepherd. Those type of endings happen in film (or Game of Thrones)! In order for the medium of games to reach a more sophisticated plane and to reach a widespread public acceptance that goes beyond fanboys, this type of story needs to be made. I think it's great that the ending has provoked such a response. If you want games to be taken seriously, this is the future. You may not like it at first, but if you keep tasting it occasionally, you'll understand why. I sincerely hope that Bioware doesn't change the ending to cater to the shellshocked public, otherwise that message will be lost.

(cont. 2/3) Bioware created the series, so they have the right to end it the way they think it should end. Fans are a crucial part of their success. The relationship dynamic between Shepherd and different characters was quite revolutionary, and the hours of dialogue branching created genuinely interactive story lines. These type of unhappy endings have been common in filmmaking for decades. One that reminds me a lot of the Mass Effect ending is John Carpenter's They Live. The mission is a success, but the hero doesn't quite make it. I think what is happening here is an evolution in storytelling and breaking in its audience. The Mass Effect series has taken the storytelling of games into a new threshold that goes far beyond Mario and Zelda; going after the princess and living happily ever after. As game storytelling becomes more sophisticated, it will challenge us more to think, not to be spoon fed stories as we've had in the past. Throughout the game, there are plenty of omens about what is to come. You want something challenging as a viewer, try watching the first season of Game of Thrones. Wow, that was really tough, I was sitting there for weeks in disbelief that they could abuse one of their lead characters, if not the lead character in such a manner. That was infinitely worse than Mass Effect 3.

I haven't seen a lot of support for Laura among these comments. But as a filmmaker and musician, I am going to try to explain her point of view and how it relates to Bioware. I don't care if I get 20 thumbs down if it's unpopular, I think this needs to be said, so please bear with me because this might be in article in and of itself (sorry for the lack of paragraphs, the line breaks aren't working for me). In my opinion, Mass Effect 3 is one of the greatest games I've ever played. The scope of the game was enormous; I played it for four or five days, totaling over 40 hours. Watching the new Alliance assault a Reaper-infested Earth was awesome in a Star Wars way. Space epic games have come such a long way from Wing Commander. Compare that to a film where you sit there and watch it for maybe 2 hours. Massive...the ending, yes, was very difficult to stomach. After limping through a hellish scene and losing some close friends along the way, it was not unexpected. So the fans want a neat and tidy ending that wraps up the series. As we saw with the series finale of the Sopranos, the creator has the freedom to do what they want, whether we like it or not. And the approval rating of the Sopranos ending was probably much lower than Mass Effect 3. The equivalent ending would've been watching all of the alien races report in just before the assault and then cutting to a minute of black before the credits roll. Now that would've prompted a petition or a sequel. (CONT.)

I'm really pissed because I saved myself for Jack the whole game and never got any action! WTF....That's a horrible message to be sending to players, particularly the young impressionable ones. The message being if you wait and save yourself for one girl, you may never get her at all, and you will miss out on all kinds of action, be it Asari, Quarian, human, etc. Does anyone else who stayed committed to Jack feel this way? The tagline for this game should read, "I saved the galaxy and all I got was vaporized."