Bioware draws protests over game ending

I don't want to sound like I'm 92 years old, but I've been harboring fond memories of a time when the Internet was nothing more than a bunch of upstart web pages and chat rooms. A time when news flowed slowly through our TV sets, and I wasn't obsessively checking Facebook every night to see what my friends halfway across the country are having for dinner. I only bring it up because of my inability to avoid news about the controversial ending to the space opera that is "Mass Effect 3," which I had planned on reviewing this week. I've been happily plugging away at the game for the last several days, and figured investing 20 to 25 hours of time into it would be enough for me to render my final critique. But with such controversy swirling about the ending, I feel it's my duty to play through to closing credits before I can offer that opinion. Rest assured that "Mass Effect 3" is an amazing four-star game, and I hope to have my full review out before the end of the month. In the meantime, I wanted to take a quick peek at some BioWare (the developers of "Mass Effect") related news. And wouldn't you know, the "Mass Effect 3" ending is dominating the headlines. Disgruntled gamers start petition to change ending for "Mass Effect 3," raising money for charity in the process Since I don't have the time or inclination to plow through a 50- to 60-hour game in less than a week, I don't know how "Mass Effect 3" ends yet. But based on the online reactions of thousands of gamers who do have that much time, I'm guessing it isn't a very happy ending. Or a very conclusive one. That's fine by me. I've always gravitated toward darker endings in whatever fiction I consume, and loose ends only serve to keep the suspended reality alive in my head. I'm one of the few people who actually liked the supposed cliffhanger ending of "The Sopranos." Even when I've been displeased with an ending, though, I never thought to write the author and request a new one. But thousands of "Mass Effect" fans are doing just that with a petition. Here's their spiel: "The Retake 'Mass Effect' Child's Play donation drive is a community-driven effort to bring positive attention to our petition for an alternate ending to the fantastic 'Mass Effect' series," the petition reads. "We would like to dispel the perception that we are angry or entitled. We simply wish to express our hope that there could be a different direction for a series we have all grown to love." Since the money is going to a charity that actually helps children, I really can't find any fault in it - even though I vehemently disagree with their argument. The authors of the "Mass Effect" universe already figured out how they wanted their trilogy to end, and fans have every right to proclaim how much they hate it. That's why they call it fan feedback. But asking the developers to write a new ending is just ... weird. Kind of like how Annie Wilkes takes her favorite author hostage in the Stephen King book "Misery," forcing him to resurrect her favorite fictional character by threat of extreme violence. The list of complaints in the petition is far too lengthy to list here, but the demands are pretty straightforward. They want a complete explanation of the story events and an explanation of the outcome of the decisions made, especially with regard to the planets, races and companions detailed throughout the series. Most of all, they want "A heroic ending, which provides a better sense of accomplishment." I can't help but chuckle when I read that last one. If you want a happy ending, why not write your own fan fiction and share it with the Internet? Who says the "Mass Effect" creators have final say in their own story? I can write a happy ending right now. Commander Shepard defeats the evil Reapers and saves the galaxy, riding off into the sunset on the back of a unicorn that farts rainbows. Now I'm just waiting for the developers over at BioWare to send me a check. Florida Family Association calls for the removal of gay relationships in "Star Wars: The Old Republic" No matter what you think of BioWare (I'm just a hopelessly devoted fan myself), you have to appreciate its dedication to portraying gay relationships. Not in some kind of stupid, homophobic teen comedy kind of way, but in a sensitive, mature way. Since most of their games take place in the distant future ("Mass Effect") or medieval fantasy lands ("Dragon Age"), gay characters are not prone to the hate and ridicule they would endure in real life. Though it's not exactly ground breaking news, both the Florida Family Association and the American Decency Association want to remove the gay character content from Bioware's MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) game "Star Wars: The Old Republic." They call "Star Wars" a family-friendly series free of sexual situations and innuendo, though if they saw the "T" rating on the box, they shouldn't let their children play the game anyway. The Florida Family Association put all this in a letter, which states: "It would make no sense that BioWare and Electronic Arts would shatter that family quality in 'Star Wars' video games just to pacify 35 LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender) polling participants and appease extremists." To them, I say the same thing I said to those demanding a different ending to "Mass Effect 3." It's not your game. If you don't like it, don't play it. And stop being so bigoted. "Mass Effect 3" fans disgruntled (again) over day one downloadable content that makes the game cost $10 more Being a devoted BioWare fan doesn't make me a blind follower. And as much as I enjoy the "Mass Effect" series, their most recent practice of offering up day one downloadable content for $10 seems a bit ... shady. [Minor Spoiler Alert] The content pack in question, titled "From Ashes," gives you access to a new playable character and an hour-long mission. But since the character you get is the last of the long extinct and never-before-seen Prothean alien race, no true "Mass Effect" fan would want to play without him. BioWare swears the content was developed after the main game, making it no different than downloadable content that usually appears a few months after the game's release. But since most folks will be done with the game by then (including me), you can actually use the character while you're still playing the game. It's a good point, but I still paid $70 for what should be a $60 game, and I was just as irked about it as the rest of the gaming population. Those who shelled out $80 for the collector's edition (which included a fancy art book) got the content for free, but since BioWare announced the Day One DLC so late, it was impossible to pre-order one by then. Trust me, I tried. You could probably point at the publisher Electronic Arts as the greedy, money-grubbing company that cooked up this scenario (they certainly have the reputation for it), but regardless who's at fault, the desire to needle as many pennies out of consumers as possible has left a blemish on the biggest video game release of the year.