21 March 2012 Last updated at 13:29 ET

Mass Effect 3 row prompts change to add 'further closure'

 

A change to the ending would be "unprecedented", says IGN's Keza MacDonald

Gamers unhappy with the endings of Mass Effect 3 will get "further closure" thanks to new added content, developer Bioware has announced.

Large numbers of fans had complained that the finale to the popular saga did not live up expectations.

The company said they would provide a number of "game content initiatives" to clarify aspects of the game's plotline.

In a blog post, Bioware co-founder Ray Muzyka described the feedback as "incredibly painful".

"Our first instinct is to defend our work and point to the high ratings offered by critics - but out of respect to our fans, we need to accept the criticism and feedback with humility," he said.

Gamers flocked to forums shortly after the game's release earlier this month to complain that the game's different endings were underwhelming.

Through the series, which made its debut in 2007, players would make choices over how to continue within the game. They been promised that these decisions, of which there were over 1000, would impact the conclusion.

However, thousands complained that Mass Effect 3 only had three alternative endings, with no significant differences between them.

As part of their campaign to have the game changed, supporters have raised more than $70,000 (£44,000) for a children's charity.

'Passionate reaction'

Mr Muzyka continued: "Mass Effect 3 concludes a trilogy with so much player control and ownership of the story that it was hard for us to predict the range of emotions players would feel when they finished playing through it.

"The journey you undertake in Mass Effect provokes an intense range of highly personal emotions in the player; even so, the passionate reaction of some of our most loyal players to the current endings in Mass Effect 3 is something that has genuinely surprised us."

It remains to be seen how Bioware will work in the changes in order to satisfy the disgruntled gamers.

Keza MacDonald, UK games editor for IGN.com, said: "It's highly unusual for a developer to release downloadable content [DLC] that actually alters the ending of a game - usually it comes in the form of extra missions or more story details for people who want them.

"Games like Portal and Fallout 3 have had their endings altered slightly to accommodate DLC or a sequel, but that wasn't a reaction to fan requests. It's not certain that Bioware actually will change the ending, but if they do, it'd be pretty much unprecedented."