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Posted on March 27, 2012, Ben Richardson Retake Mass Effect Trolls BioWare with Cupcakes

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, in a cave, on the moon, chances are that you’ve heard about the Mass Effect ending controversy. Game Front has been at the forefront of fan-centric coverage, pointing out five reasons the fans are right, arguing that changing the ending won’t compromise art, and explaining why Child’s Play shut the Retake Mass Effect fundraiser down.

Without a high-profile charity to donate money to, Retake Mass Effect turned to a more devious means of getting BioWare’s attention. Today, they had 402 cupcakes ($1000 dollar’s worth!) delivered to BioWare headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta. Not just any cupcakes — Retake’s hilarious troll was baked right into the delicious treats. One third are red, one third are blue, and one third are green, but despite appearances, all the cupcakes taste the same: vanilla cake, with vanilla icing. For those not in the know (how’s life on the moon?), this represents [SPOILER ALERT] the false choice at the end of Mass Effect 3 — all of Commander Shepard’s options have the same, disappointing result.

No word on whether the cupcakes actually got eaten, or whether Retake Mass Effect will make chocolate available as free DLC.

Update: Bioware’s Response

Hi Everyone Today, we received the 400 cupcakes you collectively sent us through your donations to express your feelings about the endings of Mass Effect 3. We want you to know; we are indeed listening to all fan response and acknowledge your feedback. We appreciate creative and thoughtful attempts like this one. The gesture certainly gained our attention both with its creativity and deliciousness. However, while we do appreciate that fans were creative in how they expressed their views, after a lot of discussion, we decided ultimately the reason that they were sent was not done in the context of celebrating the work or accomplishment of the Mass Effect 3 team. This is a subtle, but important aspect in determining how to pass the feedback to the team. BioWare regularly works with many deserving charities, as such it was decided that rather than passing out the cupcakes to staff or wasting good food, to donate them on behalf of our fans to a local Edmonton youth shelter. We know that for the kids that have to use this facility, something as simple as a cupcake is a rare treat and would definitely brighten up their day. Thank you to the fine folks at the local youth shelter for accepting the donation and to the fans who donated the cupcakes. Please keep providing your feedback on Mass Effect 3, we’re still listening.

…and an Interview with the Creator of the Cupcake Campaign