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Posted on March 13, 2012, Ross Lincoln Casey Hudson Finally Talks About Mass Effect 3 Ending. Uh Oh.

Though it is somewhat painful to say this, it is probably time to accept that there will not be anything done to resolve the painfully bad ending of Mass Effect 3. In a softball-laden very congenial interview with Digital Trends, Casey Hudson has made the first official statements regarding Mass Effect 3′s ending since the controversy – and subsequent demand for a better ending – erupted last week. Fans hoping that BioWare might be considering their points, that the company’s uncharacteristic silence on consumer feedback indicates something profound or, at least, something substantial, should probably prepare themselves for further disappointment.

In an interview that jovially covered a range of topics, Hudson acknowledged for the first time that the endings have been met with controversy. However, he indicates that as expected, the ending of Mass Effect 3 is the one they intended.

What are your thoughts on the reaction to the game’s endings? I didn’t want the game to be forgettable, and even right down to the sort of polarizing reaction that the ends have had with people–debating what the endings mean and what’s going to happen next, and what situation are the characters left in. That to me is part of what’s exciting about this story. There has always been a little bit of mystery there and a little bit of interpretation, and it’s a story that people can talk about after the fact.

You would not be alone in thinking that Hudson’s answer doesn’t actually address the controversy in any significant way, nor does it accurately characterize the substance of criticism. But it is at least an early, tepid response. Whether further examination of the issue will occur is not clear. Hudson’s next response seems to indicate not:

How closely do you keep track of the fan reaction when it comes to that kind of stuff? Oh, we pay very close attention to it. It’s very important to us and we will always listen to feedback, interpret it and try and do the right thing by our fans. That’s why if you look at Mass Effect 2 we knew that people wanted to spend more time with a character like Liara, and so we created an ongoing storyline with her as part of the comics and then built it into the DLC stuff, and we’re always listening to fans. We have some really great multiplayer content and some really great single-player content coming over the air, and their feedback will become part of how we design that.

There you go. Though we might argue there is no need to interpret the feedback, since it’s very clear what they’re saying, it appears for now, at least, BioWare does not intend any substantial change to Mass Effect 3′s ending. However, it is likely these comments are only likely to stoke further controversy and thus, prompt more in depth comment. We will of course be paying attention.

Hat tip commenter Kamuchi