Just like any good ending, the saga of Mass Effect 3 took another twist today – and just like the conclusion of a saga as heroic as Bioware's, the new development is a pretty virtuous touch indeed. However, it won't really have any impact on how the actual game turns out, which is sort of what fans have been complaining about all along. Yes, this is about the cupcakes.
Above: Intentions be damned - the day this arrives on your desk is the day you know you're doing something right in life
Surely you remember back to the Mass Effect 3 Ending Controversy, Day 22 – when frustrated fans decided that the way to Bioware's heart was through the universal appeal of sugary baked-goods. Now the cupcakes have arrived at Bioware (story via Game Informer), looking every bit as tasty as they are ideologically cogent. However, “ultimately,” says Bioware's Chris Priestley, “[the gesture] was not done in the context of celebrating the work or accomplishment of the Mass Effect 3 team.” So said team don't get any cupcakes after all.
Instead, all 402 cakes have been donated to a local youth shelter, allowing kids who can't afford Mass Effect the chance to enjoy the choice between three functionally-identical things. So Bioware's feeding the hungry, which is heartwarming and great – but is the studio also saddling poor kids with the exact same dilemma fans accuse it of creating in the first place? And before you answer, how many delicious cupcakes have you given away to charity today?
