On the Indoctrination Theory

Yesterday, I discussed how Bioware’s actions may have set the industry back a decade as an art form. Today, I address a topic that could make it even worse.
If you didn’t read yesterday’s article, here’s Part One. 

So, the future looks bleak for gamers who believed and defended their past time as an art form. Bioware has apparently caved to the fans, given up its artistry, and decided that video games are merely a product that’s vision rests solely on the market for which it is created.

“BUT WAIT!” cry the hopeful Mass Effect fans. “This may have been the plan all along. Please listen to my thirty page thesis on the indoctrination theory and you’ll understand that this wasn’t poor writing. Our most sacred Bioware has not let us down! There is a plan, I say. A PLAN!” This is about the time when they try to lure you into a dark alley to join their ‘club’ where they wear identical robes and prepare for the day Shepard calls on them to save the galaxy from the Reaper invasion.

(I kid, I kid…Mostly)

Despite the slightly uncomfortable zealousness that these fans tend to have when defending Bioware’s actions with this theory, there’s actually a lot of evidence that these fans are right! I know it’s easy to put up one’s skepticism shield and say that such a convoluted method by which to deliver the plot seems impossible, but… the evidence is there. Really. Check out this video by Angry Joe. He sums up the entire theory really well, and honestly, I can’t deny that it holds a lot of weight. Sure, it doesn’t explain everything, and it raises questions about why the ending is framed the way that it is, but it makes a lot of sense.

For those of you that for whatever reason don’t enjoy videos, I’ll try to summarize briefly. The indoctrination theory is based on the idea that overexposure to certain Reaper technology can cause for someone’s mind to be controlled. If this is true, the entire ending was actually a hallucination brought on by the Reapers in Shepard’s head. It explains the out of character moments, the massive plot holes, and even some of the smaller points that otherwise wouldn’t make much sense.

(For the finer points, I really do ask that you watch the video. It’s incredibly interesting, and he’s able to cover a lot far more quickly than I can by writing it all out)

Perhaps the biggest reason to believe in this theory comes from Bioware themselves. First, this is Bioware, developers of some of the greatest RPGs of all time. It’s really hard to believe they would drop the ball that badly with the ending, especially given how well they write characters and avoid plot holes. The indoctrination theory would be right up their alley in terms of storytelling quality, albeit a misguided effort (getting there). One should also take into account the developer’s twitter accounts, where they kept telling people that they were going to do “something big” and that they should “keep their saves” because there’s “more to come with Shepard”. Clearly, they had something planned.

So, this should be great! Bioware didn’t sell out; they’re just going ahead with the ending they had all along. The DLC that gives a far more proper and definitive ending will arrive soon, Bioware will have defended themselves as artists, and all will be right in the world!

…Right?

Sadly, this has officially become a far bigger issue, and what happens next if this theory is true could be even worse for the industry, at least on the consumer’s side.

Let’s assume for the sake of discussion that the Indoctrination Theory is true. The ending of Mass Effect 3 has been nothing but a hallucination, which explains all the plot holes and feels wrong to the player because it is wrong. Soon, players will be able to buy the ending to their game as DLC.

Read that last sentence again. If this is the case, Bioware has officially enacted the sleaziest strategy in the history of video gaming. They have gotten players invested with a series over three games only to deny them the proper, canonical ending unless they pay for it. I’m sorry, but that’s just bullshit. They are essentially holding their fan base at gunpoint saying that the $60 (or $80 if you bought the collector’s edition) wasn’t enough, and unless you’re willing to fork over another $15, you don’t get a proper ending to the series.

How is this okay? Since when is it acceptable for anyone to withhold essential portions of a story unless you pay even more money for it? Think of the extension of this logic. This would be like paying $15 to see Star Wars Episode V in theaters, only for the movie to end abruptly right before the showdown between Luke and Darth Vader, but for another $5, you can see the rest of the movie in a separate theater across the street. That would be like buying Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and then finding out the scene in which Harry finally confronts Voldemort has to be bought separately as a supplement. Both of these are ridiculous…but that’s exactly what Bioware seems to be doing.

The worst part is that it will probably work. Let’s face it, there’s a reason the Mass Effect series keeps getting really high reviews. Bioware’s great at making deeply immersive RPGs, and if the diehard fans (who loved everything about the game until the ending) have a chance to have more of the series they love while resolving their issues about the ending…they’ll take it. EmTrack2 (who you met in this video) said it best last night. “I’ll keep giving them my money. I mean, I’ll hate myself for it, but I can’t help it. I love these games.”

She’s not alone. Remember, people on the internet have been asking for this. This is supposedly the best case scenario at this point. Bioware has put into place the most devious and manipulative sales strategy the gaming industry has ever seen, unprecedented in any popular media, and it’s probably going to work. That makes me feel sick to my stomach.

(Some of you are going to try to blame EA for this if this turns out to be true. Trust me, I want to as well. EA is known for making stupid, shortsighted, and downright insulting decisions…But we can’t blame them for this one. Unless you’re going to argue that stupidity and contemptibility is contagious, EA’s just the publisher, and developers have far more say in how DLC is spaced out and structured since they get a higher percentage of profit from it. This one’s squarely on Bioware’s shoulders. Sorry)

What will this mean for the industry? Well, now there’s a precedent of withholding the ending of a series and saving it for DLC to ensure a higher profit margin for the developer, and since Bioware is easily one of the three most influential developers in the world right now, others are sure to follow in their footsteps. Don’t be surprised if, in order to fight what many developers believe are slights in the piracy and used games market, DLC becomes much less optional if you want a complete narrative experience. If just enough people are invested in the game and thus buy the DLC, companies will be able to take the PR hit while lining their pockets with money they bullied out of you instead of earning.

And it doesn’t solve the games as art problem I mentioned in Part One. While Bioware is still in charge of its artistic vision in this scenario, they’re far from delivering art if they aren’t shipping a completed product (and if the indoctrination theory is true, it’s impossible to argue that the game is complete because the ending hasn’t happened yet!). This would make games as manipulative as the children’s toy market, and they’d most assuredly be products if their purpose was to manipulate the maximum amount of money from the consumer for each game. That’s simply not how art works.

But let’s suppose a third option, the least dangerous option in the long run. What if the DLC is given to players for free? One could argue that Bioware was still being manipulative by stirring controversy about the ending by not including it in the game, but it’s far less manipulative than forcing people to pay money for the privilege of getting what they paid for in the first place.

If that’s true, this whole thing is short sighted. Bioware will have stirred up publicity with its ending controversy, but they didn’t need to do that! This is BIOWARE we’re talking about. The creators of Baldur’s Gate, Jade Empire, and Knights of the Old Republic. They’re arguably the most popular developer in the world, and Mass Effect 3 was one of the most anticipated games I’ve ever seen. Why risk alienating a significant portion of your fan base if they don’t wait for you to give them a proper ending for a little publicity when you’re already the biggest and most popular developer out there? What did they have to gain from all this?

I mean, really, it makes no logical sense. There is no universe that exists in which Bioware (Bioware!) needs to pull a stunt like this. Did they really not expect this to go over poorly? If the indoctrination theory is true, they knew this wasn’t a proper ending, and they shipped it anyway, expecting people to be happy and loyal to them despite not getting what they paid for. That reasoning just doesn’t make any sense to me. Especially since RPGs are kind of Bioware’s thing, and they’ve now all but eliminated a significant portion of their fan base’s trust. Players spent over 90 hours over three games to be given an incomplete ending until Bioware decided they could have it. You don’t think these players will take that into consideration the next time Bioware asks them to hop on board with their next series of games? I mean, Bioware’s a great developer, but people have limits. Eventually you push people too far, and I have to believe a considerable number of players have been pushed to their breaking point by this.

So to recap, Bioware’s promise that there will be a modified ending through DLC has assured us of one of three options:

1. Bioware has given in to fan’s demands, thereby proving all skeptics correct when they argue that games are not an art form.

2. Bioware had this plan all along and are using their fan’s devotion to the series against them to make more money out of the deal, setting a dangerous precedent that will haunt the industry for years to come.

3. Bioware is full of idiots (who thought this was a good idea) or incompetents (who couldn’t finish the real ending in time, and decided to ship the game as is instead of delaying to wait for it), and a precedent is set that developers can get away with it.

I don’t believe in option 3 (though I wouldn’t be surprised if Bioware does decide to give players the ending DLC for free as a PR move) because Bioware’s simply too good at their job for this to happen, which means that, at least in intentions, either option 1 or option 2 is true. Only time will tell which is the case, but regardless, the video game industry will never be the same.