1. Mass Effect 3's Controversial Ending
But nothing was more of a talking point this year than the controversial climax to BioWare's Mass Effect 3, so unpopular with gamers that it required the developer to issue a statement, declaring that they were going to release a free bit of DLC to "clarify" the events of the ending. Gamers felt short-changed when, after spending an average of around 100 hours in this world over three games and being promised that our choices would all carry through to a contextual ending, it all came down to picking a colour and watching a cut-scene, which of course completely betrays everything that players were promised. What's interesting about this is that it asked a lot about games as we perceive them; should developers simply buckle at the whim of players, given that this undermines their integrity? Also, should players always expect to be satisfied with a game? We watch movies and we might say, "It's a great film, but the ending left me cold" or something similar, an artistic choice that can be respected or outright condemned depending on the viewer. Either way, it speaks volumes about the democratic nature of video games compared to films; could you imagine Peter Jackson going back and re-shooting or cutting all the crappy scenes in The Hobbit? Not a chance. What was your favourite gaming moment of 2012? Let us know in the comments below.