Mass Effect 4: 12 Mistakes Bioware's Next Gen Sequel Must Avoid

9. Promising Things It Can't Deliver

One of the biggest problems for gamers is that the developers' reach often exceeds their grasp. The list of games that have failed to meet benchmarks set by their creators, in games press or elsewhere, is probably long enough to cover some or all of the planet. And when people have to spend around $60 to get the base game, on day one, it's not hard to see why people flip out whenever there's a sign a game they want to buy might suck, which is happening to Watch_Dogs thanks to its newest trailer. For Mass Effect 4 (or whatever its official title will be), managing expectations is even more critical because of blunders made in ME3's pre-launch hype build up. Casey Hudson saying there would be tons of variations on the ending because of your in-game changes was probably the biggest mistake. Once people saw that the endings didn't really change no matter what you did (and most wiped out galactic civilization in the original version), they felt ripped off. Now ME4 not only has to avoid being crushed for not meeting expectations, but it also has to rebuild consumer trust in Bioware after a public snafu. With the franchise's reputation, already tarnished by ME3's ending, on the line, Bioware Montreal and EA need to honest with gamers. If some hyped feature or mechanic doesn't end up working and needs to be removed, admitting that earns more credit with potential consumers than dodging questions about it and avoids the perception that you suckered people into buying something with false promises.