Mass Effect 3 From Ashes DLC not shipped on disc

EA has stepped on an Internet furore kicked up by a player claiming to have proof that Mass Effect 3's day one DLC is included on the disc.

"From Ashes is a 600 MB+ download with all new content, including the mission on Eden Prime, new dialogue options and conversations with Javik, new cinematics, the Prothean weapon, and new appearances for all squad members. All of the above content was completed while the main game was in certification and are not available on the disc," EA said in a statement given to GameInformer.

"As stated previously, in order to seamlessly integrate Javik into the core campaign, certain framework elements and character models needed to be put on disc. We did something similar with Zaeed and Kasumi in Mass Effect 2."

An outraged fan has posted a video showing what is claimed to be the activation of the From Ashes DLC simply by changing one line of code in the PC version of the game.

The video sparked an outpouring of rage from users who maintain that the DLC is content cut from and essential to the core game, and who resent paying for it.

BioWare has said repeatedly that the DLC was developed post-certification. The developer has come under heavy fire for its release of day one DLC, but ex-BioWare staffer Christina Norman took the stage at GDC to defend the practice.

"There's no point in releasing DLC a year after your game has come out when most people have already sold your game back to GameStop three times. That means getting it out early; that means even day-one DLC," she said, according to Shack News.

"That is a terrible thing to some players. Players rant - they know nothing about this DLC that's coming out except its name. But then it's 'oh this game must be incomplete, the game must be ruined.' Game developers are not evil. (Some are evil.) But most are not evil.

"We just want to release awesome stuff. Players please, give us a chance. Judge our games based on what they are. Judge the DLC based on what it is. Stop thinking you're a producer and telling us when and where we should be building our content."

Mass Effect 3 is out now on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and is selling by the truckload. The game's broad appeal has inevitably led to plenty of controversies, including a fan petition to change the ending.

Thanks, Kotaku, games.on.net. [image]