Access ME3 From Ashes DLC for free

Information has surfaced which reveals that "From Ashes" downloadable content was not only already available in Mass Effect 3 but that PC users can unlock the DLC squad-member with just a few easy steps.

[dedicatedtogamers]

EA/Bioware defenders are idiots. It's clear that EA is pulling a fast one on you suckers. This is yet another piece of proof that From Ashes was cut for the sole purpose of DLC-whoring.

[morganfell]

People at Neogaf are having a field day with this. And once it hits Gaf you're done.

Love the video and love the top Youtube comment:

DLC = Disc Locked Content.

Direct Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

The next DLC plan revealed:

http://i41.tinypic.com/18g7...

EDIT:

I agree with LordMe. Bioware has an unbeleivable amount of autonomy. People should be angry but make sure you are angry at the right people. Bioware's relationship with EA is unlike any other studio/publisher arrangement. They have far more freedom than most dev teams that are "owned".

[lociefer]

not only the ending was absolute cr.ap , but also they charge 10 bucks for something thts already on the disc , wtf ea you trying to top capcom or smthing !?!!

[PersonaCat]

All I've seen from Morgan this past week are incredibly detailed and knowledgeable posts. Really goes against the whole, "one bubble people are nothing but fanboys"

[Diver]

"Meanwhile, Muzyka and Zeschuk stress that they still make the decisions, and aren't told what to do or forced into anything."

http://www.videogamer.com/f...

[nevercloser07]

I keep thinking of Diablo 2 or Age of Empires when it comes to the proper way to do expansions / DLC.

I don't mind little DLC (like UC3 selling individual skins for a buck or w/e). The thing that annoys me is when you miss out on integral game related experiences by not having the DLC or expansion. Both the expansion and original game should feel like complete entities for the most part.

[LX-General-Kaos]

Bubble Up Morganfell.. Let the man speak.

[ChrisW]

Anyone have the means to make EA's stocks tumble?

[dragonknight4]

+1 to you sir for the funny, but true pic.

[grahf]

+ Bubble to you, Morganfell

This game has been delegated to the "Pick up used" pile.
Better yet, hopefully I can borrow it from someone who bought it used.

[da_2pacalypse]

Bioware might be cashing in now... but I certainly won't be looking at any other Bioware games for a very very long time.

[aCasualGamer]

EA bought Bioware... Bioware turned into a moneysucking gaming studio. Do you see the irony?

@Morganfell

Kudos for enlightening us of something already that obvious. It is never a good sign when DLC is released the same day as the original game. Gamers have a right to be suspicious when that's the case.

I think Rockstar did it perfectly with Red Dead Redemption. They created DLC pack that actually made a difference in the core game and released Undead Nightmare five months after release of the core game. They also had these extra multiplayer characters and co-op missions, but they released that for free.

EA=gimmi...gimmi...gimmii mooore!! $_$

[NovusTerminus]

I am not as against EA, since Amular, Dead Space and MoH did not have this.

This is Bioware's work, and ME3 is likely to be the last Bioware game I get. Since they ignore freedom of choice and ret-conned(sp?) My ME2 choice.

[Kran]

Yeah but then sometimes it tends to be the publisher who tells their developers what to do.

Bare in mind, Bioware is owned by EA, so both are at fault essentially.

[gamingdroid]

Too bad, ME is soo damn good they got me hooked! I got the Collector's Edition so From Ashes was included....

It sucks that you have to buy a bunch of weapons, armors and characters to play a game. At least it is a free exchange i.e. you know what you are paying for up front, unlike expiring Online Pass codes. Another EA invention!

I'm not familiar with Bioware technology, but maybe just maybe the character needs to have a placeholder in the game in order to be included? It doesn't seem the mission itself is embedded in the original game....

[JaredH]

I agreed with you yesterday and all I'm going to say is that everyone who hasn't finished the game yet and loves it please finish it and see the destination of the awesome journey 5 years in the making. Then see if you feel the same.

[krazykombatant]

I want those idiots that said that the game was made post production come to me and admit they were WRONG!!!! It was a total SCAM this just assured me that I'm going to buy this game USED!!!! FUUUU EA/BIOWARE!! Bioware is a dirty whore who loves the money

[dreman999]

We were wrong.

[SaffronCurse]

No matter the game, i will refuse to buy day 1 dlc..i will never support this kind of practice.

[NewZealander]

i played this mission last night, and it was freakin awesome, how they could cut such a major story line from the game is beyond me, anyone who didnt get the collectors edition is missing out.

and to those who constantly talk about the ending SHHHHH some of us dont finish our games overnight!

[STONEY4]

Not defending Bioware here, but the only thing you can access with this is the DLC character himself. Not the actual DLC mission. So the DLC isn't on the disc, just the character. I'm not entirely sure if his dialogue files are on disc either.

[JaredH]

Here's the actual statement a Bioware employee just posted on their forums regarding this.

http://social.bioware.com/f...

EDIT - more detailed version

http://www.twitlonger.com/s...

[StanSmith]

They spent time polishing the game? Not on PS3 they didn't!

Bioware are taking the piss!

[donator]

How does one trust Bioware now after this mess? Not to mention the crap ME3 ending and the debacles of Dragon Age 2. I per-ordered DA2 thinking it would be of the same caliber of the first game. Boy was I mistaken. When DA3 is out, I'll wait to see if the internet blows up again before buying it. Bioware has lost my trust.

[ChrisW]

BTW, you know they will fix this in the next update. Enjoy it while you can!

[MrMister]

The timing of this discovery is just perfect! EA just recently announced that the DLC is not on the disc, and YET, here we are. The hackers proved that it is in fact on the disc after all. EA just got busted. Now I'm definitely boycotting this game and getting it used so EA doesn't get a dime. F**K you EA!

[denero1]

This is more of a proof article the other's before where just claims whereas this article actually shows you the method and where the character is located on the disc

Why didn't EA/Bioware handle this differently they would have came off better just telling the truth the game still would have sold.

Also i watched the video besides the mission he come's with all the dialogue intact so it's like you missed nothing

[NYC_Gamer]

People were so gullible to believe Bioware and their PR bull shit

[sjaakiejj]

Great that you can unlock him as a squad member, but does it come with the mission? I'm guessing that's what you're actually paying for..

[NYC_Gamer]

Wouldn't doubt since EA also charged gamers to unlock cars that were already on the Need For Speed disc

[kamruk]

My guess is that a squadmember is simply easier accessed in code than traces of the mission... nonetheless i dont believe that they would leave the entirety of the content on the disc, having the squadmember in the final version simply shows that the mission was ready or at least planned, before the game went gold. In my opinion that's what bothers me about dlcs, if the content was created after the release, ok sell it, give it out for free, whatever, BUT if the content was created in conjunction with the actual game, it's simply taking the idea of charging for dlc too far.

[sjaakiejj]

The game goes gold weeks before it actually releases, which is why first-day patches are rather common. The DLC was clearly planned before the game went gold, though it was planned as DLC exclusive for those who bought the collectors edition. You can say that it bothers you that the content was created, but in the end it wasn't even meant for the normal players, but only as a nice 'thank you' gift for buying the CE.

The reason the missions aren't on the disk is because they weren't finished, and they were always meant as DLC. Creating a character doesn't take more than a week, but creating, testing and voicing a mission takes much longer.

[marioPSUC]

This whole bioware shit going on is a PR nightmare, people from Bioware talking crap to their consumers, flat out lying about DLC. It's going to be hard for people to like Bioware again, though the way the people from Bioware are acting it's as if they don't care about the consumers anywho.

[ironcreed]

Forbes take on the matter:

http://www.forbes.com/sites...

[Hovis]

As someone who had the collectors editon and played the whole of from ashes I can say hand on heart the Prothean brings nothing to the game.

I am not defending Bioware or EA (it becomes apparent that the guy was pulled for whatever reason as he has dialouge for every bit of the game).

My point is that while he is a very important piece of ME lore he just doesn't do anything. Only on about 2 occassions was it interesting to have the guy as part of my entourage.

Believe me you ain't missing anything :)

[FantasyStar]

It depends. If you bring Javik along during the Thessia mission and afterward he's important. You learn that Javik was basically the Renegade Shepard back during his time and that he had to make all the hard choices a Paragon Shepard would never make.

Javik's pretty important, IMO. The reason one wouldn't think so is the exact same reason people wouldn't think Vega wasn't important. However both characters offer different insights into the story. Especially when you see him at the Citadel.

[Hovis]

The Thessia mission was one of the examples I had in my head when I thought of his importance.

What I meant by my comment is that everyone was getting so upset because he wasn't in the game. But his actual influence on the overall game is minimal. Like you said all he really does is offer a much different insight into the world.

Personally I loved taking him on missions just to see what he had to say on the current world. I've already finished one playthrough but on my next one I'm gonna take him to london just so I can hear what he says regarding the Reapers and such.

[BattleTorn]

I completely disagree. Javik is one of the only two new squadmates added to ME. (him and James, everyone else is from ME2)

His background story was my favorite part of the game so far.

[Hovis]

I can't edit my original comment now but I admit that it comes across as very negative.

As I mentioned in my reply to FantasyStar what I meant was for all the hate aimed at 'From Ashes' the content of the DLC was minor. From all the hate you would expect hours of content along with free candy etc but it's just one guy and some really good backstory (and his weird black plague like power).

Javik is great but he doesn't do much so if someone didn't buy him then they don't miss out on much. My point was that people shouldn't feel like they're missing out on too much GAME content.

And if backstory and such are really important to you then there is always youtube and the wiki pages.

[Braid]

Are you sure?

The first cutscene that you see after you recruit the Prothean explains a HUGE plot element *spoilers ahead folks* seriously you should stop reading now if you haven't played the game- about the beacons.

Watch this video and tell me Javik has nothing to do with the main plot.

http://tinyurl.com/7oah5yz (spoilers again)

[closnyc]

you know why its not important? cause bioware killed the story. What was once a great piece of this story turned into a 10 dollar DLC with no importance because bioware wanted to cater the masses. ME2 moved away from the story but kept it somewhat interesting, ME1 set eh bar pretty high in terms of it, and then comes ME3 and butchers the entire story with contradicting lore and putting the prothean as second or even third in terms of importance. They really outdid themselves here, cause this story became so cliche and so boring its beyond me how anyone could enjoy it after seeing the story in the first game.

[PooEgg]

@Hovis

I agree that the game could be played without Jarik, but he is certainly nice to have along. It could also be said that the game could easily have been played without James. The thing is that if the DLC isn't that important, and it certainly wasn't very long, why did we have to pay extra for it?

That being said, I personally really enjoyed the game, and I don't feel bad about paying extra for the DLC, because I felt that as a whole the game was worth the asking price. However, I do hope in the future that BioWare puts more thought into their DLC strategy, and also more thought into their endings, since I feel the ending was unsatisfying. But I am not angry at BioWare for any this, nor do I feel disappointed in ME3 as a whole. I enjoyed playing it, and I plan on playing it again once I have the time.

[vortis]

Yes, yes, yes!

I'm glad gamers and real enthusiasts are doing what journalists should have been doing all long, INVESTIGATING THE LIES.

Gamers all along knew EA was BS and they used Bioware to push their agenda and they knew fans would fall for it and they did.

All those apologists can now suck it because it proves gamers aren't paranoid, whiney, b****es, we just don't trust companies like EA, Activision or Capcom.

[NYC_Gamer]

We should never trust PR bull shit most of us have forgot companies will bend the truth to sell a product.Mainstream gaming journalist will never find out/do investigations because they're worried about being black listed.I'm happy that us gamers are doing our own research on matters instead of accepting the shit that comes out the greedy developer/ publishers mouth

[Sarcasmology]

The same inbred f-tards that are crying foul now probably gobble up more expensive DLC with less content without so much as a peep.

[honkyjesus]

Speaking of inbred...

[Sarcasmology]

...nice of you to join us...

[theeg]

DLC is trash, stop buying it and they will stop making it

make them (devs) make actual expansions like shivering isles not horse armor

[grahf]

Not ALL DLC is trash, to your point where horse armor = crap and $15 expansions = good. Post-publish work on DLC has added to a number of games, and I support it where their extra time, effort, and polish shows.

This specific example (ME3) is trash. Javik = Shale = Zaaed, and to some extent Sebastian as well.

[ShinraE5]

Well, game, set, match. Can't argue with that, can you EA/Bioware?

[young7yang]

thats f*&ked up *EA*

[SnipeySnake]

I swear the gaming industry is turning to sh*t with DLC.

[_Aarix_]

And online passes, and greed, and fanboys...

[honkyjesus]

Proof it was on the disc, and proof BioWare has been lying about the mess from the get go.

I wouldn't care much if the game itself wasn't a technical POS, along with the weird pop marketing choices for audio "talent". I use the word talent loosely.

[Fkabbz]

What a disgusting cover up! EA and Bioware, ya'll should be ashamed of ya'll selves.

[chromeish]

Can anyone with at PC copy verify if this hack works?

[duplissi]

MEH. it is what it is, and this type of crap isnt going away any sooner. it is unfortunate that bioware had to do this with mass effect 3.

dont like it? vote with your wallet and dont buy the dlc... or if it really has your panties in a bunch dont buy the game at all!

anyway ive been having a blast with me3 so far, so much so that im saddened that this is the end. :(

[PooEgg]

I agree, although I won't say that the game is perfect, in my opinion, it did more right than it did wrong. I do think that at times the wave after endless wave of enemies became exhausting, but on the other hand it sort of felt more real to come out of a mission feeling totally drained. My only real complaint would of course be the ending, but overall the game pleased me.

[Clarence]

Those who bought the collector edition paid for the DLC when you spent 80+ bucks.

[SnipeySnake]

I refused to buy any games from Activision and now to add onto that list, EA too.

[grahf]

I've been boycotting EA the past 10 months for a horrific customer service experience that lasted MONTHS, which means I've passed on some major games, BF3 & SWTOR, both which I had preordered. I was ready to give them a chance again with ME3... until this happened. Canceled my preorder for ME3, and I don't regret it at all.

[SnipeySnake]

Honestly BF3 is crap compared to Bad Company 2. Both story and online, the only thing BF3 beats it in is graphics.

[Bobby Kotex]

So on the official forums the guy said only the character is on the disc and not the DLC level. Somehow that doesn't help much. BTW, I'm one of the fools who bought the DLC and it was a 30-40 minute map, just like any other mission. So imagine paying $10 for a new character and mission.

[tiffac008]

And this just validates my reason on not buying the game and paying full price for it.

I can wait for the price of the game to go down and see those DLCs on sale and maybe. just maybe they come out with a complete edition in a year or so. I can wait.

[dragonknight4]

It's time to go back to 90s gaming people. So much DLC controversy in such a short time. First it was the FFXIII-2 DLC ending controversy, then the Street Fighter X Tekken DLC (Disc Locked Content) controversy, and now this.

From now on, I'm only going to buy non-DLC infested games like Demon/Dark Souls by From Software. They have become an endangered species it seems.

[Fadetoblack69]

All these articles will do us push to insure that they keep the pre-made DLC off the discs. DLC is a ripoff, always has been, always will be. Not the most *cough* "gamers" care.

[susanto1228]

backpeddaling, flip flopping, same ole EA and their trash.....too late trying to burn out the fires this late is not just stupid it is very ignorant on their part...once again 60 bucks in my POCKET

[rattletop]

haha. this just proved christina norman was talking absolute BS.

[Moncole]

This proves Bioware are sell outs.

[k4rma]

Cant say i'm surprised, I always suspected there were some shady goings on. The fans can always tell when something isn't quite right. BioWare just haven't felt like the company they used to be for a while now.

[ZippyZapper]

Makes me wish EA never bought Bioware