The problem was that my friends thought that Bioware should be "held accountable" by their fans because of the ending they gave the series. Personally, I think that's ridiculous. Even if there's a poll that says 98% of Mass Effect's fan base hates the ending, Bioware has no reason to change it. They may say they're looking into it, but they've already made their money and therefore have no reason to listen to you.
They argued that this will affect whether people buy the DLC or recommend the series to other people later on down the road. The first point could have some merit, but the truth is as much as people complain about how much they hate something they refuse to vote with their wallets. Most of the fans that hated the ending will no doubt wind up buying the DLC. It's like the people who complain about Call of Duty being the "same game" every single year, but go out and buy it on day one.
The second point about recommendations is meaningless. EA (or any other company) would never base their estimates on the hope that someone would recommend the series to a friend. If I'm remembering correctly, most companies make their money in the first week of release (kind of like movies with the first month). While I'm sure an extra sale here or there is appreciated, in the grand scheme of things it couldn't matter less.
There's also the dangerous precedent that changing the ending would set. On the off chance that I'm completely wrong and Bioware does decide "patch" or change the ending via DLC, suddenly the fans would realize that they are in control. If fans of one series can force a company like Bioware/EA (no doubt EA would have to sign off on that kind of decision) to make a change like that, what's to stop fans of another series expecting something similar. Suddenly fans are dictating how their games should be made and that can only lead to disaster. Personally, I thought it was insane that Sucker Punch actually went back and changed Cole's character design back after the "outrage" there was over the new design.
Yes, there were mistakes made. The whole day one DLC thing is a business practice I wish no one used. The fact that there were numerous lies about whether the DLC was made during development and then locked, or if it was on the disc or not is also bothersome. I think the "controversy" wouldn't have been as big as it was if there was just a little honesty here or there.
Above is the video Colin Moriarty (from IGN) filmed about the Mass Effect 3 controversy. While I've slightly tired of the whole "games were more expensive when I were a kid" bit (I know it's true, but it appears everywhere like a trump card), he makes a lot of good points. The biggest of which is that fans feel like they are owed something, that they are "entitled" to a better ending. What fans are having a problem realizing is that Bioware owes them nothing. Petitions are going to do nothing, no matter how much money you "raise for the cause". You bought their game, they made their money, and that's where your relationship ends. Not every developer is like Valve and gives away DLC for free and has the greatest relationship with their fans and expecting them to be is a pipe dream. And I wouldn't even expect Valve to change the ending to Half-Life is people hated it.
Another point he makes is that there is a correct way to disagree. Ranting and raving like a five year old isn't it. Everyone has that series (whether it be movie, book, TV, or game) that had an awful ending. For me it was both Lost and Battlestar Galactica. Both series had awful endings and there are few that would disagree with that opinion. Yet there weren't any petitions to have them go back and refilm an ending. Why? Because people realized that's what was written and no matter how much they raged, nothing was going to change. And it shouldn't.
In the end though, this is simply my opinion. I'd love to know what you guys think. Let me know in the comments below!
