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Mar 08, 2012 - 10:58 am

Mass Effect 3: [SPOILER] Stock Photo Used for Tali De-masking

SPOILER Warning: the item below is a sort of spoiler. If you want to approach Mass Effect 3 with no preconceptions and absolutely no idea regarding images or other game elements, stop reading now.

It is a testament to the extreme loyalty the Mass Effect science fiction roleplaying game series has cultivated, that some fans are livid about a recent faus pax committed by the series’ developer, Bioware. Apparently, the image of the Tali character with her mask removed did not match some fans’ expectations so they are quite upset.

Tali’s been masked for all this long and the recent image of her unmasked does seem to support the saying that some things are better off left alone. Anyway, the mask is off and fans are saying that the picture of Tali unmasked looks just like an existing stock photo-altered, of course. You can thank the number of intrepid online Sherlock Holmes out there for getting to the bottom of this mystery. Mass Effect fans have always wondered what Quarians looked like under their masks. Since the face is just lifted off a stock photo, it is understandable that some hardcore game fans are quite disappointed. All this mystery. All this time. Only to reveal a stock photo face. Kind of anticlimactic, no? There are two schools of thought regarding this issue-fans who are insulted and fans who don’t see the big deal.

Getty image compared to image of an unmasked Tali (Credit: Getty Images/ BioWare)

Getty image compared to image of an unmasked Tali (Credit: Getty Images/ BioWare)

Disappointed fans are saying this incident is yet another piece of evidence to support the contention that Bioware’s being sloppy and is disregarding its fans. More mellow fans say this hiccup is not that big of a deal. Is EA just cutting corners here or is this evidence that they are taking their fans for granted? Hit the comment button and let your thoughts be heard.

Update: Check out a quite different image of Tali’s face from artist Vespaz’ over here.

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Comments

  • Lyle Shouhda

    I really don’t mind this. I was more worried of her having a messed up predator face or something crazy ugly, (would’nt have affected my romance decision though). 

  • http://www.facebook.com/alstamper Adam Lee Stamper

    some ” in game” rendering would have been nice and not that hard. Honestly, they could fix this with a patch…. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1450571909 Alexis Audoin

    I’ve been a fan of Mass Effect for only a year now and played trough ever game in the series. I was never really disapointed but to be honest, this is just rude and insulting. Tali is the only character I romanced in Mass Effect 2 and I am shocked by how lazy BioWare is.

  • CR

    The fact that you only get to see it if she kills herself is EXTREMELY disappointing, ngl.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Kaufman/1811270839 Ryan Kaufman

      I saw it when she was alive. I wanted to kill myself after I got Legion killed, but the face reveal killed some of my sadness.

      In fact, I wouldn’t have even noticed it was a stock photo if people weren’t so nosey and felt they were entitled to so much.

  • Devour1983

    Like Alexis below me, I too have only recently discovered the Mass Effect series, and fell in love with it. It was an epic story, and each game had something new and was to an extent a different style of action/RPG (Though purists will yell otherwise). I also romanced Tali in ME2 as she was a character whose youthful exuberance and naivety made her different addition to the crew. And who can’t say that her stuttering deflections when it came to flirting weren’t entertaining? The point being that they built her up in the second game, and if you romanced her you were left wondering what the hell she looked like without the mask. Doing so again (romancing) in the third game had you envisioning this mysteriously exotic unmasking at the end of the game. Not the anti-climactic photo on the nightstand. Adam Lee has a point. This can be fixed, and this should be fixed. EA has a reputation for ignoring the fans and doing what they want. Give us what we want! Give us the Tali we dreamed of getting! Give us the Tali that fits with her character, from the quirky, naive Quarian in ME2 to the sassy, no nonsense one in ME3.

  • android18

    I actually really like the way she looks, however I hate how sloppy they were with the way that they created it… (Basing it off a stock photo)
    I haven’t gotten too far into the game yet, but I hope to the Gods that this isn’t the big reveal.
    Also, the fact that the photo was taken outside, and she’s not in her suit… It doesn’t make sense!

  • Anonymous

    After ALL of the things that Bioware has done to make this game perfect.

    THIS is what people complain about. SHE LOOKS GOOD.

    FRANKLY. THIS IS PRETTY RAD. GO HACK THE GAME AND CHANGE THE PICTURE IF YOU WANT.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Noh/100001051202905 Ryan Noh

      They did the least possible work to get people’s eyes sparkly. People with some standards as to how they spend their time are not satisfied.

      • http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.karani Jon Karani

        Given the amount of work that went into things like character development, texturing, writing, and the fact that they had to deal with different arcs and they had a seemingly impossible task in satisfying everyone and dealing with the fact that everyone has completely different Shepards and Mass Effect 1 & 2 stories coming into the game… I think we can probably forgive them for spending 1 hour on photoshop to render a bedside photograph rather than dedicating any serious time to it ;)

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Kaufman/1811270839 Ryan Kaufman

          Thank you. I’m sick of people attacking Bioware because they wanted a break.

          If you were a developer who had to make three games and make them as…dense, I suppose, as Mass Effect is, you’d be exhausted and cutting a corner like this wouldn’t be something you’d dwell on. They wanted to give a great story, and they did. Let’s not bash them because a face didn’t  meet your personal standards.

  • Александр Торопов

    Russia says:Nice

  • http://www.facebook.com/soulceol Samuel Evan Draschner

    Honestly if they were going to lift off a photo, why not use Ash Sroka as a model? She voices Tali, she’s gorgeous and she has said that she pictures herself as Tali. I don’t understand the logic here… Sroka would have been a better option. Ah well, she’s still cute. ^_^ 

  • http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.karani Jon Karani

    Big fat “do not care”. With the rest of the work that’s gone into this game (while, let us not forget, developing The Old Republic at the same time) if people are getting this upset about something as inconsequential as this it’s a testament to the high standards Bioware have set for themselves.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Kaufman/1811270839 Ryan Kaufman

    The game is about choice. To the dot, you have a choice to do everything. You can make your guy seem like the holiest of holy, but when the choice comes for complete control, you can take it, showing that even you have a limit. You’re not confined to anything. I applaud Bioware for such a great game, and people are simply knitpicking.

  • Tedaii

    Honestly, I am pleased. It didn’t matter to me if I ever saw Tali’s face; this look is good enough for me.

    …Almost done with the game…. (Started yesterday)

  • Mlkingu

    Maybe Shepard just wanted a picture to look at, and used GettyImages?

  • keiran S-C

    Tali’s my favourite character from the series and I just saw the photo in game for the first time and i have to say I love how elegantly this is approached through out the game, with the build up to the scene and where the camera angle is positioned behind her again as she removes her mask building up more anticipation, then in order to do her justice so to say they use a real photo which shows how beautiful she is.

    I think bioware didn’t want to show her as a fully modelled character because a modelled version wouldn’t give her the same amount of elegance as the photo did.

    I also love the scene were you find out about the photo and tali says she has left a present for you in your cabin :) I’m a sappy person but I don’t care

  • X_trent_x

    At least they put a face on the character (and a pretty one at that).
     
    Besides, this is NOTHING compared to the game’s rancid ending.

  • http://profiles.google.com/tanni.of.vilya Scott Thornby

    Really?  People are actually upset over this?  The use of stock photos in large businesses is just reality.  Where the picture originated from is far less important than how they altered it, and what the final picture says about the quarian species.  I have zero issue with them using a stock photo.  Everything starts somewhere.

    This isn’t an insult, people,  It’s called a photo reference.  Artists use them all the damn time.

    • lolz

       You clearly don’t know anything about real business.

  • http://www.facebook.com/liam.s.phoenix Liam Phoenix

    I don’t think the people who were upset were mad because of the image, but because using a stock photo was one more sign that EA/BioWare were cutting corners.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/George-Alexe/100000114641618 George Alexe

    Yes, EA calls the shots. Same as they did for DA 2. Bioware is considering if they continue with them as publishers.

  • Xenophaigus

    I understand maybe having time constraints but I’ve found better fanart than this. I much prefer a fanart over this. This… it just doesn’t capture Tali. Sure the woman in the photo is gorgeous, but… It’s just not Tali. 

    • http://www.gamebandits.com/ Gamebandits

      Maybe they shouldn’t have revealed anything…Tali’s face would just remain a part of our imagination…

  • Sonofhellrazor

    I love you…

  • http://www.gamebandits.com/ Gamebandits

    Any suggestions how the endings could have been better?

  • Nobukai

    Honestly Im a Really big fan of the series and I agree with some of the others. The picture Fits Tali as a beautiful and cute woman even if its an alter picture of an obviously Beautiful and cute woman.

  • Jess Johnson

    Seriously, just because they used a stock photo image as a base, doesn’t mean that they didn’t have the concept in their heads from the start. It really is a beautiful picture, and although it’s not what I was picturing—what WAS I picturing? It’s nice to finally see another race that is more human-looking than not (Turian, Krogan, Salarian, Drell, Hanar, etc…) that wouldn’t be really creepy for Shepard to be in a relationship with. (As much as I love Garrus, him and FemShep in the sack is probably the stuff of Nightmares. Hence the cute kissy romance, and no hard sex, like in DA.) What I’m saying is, this is the most beautiful race, yet and I want to see more. Even if they’re all stock photo manips. 

  • http://www.gamebandits.com/ Gamebandits

    well, thx for the post @fe3bf5df92c97fd965672ba7923f19a3:disqus (there is still a discussion in our office of how the endings could have been better, but the majority of our staff had the same feeling as you that the different endings all seemed quite alike). 

    Giving the player more options of how the game will end seems actually quite compelling…and is pretty complex task when speaking of implementation. 

    Maybe the ending wasn’t so bad because a lot of people started to talk about it? As you said “you can’t have everything” and so there probably is no “perfect ending” 
    (but still, we like the “more choice option” very much).

  • http://www.gamebandits.com/ Gamebandits

    “an epilogue to reflect all of your other choices”…sounds good @63f1c01f2442a65a200520a68dd8eb5f:disqus 

    Would be interesting to have endings that would include choices the player has made in ME1 and ME2 (but this is just wishful thinking and waaaay to complex to actually implement into the game). Anyway, nice post!

    • http://www.facebook.com/punbeing Oceanna Kalloch

      too bad that’s exactly what they promised us in PR about the game.

  • Eadoras

     They didn’t use a random photo from the internet. The photo that’s been used is the voice actress of Tali “Ash Sroka”. Look it up.

    • http://www.gamebandits.com/ Gamebandits

      Hi @7b4f54cbe577cee3233327a31c5c10a8:disqus We are pretty sure the model on the picture is Hammasa Kohistani (Miss England from 2005). Why?
      Here you can see the getty image page from photographer Matthew Leete: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/hammasa-royalty-free-image/123488108

      And as the title reads “hammasa”…well, compare it to the wikipedia article for Hammasa Kohistani: 
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammasa_Kohistani 

      If you are still not convinced have a look at Ash Sroka’s Facebook page:
      https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ash-Sroka/246332568739385 

  • Ezio

    wow that voice actress looks damn hot ;) but actually i don’t care how tali’s face looks like :S

    • Moneymanjonez21

      lol she does not voice Tali.

  • Stevie-b

    why are so many dudes schocked by unmasking talis face?!?! whats the matter i can’t understands :S we should focuse more on the ending of mass effect 3 that which was totally crap! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cesar-Perez/100000521089638 Cesar Perez

    Are you serious? true i didn’t make the game but i pay $70.00 dollars for it and of course i want a good product, would you be “happy with what you have” if you buy a copy of this game and the CD don’t play..? NO you go back to the store and complain until you get what you want that’s how a lot of ppl feel about this game

  • Lamar224

    that was kinda cheap how they did that

  • Johnny Bravo

    I think it’s obvious what we all think by now about EA /Bioware. If someone doubts that they take us for fools and idiots, check out discussions about Mass Effect 3 ending, especially those on Bioware forums. They try to make fans go silent, instead of providing what they promised. Ironically, I heared CD Projekt just released a FREE and consistent DLC for The Witcher 2, which includes new ending.
    I guess we all know what Bioware is made of now, and how it smells.

  • http://www.facebook.com/LzrLyt Torres Hodges

    It was the cheap way out but atleast they picked a hot chick.

  • Wenming_18

    Um. That’s a royalty-free photo of Ash Sroka, Tali’s voice actor.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joshuareynolds23 Joshua Reynolds

    I love it they used a real persons face with miranda and the woman they chose was absolutely gorgeous. Also to fenix its more the principal of the matter and the new ending were far better the original ending/endings were lack luster at best and left major plot holes that would never have happened with the crew you put together. On another note i do respect your opinion on the subject and glad to see such a big fan speaking out in biowares defense

  • http://www.facebook.com/Tim.Dewitt59 Tim Dewitt

    I just started into the game, sorry im a late one in it, but i like it so far. Ive seen the vids and the pics,…I cant wait till i get to the good parts ,…actually its all good.
    AS far as Talis face goes, really dosent make much of a diff. but if i were to make a choice as to what pic to use for talis face,..I wold use the high res one of tali in the helmet, that one is the best i think.
    Tali is Beautiful inside and out, lots of spunk, smart and funny surely a chick that i would fall for,…Besides shes got a killer ass. Hey what can i say, im a guy

  • http://www.facebook.com/earleteagarden Earle Teagarden

    I have in fact refused to ever spend my hard earned money on anything involving EA. The origin thing was the final straw. I can’t even buy it at the store and play without setting up a new account with a product full of bugs. I can forgive the lack of creativity with the Tali photo, it’s lame, but not too bad. The origin or don’t play thing is what’s inexcusable.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1673926219 Michal Weidinger

    But no one minded Miranda to be based on real character. BTW I love her face, the moment I find the picture in my cabin was one of the best moments of the game for me.

  • Baylee Krum

    Taking a stocked photo is very lazy. They at the very least could have drawn or rendered the characters themselves.Honestly I would hav rather been dissapointed bya render or drawing than an edited photo.