If you listen very carefully...

You can hear it, hissing through the series of tubes and trucks that is the internet (yes, that's a joke folks)

What is it?

People on the Internet, picking up torches and pitchforks, and prepared to rabble rouse, threaten boycotts, etcetera.

Why?

Because Mac Walters, the head writer of Mass Effect 3, announced that he will be taking the same role with Mass Effect 4.

Walters earned the emnity of a large group of Mass Effect fans by defending the game's controversial ending, stating that "he didn't think the majority of Mass Effect fans had an issue with Mass Effect 3's ending and that it was just a very vocal minority."

Of course, telling such a group that their opinion didn't really count for much, is probably not a great idea, especially when they're very vocal about it.

So, even though we're quite a ways off from Mass Effect's next release (he stated they're not going to call it Mass Effect 4), it's reopening some very painful wounds upon some of the game's most fervent fans.

I won't sugar coat it, I thought the ending sucked. I still do. I think they did a decent job in trying to fix it, but there are those that are upset, with pretty good reason too. I can't say this pitchfork and torches effort will go far (remember the group of fans who swore they'd boycott Left 4 Dead 2 because they felt that more free stuff should be in the original Left 4 Dead 1.. that group was actually more likely to purchase L4D2 then not)... but in the game of PR, it's probably not a great way to start.

(By the way, how much do you want to bet that the next Mass Effect game will be on the NeXbox as an anchor game to sell systems?)