<s>
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
From	I-Application
Ashes	I-Application
is	O
a	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
pack	O
developed	O
by	O
BioWare	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
for	O
the	O
2012	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
as	O
a	O
standalone	O
download	O
on	O
March	O
6	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
included	O
with	O
all	O
retail	O
copies	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Special	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
for	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
Ashes	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
major	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
pack	O
for	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
From	O
Ashes	O
received	O
a	O
generally	O
mixed	O
critical	O
reception	O
from	O
video	O
game	O
publications	O
,	O
the	O
decision	O
to	O
release	O
the	O
pack	O
as	O
paid	O
DLC	B-Protocol
alongside	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
has	O
been	O
the	O
subject	O
of	O
controversy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
From	I-Application
Ashes	I-Application
is	O
a	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
pack	O
for	O
the	O
2012	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
within	O
the	O
Milky	O
Way	O
galaxy	O
during	O
the	O
22nd	O
century	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
assumes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
an	O
elite	O
human	O
soldier	O
,	O
Commander	O
Shepard	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
summoned	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
crew	O
of	O
The	O
Normandy-SR2	O
starship	O
for	O
a	O
priority-class	O
mission	O
to	O
the	O
human	O
colony	O
of	O
Eden	O
Prime	O
,	O
the	O
site	O
of	O
a	O
major	O
plot	O
point	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
may	O
commence	O
the	O
mission	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
integrated	O
into	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
without	O
any	O
special	O
markers	O
indicating	O
its	O
status	O
as	O
DLC	B-Protocol
content	O
,	O
anytime	O
after	O
Shepard	O
departs	O
the	O
Citadel	O
on	O
The	O
Normandy	O
to	O
rally	O
support	O
from	O
other	O
species	O
to	O
retake	O
Earth	O
early	O
in	O
the	O
narrative	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Javik	O
was	O
originally	O
cut	O
from	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
due	O
to	O
time	O
constraints	O
during	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
developmental	O
cycle	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
reintroduced	O
through	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
as	O
its	O
featured	O
companion	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
Ashes	O
was	O
completed	O
while	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
was	O
still	O
in	O
certification	O
and	O
is	O
not	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
disc	O
;	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
press	O
release	O
issued	O
by	O
EA	O
,	O
"	O
certain	O
framework	O
elements	O
and	O
character	O
models	O
needed	O
to	O
be	O
put	O
on	O
disc	O
"	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
"	O
seamlessly	O
integrate	O
Javik	O
into	O
the	O
core	O
campaign	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
manner	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
packs	O
which	O
added	O
the	O
companion	O
characters	O
Zaeed	O
Massani	O
and	O
Kasumi	O
Goto	O
into	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
2	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
project	O
director	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
Casey	O
Hudson	O
,	O
it	O
took	O
about	O
three	O
months	O
for	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
to	O
move	O
from	O
the	O
"	O
content	O
complete	O
"	O
stage	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
developers	O
to	O
"	O
bug-fix	O
,	O
certify	O
,	O
manufacture	O
,	O
and	O
ship	O
game	O
discs	O
"	O
;	O
From	O
Ashes	O
was	O
completed	O
within	O
the	O
three	O
month	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
February	O
2012	O
,	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
pack	O
was	O
mistakenly	O
published	O
on	O
the	O
official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BioWare	O
producer	O
Mike	O
Gamble	O
would	O
later	O
confirm	O
that	O
From	O
Ashes	O
is	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
as	O
the	O
launch	O
date	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
March	O
6	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
paid	O
download	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
Ashes	O
is	O
complimentary	O
for	O
players	O
who	O
purchased	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
Collector	O
’s	O
Edition	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
version	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
includes	O
the	O
pack	O
by	O
default	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
review	O
aggregator	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
From	I-Application
Ashes	I-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
"	O
from	O
video	O
game	O
publications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PLAY	O
gave	O
a	O
positive	O
review	O
,	O
and	O
summarized	O
that	O
From	O
Ashes	O
is	O
good	O
for	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
fans	O
wanting	O
more	O
back	O
story	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
"	O
a	O
little	O
unremarkable	O
for	O
everyone	O
else	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
sources	O
,	O
like	O
Videogamer.com	O
and	O
the	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
,	O
compared	O
it	O
unfavorably	O
to	O
BioWare	O
's	O
previous	O
DLC	B-Protocol
offerings	O
like	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Lair	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
Broker	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
UK	O
edition	O
of	O
the	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
rated	O
the	O
pack	O
with	O
a	O
negative	O
score	O
and	O
advised	O
its	O
readers	O
to	O
"	O
steer	O
well	O
clear	O
of	O
this	O
cheeky	O
cash-grab	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
decision	O
to	O
release	O
From	O
Ashes	O
as	O
a	O
paid	O
DLC	B-Protocol
on	O
the	O
same	O
date	O
as	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
controversial	O
and	O
generated	O
criticism	O
from	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wes	O
Fenlon	O
from	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
commented	O
that	O
most	O
of	O
his	O
colleagues	O
did	O
not	O
experience	O
any	O
interactions	O
with	O
Javik	O
when	O
they	O
first	O
played	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
following	O
its	O
launch	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
pay	O
extra	O
for	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
noted	O
that	O
it	O
reflects	O
poorly	O
on	O
the	O
developers	O
that	O
the	O
one	O
character	O
who	O
could	O
offer	O
significant	O
insight	O
into	O
Prothean	O
race	O
,	O
culture	O
and	O
history	O
was	O
locked	O
behind	O
a	O
paywall	O
,	O
even	O
if	O
said	O
character	O
is	O
not	O
pivotal	O
to	O
the	O
plot	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
2012	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
(	O
GDC	O
)	O
,	O
game	O
designer	O
and	O
former	O
BioWare	O
staff	O
Christina	O
Norman	O
asked	O
players	O
to	O
judge	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
on	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
its	O
content	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
timing	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
