@julius: This post, particularly where it goes toward the end, fails to acknowledge that other Giant Bomb users might not share your same privileges. I know people hate that word, but the assumption that you can go on with your life comfortably, without engaging with "social issues," is a life of extraordinary privilege. Furthermore, social issues are ingrained into games as games are the products of social circumstances. The big companies that produce AAA games and lay-off their entire staff a week after the game ships would like to sweep "social issues" under the rug. It's not just issues of representation, but understanding and discussing the politics that go into creating games and the political expressions of those games is incredibly important to having informed discussions about them. I think if you asked any Giant Bomb editor about this, they'd tell you that they want those discussions happening on its site. Lastly I want to share this Errant Signal video about this issue because I think it hits the nail on the head.
I eat less ketchup than I used to. At some point it just started to taste too processed and sugary. That said it has its place and mayo is outright gross.
Hey, I've been browsing Steam during the Summer Sale and ran across Year Walk at 50% off, a game which I never got around to purchasing/playing on iOS. Anyone played the PC version who can say if it's worth it to get it there, or is iOS really the one and only way to go?
How crazy is it that Polygon laid-off Russ Pitts? Does not bode well for a site when they get rid of their head features editor (who did fantastic work), when one of the most defining aspects of that site is its longform features. I mean, I'm sure they'll stay OK financially, assuming the Vox warchest holds out, but it sure weakens their appeal for me.
@mb: Probably more likely that there would have been more layoffs if the Kickstarter was unsuccessful. Have to imagine they weren't going to make staffing cuts without knowing what their budget and workload was going to be.
Crazy how much of this seems to come down to when Carmack was off the clock or not. What times in an employee's day are they allowed to not be "at work" ?
@video_game_king: Oh there is definitely some power at work, particularly when collectives form, but I'd argue that in the context of the content of a particular game, no one holds more power as to what that game is than the people who make it. I think denial by distributors/retail is slightly different because the balance of power often tilts against small developers and back the other direction in favor of retailers (i.e. Apple banning games like Phone Story and Sweatshop from their store, which is in essence the store). But if we're talking about outcry over sexist material, the game creators hold the cards; it's their move. I mean, for all the hubbub about Dragon's Crown, that game still came out all the same, and I can't think of another game in recent memory that incited such a strong reaction against its allegedly sexist character designs.
But when a developer is forced to change their game, or else face a massive social backlash--including game journalists who claim "we won't publish a single word about you,"--that's not censorship?
No, that's not censorship. Censorship would be not allowing the game to exist in its intended form. Denying coverage, threatening boycott (unless on a monopolistic retailer scale), or pledging to not support the game is not preventing it from existing in whatever form creators want. Censorship comes from positions of power, not from the oppressed.
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