So with the success of Assassin's Creed Shadows has the culture war foolishness ran its course ?
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kruis
Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Oh, please.... I'd been following Grummz Twitter (250,000 followers) and I've never seen a man so intently trying to sabotage the sales of a game in order to make a point like this grifter.
I'd been on the anti AC:V band wagon for the longest time, that was easy enough since there was so much drama about dumb stuff (the woke choice of a black male protagonist for a game set in historical Japan, the fake history about Yasuke, the Japanese expert Ubisoft hired who was specialized in genderqueer pedosexual stories, the list goes on). The drama simply never ended... But the drama was also highly manufactured and literally anything was used order to create bad press with the specific goal of making Ubisoft go bankrupt to set an example for other software publishers.
Kim Belair (of Sweet Baby, Inc) fame once said in a presentation: "If you're creative working in AAA, which I did for many years, put this stuff up to your higher-ups. And if they don't see the value and what you're asking for when you ask for consultants, when you ask for research, go have a coffee with your marketing team and just terrify them with the possibility of what's going to happen if they don't give you what you want."
That there was an activist using the weapon of cancel culture to get what they want. And what the likes of Grummz and others anti-woke, anti-DEI activist were doing was exacly the same thing: using socio-political outrage against perceived woke games as a weapon in order to terrify companies to either change course or go broke.
My breaking point was the moment I saw more and more footage of AC:S in the past month that looked GOOD. I've always enjoyed Assasin's Creed games, I've played lots of them, they're my comfort food. The visuals were absolutely terific, the game play looked like fun, you could play the game as Naoe for 90% of the time, etc and I suddenly started thinking about buying the game, That's what opened my eyes to the amount of manufactured outrage spouted by the likes of Grummz.
I bought the game when it came out and I've enjoyed the first ten hours so so far. It's an incredibly polished game that's easily a generation ahead of AC: Mirage. Apart from the introduction that featured Yasuke for ten minutes I've only played as Naoe so far. It's classic AC material and I can recommend it to anyone who liked the series in the past.
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The Chairman
Member
The denial was fun, but now we're deep in the cope phase. Keep the threads coming 
Trekinspace88
Member
The game is great. I truly don't understand why the cancel culture hates on this game (or on any game for that matter). I firmly believe those that hate on this game and others are sad people who have nothing in their lives other than hatred.
Imagine caring who wins this stupid battle
It's insanity crying about what video game characters look like.
fierytrainwreck
Banned
A bunch of DEI games flop badly, losing hundreds of millions of dollars and triggering mass layoffs across the industry.
One DEI game, from a franchise with a huge fanbase, launches with average numbers, still well below other recent big releases.
"Take that, chuds! DEI won in the end!"
One DEI game, from a franchise with a huge fanbase, launches with average numbers, still well below other recent big releases.
"Take that, chuds! DEI won in the end!"
Trekinspace88
Member
Of course it's not doing as well as Valhalla. That game was on PS4-PS5-XBO-XSS-X and PC (and it was released before Christmas while also in a pandemic with most people staying at home.)The denial was fun, but now we're deep in the cope phase. Keep the threads coming
While Shadows is on PS5,XSX and PC and released in March instead of the usual November date. Anyone who actually knew what they were actually talking about would know this.
So people who ignore these facts are either trolls or are individuals who are incompetent.
I do not agree about this being "freaking out".
That being said what i don't like is the brigade mentality, from both sides, like there is something that need to be permanently resolved. And thinking it's over for the "anti-woke" is as much of a mistake as saying "go woke go broke".
To each their own. Personnally i think it looks like the typical woke trash but i don't need validation.
Bumblebeetuna
Member
As you can see from the replies, no. They'll have to be dragged out kicking and screaming about DEI and woke.
Plus the very fact that they got bamboozled means they're easy to manipulate and do you really think the grifters are going to want to stop making money?
Plus the very fact that they got bamboozled means they're easy to manipulate and do you really think the grifters are going to want to stop making money?
The Chairman
Member
Bro, it's getting smoked by Split Fiction, an AA game made with lunch money compared to Shadows' budget. That's rough.
Loomy
Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Grummz (Mark Kern) is at a point where no one will invest in any more of his schemes. So he has resorted to making money on twitter by generating outrage, baiting people into engaging with his content there so he can money off them.
Loomy
Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Split Fiction is the follow-up to a game that sold over 20 million copies and it was made with a lot of money (Not Ubisoft money, but not exactly lunch money either).
That game was going to smoke most new releases around it.
BlitzerRadic
Member
Are video games creative works or not? If a creator wants to incorporate a particular element in a work of art, its not forced. Its a creative choice that all creators are free to make.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
The Chairman
Member
fierytrainwreck
Banned
What I find interesting is how almost none of the journos are working overtime to champion Split Fiction despite the fact that it is both "on message" and clearly successful. Dual female leads, no content that upsets the leftist apple cart, good sales and CCU, a total victory. But no one is wasting any ink attacking or defending Split Fiction because there's no engagement to be had there. It's fascinating.
Killer8
Member
Having got the game and played a few hours, I now just kind of feel sorry for people who are missing out on a very good game over complete nonsense. This isn't a Veilguard-tier disaster. It's completely benign.
Both characters are very likeable. Naoe is a waifu in her intended language.
Gay romance is only in the game if you turn the option for that on.
The Japanese voice acting is fantastic and fixes all the English VO problems.
The stealth is the closest we've gotten to a new Tenchu game in years.
It's easily the new graphics king - absolutely fucking stunning on PS5 Pro or maxed on PC.
You can make a "this is what $70 AAAA gets you" bad AI supercut about any game.
And quite frankly nobody cares about the "was Yasuke a samurai or not?" argument any more. Even if you firmly think he was not, there is something called suspension of disbelief and the game sells his introduction to Nobunaga convincingly.
Some people are still fighting about it like they're the last Japanese soldier still fighting in the jungles after WW2 already ended:
Most people now just want to know if the game is good.
It's rated 4.7 on the PlayStation Store.
It's rated "Very Positive" on Steam (and that % is rising).
The majority of the people who actually bought the game and aren't just review bombing on Metacritic are enjoying it.
Both characters are very likeable. Naoe is a waifu in her intended language.
Gay romance is only in the game if you turn the option for that on.
The Japanese voice acting is fantastic and fixes all the English VO problems.
The stealth is the closest we've gotten to a new Tenchu game in years.
It's easily the new graphics king - absolutely fucking stunning on PS5 Pro or maxed on PC.
You can make a "this is what $70 AAAA gets you" bad AI supercut about any game.
And quite frankly nobody cares about the "was Yasuke a samurai or not?" argument any more. Even if you firmly think he was not, there is something called suspension of disbelief and the game sells his introduction to Nobunaga convincingly.
Some people are still fighting about it like they're the last Japanese soldier still fighting in the jungles after WW2 already ended:
Most people now just want to know if the game is good.
It's rated 4.7 on the PlayStation Store.
It's rated "Very Positive" on Steam (and that % is rising).
The majority of the people who actually bought the game and aren't just review bombing on Metacritic are enjoying it.
Blitzkrieg!
Banned
At this point most video games are the output of giant corporate machinations that respond to what their audience will cough up money for.
BbMajor7th
Member
I'm old enough to remember when whole forums and review outlets tried to cancel Hogwarts Legacy. It was the biggest selling game of the year, by a mile.
Internet outrage doesn't have a huge impact, whichever side the pressure comes from, but that doesn't mean we can't discuss the individual merits of releases as they come and go.
If that stuff doesn't interest you, just like, walk on by...
Internet outrage doesn't have a huge impact, whichever side the pressure comes from, but that doesn't mean we can't discuss the individual merits of releases as they come and go.
If that stuff doesn't interest you, just like, walk on by...
cash_longfellow
Member
Not if Neogaf has something to say about it 
Edit - To add, I'm just joking, for people who might take this seriously lol
Edit - To add, I'm just joking, for people who might take this seriously lol
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Bumblebeetuna
Member
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Blitzkrieg!
Banned
Wild that they would reply to him. Either an indication that he's really under their skin, or a dumbass social media manager making $30k a year who doesn't know any better. Probably the latter.
Dude, the official AssCreed Twitter account is replying to Grummz. This is far from over.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Dude, the official AssCreed Twitter account is replying to Grummz. This is far from over.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
fascianting and positive. The game was left alone and succeeded by its own merits.
Regarding shadows, I don't think any company wants negative attention around their game, especially when it has a budget of around $300M and has the future of the entire company at its back (even if it's just a perception). From that point of view, this game was a massive blunder. and sales wise?...it should be able to sell like 5M easily at full price, right?. But I think its commercial performance will be like any recent MCU movie.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
Kotaro
Member
But it shall still remain in your dreams rent free
absolutely, woke tears will feed me for months
Kacho
Member
Probably a bit of both. Grummz, Critical Drinker, Asmon, etc have these companies shook. They're still trying to figure out how to navigate the meta because counterculture influencers are having a real impact.
Lokaum D+
Member
Ubisoft would be an amazing acquisition to Elon new game company... the meltdowns would be even more amazing than Twitter meltdowns.
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GasparYanga
Neo Member
Come on, Bruh. You know these particular wars won't end anytime soon. In fact, It'll only intensify due to the commitment of the partisan to play their part. Their zeal can never be extinguished.
digimaster7
Member
I mean people like anita sarkesian basically started it when gamers just want to be left alone, she even speaks in the UN about this crap.
Don't complain when there's finally a pushback from gamers
EverydayBeast
ChatGPT 0.001
I have AC Shadows spending time in the hate bubble like every game these days at launch and than going into the games for sale mix category (I think AC Mirage dropped to $24.99 in recent sales) and the history AC themed games will continue on.
Ridicululzz
Member
Maybe Assassin's Creed isn't that bad after all LOOOL
Lethal01
Member
I was speaking in general, people were definitely freaking out when witch 4 and Yotei 2 revealed to have female protagonists.
Uncharted makes a character whos not just a WOMAN, but alse BALD, the internet definitely freaked out
Assassins's creed situation had a more rational reasons to complain about it but the ract the same people freaked out over much dumber things makes em hard to take seriously... Just last week peopl were freaking out about people being gay in Japan during a time well nown for having TONS of gay sex and every man going through a transisitional phase where he's between a man and woman and thus totally fine to have sex with.
Personally I always thought Yasuke was neat and was waiting for the day a game put focus on him
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fierytrainwreck
Banned
You see a lot of DARVO (deny, attack, reverse victim order) from the leftists in this sphere. This was the primary strategy for anti-gamergate back in 2014. They attacked games and people, met fierce oopposition, and then cried victim.
Order of events matters. It's really the foundation for any sustainable moral framework. Self defense is not morally equivalent to aggression. The Anita Sarkeesians of the world unilaterally decided that gaming had to change, and they used social games to accomplish their political and cultural agendas. The people who pushed back against the radleft incursion in gaming were just responding to hostile aggression with equivalent force. Characterizing this dynamic as "both sides are equally bad" is no different than high schools implementing "zero tolerance" policies that punish the victim and the aggressor equally. It's extremely dishonest.
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Unknown Soldier
Member
Let's not forget one of his first actions after he bought Twitter was fire 90% of the employeesUbisoft would be an amazing acquisition to Elon new game company... the meltdowns would be even more amazing than Twitter meltdowns.
I would love for him to buy Ubisoft and then do the same thing
To this day, nobody knows what 20,000 people do at Ubisoft
The company would be much better with 2,000 employees
And then he turns it around with one tenth the headcount (and associated costs) out of sheer force of will
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Gameplay Gods Bless
Member
People like and dislike things for different reasons. Gameplay isn't the one thing that people care about. Hell people traditionally care more about politics than video games so yea gameplay isn't exactly at the top of the totem pole.
kindaGoth
Member
Honestly? Only because the social politics have largely been defeated outside of this game - if it does prove to be a success.
In the US at least it's mostly been rejected. You could argue Shadows is one of the few projects labeled as "woke" that may actually succeed from the last few years. If you look at the overall landscape you can see America has largely rejected it. From movies like Marvel, to huge game flops, to even our choice of alcohol, and finally the election - the "woke" politics have been rejected and with that the turning of the ship at many of these media companies has already begun. DEI is being rooted out of govt and most major companies as well as we've seen announcements from Amazon and others decrying it.
Hopefully we don't swing the pendulum too far back towards misogyny and shock factor bigotry. The woke shit certainly went way too far though and we have to find some balance.
In the US at least it's mostly been rejected. You could argue Shadows is one of the few projects labeled as "woke" that may actually succeed from the last few years. If you look at the overall landscape you can see America has largely rejected it. From movies like Marvel, to huge game flops, to even our choice of alcohol, and finally the election - the "woke" politics have been rejected and with that the turning of the ship at many of these media companies has already begun. DEI is being rooted out of govt and most major companies as well as we've seen announcements from Amazon and others decrying it.
Hopefully we don't swing the pendulum too far back towards misogyny and shock factor bigotry. The woke shit certainly went way too far though and we have to find some balance.
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
Playing the game. I don't want ubisoft to ho away.
I don't think there's many people really pushing the envelope on tech to this level. Especially on PC. Ubi have always supported pc well.
I legit haven't seen a single bit of woke crap and I'm 7 hours in. Games legit good, imo. I've been playing games for 35 years and I don't need someone to tell me I'm wrong about gameplay because a games got a black person in it.
I hope the discourse is ending because I can't deal with this for ghosts of yotei etc.
I don't think there's many people really pushing the envelope on tech to this level. Especially on PC. Ubi have always supported pc well.
I legit haven't seen a single bit of woke crap and I'm 7 hours in. Games legit good, imo. I've been playing games for 35 years and I don't need someone to tell me I'm wrong about gameplay because a games got a black person in it.
I hope the discourse is ending because I can't deal with this for ghosts of yotei etc.
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