@naruball thanks. It’s nice to have reasoned discussion on here where we can agree to disagree but at least try to understand each other.
I think we might have different views on what exactly caused the controversy. (And by the way, I don’t think the backlash was fully justified).
All I’m really saying is that because there seemed to be this political battle going on, a lot of people just didn’t want to touch it and got turned off.
And we all know that AAA games always need to appeal to the masses in order to have commercial success. That’s why most of the popular games are not the ‘best’ games and they rarely push boundaries.
@tobsesta99 I’m sorry, but I’m not the one who needs to get a grip.
No one who has any understanding of the industry will look at 25,000 sales and placing 300th in the charts from one of the biggest first party launches for Sony this year and say ‘oh yes, that’s from an oversaturated market.’
This game was actively avoided and Sony need to work out what caused that. And I believe it was because of the controversy surrounding it, because all things point to that.
First off, when I mentioned them pushing an agenda too hard I wasn’t meaning that they are part of a bigger agenda (I’m guessing that’s why you asked because of the conspiracy theories). I was meaning it in the usual sense of the word.
Every person/company has an agenda. In other words, an underlying motive or purpose for what they are doing. It could be to make money. It could be to push social boundaries. It could be anything.
You can put agendas forward in many different ways and to many different degrees. However, if you want to appeal to the masses you have to do it subtly and Concord didn’t do that.
As to what the agenda was in the case of Concord, well, I think it was ‘woke ideology’. That means different things to different people. But I think they pushed too hard to try and show ‘inclusion’ (or at least their perception of that) to promote the LGBTQ+ community (they had that tag on steam before removing it to try increase sales, so clearly it didn’t mean as much to them as money) and to break what they perceived as outdated beauty standards, which in the end just made for mediocre, bland or ugly characters. (That’s my perception of it anyway.)
So they were open with their agendas and way they went about it was not subtle so they got a strong backlash to it. They could have had the same agenda but tweaked things slightly, been less obvious, etc. But they chose to do it this way as their believed it was the right thing to do.
All companies have an agenda. But they do need to know their audience. And regardless of the agenda, no one likes overly politicised things. That was the perception many neutrals got from it.
If we compare it to Overwatch then Concord is just mediocre/average in every area. Not just the character designs, but level designs, game modes, hero abilities. Etc. Good gunplay will not overcome those things.
However, I think it’s terribly naive to think politics didn’t play a role in its downfall. And not because everyone is ‘anti-woke’ as some suggest.
(By the way, I’m not some ‘anti-woke’ acolyte. I’m centrist in my politics.)
However, even from a more neutral perspective, what I heard about this game and saw online was little about its gameplay and much more about its politics.
The designers clearly went that way. The largely left leaning gaming media pushed it and praised it. Then the far right reacted to it. But the end result is the majority of people, the centrists, also reacted to it with most people not wanting to touch it with a barge poll.
Like I said, this wasn’t because everyone is anti-woke, but because political controversy and pushing an agenda too hard always makes the majority uncomfortable.
This was a AAA game. It had to appeal to the masses in order to succeed, but they chose to appeal to one audience over another and ended up losing the majority.
It’s a lesson to learn. But people want to bury their heads in the sand and not try and analyse how this happened. It’s just best to keep politics more subtle.
People don't want to admit it had something to do with politics, but it absolutely did. They tried to push an agenda too hard and it backfired.
25,000 sales is not because people didn’t want a bland shooter, it’s because they chose to boycott the game. And it seemed to happen very organically, which is even more interesting.
Those sales sent a message to Sony (and particularly Herman Hulst) and it’s important that they get the message loud and clear or they (and we) are in for more problems.
They not only tried to push an agenda but they also created very bland and ugly characters. An artist redesigned all of them just with subtle changes and it added so much depth and variety to the roster.
Overwatch is arguably ‘woke,’ but they don’t force it down your necks and its characters are not bland at all. Therefore it had success.
I’m a creative guy. I work in marketing. My team creates beautiful things, but we aren’t the most disciplined. My boss on the other hand has no creative gene in his body. He understands deadlines and how to clip wings.
It took me a long time to realise it, but it helps to have a boss like that. He lets us be creative, but he keeps us productive. And as a result all of us keep our jobs.
Bungie needs boss Sony to sort them out. And hopefully they will learn the lesson and not run away thinking they know best.
Personally, I moved from PC primarily to console because I wanted to have a consistent experience and not have to worry about upgrading so it makes sense to me at least.
PS4 Pro was £350 at launch.
PS5 Pro is £699 at launch (with no stand or disc drive).
I don’t think it’s ‘entitled’ to think that paying more than double last gen’s Pro launch price is too much.
Also, the PS5 base model is still overpriced. It’s the only generation where Sony has raised the RRP since launch, not reduced it. We are paying more today than we did at launch for four year old hardware.
I don’t know why it’s ‘entitled’ to expect more? We are all scrimping and saving to make ends meet and fund our hobby because we are being squeezed everywhere from all companies. I actually think the companies are ‘entitled’ for thinking they can keep doing this without some push back.
Edit: Copying @Old-Red in as this was in relation his comment also.
Why even have the “Based on Metal Gear Solid 3”? Do other remakes say they are based on previous games?
Is this meant to be a sly jab at Kojima? A needless taunt? Pettiness? Why risk annoying a fanbase that may still admire him? Or this just the media making mountains out of mole hills for clicks?
It’s true it doesn’t need to be announced as a Hideo Kojima game, as he isn’t involved in making it, but it would be right to credit him somewhere for helping create the characters and writing the story.
It’s quite amusing seeing reactions to this saga on this site.
When the rumours started off people were dissing Xbox saying, “yeah, this isn’t Sony’s dodgy deals it’s Xbox being crap.”
Then when it was speculated that Sony might have made a deal, everyone was like, “I don’t believe that for a second. Sony normally makes a big deal and advertises it non stop.”
Now Microsoft have all but confirmed it’s the deal everyone is like, “Well, Microsoft does this too so they can’t complain, and I don’t even believe them anyway.”
We’ve become political campaigners mixed with conspiracy theorists (and I kinda like the latter so let’s keep them going).
Personally, I think Sony should have just let this release everywhere at the same time so the entire community could unite in enjoying the game… and laughing at the Series S performance problems together. 😅
@Waa-Laa I am about to start FF16 so your comment reassures me that I’m in for a good time.
I have played most FF games, and just recently completed FF15, which I actually loved. I only intended on finishing the story but got so engrossed in it I literally watched the Anime and movies, read the books, and am two achievements away from the Platinum (which I will get before I start my journey on 16).
I’m assuming because I was one of the few who loves 15, then 16 will also be a hit with me.
I think in the books/films it makes sense because you can catch the snitch and still lose. And also games went on for days, weeks, even months. The record is 3 months because no one caught it. Also there was the rule of mutual consent to end the game without catching the snitch. Things like that.
In the video game, people will hate it if they can’t catch it because it’s so hard or if games go on for ages (or worse if there is a glitch or something to exploit). So just making it a bonus score and where games have a set time limit is more suitable for the video game.
@ChrisDeku I think you are actually making a great point about scores but people aren’t understanding it or aren’t willing to try understand.
If this game becomes the players game of the year, but is 77th according to critics (or worse by the end of the year) then I think that shows a massive disparity between the ‘industry’ and gamers themselves.
Edit: However, if it is just Chinese nationalism at play, then I guess the score is likely more accurate.
@WhiteRabbit I think before when I replied to you I was putting emotion before knowledge. I have seen quite a few misteps being pointed out and maybe they aren’t from people acting in good faith. And I have seen first hand accounts of Japanese friends raising concerns. I think it’s likely some Japanese people will see something online or in the news and see it that people are insulting their culture. Whether it’s a correct perception or not, or whether it is widespread or not, is another thing.
@Northern_munkey I will admit I made a wrong assumption as to your knowledge on the subject so for that I apologise. I also note you said I came across as the sort to just argue endlessly. Which, actually, I also want to apologise for. Because if that’s how my posts come across then I think I need to work on how I word things and also maybe learn to take a level headed approach to these things. You got any links for finding wisdom? 😅
@Northern_munkey thanks for providing that. I think you have misread me a bit as I am not an acolyte for a cause in this. I’m happy to learn and be corrected and change my view.
In fact @WhiteRabbit’s pointing out the inconsistencies with the criticism between two games has made me rethink some of this.
Clearly my view has been shaped by three things.
1. Japanese outrage / hurt (or at least my perception of that hurt).
2. Apparent lack of care from Ubisoft. (Example: claiming authenticity while using a knock off from One Piece.)
3. The apparent lack of authenticity. Which actually might not be as bad as I suspected. Or rather, not any different to other games and developers.
@Northern_munkey I’m highlighting what Japanese people are pointing out and it includes inaccuracies in the main characters and in sub characters. None of the above comment I made pointed out things I noticed, but what I have seen Japanese people noting.
Neither you nor I have the historic knowledge to debate whether a black samurai or a female shinobi is historically accurate.
The problem with all of this is that people have their teams they support, their political leanings they are defending and so on.
I’m sorry to say that the sources you’re reading are not giving you the full picture (or you too are demonstrating those leanings).
This is not just a right wing thing in Japan. And it isn’t just a Western YouTuber thing making it a big deal here. It’s also not about racism. To suggest it’s all about that is to dismiss genuine concerns from the Japanese.
Is it the biggest news over there? No. Is there racism from extreme elements of Japanese politics? Sure. But there are also a lot of genuine, regular people who are saddened and offended by how their culture is being handled.
Ubisoft have made some massive missteps. Even claiming that they made a replica sword from the game and it was a One Piece replica sword they bought off Amazon.
It’s an absolute mockery of what they are trying to achieve. And it shows they have people working there who are either in over their heads or not genuinely concerned with the work they are producing.
Ubisoft’s reputation is being damaged not because of bad people online, but because of incompetent people working for them.
They could have produced a game that was worthy of their work and honourable to Japanese culture. But they have failed both and they are letting down themselves and the Japanese.
Will it still be a good game? Probably. But it could have been so much more.
Actually the complete quote includes more than just architecture, but object placement, food etc and that they are dedicated to accuracy and taking the time to get it right.
But the initial sentence is: “We are trying to create a game that is as authentic as possible.”
The game is the whole thing.
They have failed in their quest to make the game authentic. Not only with the characters, but the way they act, the armour they use, the weaponry, banner styles, spelling mistakes, mixing different eras together, the clothing, plants, seasonal changes, harvest times and more. The list is massive. To top it off, they didn’t even get the architecture right. So you can’t even defend them with that.
Just listen to the Japanese. They are the ones micro-analysing everything and many aren’t happy. It’s become a national scandal.
And yet people have been defending Ubi saying “Well it’s not meant to be authentic.” Then when Ubi claims it is authentic they say, “Well they are only claiming this certain thing.”
The bottom line is Ubisoft are big enough and spending enough money on this to get it right. It’s their own fault for their incompetence.
@DonkeyFantasy you are right, we shouldn’t encourage upskirting.
However, if this game encourages upskirting, then we are getting into the territory that violence in games creates murderers and school shooters, and we know that isn’t the case.
I’m very much a prude. No sex before marriage. No looking at porn. Dress appropriately. Etc.
However, I find it so stupid that the video game industry has wholesale glorified gore, violence, vulgarity, and swearing, but sex is too far.
Despite my personal feelings, there is no denying the female form is a beautiful thing. I would much rather someone is a little bit of a pervert over pixels than someone enjoy seeing excessive gore and violence.
In fact, Mortal Kombat (a game I wouldn’t play in a million years) seems to allow you to tear scantily clad women limb from limb. But if someone shows a woman’s panties or rewards cleavage shots, that’s a step too far?
I think we are giving in to the mob far too easily. I would equally defend both gore in games as much as sex in games, despite personally playing games with neither. And I think it’s wrong to change games to suit people who have no interest in the game other than destroying the enjoyment of the fans of the game.
I’m also quite a big fan of game preservation. So why not give the option to include it or remove it depending on the player?
Comments 1,265
Re: Concord Dev Could Close After Director of PS5, PC Disaster Steps Down
@naruball thanks. It’s nice to have reasoned discussion on here where we can agree to disagree but at least try to understand each other.
I think we might have different views on what exactly caused the controversy. (And by the way, I don’t think the backlash was fully justified).
All I’m really saying is that because there seemed to be this political battle going on, a lot of people just didn’t want to touch it and got turned off.
And we all know that AAA games always need to appeal to the masses in order to have commercial success. That’s why most of the popular games are not the ‘best’ games and they rarely push boundaries.
Re: Concord Dev Could Close After Director of PS5, PC Disaster Steps Down
@tobsesta99 I’m sorry, but I’m not the one who needs to get a grip.
No one who has any understanding of the industry will look at 25,000 sales and placing 300th in the charts from one of the biggest first party launches for Sony this year and say ‘oh yes, that’s from an oversaturated market.’
This game was actively avoided and Sony need to work out what caused that. And I believe it was because of the controversy surrounding it, because all things point to that.
Re: Concord Dev Could Close After Director of PS5, PC Disaster Steps Down
@naruball
First off, when I mentioned them pushing an agenda too hard I wasn’t meaning that they are part of a bigger agenda (I’m guessing that’s why you asked because of the conspiracy theories). I was meaning it in the usual sense of the word.
Every person/company has an agenda. In other words, an underlying motive or purpose for what they are doing. It could be to make money. It could be to push social boundaries. It could be anything.
You can put agendas forward in many different ways and to many different degrees. However, if you want to appeal to the masses you have to do it subtly and Concord didn’t do that.
As to what the agenda was in the case of Concord, well, I think it was ‘woke ideology’. That means different things to different people. But I think they pushed too hard to try and show ‘inclusion’ (or at least their perception of that) to promote the LGBTQ+ community (they had that tag on steam before removing it to try increase sales, so clearly it didn’t mean as much to them as money) and to break what they perceived as outdated beauty standards, which in the end just made for mediocre, bland or ugly characters. (That’s my perception of it anyway.)
So they were open with their agendas and way they went about it was not subtle so they got a strong backlash to it. They could have had the same agenda but tweaked things slightly, been less obvious, etc. But they chose to do it this way as their believed it was the right thing to do.
All companies have an agenda. But they do need to know their audience. And regardless of the agenda, no one likes overly politicised things. That was the perception many neutrals got from it.
Re: Dev Behind PS5, PC Flop Concord Could Close as Director Steps Down
@jrt87 I think you’re partly right.
If we compare it to Overwatch then Concord is just mediocre/average in every area. Not just the character designs, but level designs, game modes, hero abilities. Etc. Good gunplay will not overcome those things.
However, I think it’s terribly naive to think politics didn’t play a role in its downfall. And not because everyone is ‘anti-woke’ as some suggest.
(By the way, I’m not some ‘anti-woke’ acolyte. I’m centrist in my politics.)
However, even from a more neutral perspective, what I heard about this game and saw online was little about its gameplay and much more about its politics.
The designers clearly went that way. The largely left leaning gaming media pushed it and praised it. Then the far right reacted to it. But the end result is the majority of people, the centrists, also reacted to it with most people not wanting to touch it with a barge poll.
Like I said, this wasn’t because everyone is anti-woke, but because political controversy and pushing an agenda too hard always makes the majority uncomfortable.
This was a AAA game. It had to appeal to the masses in order to succeed, but they chose to appeal to one audience over another and ended up losing the majority.
It’s a lesson to learn. But people want to bury their heads in the sand and not try and analyse how this happened. It’s just best to keep politics more subtle.
Re: Dev Behind PS5, PC Flop Concord Could Close as Director Steps Down
People don't want to admit it had something to do with politics, but it absolutely did. They tried to push an agenda too hard and it backfired.
25,000 sales is not because people didn’t want a bland shooter, it’s because they chose to boycott the game. And it seemed to happen very organically, which is even more interesting.
Those sales sent a message to Sony (and particularly Herman Hulst) and it’s important that they get the message loud and clear or they (and we) are in for more problems.
They not only tried to push an agenda but they also created very bland and ugly characters. An artist redesigned all of them just with subtle changes and it added so much depth and variety to the roster.
Overwatch is arguably ‘woke,’ but they don’t force it down your necks and its characters are not bland at all. Therefore it had success.
Re: Rumour: Days Gone PS5 Remaster Speculation Starts to Spread
Catch 22
Do we buy this game to show Sony that we want to have another in the series.
Or
Do we not buy the game to show Sony we don’t want their money grabbing remasters of games that don’t need remastering?
Re: Jaw-Dropping 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro Console and Accessories Will Bankrupt You
Yes! They are releasing the controllers separately.
I’ve wanted coloured PS Logo and buttons all generation.
I already out a sticker over my PS5’s logo to brighten it up. 😅
Re: Sony Priming 'Even Less Exciting' PS5 Remaster for State of Play
@WizzNL but I actually would love that. 😅
Re: Sony Finally Pulling Bungie's 'Heads Out of Their Asses' Was a Good Thing, Says Ex-Lawyer
I’m a creative guy. I work in marketing. My team creates beautiful things, but we aren’t the most disciplined. My boss on the other hand has no creative gene in his body. He understands deadlines and how to clip wings.
It took me a long time to realise it, but it helps to have a boss like that. He lets us be creative, but he keeps us productive. And as a result all of us keep our jobs.
Bungie needs boss Sony to sort them out. And hopefully they will learn the lesson and not run away thinking they know best.
Re: Blizzard Reportedly Made $150 Million in Diablo 4 Microtransactions
I have happily not given them a penny.
Re: Test Your PlayStation General Knowledge - Issue 27
8/10 - My best score yet?
I didn’t know the Space Marine date or the PacMan game title.
Funnily enough, I lucky guessed two and miss clicked the Max Payne one and got it right (went for CIA and accidentally clicked DEA).
I’ll take it.
Re: Sony Boss Says 'PCs Are Difficult to Set Up', Firm Will Focus on PS5
Personally, I moved from PC primarily to console because I wanted to have a consistent experience and not have to worry about upgrading so it makes sense to me at least.
Re: Fun As Hell Free-to-Play Racing Game Faaast Penguin Slides to PS5 Next Week
I’m not going to lie, this genuinely looks good.
Re: Mini Review: Caravan SandWitch (PS5) - A Delightfully Relaxed, Atmospheric Adventure
@ShogunRok how do you pronounce Sauge?
Re: Poll: Would You Buy PS5 Pro If It Was Cheaper?
@BeerMonster I was showing the previous price to this one is because it shows the expectations people had compared to what they are being offered.
And it’s at a time when most working class people in the West have less money today than they did back then.
But hey, keep shilling for the mega corps.
Re: Poll: Would You Buy PS5 Pro If It Was Cheaper?
@Voltan maybe you are part of the reason why Sony upped the price so much. 🤣
Re: Poll: Would You Buy PS5 Pro If It Was Cheaper?
@BeerMonster
PS4 Pro was £350 at launch.
PS5 Pro is £699 at launch (with no stand or disc drive).
I don’t think it’s ‘entitled’ to think that paying more than double last gen’s Pro launch price is too much.
Also, the PS5 base model is still overpriced. It’s the only generation where Sony has raised the RRP since launch, not reduced it. We are paying more today than we did at launch for four year old hardware.
I don’t know why it’s ‘entitled’ to expect more? We are all scrimping and saving to make ends meet and fund our hobby because we are being squeezed everywhere from all companies. I actually think the companies are ‘entitled’ for thinking they can keep doing this without some push back.
Edit: Copying @Old-Red in as this was in relation his comment also.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta PS5 Won't Be 'a Hideo Kojima Game'
Why even have the “Based on Metal Gear Solid 3”? Do other remakes say they are based on previous games?
Is this meant to be a sly jab at Kojima? A needless taunt? Pettiness? Why risk annoying a fanbase that may still admire him? Or this just the media making mountains out of mole hills for clicks?
It’s true it doesn’t need to be announced as a Hideo Kojima game, as he isn’t involved in making it, but it would be right to credit him somewhere for helping create the characters and writing the story.
Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Pro Way Too Expensive?
@Jacko11
I’m not mad, I’m poor.
Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Pro Way Too Expensive?
I mean, you know it’s expensive when you can literally buy a PS5, an Xbox, and a Switch for the price.
Re: How to Pre-Order PS5 Pro
This “how to” missed a fundamental step.
Step 1. Sell a kidney.
Re: PS5 Pro Can Run PS4 Games Better Via Improved Backwards Compatibility
Does this mean they are locking features that could be available to all behind the big price tag?
My biggest fear with the pro is that 60fps will be reserved exclusively for the PS5 Pro and we will be stuck at 30fps for the base model PS5.
Devs could get lazy, or Sony could tell them to do that out of greed.
Re: PS5 Pro Announced, Costs $700 and Out in November
My biggest fear with the pro is that 60fps will be reserved exclusively for the PS5 Pro and we will be stuck at 30fps for the base model PS5.
Devs could get lazy, or Sony could tell them to do that out of greed.
Re: Gallery: PS5 Pro Is Looking Sleek in These Official Shots
I mean, it looks nice, but I’ll never know if it goes well with my curtains because I’d have to sell my house to afford it.
Re: Bungie Commits to Destiny 2 DLC and Support Through 2026
I’d like to see Destiny 1 updated to 60fps on PS5 (4K would be nice also).
It’s not much to ask, surely?
Re: Sony Increases PS5 Controller Prices in US, Europe, and More
All I wanted was classic versions with coloured buttons and a coloured logo.
But no, Sony just gives me a price increase…
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Vampire Survivors?
7/10 - it stole too many hours of my life.
Funnily enough I’d rate it higher if it was less addictive.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox Delay Isn't Due to Platform Limitations, Says Microsoft
@DarkTron I was just making an observation of the comments (and it was a failed attempt at humour not criticism).
I honestly don't think anything Microsoft or Sony say will change peoples minds here. Nor does it really matter, as we all have different views.
But the one thing we can all unite on is the fact that Series S is underpowered.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox Delay Isn't Due to Platform Limitations, Says Microsoft
@Oram77 yep, my comment totally missed the mark.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox Delay Isn't Due to Platform Limitations, Says Microsoft
@Ainu20 alluded to then.
Anyways, my entire comment was just to rip on Series S performance. But I guess my jokes don’t always hit mark.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox Delay Isn't Due to Platform Limitations, Says Microsoft
It’s quite amusing seeing reactions to this saga on this site.
When the rumours started off people were dissing Xbox saying, “yeah, this isn’t Sony’s dodgy deals it’s Xbox being crap.”
Then when it was speculated that Sony might have made a deal, everyone was like, “I don’t believe that for a second. Sony normally makes a big deal and advertises it non stop.”
Now Microsoft have all but confirmed it’s the deal everyone is like, “Well, Microsoft does this too so they can’t complain, and I don’t even believe them anyway.”
We’ve become political campaigners mixed with conspiracy theorists (and I kinda like the latter so let’s keep them going).
Personally, I think Sony should have just let this release everywhere at the same time so the entire community could unite in enjoying the game… and laughing at the Series S performance problems together. 😅
Re: PS5's Most Addictive Game Gets a Two-Hour PS Plus Premium Trial
Please, do not play this game.
I literally had to outlaw it in my house because me and my son were playing it too much, with me playing it to the point of losing sleep.
Re: Final Fantasy 16 Seems to Be Free on PS Plus Extra, Premium Now
@Waa-Laa I am about to start FF16 so your comment reassures me that I’m in for a good time.
I have played most FF games, and just recently completed FF15, which I actually loved. I only intended on finishing the story but got so engrossed in it I literally watched the Anime and movies, read the books, and am two achievements away from the Platinum (which I will get before I start my journey on 16).
I’m assuming because I was one of the few who loves 15, then 16 will also be a hit with me.
Re: Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions' Snitch Has Been Dramatically Nerfed on PS5, PS4
I think in the books/films it makes sense because you can catch the snitch and still lose. And also games went on for days, weeks, even months. The record is 3 months because no one caught it. Also there was the rule of mutual consent to end the game without catching the snitch. Things like that.
In the video game, people will hate it if they can’t catch it because it’s so hard or if games go on for ages (or worse if there is a glitch or something to exploit). So just making it a bonus score and where games have a set time limit is more suitable for the video game.
Re: Preview: Monster Hunter Wilds on PS5 Feels Like Another Generational Leap Forward for the Iconic Franchise
It looks amazing. This is definitely my most anticipated game of next year.
I hope they can get it polished enough for console so it can have a chance at Game of the Year as the series really deserves some recognition.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024?
It was good, as expected really.
Indiana Jones coming to PS5 was a great announcement.
Monster Hunter Wilds was the best game for me. It looks amazing.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Is Blowing Up Big Time on PS5, PC
@ChrisDeku I think you are actually making a great point about scores but people aren’t understanding it or aren’t willing to try understand.
If this game becomes the players game of the year, but is 77th according to critics (or worse by the end of the year) then I think that shows a massive disparity between the ‘industry’ and gamers themselves.
Edit: However, if it is just Chinese nationalism at play, then I guess the score is likely more accurate.
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds Bundles Gameplay from All 14 Weapons Into One Big, Glorious Video
@Icey664 yeah, and that video really could have done with a narrator.
I wanted to focus on the animations but kept having to read.
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds Bundles Gameplay from All 14 Weapons Into One Big, Glorious Video
I mained bow on Worlds so bow again for me on Wilds. It looks great.
Re: Square Enix Has Got Fans Talking About a Final Fantasy 13 Remake, Not a Remaster
@Buckeye4Life2015 I agree. I see no reason why digital versions of the original couldn’t be made available.
On Xbox Series X they can play FF13 in 4K/60fps but PS5 we can’t even play FF13 or its sequels. The Switch could also benefit from the FF13 games.
Square needs to sort it out. Hehe
Re: Ubisoft Suggests More Development Time Required for Future Assassin's Creed Games
@WhiteRabbit I think before when I replied to you I was putting emotion before knowledge. I have seen quite a few misteps being pointed out and maybe they aren’t from people acting in good faith. And I have seen first hand accounts of Japanese friends raising concerns. I think it’s likely some Japanese people will see something online or in the news and see it that people are insulting their culture. Whether it’s a correct perception or not, or whether it is widespread or not, is another thing.
@Northern_munkey I will admit I made a wrong assumption as to your knowledge on the subject so for that I apologise. I also note you said I came across as the sort to just argue endlessly. Which, actually, I also want to apologise for. Because if that’s how my posts come across then I think I need to work on how I word things and also maybe learn to take a level headed approach to these things. You got any links for finding wisdom? 😅
Re: Ubisoft Suggests More Development Time Required for Future Assassin's Creed Games
@Northern_munkey thanks for providing that. I think you have misread me a bit as I am not an acolyte for a cause in this. I’m happy to learn and be corrected and change my view.
In fact @WhiteRabbit’s pointing out the inconsistencies with the criticism between two games has made me rethink some of this.
Clearly my view has been shaped by three things.
1. Japanese outrage / hurt (or at least my perception of that hurt).
2. Apparent lack of care from Ubisoft. (Example: claiming authenticity while using a knock off from One Piece.)
3. The apparent lack of authenticity. Which actually might not be as bad as I suspected. Or rather, not any different to other games and developers.
Re: Ubisoft Suggests More Development Time Required for Future Assassin's Creed Games
@Northern_munkey care to educate me?
Re: Ubisoft Suggests More Development Time Required for Future Assassin's Creed Games
@Northern_munkey I’m highlighting what Japanese people are pointing out and it includes inaccuracies in the main characters and in sub characters. None of the above comment I made pointed out things I noticed, but what I have seen Japanese people noting.
Neither you nor I have the historic knowledge to debate whether a black samurai or a female shinobi is historically accurate.
Let’s not fool ourselves.
Re: Ubisoft Suggests More Development Time Required for Future Assassin's Creed Games
@WhiteRabbit
The problem with all of this is that people have their teams they support, their political leanings they are defending and so on.
I’m sorry to say that the sources you’re reading are not giving you the full picture (or you too are demonstrating those leanings).
This is not just a right wing thing in Japan. And it isn’t just a Western YouTuber thing making it a big deal here. It’s also not about racism. To suggest it’s all about that is to dismiss genuine concerns from the Japanese.
Is it the biggest news over there? No. Is there racism from extreme elements of Japanese politics? Sure. But there are also a lot of genuine, regular people who are saddened and offended by how their culture is being handled.
Ubisoft have made some massive missteps. Even claiming that they made a replica sword from the game and it was a One Piece replica sword they bought off Amazon.
It’s an absolute mockery of what they are trying to achieve. And it shows they have people working there who are either in over their heads or not genuinely concerned with the work they are producing.
Ubisoft’s reputation is being damaged not because of bad people online, but because of incompetent people working for them.
They could have produced a game that was worthy of their work and honourable to Japanese culture. But they have failed both and they are letting down themselves and the Japanese.
Will it still be a good game? Probably. But it could have been so much more.
Re: Ubisoft Suggests More Development Time Required for Future Assassin's Creed Games
@chucksneed @WhiteRabbit
Actually the complete quote includes more than just architecture, but object placement, food etc and that they are dedicated to accuracy and taking the time to get it right.
But the initial sentence is: “We are trying to create a game that is as authentic as possible.”
The game is the whole thing.
They have failed in their quest to make the game authentic. Not only with the characters, but the way they act, the armour they use, the weaponry, banner styles, spelling mistakes, mixing different eras together, the clothing, plants, seasonal changes, harvest times and more. The list is massive. To top it off, they didn’t even get the architecture right. So you can’t even defend them with that.
Just listen to the Japanese. They are the ones micro-analysing everything and many aren’t happy. It’s become a national scandal.
And yet people have been defending Ubi saying “Well it’s not meant to be authentic.” Then when Ubi claims it is authentic they say, “Well they are only claiming this certain thing.”
The bottom line is Ubisoft are big enough and spending enough money on this to get it right. It’s their own fault for their incompetence.
Re: Uniqlo Introduces Make-Your-Own Monster Hunter Merch Range
Japan always gets the cool stuff. 😭
Re: Geralt Voice Actor Confirms Role in The Witcher 4, White Wolf Will Be 'Part of the Game'
@Drago201 I thought cockle picking could only happen at the beach, but I see you are a digital cockler.
That warms my cockles.
Re: Dead Rising's PS5 Remaster Will Strip Bonus Points for Erotic Photos
@DonkeyFantasy you are right, we shouldn’t encourage upskirting.
However, if this game encourages upskirting, then we are getting into the territory that violence in games creates murderers and school shooters, and we know that isn’t the case.
Re: Dead Rising's PS5 Remaster Will Strip Bonus Points for Erotic Photos
I’m very much a prude. No sex before marriage. No looking at porn. Dress appropriately. Etc.
However, I find it so stupid that the video game industry has wholesale glorified gore, violence, vulgarity, and swearing, but sex is too far.
Despite my personal feelings, there is no denying the female form is a beautiful thing. I would much rather someone is a little bit of a pervert over pixels than someone enjoy seeing excessive gore and violence.
In fact, Mortal Kombat (a game I wouldn’t play in a million years) seems to allow you to tear scantily clad women limb from limb. But if someone shows a woman’s panties or rewards cleavage shots, that’s a step too far?
I think we are giving in to the mob far too easily. I would equally defend both gore in games as much as sex in games, despite personally playing games with neither. And I think it’s wrong to change games to suit people who have no interest in the game other than destroying the enjoyment of the fans of the game.
I’m also quite a big fan of game preservation. So why not give the option to include it or remove it depending on the player?