On the hypocrisy of the Gaming World.

The release of Hogwarts Legacy set the gaming media in an uproar, due to its association with Harry Potter, the JK Rowling franchise that was massively popular in the 2000s and still garners a fairly large following. This, of course, was due to comments by JK Rowling that were seen as transphobic. Now, whatever your feelings on that issue, I think we can all agree that there was plenty of discussion, on GameSpot and elsewhere, about whether the game should be supported or not. It often took a very sour turn, sometimes unforgivably so.

Now, it's too early to say for sure how the conversation will turn out as the game's only recently released, but I've noticed a lot less controversy about Atomic Heart. Now, for those of you who may be unaware, the game is a Russian developed game, funded by the Russian government, depicting an idealized Soviet Union (a typical trope of Russian propaganda, as the Russians are the only former members of the USSR to have enjoyed it). Also important is the relative lack of virtue signalling on the part of the gaming media. It certainly didn't take as long to get a review here as Hogwarts Legacy did.

I find this to be a bit concerning. For those of you who are (somehow) unaware, the Russians have been waging a brutal war of conquest in Ukraine, and while they've mostly been failing, the Putin regime shows no sign that it's willing to slow down. Many have died, many more have been displaced by this pointless war, as Putin desperately tries to rebuild the USSR through conquest. It is against this backdrop that Atomic Heart, a game that presents a heavily idealized Soviet Union, is being presented. The relative lack of reaction (at least compared to Hogwarts Legacy) is distasteful.

Am I to believe that literal Russian propaganda by the Russian government is less worthy of criticism than someone who said something banal on Twitter? Make no mistake, I don't support harassing people who play Atomic Heart any more than I would those harassing people playing Hogwarts Legacy, but I feel there's an issue with moral consistency. Why, if I might be so inclined to ask, is the response to the actual enemy propaganda so tepid in comparison to the response to the Harry Potter game? I mean, certainly it couldn't be because people in gaming media and online don't actually care about the issues they purport to care about, and find that criticizing the game made by people who likely can't see their comments isn't as much of a moral high as driving people who CAN see them to tears. Maybe it's all been a big feint, and the only reason people put up a big fuss about Hogwarts Legacy is that they felt they had the power to ruin people's days/lives.

Couldn't be that, right? I mean, we all know how Russia treats LGBT folk...

Either way, the naked hypocrisy is absolutely something that needs to be called out. I refuse to believe GameSpot is pro-Russian-aggression, so why was Atomic Heart treated with kid gloves compared to Hogwarts Legacy? While I have no hope at all for those who harass people anonymously, it's my great hope that GameSpot and others in the gaming media will take note - We notice these things. Either make the game coverage political or don't, but don't choose based on what's fashionable.

My thoughts on buying the game itself is not in the scope of this blog, but will be provided if requested.

I had the exact same thoughts yesterday but didn't feel like starting a thread.

Let's not forget also genshin impact that comes from a country accused of putting minorities in to forced labour camps

Or moving to social media: TikTok that is widely seen as a surveillance tool of the CCP.

Or Twitter , owned by musk that has frequently made mocking remarks of trans people.

And so on and so on

But the game media journalist only boycotted one very specific game that happened to be deliverately very inclusive.

I was thinking about that yesterday too.

I was also playing the game just now and in the first minutes I got into an exchange of dialogue that was something like:

"- China is our great ally!

- Yes they're great. I've heard things there are wonderful."

Seriously there's bad writing and then there's propaganda. To be honest, usually in this kind of fiction it's normal that the universe is set in some form of idealised reactionary regime, but there's also a certain conflict between character and the political status quo. Here there's certainly something... different going on.

Regarding the subject. Between the MAGA crowd and SJWs, the levels of abuse thrown at developers and media is crazy. I mostly choose to do my best to ignore it, because all I want to do is to discuss games based on their own merits, while absolutely defending the importance of both developers and media doing whatever they want and expressing their personal opinions freely.

Is there something showing government funding? I can only find Gaijin, Gem Capital, and Tencent. Genuine question. Tencent's bad enough.

@lundy86_4: From what little I've been able to gather, Gem Capital is founded by a former bigwig at Gazaprom, one of the Russian businesses that have been sanctioned in response to the war. While not 100%, it's almost certain government kickbacks are involved given Gazaprom's ties to Putin. Also, there have apparently been accusations of the game collecting data on Russian players for the FSB, and Mundfish's tepid response led to composer Mick Gordon to donate his fee for working on the game to the Australian Red Cross.

@nirgal: I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one seeing this issue. Unlike some, I don't believe that people should be denied the right to feel how they feel, even if it's not what I may feel, but gaming coverage needs to be fair. And yeah, from all right and account, I've heard the devs went out of their way to make Hogwarts Legacy as inclusive as they could. That they're still being treated like this is beyond stupid.

@kathaariancode: Dude, that exchange hurt my brain. Like, seriously? Apparently the protagonist is a KGB agent as well? Not a lot of ways to make that not sound like propaganda, at least not without upsetting the regime, so it very well might be that mundfish was looking to gain favor with Putin. I'll be very interested to see how that story actually goes. And you're too right. The phrase "clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right," has never been more true. I'm at least honored to be stuck in the middle with people like yourself. :D

After reading the links, it's not "funded by the Russian government" as you say. The evidence isn't even circumstantial.

I understand the basic idea of what you're saying here, and I don't disagree with it.

But you have to realize that people have to live in the world that exists as it is, not as it should be.

If that sounds cynical, it isn't; I believe idealism is something to work towards, not a dream to be brushed aside by jaded people. I just think until we reach that ideal world, we have to make due with what we have.

If you took a principled stance on everything, you'd have to live off the grid and grow your own crops. As appealing as that sounds to me personally, it's also unrealistic as at some point I would need medicine made by corrupt pharmaceutical companies, or log on to a computer made via slave labor in a foreign country to register for something, and so on and so forth.

Concerning games, there's a middle ground. Sure, JK Rowling profits from sales of anything Harry Potter related, but so do thousands of hard-working people, many of whom are people that are or have been discriminated against.

Likewise with Atomic Heart, it was made by Russian people. Not the government; to what degree it had Russian government involvement, I don't know, but despite Putin's authoritarianism Russia is still a country where people can more or less do what they want in many respects.

With that said, even my limited experience with Atomic Heart shows me the leads on the game are probably Russian nationalists and likely pro-Putin. Still too early to tell, but it's certainly an interesting window into Russian psyche.

Yeah that was terrible. Maybe it's a translation issue but it wasn't subtle at all, which is arguably a greater crime than the propaganda itself.

@lundy86_4: they will get that money either way through taxes.

@mrbojangles25: you have to take a principle stance on the important things.

I just done think a woman saying "i don't think trans people should be discriminated, but i think gender is biological" is enough to take a stance.

On the other hand, once you have issues of actual genocide like a war of annexation or forced labour camps, now it's worth being more careful about things.

I just think the priorities are backwards.

There's no ifs ands or buts about whether JKR is a transphobe. Seen people saying she might have said an off colored remark once upon a time, but that's just so off the mark as JKR is an anti-trans obsessive, and there's no doubt about that. Jump to 3:25 in video...

But enter whataboutism. So what about Russia being at war with Ukraine. As much as I support Ukraine killing every orc that steps over their borders in their genocidal war I know many in Russia don't support the war, and have very little control of the situation except to not give their opinion about how fucked up things are because people who speak out disappear and get sent to labor camp or get tortured or hell even get thrown out windows. There's no comparison really, it's dumb to even try. Just because Atomic Heart was made by Russians is not reason enough for me to abstain from playing it. Show me the Mundfish devs Twitter posts saying how they hope Russia wipes Ukraine off the map because they're Nazis and I will gladly never play the thing.

I get people can have mixed feelings, JKR is an evil monster of a person but damn you just can't not love Harry Potter regardless... okay, fine, I understand that, defend your reason for playing but if you're going to defend her, you're really not better than she is.

I honestly don't give a shit about Harry Potter because I was a grown ass man when Harry Potter was thing and to me it has always been a game for children and it still is. So for me it's easy not to care and there's no sociopolitical motives factoring into it.

But I get emotions can be complex around it, not going to knock people who want to play it myself, but acting like you need to stick up for JKR and spreading the false narrative that her perceived bigotry is just how some thin-skinned people might have interpreted past comments is disinformation, and parroting that spreads disinformation, and the aim is promoting anti-trans bigotry like a gullible rube.

Whoa, haven't watched Jim in years.

@lamprey263: the video just looks like a couple of disagreements about the concept of gender from Rowling and then the presenter trying hard to attribute the responsibility of comments by other people to her

@lundy86_4: I'm not sure you understand Gazaprom. It's a state-owned entity, and any connection to them is essentially a connection to the Russian government. Without evidence to the contrary, it's impossible to assume that GEM capital isn't a front for them.

@mrbojangles25: I'm not against idealism, far from it. It's part of why I wrote this. There's no reason one should get a free pass while the other is vilified to high heaven. As @nirgal points out in an earlier reply, in most cases you simply can't go for a morally perfect lifestyle. I just don't like the whole "pick and choose" thing, especially when it seems more based on who's more easy to hurt than what's important.

@nirgal: And that's the big thing. There's no getting around part of the money from AH being used to fund the war.

@lamprey263: She has her views, yes, and I disagree with them. But I think that the notion that having a set of views is condoning harassment is a massive leap. There's no attempt at convincing people, just straight to attacking anyone who even has a slight interaction with her IP. Also, I was never a fan of HP either, so I don't know what you're getting at or implying with that. This was strictly about the differences in reaction of two games released in the same month, and the relative lack of grandstanding on Atomic Heart.

@SOedipus: Same. I lost trust in Jim Sterling after he came out as cheering DOAX3 not being released in the West. He's clearly on one end of the horse shoe, and is thus an unreliable narrator, no different than the MAGAs.

I can't really speak for Atomic Heart, since I've barely heard of the game. Looking into it a little bit, the funding thing is tricky because this isn't the first big game funded in this way (for example, see the excellent Pathfinder games), and the developers' cageiness could be the result of them not wanting to endanger any of their employees who live in Russia.

As for Harry Potter though...I've always found it weird that people are so hypocritical in the *other* direction. I know heaps of educated people who would describe themselves as LGBTQ+ allies, but who refuse to cancel JKR because Harry Potter was their childhood obsession. Or they'll agree JKR has a shitty worldview, but they'll support HP anyway because they can separate the author from the work (even though they won't do it in other circumstances).

Hogwarts video game is not about hating trans people

Atomic Heart video game is not about Russia invading Ukraine

People need to stop making connections that aren't there. It's art, it's not that serious

@girlusocrazy: or MSNBC or CNN

Cable news is garbage

No, it's really not. Only fake news like OAN, FOX, etc are garbage. Real news like MSNBC and CNN are still on top of their game. It's just that they don't blatantly lie to people like FOX propaganda does. I'm not saying false stuff doesn't slip through, but they strive for accuracy so they always correct.

@tjandmia: no

And when people hoot and holler over Fox but give CNN and MSNBC a pass it's a red flag to disregard that person's criticism because all three of those outlets are trash.

@sargentd: Cnn and MSNBC are fair networks. You just don't want to accept it for political reasons.

FOX is worse after this whole 2020 election debacle. But yes all 3 have major problems.

Yes, it's politics. There will be rampant hypocrisy in everything regarding anything. Including the example you gave.

Here is another example: You have multiple posters here who cry over far left idiots or crappy games sites for banning the discussion of Hogwarts, or even boycotting it. But then in the same breathe they defend 2,000+ Republican book bans in threads at Political Gamers.

It's just tribalism. It breeds rampant hypocrisy.

@tjandmia: CNN and MSNBC is basically FOX for Democrats.

Watch what ever you want but Cable News is garbage. I see so many Boomers that blindly watch one or the other depending on their leaning. Old boomer Repubs always watching Fox news. Old boomer Democrats watching thier MSNBC and CNN.

Both talking crap about the people that watch the opposing one to which one they watch. People that get most of their news from cable tend to be the least informed. Cable news is basically entertainment. You might as well be watching TMZ. Cable news is gross. Boomers put way to much faith in it. Seen it with both right and left wingers.

I recently was visiting my in-laws. Constantly going between MSNBC and CNN. MSNBC was doing a Story on FOX as well as CNN.

My mother inlaw asked me what I think. I told her this is like watching Burger King and McDonald's talking trash about Wendy's.

It's all trash and bad for you.

No it's not. They don't have anything as ludicrous as the Fox's current 2020 debacle. But yes, all 3 do suck. So while this is a false equivalency, it's a minor one.

Tucker is a step above the rest in terms of lunacy. The closest CNN had to Tucker was Dong Lemon, but even then he wasn't as insane and he's been relegated to nothingness morning timeslot sidehost.

@zaryia: it's all trash, I'd argue CNN being the absolute worst. With FOX and MSNBC trailing closely behind. CNN has gone so far downhill it's sad. Their numbers reflect it too. That's why they started firing and demoting people like don lemon and Brian shelter.

New ownership trying to save a sinking ship.

But it's all garbage. I hate cable news.

CNN with their constant identity politics makes me want to vomit but it's entertaining watching people make fun of their segments.

But this is harmless, and annoying. Fox's anti-vaxxing and election denial probably did far more damage than any boring CNN lie/opinion.

Both suck but one is just a lot worse, measurably so.

How Right-Leaning Media Coverage of COVID-19 Facilitated the Spread of Misinformation in the Early Stages of the Pandemic in the U.S

S0008423920000396jra 335..342 (cambridge.org)

The impact of Fox News on the US COVID-19 vaccination campaign | CEPR

P.S. Not watching your random wackjob youtuber.

Can you point to any other news medium knowingly and continually lying even when the danger of those lies was present?

CNN and I can give you 5 examples of the top of my head

Fiery but peaceful protest

Trump Colluded with Russia to steal 2016 election

Nick Sandman

Kyle Rittenhouse

Jessie smollet

They don't qualify. Try again.

Guys ffs can we for once keep on topic?

Neither of these were as bad as Anti-Vaxxing and the 2020 Election lie. Some of those are true or didn't happen the way you're saying. You're coping.

Get back on topic dude.

I'm coping?? Lol

Nah you are coping

Nah, the rightwingers here don't like it.

Everything was on track untill girls crazy wanted to bring up cable news

Haven't play the game. Don't pay attention to what people say because if I did then I'd probably have no entertainment. /thread

This is a PERFECT example of how easily you right wingers fall for the absolute stupidest propaganda.

Fiery but peacegul - It was reported that the protests were mostly peaceful, but became worse at night. Of course goofball conservatives ran with it in the stupid way they always do, mischaracterizing it completely.

Not one news agency made the claim that Trump colluded with Russia, though his campaign certainly did. You guys literally just made that up.

Nick Sandman - No idea what you're talking about here.

Kyle Rittenhouse - Also no idea what you're talking about.

Jessie Smollet - No clue what you mean.

Yes. You finally get it now.

You are really misguided. That explains you comments on subjects.

You don't have to reply, you know that?

Talk about derailing a thread, can they not split this thread in to 2?

How come we are debating cable news here?

No I'm not making it up you goofball. I watched the whole thing go down myself, 2016 wasn't exactly that long ago and this conspiracy was pushed heavily across many of the MSM outlets..

You can play ostrich head in the sand about it if you want.. Your denial is humorous. But many outlets... especially CNN and MSNBC.

You yourself admit that you believe it happened!! lmao!!

Well im here to bring you bad news goofy!! It never happened.

What is even with this statement??

"Not one news agency made the claim that Trump colluded with Russia, though his campaign certainly did. You guys literally just made that up."

^^^

Its these types of statements where I just picture a robot malfunctioning.

So not one agency made the claim???

Though you say Trumps campaign certainly did collude with Russia to steal the 2016 election???

and somehow... the claim was made up??? by who?? Republicans??? republicans made up the conspiracy that Trump colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election???? Are you even human????

Were you on another planet or some shit?? you don't remember the media outlets claiming Trump colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election?? lol I mean the shit lead to a 3 year non stop bitch fest about it.

However it doesn't matter if you believe it or not Goofy.

The internet never forgets.

@sargentd: goofball right wing edited videos don't work. Find me one mainstream media outlet that accused trump of colluding with Russia, which his campaign absolutely did, but go ahead. You won't find it one. And yes, it is a made up according by republicans. They're even saying that Mueller found no collusion, despite the fact that he wasn't even looking for collusion. I'll wait.

Move this to another thread...

@nirgal: My fault for putting this blog on Political Gamers, I guess... Should have known better.

@YukoAsho: no, i think the thread is fair. If they want to discuss cable news, which one is worse and so on, they can create another thread for that.

I was gonna respond to me being quoted, but JFC this thread went off the rails.

Imagine trying to cancel Huggo Boss or Volkswagen because of their association with Nazi Germany. I know the regime is dead but their legacy is still with them.

As for creators who license an IP or get funding from a government, why get mad at them? They have nothing to do with either of them. The US government uses CoD to spread propaganda about America as well. It's fantasy, it is fiction. You take it with a damn grain of salt.

Governments using entertainment is not a new concept. In politics we call it Soft Power. You use culture influence to change the opinions of those who are deemed as your enemy/competitor. It's a great tool to cool down escalation in a globalist world. It can also be used for domination as well.

@Gaming-Planet: You're not wrong, and I don't necessarily disagree.

Imagine trying to cancel Hugo Boss or Volkswagen because of their association with Nazi Germany. I know the regime is dead but their legacy is still with them.

Or Chanel, Adidas, IBM, or any number of companies who either collaborated with them or whose products were used in their awful machinations. There are so many examples it'll make people's heads spin.

As for creators who license an IP or get funding from a government, why get mad at them? They have nothing to do with either of them. The US government uses CoD to spread propaganda about America as well. It's fantasy, it is fiction. You take it with a damn grain of salt.

I don't know how much the US government directly involves itself in CoD (though America's not above using gaming to help recruitment). That said, it's true that many American movies, shows and games are not shy about overt patriotism, and I get countries are going to do that.

Governments using entertainment is not a new concept. In politics we call it Soft Power. You use culture influence to change the opinions of those who are deemed as your enemy/competitor. It's a great tool to cool down escalation in a globalist world. It can also be used for domination as well.

Again, no doubt. I think the problem becomes when it's overly obvious that there's government involvement. America's Army, for example, was a naked recruitment tool. And that video is interesting in that it shows the problem with using culture. Our culture spread through private enterprise, as did Japan's and South Korea's. The idea that China would rather suppress one of the few tools it could use to improve its image rather than risking anything that might make the CCP look less than perfect.

I think it's worth reiterating that I'm not opposed to people buying AH. While I have my own misgivings, I'm relatively certain they're not going to make more than enough to make a tank or two (those things cost a rather large sum of money, even the crappy ones Russia makes!). My point is that these two games, released relatively close to one another, were treated differently because the gaming media doesn't seem to see value in virtue signalling over Ukraine as it does over JK Rowling. I just think the priorities are a bit misguided.

It was interesting for me in so-far as how people react, be it game journalists, the publisher, or gamer community itself. Like watching Eastenders.

But beyond can't say I care.