There is no deep insight in aiming a reticle at a 3D model of a school shooter that the politically correct police is keeping you from.
A compelling narrative can be written about any traumatic event, but a scenario in which you repeatedly relive the murder of children to attain a high score, as you bitch at your teammates and jettison all emotional connection to the event through repetition, isn't necessary or good for you. To most people it's simply an unpleasant experience.
The politics of military shooters are far from being beyond criticism; however, I don't equate the battlefield with a school shooting just as I don't equate a boxing match with domestic violence. The context in which violence occurs is relevant. There is no such thing as virtuous content, but there are things which do not need to be gamified.
@CashPrizes: It is not a point of emotional fortitude that an executive could slap your mother in the face and you would not say a word. That you would stare at your feet and mumble about SJWs and not being triggered.
Everyone has a line. You have yours and I have mine.
Would you deem acting as Blizzard's marketing arm disreputable if it were Jeffrey Epstein in charge of the company? Is it not reason enough that a female employee committed suicide due to its conduct—is death not sufficient cause to stop giving the company publicity, and, perhaps, feel shame about catering to abusers with a parade of fawning articles?
You can tell yourself that it is your job. It is also the job of Harvey Weinstein's lawyers to defend Harvey Weinstein. Whether you accept a job is on you.
Acknowledging the lawsuit in your miniscule footnote, or anywhere, isn't a badge of neutrality, your get out of jail free card. Promoting Blizzard is a choice. You can not do it.
I love the addendum concerning Blizzard's lawsuit, as though acknowledging the charges of abuse against the company absolves Gamespot for covering its products with giddy anticipation.
I don't care that you're a gaming website, or that you wish to separate the art from the business.
If international perspective was of no consequence to China there would be no penalties for expressing pro-Hong Kong sentiment. A non-political position is an impossibility for Blizzard because enforcing a reprimand to a political statement is a political decision. There is not a fantastical grey space in which business is comfortably divested from politics.
The Instagram kids and woke warriors whom you regard with contempt may not affect direct change, but national attitudes are of concern to companies and powers. These are of consequence. You are not obligated to concern yourself with the situation, however if you felt solidarity with any on-going conflict that is not directly under your nose, and applied yourself according to your logic, you would not be here posting about this feeble generation, you would be stuck in a perpetual war zone. So take that plane. Calling anyone self-righteous is not your place.
A non-apology made in the interest of preventing hecklers from interrupting the show. Blizzard is too ideologically weak to take any stance that might upset their bottom line, so we are treated to drivel disguised as sincerity.
'Standards' this, 'accountability' that. They won't speak names, cities, locations. No, being specific, speaking openly, that would be brave. That would be addressing the issue.
What risk is involved in this apology? There is none. There is, however, a benefit: a humble tone can soothe the public. From front to back Blizzard thinks only of itself.
They want the consumer to not only create their content for them but to purchase what should have come with the product.
I can see them pitching the project to investors as an effective means to minimise costs by following the Minecraft model, supporting their argument with the existence of modders who have crafted hours of quality content for free, content that, to Bethesda's regret, could not be monetised.
Fallout 76 is an attempt to utilize free labour by integrating public works into a creatively bankrupt space, thereby having the game update itself and pay for itself via microtransactions. It is because this strategy has failed that standard RPG elements (npcs, dialogue trees, etc) are being introduced to capitalise on nostalgia for a proper Fallout experience.
The purpose of Fallout 76 is to give as little as possible and to take as much as possible. A familiar tune.
@Iconoclysm: The option to earn your characters does not absolve Blizzard of its exuberant pricing policies.
It is however a calculated decision. The cost is just below the threshold of being offensive to the consumer. Errant criticism on behalf of the minority has little bearing on Blizzard. When you have quality and prestige you can afford to sell at an inflated price.
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