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Games ruined by creator's politics

F

FlyinJ

Douchebag. Yes, me.
I absolutely love Dragon Quest, and just picked up VII on the 3DS.

A few weeks ago I read about Sugiyama's drive to spread denial of Japan's war atrocities. What a fucking horrible man.

Now I just can't get it out of my head when listening to his music. I try to blank it out, but the music in DQ is so catchy and encompassing. It is almost half of the experience of playing the game.

All I can think about when hearing it now is what an absolute shit stain the creator of it is.

It really sucks.
 
S

SlipperyFishes

Banned
I don't think it's fair to label all of the hundreds of people that work on a game the same as the director/creator.

This is a case where you can dislike the personal politics of the creator but still enjoy the work for what it represents (as long as the game doesn't reflect those views in the content)
 
S

Stopdoor

Member
Syystole said:
No Man's Sky
Click to expand...

A bit indirect I think, but not a bad example, even if you like the game it's hard to avoid the controversy around it

Obviously not related to real-world politics, which might be the thread's intention, but there's definitely politics involved.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
The big one I remember was Orson Scott Card and his relation to Shadow Complex.

He's homophobic, etc.
 
G

GhostOfSparta305

Banned
I adore most of Hideki Kamiya's games.

That his games don't sell well would probably bother me more if he didn't so often come off as an ignorant jerk.
 
J

JayEH

Junior Member
I try to separate the work from the creator. Most people out there have something I will disagree with so I just either not try to seek out that information or just ignore it. If their work ends up supporting or spreading their views that's a different story.
 
H

hosannainexcelsis

Member
Being a talented artist able to produce excellent work does not mean you are an excellent human being in all other aspects. You have to learn to separate the artist as a person from his art.
 
letmetrythisname

letmetrythisname

Member
None, unless the creator is using the game itself to sell me on their views. I don't give a shit what they think outside of that. It's their beliefs, however fucked they may be.
 
K

Krejlooc

Banned
Oh the things Politics did to Sonic the Hedgehog 2006....

EDIT: Politics, in this case, referring to corporate politics
 
A

AlucardGV

Banned
can't think of anything maybe because i don't know, maybe because i think a good game is good regardless of what the author thinks of unrelated matters
 
G

Gestault

Member
BocoDragon said:
The big one I remember was Orson Scott Card and his relation to Shadow Complex.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what came to mind for me. I don't need to agree with every issue for every person who contributes to my entertainment, but I still have mixed feelings when a product I like is backed by someone outspoken against a subject I care about.
 
C

chrominance

Member
I still haven't really made up my mind about it, but The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. I still haven't bought it on the basis of the creator's support for Gamergate.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Gestault said:
This is exactly what came to mind for me. I don't need to agree with every issue for every person who contributes to my entertainment, but I still have mixed feelings when a product I like is backed by someone outspoken against a subject I care about.
Click to expand...

Didn't I hear that his involvement was ultimately tangential? Like he contributed to the lore, or something, but was ultimately not the driving force in that game's story.
 
R

ReaperXL7

Member
I can usually separate a creators work from the creator because a large portion of the most creative people in the world hold views I disagree with on many levels or have genuine mental health issues. so if I let it effect my enjoyment of the work there wouldn't be much left to be fan of.
 
F

FlyinJ

Douchebag. Yes, me.
chrominance said:
I still haven't really made up my mind about it, but The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. I still haven't bought it on the basis of the creator's support for Gamergate.
Click to expand...

That's another one that got me. I was halfway through it when that asshole started harping on about how great GamerGate was.

Never loaded it up again.
 
H

HeeHo

Member
I don't know the whole story about Sugiyama but I really don't care about his political beliefs. Not entirely an excuse but he is also super old and probably stuck in his ways. It doesn't bother me a bit.

Edit: but Sugiyama not wanting orchestral music in the latest DQ games is annoying. Seems like a real stick in the mud.
 
M

Mushroomer25

Member
There was a quote from Ken Levine getting passed around Twitter the other day, where he rather clunkily talked about BioShock 1 & Infinite - and how it related to the plights of Jewish Americans.

I know there are people – and in some ways, you addressed this in Burial at Sea – who are bothered by what happens to Daisy Fitzroy, the African-American Vox Populi leader, in BioShock Infinite. They basically think, if I can use a 2016 metaphor, that you created a game in which Donald Trump founded a xenophobic colony in the sky, only to learn that the Mexicans really are rapists.
Here's what I'd say. BioShock 1 is about Jews. I'm a Jew. If you think about it, Andrew Ryan, Sander Cohen, Tenenbaum, they're all Jews. Suchong is Korean. During World War II, Korea was brutally occupied by Japan. He's a guy who survived.
They're all survivors of oppression. And they don't come out of it heroes. Oppression turns them into oppressors. And that's the cruelest aspect of oppression. If you look at Andrew Ryan and Daisy Fitzroy, they're not that far apart.
Click to expand...
Source

Essentially, it sounds like Levine is saying that the moral of BioShock Infinite is that oppression breeds oppression. But some questionable connections pop up once you think about the real world. Is he saying that in contemporary society, Jews (and in the case of Infinite, African-Americans) have taken on roles as oppressors?

I still love both games, but it's become clear over time that Levine's view on the subjects he wrote about may be a bit questionable.
 
Simbabbad

Simbabbad

Member
The given examples aren't really about games ruined by the creator's politics since the actual games don't reflate them at all?
 
K

Krejlooc

Banned
Every time I am reminded of Doug TenNapel's behavior I get really bummed out, because that dude made a lot of games that I really love. And he's apparently an awful person.
 
M

MetroidPrimeRib

Banned
Didn't know that about Dragon Quest and its shitty, but a lot of people worked on the game. For something with a way smaller team its more understandable to me to be scrupulous.
 
P

purseowner

Member
To elaborate on what I meant above:

Unless the work itself is overtly politically repugnant or bigoted, I'll happily attempt to separate art from artist and play the game if it appeals.

But if obtaining the work involves financially backing individuals that have bigoted views and would cause others harm using the money I paid them, I draw the line there.
 
N30RYU

N30RYU

Gold Member
Politics doesn't get in my gamming ways.

For what I care a creator could eat children and I'll be playing his games if I feel into it
 
G

Galafar

Neo Member
GhostOfSparta305 said:
Despite often coming off as an ignorant jerk, I adore most of Hideki Kamiya's games.
Click to expand...

If it makes you feel better he's usually really respectful in interviews and he considers twitter to be like a bar and it's all just guys going on drunken rants.

To answer your question OP: I can't seem to find myself able to enjoy most gearbox games or get excited for any after learning about them. Just something about them that really bothers me.
 
Vigilant Walrus

Vigilant Walrus

Member
Daitakana?

I do not know the details, but a lot of things were going on with the management and handling of that game.









Molyneauxs game @ His inability to separate his hype for the reality of his games. It makes me sad because Moyleanux has made some of my favorite games. And that is not even counting the games he is "legendary" for. He is a man of great ideas, vision and passion and so I see no good reason why his creative talent is not a boon.
But Peter is an example of someone who should have checked himself, before he wrecked himself.
And if you think I am exxagerating then you need to go back and read up on Project Ego, because it is incredible stuff.
I miss Molyneaux. I hope he is doing good. I am concerned for him.




Too Human. Was not a fan of NeoGafs feud with Dyack and felt both sides came out looking bad. Too Human is one of the most promising games I had ever seen and I felt the end result was tarnished by the PR disaster. Surely it was not the only thing that tanked the game. I think in turn, the ambitious trilogy-plan of it was also problematic.

Jaffe was quoted saying around that time (in indirect response to Mass Effect being compared to become a trilogy- announced before the ship of the first game) "fuck you and your trilogy. make one good game, and then we'll see".
Jaffe brought an interesting point- At least with regards to Too Human. was the game too ambitious for its own good?
 
T

Theanine3D

Member
purseowner said:
Doug TenNapel is violently homophobic to the point of monetarily supporting organisations that would treat LGBT+ people as sub-human.
Click to expand...

I normally try to separate the artist from their creation. Having an awful opinion, as terrible as it may be, won't stop me from buying their work if it's really, really good. That's why I still played and enjoyed Fez.

But when they're actually using their financial power to hurt people, that's when I draw the line. And that's why I will never buy Armikrog.
 
K

Krejlooc

Banned
Tranquilo said:
Proof / source?
Click to expand...

http://mostly-retro.com/2013/06/02/on-doug-tennapel-bigotry-and-supporting-hate/

The source is TenNapel's own mouth. Dude says awful shit, like gay marriage is the equivalent of "letting a man take a dump in the woman's restroom."

Edit: to say he's "violently homophobic..." I'm expecting you to back that up convincingly.
Click to expand...

The page is deleted now, but he got into a flame war in the comments section of a gay gaming website and wished everyone there would die of AIDs.
 
letmetrythisname

letmetrythisname

Member
Galafar said:
If it makes you feel better he's usually really respectful in interviews and he considers twitter to be like a bar and it's all just guys going on drunken rants.

To answer your question OP: I can't seem to find myself able to enjoy most gearbox games or get excited for any after learning about them. Just something about them that really bothers me.
Click to expand...

Is it because Anthony Burch is an insufferable child?
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.
Going back to it is gonna be hard what with the BS forced stealth sections, but that's the least of the issues with the creator's meddling.
 
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