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[Effect]

They just need to announce that that scene is gone from the game (actually change it) and simply not talk about it anymore. That's the only thing that is going to put this thing to bed I think. They can't just ignore it since it's still there and people know it's there.

Edit: If that's not possible then this. They just need to stop talking period. Stop even doing interviews and just push out media of the game that shows all the aspects of it and statements on the official site. They clearly don't know how to fix this issue to make it go away. That's assuming they even can after what they've done already. Best they can do is not making it worse it seems.

 

[War Peaceman]

How so? To me its a simple case of them using the overt threat of "a fate worse than death" (insert silent movie caption and piano stab) to justify and motivate Lara's choice to adopt an extreme prejudice approach.

Agreed. The studio seem hilariously unable to speak plainly on the issue.

 

[Orayn]

Cripes, these guys are fumbling things pretty badly.

Sounds about right.

 

[SmithnCo]

It's like some kind of meta tomb raiding. Except instead of a tomb, it's a black hole.

 

[rdrr gnr]

It's like some kind of meta tomb raiding.

Brilliant.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Who even gives a shit anymore? The terrible-looking shooting mechanics are still the real problem.

 

[FullMetalx]

I don't really think people know what rape is because whatever was in that tomb raider footage was not rape...

 

[Kinyou]

They just need to announce that that scene is gone from the game (actually change it) and simply not talk about it anymore. That's the only thing that is going to put this thing to bed I think. They can't just ignore it since it's still there and people know it's there.

They're just going to play this right before the scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW5oZytwUIc&t=1m12s

 

[aeolist]

I don't really think people know what rape is because whatever was in that tomb raider footage was not rape...

It was sexual assault which, coincidentally, is the exact term the Kotaku interviewer used.

Also I don't usually like Kotaku but kudos to you guys for holding their feet to the fire somewhat.

 

[Minion101]

Their next comment will end up being about how "Lara was probably asking for it" and "look how she's dressed"

 

[Elginer]

They should really just be quiet now.

 

[aeolist]

Their next comment will end up being about how "Lara was probably asking for it" and "look how she's dressed"

If you're wandering around a third world tropical island you should probably expect to get raped

 

[Mobius1]

I think Crystal Dynamics is doing what they have to. 'Tomb Raider' is one of the most widely recognized names in videogames. As far as PR goes they can't afford to associate their game with the concepts of rape or sexual assault, or else they risk ending up on the nightly news. Obviously it's a different story for the developers, who are trying to push the narrative boundaries.

 

[jschreier]

I just want to note that OP left out an important paragraph from my article:

It's understandable that Crystal Dynamics now wants to avoid using terms like "rape" and "sexual assault." There was severe backlash to Rosenberg's comments after the publication of my initial article, for a number of reasons, but some websites and publications completely skewed what he actually said. One website, for example, ran an article titled: "Does Crystal want you to rape Lara Croft?"

 

[GQman2121]

The amount of attention this trivia is getting just indicates to me that people have nothing better to bitch about.

If the material in question was so objectionable the question would be whether it should be omitted or modified in some way, however it isn't and noone is actually framing the discussion like that.

The actual substance of the complaint is that somebody connected with the production mentioned the word "rape", and when pressed on it another person tried to clarify the situation by describing the scene having "sexual undertones", when the actuality is that it has "sexual overtones" but in either case there is no actual rape.

Semantics basically. CD will probably end up modifying the scene just in order to get people to STFU about it. So in the end the thug will just threaten to kill her, and she'll respond by killing him, because thanks to some bizarre puritanical double-standard bloodlust is fine provided there's not even a whiff of sexual motivation.

This should be explained every time this topic comes up over the next few months because it's 100% correct.

There's nothing wrong with the guy groping Lara. The producer says the R word, and they were ill-prepared to answer the obvious follow up questions, so they back off the entire subject.

That's all that has happened here.

While I appreciate Kotaku not going down, "How awesome is your game?" route, it's also really clear they just want to run another "controversial" sound bite to get more clicks.

I don't think that's fair at all. Relevant questions were asked, and just because the PR stopped the conversation short, it doesn't mean they're not still in clean-up mode on this subject. They're the ones who keep taking these interviews. Just shut up already, or even better, show something compelling about your games gameplay! That's more troubling to me than this discussion or their horrible sounding lead VO.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

If you're wandering around a third world tropical island you should probably expect to get raped

Realistically, I'd think the chances are better (worse?) than in most places.

 

[semiconscious]

They should really just be quiet now.

but wouldn't that involve completely focusing on making the game & keeping their mouths shut? ...

 

[Rocket Punch]

Do we have the game footage that started this conversation?

 

[Kinyou]

I just want to note that OP left out an important paragraph from my article:

It's understandable that Crystal Dynamics now wants to avoid using terms like "rape" and "sexual assault." There was severe backlash to Rosenberg's comments after the publication of my initial article, for a number of reasons, but some websites and publications completely skewed what he actually said. One website, for example, ran an article titled: "Does Crystal want you to rape Lara Croft?"

lol...

 

[Sojgat]

Dear Crystal Dynamics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA0IpS_3S-0

 

[Demon Ice]

So dumb. If your game is going to do something controversial, at least fucking stand by it! I don't know why they feel the need to pander to the puritans that get offended by every little thing.

 

[sleepykyo]

I really wish I had a moonwalking gif for this backtracking.

 

[PrinceOfApathy]

It's understandable that Crystal Dynamics now wants to avoid using terms like "rape" and "sexual assault." There was severe backlash to Rosenberg's comments after the publication of my initial article, for a number of reasons, but some websites and publications completely skewed what he actually said. One website, for example, ran an article titled: "Does Crystal want you to rape Lara Croft?"

Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa; what!!? Yeah this scene is going to be altered, bank on it.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

With all this talk about if this a "rape game" or not I've almost forgotten how boring and disappointing it looked at e3.

 

[Endo Punk]

The whole rape thing should just have been a secret until release when gamer get to play it themselves.

 

[UrbanRats]

Yeah i have no doubt many people in the press are trying to bank on hits through all this charade.
Personally, from now on i'm just gonna start ignoring this, i'm fed up.

 

[CorrisD]

For heavens sake, just shut up Crystal Dynamics, if you stopped making comments about it people will forget by the time the game actually comes up.

 

[Minion101]

The whole rape thing should just have been a secret until release when gamer get to play it themselves.

Yeah, I feel people are being no better then Fox news. Play the game first.

 

[News Bot]

This is so petty and overblown.

 

[iammeiam]

What's just so bizarre is how CD won't shut up, yet never seems to address the actual controversy. The problem wasn't the assault scene itself, which is just lazy and trite storytelling (so perfectly in-line with the average game story), but the context of needing to break Lara down, blahblahblah caged animal, blahblahblah gamers can't relate to girls.

Sitting there and emphasizing pretending a guy sexually assaulting Lara isn't sexually assaulting Lara may be the dumbest possible PR response because even people who didn't care about the initial issue can see CD is full of shit.

 

[gblues]

Protip: when you find yourself standing in a hole with a shovel in your hand, stop digging.

 

[i-Lo]

Crystal Dynamic digs it and Lara raids it.

 

[Squire]

Kotaku was asking him to throw his own guy under the bus. Which he obviously would never do.

But we know it happened. We all know it was wrong, so...? I put it on Kotaku. The PR rep was right; it's a tired angle they've gotten all they can get from. At a certain point, people are gonna have to let this BS go. Look at what we're upset about: comments from one asshole and essentially a dude rubbing his hand across Lara's leg.

We had a point. We made it. This is getting silly now.

 

[bjork]

Future PR interview answer: we think this game underperformed due to the media's focus on our E3 presentation and the confusion surrounding the focus.

Just planning ahead at this point.

 

[The Faceless Master]

there never would have been any controversy if they had stuck to just gameplay instead of adding QTE's...

That is a hard subject because I believe and the studio believes that it is a subject that we see played out in many ways through movies and TV shows

but shooting people in the face is an easy subject.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

What's the big deal? I don't get it...

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

He said something which is certainly a word that is not in our vocabulary and not in our communication," Stewart told me on the phone yesterday. "He did say it... It's his personal opinion and certainly... like I said, it's not something that we communicate.

Ugh. Shut the fuck up already and move on. Stop digging a deeper hole for yourselves.

 

[Squire]

What's the big deal? I don't get it...

The big desk now, IMO, is people having this strange need to hear CD go "We we wrong! We were sooooo wrong!"

We're past legitimate arguments. People are just being vindictive now.

 

[victreeb3l]

this is some of the worst PR ive ever seen. CD needs to tell their people to STFU

if they just stopped talking about it, people would forget about the whole rape thing but instead they keep reminding us theyre a bunch of wackos

 

[Dennis]

The image of hapless devs having a PR person hovering over their shoulder ready to intervene if babby says something no-no is both funny and sad at the same time.

Are people in the games industry adults?

 

[Camilos]

I don't really think people know what rape is because whatever was in that tomb raider footage was not rape...

I couldn't agree more. Its incredible how some people have made something so meaningless into something so huge.

 

[Wiseblade]

Crystal Dynamics: "We want to protect you from buying our game."

 

[Rapstah]

I couldn't agree more. Its incredible how some people have made something so meaningless into something so huge.

Very few people were actually offended before the developers started trying to explain everything away.

 

[Nibel]

They will probably exchange the rapist with a woman or something

 

[.la1n]

Crystal Dynamics: "We want to protect you from buying our game."

They've done a wonderful job of it too.

 

[victreeb3l]

crystal dumbnamics, am i right?

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Very few people were actually offended before the developers started trying to explain everything away.

What?

They tried to explain everything away because so many people were offended.

Or pretended to be in order to look progressive or whatever it is they're actually doing.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I don't really think people know what rape is because whatever was in that tomb raider footage was not rape...

It's pretty obvious Crystal Dynamics and their PR people are hoping that's the case, as the entirety of this interview is designed to do one thing on their part: Clearly obfuscate the definition of the word they used that they don't want to use again, so in case the word DOES come up again, it won't mean what you thought it meant, even though the threat of that word was, as was quoted by their own employee, to be the primary motivation for you, the player, to become engaged in the world of the game.

This tack they're taking is probably the dumbest of the options they had, really.

 

[GQman2121]

The image of hapless devs having a PR person hovering over their shoulder ready to intervene if babby says something no-no is both funny and sad at the same time.

Are people in the games industry adults?

I understand what you're saying and I somewhat agree; however, when you're dealing with an IP that has (over its lifespan) generated over a billion dollars, you have to have someone there to help steer the conversation that puts your product in a better light. The producers time and time again have proven that they're incapable of expressing what exactly they're trying to achieve with this game. And that's what's frustrating everyone (that understands what's going on here anyway) about their mixed message.

 

[Htown]

Can someone explain to me why this is a problem again?

There have been half a dozen threads about this and multiple articles online explaining exactly why this is a problem.

If you can't be bothered, neither can I.