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Druckmann / Naughty Dog Derangement Syndrome - Colin Moriarty Commentary

There we go with "modern audiences" when all we know is the game features a female lead with a shaved head.

If the game is quality - which I expect it will be - the arguments about some vocal minority yelling at the cloud because the game isn't 100% one demographic go completely out the window. It'll do well.

Its not the shaved head,

Its the Stud-Girl-Boss-No-One-Can-Do-It-But-This-Girl-That-Looks-16-And-Is-Very-Smug-And-Insufferable that we all can see from a very short trailer.

I'll even go as far as to say, probably the only white straight men in the game will be the enemies/bosses.
 
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I mean I could go on, every male character is a pussy. One of them is so weak they step aside so that his pregnant girlfriend can start a lesbian relationship with the main character. This is literally Tumblr fiction.
This categorically false.

Otherwise you'd be calling Joel a pussy, which is the most hilariously stupid thing I've heard on the internet today.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
You cherry-picked one issue out of the many I mentioned about AC to make this contrived point?

Try harder.
I just don’t agree with using the race angle for that particular point. I take no issue with anyone of any race killing anyone else of any race in video games.
 
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TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
We have enough evidence that would suggest the numbers are more than likely past 15 million than close to 10 million as you claimed earlier.

The narrative that I'm talking about is that people use a lack of press releases to prove a game hasn't reached a specific milestone or it's preforming below expectations.
The only information we have had is on digital which only applies if you think that figure was for that year alone, but it wasn't, it's total which still leaves it at 10 mil, 11 at most
The Reddit people keep posting with the leak even has people correcting others saying it at 16mil when it clearly stats it's TLS
If anyone wants evidence of how badly last of us 2 sold vs expectations.

It was £9.99 like one to 1.5 years after launch at GAME in the UK. That's the most extortionate store in the uk.

The game was decent but the hate campaign 100% affected it.
I can confirm this was the case in the first year too, I bought it for for a few people for Christmas (but from Argos) even with my thoughts on the game, As I said I have no bad will on the company and if people like it, good for them.
But I ain't going to bend reality to please them.
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
The large amounts of hate is bullshit, but Druckman is obsessed with revenge stories and modern messaging, so we will see how that will pay off in the long run.

Personally speaking, TLoU2 was not my type of game, and the new game‘s messaging seems to miss the target audience.
 
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RoboFu

One of the green rats
Calling a woman with a shaved head woke is fucking hilarious. Guess Ripley was woke back in 92.

Context, in the 90s no women shaved their head in film or off. It was meant to be a shock. Today lots of extreme leftist women shave their head in some fashion.

Also Sony just released a major woke flop and wokism has filled a lot of big releases which makes people extra sensitive.
 
I just don’t agree with using the race angle for that particular point. I take no issue with anyone of any race killing anyone else of any race in video games.
As usual, you're cherry picking something taken completely out of context.

No-one fucking complained about a black man killing Japanese people. Their complaint was about the protagonist of the first Japanese AC game being a black dude. But yes said black man will kill Japanese people which presents a clear double-standard to the wokesters, because had it been a causasian man in Africa slaughtering black Africans they'd all be crying racism.

At least try to comprehend the arguments you're replying to before replying strawman bullshit.
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
As usual, you're cherry picking something taken completely out of context.
Nah, I just didn’t give a shit about the rest.
No-one fucking complained about a black man killing Japanese people. Their complaint was about the protagonist of the first Japanese AC game being a black dude.
Fair complaint.
But yes said black man will kill Japanese people which presents a clear double-standard to the wokesters, because had it been a causasian man in Africa slaughtering black Africans they'd all be crying racism.
Because there’s a history of Africans invading Japan and colonizing the place. Clearly the same thing. I also like how you went straight to white men instead of using the opposite, which would be a Japanese warrior in Africa killing locals.
At least try to comprehend the arguments you're replying to before replying strawman bullshit.
I understand it. You’re just spouting stupid shit as usual.

There’s nothing inherently racist about a black samurai dude in Japan fighting and killing the locals just like there wouldn’t be anything inherently racist about a Japanese dude killing Africans in Africa or even a white dude killing Asians or black people in their respective homeland. Context matters. In Yasuke’s case, this makes sense given what they’re going for and has little to do with racism. Taking an issue with the game’s other problems is one thing, but trying to frame that particular part as racist is just comical.

But none of Druckman and ND's games have been woke propaganda.
Family Feud Lol GIF by Steve Harvey


ND isn’t the dev you wanna defend based on your position my guy.
 
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DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
The only information we have had is on digital which only applies if you think that figure was for that year alone, but it wasn't, it's total which still leaves it at 10 mil, 11 at most
The Reddit people keep posting with the leak even has people correcting others saying it at 16mil when it clearly stats it's TLS

No, that's false.

February 2020

GDvFqotboAAypYp


June 2023
( Digital Only )

43RSfVJ.png


The Last of Us Part II sold 9.9 million copies at the end of Feb 2022. 41% of those sales were digital at 4 million.

As of June 2023, Digital sales increased to 6,396,577.

That's an additional 2.3 million copies sold digitally.

So at the very least, The Last of Us Part II surpassed 12.2 million copies sold as of June 2023. Again, this is WITHOUT physical sales from March 2022 - June 2023.

I don't know HOW you would look at this data and believe TLOU 2 hasn't surpassed 11 million copies sold.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
No, that's false.

February 2020

GDvFqotboAAypYp


June 2023
( Digital Only )

43RSfVJ.png


The Last of Us Part II sold 9.9 million copies at the end of Feb 2022. 41% of those sales were digital at 4 million.

As of June 2023, Digital sales increased to 6,396,577.

That's an additional 2.3 million copies sold digitally.

So at the very least, The Last of Us Part II surpassed 12.2 million copies sold as of June 2023. Again, this is WITHOUT physical sales from March 2022 - June 2023.

I don't know HOW you would look at this data and believe TLOU 2 hasn't surpassed 11 million copies sold.
I said the 16mil was wrong and was more like 11mil
So where am I wrong?
You literally confirming what I am saying
Can we agree on the 12mil?
 
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DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
I said the 16mil was wrong and was more like 11mil
So were am I wrong?
You literally confirming what I am saying
Can we agree on the 12mil?


Look at your previous comments.

Which happened about the same time ND stopped giving numbers while other PS Studios was celebrating their 10/15/20 in the same period or less and ND just isn't posting it's milestones for TLOU2, but did for TLOU and the Series as a whole which kinda pointed to TLOU2 still being at about 10mil still.

The only information we have had is on digital which only applies if you think that figure was for that year alone, but it wasn't, it's total which still leaves it at 10 mil, 11 at most

So when writing this statement, did you believe it's 11 at most as of December 2024?

And no, that's not confirming what you're saying.

If the 41% digital percentage remains the same, then that would mean it surpassed 15 million. This doesn't include sales from July 2023 to December 2023 and all of the sales from 2024 with the release of The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
Calling a woman with a shaved head woke is fucking hilarious. Guess Ripley was woke back in 92.
Ripley's head wasn't a fashion choice. She shaved it to prevent inciting lust in an all male prison (it would be woke if she said her pronouns were he/him though). And even then she still almost got raped until the block/cell leader stopped the rest of the men from doing just that.



Resurrection is closer to the analogy you want, but even then she had the alien genome. Vasquez deffo would be called woke though. Trinity had short hair in the matrix and was super over powered but noone gave a fuck - same as Switch. Neve Campbell in Scream was technically OP to subverse the genre and had short hair.

It's never just about the one thing and reducing it to such just makes the culture war worse. Even if Jordan had a weave, that drink sucking scene would still come off as her being an unlikable asshole.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Ripley's head wasn't a fashion choice. She shaved it to prevent inciting lust in an all male prison
She was told to avoid them all together regardless of them and ignored the warning, the prime reason was due to the colony's chronic lice problem which is why all prisoners had their head shaved.
Interesting fact.
Shaving her head cause problem in her marriage for 18 months.
 

Seomel

Member
With the way their games actually play, can't agree more. Yes, 2 had some dialog and content that was a bit off the path but the game is magical.
Ye. This is weird one. Its like a lot of movies, tv shows where hig characters get killed, yet I dont see no sentiment of harassing showrunners privately(ehich probably happens), but with gamers its such a weird thing. Is it people being weirdoes dare I day being childish? Laura Baley got harassed to hell and back including her unborn child because of person she portrayed, even the body model got threats. Insanity
 

Spitfire098

Member
Ye. This is weird one. Its like a lot of movies, tv shows where hig characters get killed, yet I dont see no sentiment of harassing showrunners privately(ehich probably happens), but with gamers its such a weird thing. Is it people being weirdoes dare I day being childish? Laura Baley got harassed to hell and back including her unborn child because of person she portrayed, even the body model got threats. Insanity
It's funny because than the same people cry foul when these actors say anything against this harassment or try standing up for themselves.
 
Its not the shaved head,

Its the Stud-Girl-Boss-No-One-Can-Do-It-But-This-Girl-That-Looks-16-And-Is-Very-Smug-And-Insufferable that we all can see from a very short trailer.

I'll even go as far as to say, probably the only white straight men in the game will be the enemies/bosses.
This exactly! Well said good sir. Amazing how many people will actually defend these weird choices by Druckmann and other devs.
 
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Nah, I just didn’t give a shit about the rest.

Fair complaint.

Because there’s a history of Africans invading Japan and colonizing the place. Clearly the same thing. I also like how you went straight to white men instead of using the opposite, which would be a Japanese warrior in Africa killing locals.

I understand it. You’re just spouting stupid shit as usual.

There’s nothing inherently racist about a black samurai dude in Japan fighting and killing the locals just like there wouldn’t be anything inherently racist about a Japanese dude killing Africans in Africa or even a white dude killing Asians or black people in their respective homeland. Context matters. In Yasuke’s case, this makes sense given what they’re going for and has little to do with racism. Taking an issue with the game’s other problems is one thing, but trying to frame that particular part as racist is just comical.


Family Feud Lol GIF by Steve Harvey


ND isn’t the dev you wanna defend based on your position my guy.
Your edgelord schtick is dated at this point, my guy.

Your position on this debate is on the far extreme end of what I would consider the right side of the argument.

You refuse to acknowledge nuance and go right to the furthest extremes possible. It's counter-productive and works against the gains the anti-woke movement is finally making.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Your edgelord schtick is dated at this point, my guy.

Your position on this debate is on the far extreme end of what I would consider the right side of the argument.
No, my position is fairly balanced and consistent. You, on the other hand, are making mental gymnastics to defend Naughty Dog against things you supposedly stand for.
You refuse to acknowledge nuance and go right to the furthest extremes possible. It's counter-productive and works against the gains the anti-woke movement is finally making.
I beg to differ. Your Yasuke rhetoric is exactly why I acknowledge nuance and argued against the depiction of Yasuke cutting down enemies as being racist because it isn’t based on the context. You tried to frame this as a double standard. It isn’t.

For the record, I don’t even disagree that Yasuke isn’t a great choice and goes against the conventions established by the series thus far, but to then turn around and defend Naughty Dog and saying they haven’t pushed propaganda is so detached from reality I legitimately had a chuckle.
 
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DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
The Last of Us Part II sold 9.9 million copies at the end of Feb 2022. 41% of those sales were digital at 4 million.

As of June 2023, Digital sales increased to 6,396,577.

That's an additional 2.3 million copies sold digitally.

So at the very least, The Last of Us Part II surpassed 12.2 million copies sold as of June 2023. Again, this is WITHOUT physical sales from March 2022 - June 2023.

I don't know HOW you would look at this data and believe TLOU 2 hasn't surpassed 11 million copies sold.


I want to look into this further, just for future reference.

February 2023

The Last of Us Part II

Digital: 4,074,170

The Last of Us Remastered
Digital: 6,019,860

Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Digital: 3,954,930

Ghost of Tsushima
PS5 | Digital: 642,690
PS4 | Digital: 3,720,570

June 2023

The Last of Us Part II

Digital: 6,396,577
+2,322,407

The Last of Us Remastered
Digital: 6,677,645
+ 657,785

Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Digital: 5,190,395
+1,235,465

Ghost of Tsushima
PS5 | Digital: 1,371,477
+ 728,787
PS4 | Digital: 3,720,570
(Data shows a -21k decrease in sales. This is an error.)


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ghost of Tsushima sold 9.7 million copies as of July 2022.
As of September 2024, It sold 13 million copies

That's 3.3 million copies in 2 years and 2 months.
The PC version was released on May 16, 2024.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spider-Man: Miles Morales sold 10.6 million copies as of February 2020
As of June 2023, it sold 14.4 million copies.

That's 3.8 million copies in 1.3 years.
The PC version was released in November 2022 with a peak CCU of 13.5k

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Last of Us Part II sold 1 million more digital copies than Spider-Man Miles Morales from Feb 2020-June 2023 on console.
The Last of Us Part II sold 1.5 million more copies than Ghost of Tsushima from Feb 2020-June 2023

Spider-Man Miles Morales sold 752,000 more copies than The Last of Us Part II as of Feb 2022.
The digital percentage for Miles Morales was 37%, which falls in line with the 5 million LTD sales on sales as of June 2023.

Yes, it's likely this passed 15 million around June 2023.
 
No, my position is fairly balanced and consistent.

Lol, not at all.

Your take is, "anything containing anything remotely resembling DEI is woke trash and the whole thing is irredeemable shit that needs to die".

You, on the other hand, are making mental gymnastics to defend Naughty Dog against things you supposedly stand for.

You don't even understand what my argument is. Every time you've tried to articulate it you've merely presented a shitty strawman.

My argument is that Druckman is woke AF, but despite this his and ND's games have been top tier to date (i.e. all verifiable facts based on metacritic scores, sales data and number of GOTY awards and nominations), however, his games are not free of some contrived woke shit, but since it's not central to the core of the games, it can be easily ignored.

Which of the two is the more balanced and consistent take now?

I beg to differ. Your Yasuke rhetoric is exactly why I acknowledge nuance and argued against the depiction of Yasuke cutting down enemies as being racist because it isn’t based on the context. You tried to frame this as a double standard. It isn’t.

Again you fail to comprehend the arguments you're responding to and instead leap into arguing shitty strawmen.

Nobody fucking said Yasuke cutting down Japanese people is racist. My precise point was it actually wasn't, which is precisely the double-standard of the wokesters because in the hypothetical case of a white man cutting down black Africans they would cry racism...

Note... I did not say either case is racist. I said the wokesters would claim the latter case is racist and the former is not; when in fact neither is.

Your failure to comprehend the finer points of the above argument is proof you ignore nuance.

It's easier to read half of what is written and respond to some shitty strawman you project onto the opposition than actually exercise any meaningful reading comprehension.

For the record, I don’t even disagree that Yasuke isn’t a great choice and goes against the conventions established by the series thus far,

On this we both agree.

but to then turn around and defend Naughty Dog and saying they haven’t pushed propaganda is so detached from reality I legitimately had a chuckle.

They don't need defending. Their games are critical and commercial successes. To ignore these facts and try to paint them and their games in the same light as shit like Concord is extreme and exactly why I place you on the extreme end of the right side of this debate.

You and folks like you are the ones who give ammo to the opposition to characterize the rest of us more nuanced, more moderate folks as lunatic chuds.
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Your take is, "anything containing anything remotely resembling DEI is woke trash and the whole thing is irredeemable shit that needs to die".
Not at all. I acknowledge that ND makes high-quality game and my first response to this thread was that they're free to do what they want but that the market will respond accordingly.
You don't even understand what my argument is. Every time you've tried to articulate it you've merely presented a shitty strawman.

My argument is that Druckman is woke AF, but despite this his and ND's games have been top tier to date (i.e. all verifiable facts based on metacritic scores, sales data and number of GOTY awards and nominations), however, his games are not free of some contrived woke shit, but since it's not central to the core of the games, it can be easily ignored.

Which of the two is the more balanced and consistent take now?
My counter-argument is that the entire ND studio is "woke" (a word I don't even use seriously), not just Druckmann as you try to phrase it. Their games have also pushed for ridiculous identity politics and modern left-wing (or liberal depending on where you're from) propaganda, something you argue they haven't done. I'd also argue said woke elements are pretty front and center. They're not just minor things in the background you can ignore.
Again you fail to comprehend the arguments you're responding to and instead leap into arguing shitty strawmen.

Nobody fucking said Yasuke cutting down Japanese people is racist. My precise point was it actually wasn't, which is precisely the double-standard of the wokesters because in the hypothetical case of a white man cutting down black Africans they would cry racism...
Then why did you say that a black man cutting down Japanese people is "egregious" and proceeded to argue that their problem with AC were fair, but that their problems with ND aren't? Because ND and Ubisoft are in the same boat when it comes to pushing political agendas. The difference is that ND's products are good whereas Ubisoft stuff sucks. Whatever the case, AC isn't any more woke or seeped into identity politics any more than ND. Acting like Yasuke being black somehow exacerbates the issue is nonsensical. The problem is that it's a Japanese AC game costarring a non-Japanese main character. Phrasing it like his race makes this worse is what I had a problem with.
Note... I did not say either case is racist. I said the wokesters would claim the latter case is racist and the former is not; when in fact neither is.

Your failure to comprehend the finer points of the above argument is proof you ignore nuance.

It's easier to read half of what is written and respond to some shitty strawman you project onto the opposition than actually exercise any meaningful reading comprehension.
I perfectly understand and your stance reeks of hypocrisy.
They don't need defending. Their games are critical and commercial successes. To ignore these facts and try to paint them and their games in the same light as shit like Concord is extreme and exactly why I place you on the extreme end of the right side of this debate.

You and folks like you are the ones who give ammo to the opposition to characterize the rest of us more nuanced, more moderate folks as lunatic chuds.
Funny that you talk about exercising meaningful reading comprehension and proceed to do that. Naughty Dog is at the forefront of this crap, but I still acknowledge that they make quality products. Concord just sucks. We aren't talking about whether their games are good or bad, however. We're talking about where they stand in this whole current culture war climate that has been festering for a few years and I would 100% argue ND is one of the most prominent "woke" studios and you have very little grounds to stand on if you preach that you're against this rhetoric but side with them and claim they aren't part of the problem.
 
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Then why did you say that a black man cutting down Japanese people is "egregious"

I didn't. Your reading comprehension is garbage.

And your point about the whole ND studio being woke is really just takes from your ass. Druckman is the only one on record expressing woke views. All the other creative leads from TLOU 1,2 and Uncharted 4 are still there. So any claim that Intergalactic will be more woke than their previous games amounts to baseless speculation.

When you look at other studios like BioWare, CD Project Red, Rockstar and Rocksteady, where all the creative leads from their best games collectively left, it's clear that the political make-up of those studios was transformed from the ground up. ND is not in the same boat.

But carry on ignoring the facts just to spout your baseless hyperbole.

ND should die according to you. Simply because you saw a bald muscular woman in a trailer.... I don't even... Your position is fucking nuts.
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
I didn't. Your reading comprehension is garbage.
It's one thing to get upset and refuse to buy a game based off a completely egregious issue with a game, like a Black samurai killing Japanese people in an Edo period AC game that nobody wanted

You’re validating this position.
 

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
Ripley's head wasn't a fashion choice. She shaved it to prevent inciting lust in an all male prison

No, it’s shaved because Fury 161 has a serious lice issue. Everyone’s head is shaved, not just Ripley’s.

Charles Dance’s character specifically tells Ripley to shave her head because of this.

There was a particular problem with tiny, parasitic, lice-like arthropods that fed voraciously on the keratin in hair, but curiously not fingernails, and, as a result, all human inhabitants were forced to continually shave their heads and bodies.

 
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I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the way discussions seem to play out online. Have we hit a point where, if a lead character in a game or movie is a strong woman, some people in society will automatically hate it?

It feels like this negativity often comes from preconceived notions or the idea that these characters are "forced" into stories to push an agenda. But what if we took a step back and judged the product itself? Why are we so quick to critique something before it even has a chance to show us what it’s about? Maybe instead of jumping to conclusions, we need to evaluate the story, the writing, and the character development when the product is released.

This backlash isn’t exactly new, either. History has shown us that society often resists change, especially when it comes to representation. For example, think about how controversial it was when women first began to take on lead roles in action films during the 1980s and 1990s. Movies like Alien (Ripley) and Terminator 2 (Sarah Connor) faced criticism initially but are now considered iconic. Or when diverse casts began appearing in mainstream media—it was met with skepticism, but now it’s become essential to storytelling.

The way society is evolving, this type of pushback is bound to continue happening. It’s part of the process of adapting to change. But in the end, strong characters—regardless of gender—will stand the test of time if the writing and storytelling are solid. Instead of criticizing something prematurely, let’s give creators the chance to tell their stories and then decide whether the work resonates.
 
It's one thing to get upset and refuse to buy a game based off a completely egregious issue with a game, like a Black samurai killing Japanese people in an Edo period AC game that nobody wanted

You’re validating this position.
You undermined you're own point, because

"Black people killing Japanese people" =/= "Black samurai killing Japanese people in an Edo period AC game that nobody wanted"

The latter expresses that the egregious issue with the former clause, "black protagonist killing Japanese people in Edo period" is egregious because of the latter part of that statement, i.e. "that nobody wanted" it.

Again you prove your own shitty reading comprehension.

Lol... I can only sunrise you're a comic relief poster on here and not a serious poster.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
You undermined you're own point, because

"Black people killing Japanese people" =/= "Black samurai killing Japanese people in an Edo period AC game that nobody wanted"

The latter expresses that the egregious issue with the former clause, "black protagonist killing Japanese people in Edo period" is egregious because of the latter part of that statement, i.e. "that nobody wanted" it.

Again you prove your own shitty reading comprehension.
Jesus Christ, maybe learn how to formulate sentences. This doesn’t even begin to make sense.

It's one thing to get upset and refuse to buy a game based off a completely egregious issue with a game

Clearly, the egregious issue WITH THE GAME is, " Black samurai killing Japanese people in an Edo period"

You already established that people refuse to buy the game based off an egregious issue, which is a black samurai killing Japanese people in the Edo period. I confronted you with that, you proceed to say you never said such a thing and made the most poorly constructed defense I've ever read on this site.

The construction of your sentence is nonsensical.

Lol... I can only sunrise you're a comic relief poster on here and not a serious poster.
And I can only summarize (not sunrise lmao) that your English is fucking terrible because you miserably fail at basic syntax . The fact that you said "you're" instead of "your" at the beginning of your post further reinforces this belief.
 
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MSduderino

Member
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the way discussions seem to play out online. Have we hit a point where, if a lead character in a game or movie is a strong woman, some people in society will automatically hate it?

It feels like this negativity often comes from preconceived notions or the idea that these characters are "forced" into stories to push an agenda. But what if we took a step back and judged the product itself? Why are we so quick to critique something before it even has a chance to show us what it’s about? Maybe instead of jumping to conclusions, we need to evaluate the story, the writing, and the character development when the product is released.

This backlash isn’t exactly new, either. History has shown us that society often resists change, especially when it comes to representation. For example, think about how controversial it was when women first began to take on lead roles in action films during the 1980s and 1990s. Movies like Alien (Ripley) and Terminator 2 (Sarah Connor) faced criticism initially but are now considered iconic. Or when diverse casts began appearing in mainstream media—it was met with skepticism, but now it’s become essential to storytelling.

The way society is evolving, this type of pushback is bound to continue happening. It’s part of the process of adapting to change. But in The End, strong characters—regardless of gender—will stand the test of time if the writing and storytelling are solid. Instead of criticizing something prematurely, let’s give creators the chance to tell their stories and then decide whether the work resonates.
Absolutely. All the haters are calling out those waiting to give it a chance "don't play dumb, you know about the strong girl boss trope" but context (of the times) can cloud your judgment. Woke is a buzz word at the moment people are clinging too. There's also very little self awareness for how cancel culture is occurring on either side of political coin.
 

near

Member
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the way discussions seem to play out online. Have we hit a point where, if a lead character in a game or movie is a strong woman, some people in society will automatically hate it?
This might be true. It’s become hard to distinguish between studios filling quotas and those that have genuine ideas motivated by art, passion and storytelling. But that’s where we’re at, and rational people will still try to navigate through this by supporting games that still have substance beneath the virtue signalling.

It feels like this negativity often comes from preconceived notions or the idea that these characters are "forced" into stories to push an agenda. But what if we took a step back and judged the product itself? Why are we so quick to critique something before it even has a chance to show us what it’s about? Maybe instead of jumping to conclusions, we need to evaluate the story, the writing, and the character development when the product is released.
These characters are forced though. Most negativity stems from individuals who have reached their limit with their hobby being exploited to promote political/social movements. The girlboss trope has become exhausted at this point. While many don’t mind playing as a female protagonist, including myself, I can easily discern the pretentiousness.

Tell me this is all coincidental. With big upcoming projects, some with former male leads now having female portags. Removing genders from RPGs, adding pronouns in others. Like why do all these things matter in entertainment? In video games? They shouldn’t. I’m not against diversity, it’s not about race or gender for me, just have some artistic integrity. The backlash is justified, and the critique here isn't levelled at Intergalactic as a complete product, it's the main character design and what this continues to signal.

9qvXIfn.jpeg


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I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the way discussions seem to play out online. Have we hit a point where, if a lead character in a game or movie is a strong woman, some people in society will automatically hate it?
Perhaps for a very small subset of the audience that might be true. But I think it's much more common for people to see female characters obviously designed to be subversive and challenge gender expectations and specifically rally against that. Because it stems from identity politics and intersectionality which are inherently toxic and divisive ideologies.

But what if we took a step back and judged the product itself? Why are we so quick to critique something before it even has a chance to show us what it’s about? Maybe instead of jumping to conclusions, we need to evaluate the story, the writing, and the character development when the product is released.
aint nobody got time for that GIF


Imagine having to seriously look into every single product before you can definitively say you don't like it. Ridiculous. As if people haven't been judging magazines on their cover, or books by the synopsis on the back, or movies by the trailer, or food by free samples. This teaser trailer shows what the devs wanted to convey, and a lot of people don't like what they see. They don't owe ND any further attention or the benefit of the doubt.

The way society is evolving, this type of pushback is bound to continue happening. It’s part of the process of adapting to change.
You're not wrong, but you're also implying every change is positive by definition, which is obviously not true. If things change for the worse, people need to push back for things to get back on track. It's a necessary part of the process.
 
Absolutely. All the haters are calling out those waiting to give it a chance "don't play dumb, you know about the strong girl boss trope" but context (of the times) can cloud your judgment. Woke is a buzz word at the moment people are clinging too. There's also very little self awareness for how cancel culture is occurring on either side of political coin.
Once upon a time, games and movies were a haven pure escapism where we could lose ourselves in fantastical worlds or gripping tales without the weight of the real world bearing down on us. They were a shared language that united us, regardless of our beliefs or backgrounds. But now, it feels like politics has seeped into these spaces, and the stories that once brought us together are now being used to divide us
 

PeteBull

Member

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the way discussions seem to play out online. Have we hit a point where, if a lead character in a game or movie is a strong woman, some people in society will automatically hate it?
I mean we not the only ones
In fact there is some that straight up shoot down a script as soon as they hear those words.
Because it's not Ripley or Sarah Connor type character that is the end result.
 
Good for u, bro, to me TLOU2 is worse game from this one https://www.metacritic.com/game/star-ocean-integrity-and-faithlessness/
And guess what, it even has worse user score so its not like im alone in my assesment xD
TLOU 2 didn’t break the GOTY world record for nothing. The people who dislike it can’t even give a mature constructive explanation. Its always a rant about Neil and being woke. People pretend TLOU 1 that came out in 2013 didn’t have Ellie as lesbian. TLOU 2 was review bombed before it even released. How can you review a game you never played.


 

Tams

Member
TLOU 2 didn’t break the GOTY world record for nothing. The people who dislike it can’t even give a mature constructive explanation. Its always a rant about Neil and being woke. People pretend TLOU 1 that came out in 2013 didn’t have Ellie as lesbian. TLOU 2 was review bombed before it even released. How can you review a game you never played.



Honestly, I just really don't like zombies.

Shaun of the Dead and Warm Bodies I like despite the zombies, and funnily enough both are comedies.
 

PeteBull

Member
TLOU 2 didn’t break the GOTY world record for nothing. The people who dislike it can’t even give a mature constructive explanation. Its always a rant about Neil and being woke. People pretend TLOU 1 that came out in 2013 didn’t have Ellie as lesbian. TLOU 2 was review bombed before it even released. How can you review a game you never played.


U can make judgement call, especially as veteran player, that game is not to ur liking, we do it as players all the time.
Again- notice the difference here- u defending it and claiming its great game trying so hard to change opinion of other players, while us- ppl who dont like tlou2 and other woke games, we say we dont like them, give our reasoning, but we dont tell u to not like/not play/not buy them, u are free man, not a slave, so u can do whatever u please with ur time and money, and so can we ;)
 

sono

Gold Member
It's the market readjusting itself.
What are you talking about

The market just want good games to.play.

Social media supplies a medium for folk to beat a topic to death for those that want to merit or not.
 
U can make judgement call, especially as veteran player, that game is not to ur liking, we do it as players all the time.
Again- notice the difference here- u defending it and claiming its great game trying so hard to change opinion of other players, while us- ppl who dont like tlou2 and other woke games, we say we dont like them, give our reasoning, but we dont tell u to not like/not play/not buy them, u are free man, not a slave, so u can do whatever u please with ur time and money, and so can we ;)
I’m not trying to change any opinions, I’m making statements and providing evidence. TLOU 2 was unfairly targeted since the beginning. It was review bombed before it released. How is that possible? What makes the game woke? How can you justify the unfair review bombing? You guys ignore every milestone TLOU 2 broke besides the story. You can’t deny the graphics, sound, motion matching animations, fight system and controls. What exactly about the story didn’t you like? Are unreasonably low scores justified? How can a 1/10 user review posted before the launch of the game be a valid review?
 
May I ask why?
sure...

in the original uncharted trilogy, nate drake was a goofy, pulpy cartoon character, as was the original indy (in the first movie, anyway), who he's loosely based on. were you ever really supposed to take anything going on (including the massive slaughter of enemies) seriously? i'd say no more than you'd take what goes on with tarzan of the apes or conan the barbarian seriously. they are fantasy adventures...

not so uncharted 4. nate, from the get-go, is very obviously now 'real', & is intended to be taken seriously. add in the obnoxious long-lost brother plot & the ludicrous ending where nate is supposedly coming clean with his daughter regarding the manner in which he & her mom 'earned their living' while mowing down anyone in their way, & uncharted was no longer the fantasy adventure it'd been. the dumb, lovable charm was replaced with warm, touching 'adult' family melodrama...

as for tlou2, it was tlou, but minus the phenomenal story & characters, & instead replacing it with endless amounts of hate, violence, obsession, & lovingly detailed viciousness. for me, the oppressiveness & relentless emotional button-pushing felt extremely manipulative, led absolutely nowhere, & eventually became just exhausting...

as for intergalactic, while i thought their choice of 'trailer' was a miserably lost opportunity, i'm willing to hold off judgment. if anyone at naughty dog still even knows how to write fantasy adventures, i'd likely be interested...
 
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PeteBull

Member
I’m not trying to change any opinions, I’m making statements and providing evidence. TLOU 2 was unfairly targeted since the beginning. It was review bombed before it released. How is that possible? What makes the game woke? How can you justify the unfair review bombing? You guys ignore every milestone TLOU 2 broke besides the story. You can’t deny the graphics, sound, motion matching animations, fight system and controls. What exactly about the story didn’t you like? Are unreasonably low scores justified? How can a 1/10 user review posted before the launch of the game be a valid review?
TLOU2 is one of the best if not the best graphical showpiece for last gen, im not denying it, but for many of us that game is like that gorgeous 10/10 supermodel with 0 moral values who gets flown out to dubai so sheiks can literally shit and piss on her among all kinds of crazy shit they do, with bodycount that puts john wick to shame, some guys gonna simp for that woman to the end of time, some will just pump and dump, for some, like myself, she is disgusting filth despite the looks, infact she is so disgusting that i dont wanna touch her even with a stick :D
 
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