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[Dr. Claus]

Sophia Narwitz discusses her enjoyment of Arkane and the immersive sim genre as well as the issues going on inside the studio.

For those that can't watch the video, we learn that the studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group).

This has created tension within the company. You have one group of developers who just want to develop great games, another group that wishes to push their personal politics on every employee and into the products they make, and corporate that wants to push GAAS. Her sources state that Dishonored 2 and Prey were not affected by these two groups, but they fear that future products will be.

This leads to the core question of the video. Deathloop is a game that looks interesting with a unique concept and what seems to be solid gameplay behind it, however the overbearing pushes by Zenimax and the toxic work place environment that has impacted the mental well-being of a number of employees (reaching the point that those employees fear coworkers digging through who they follow and their past actions for reasons to cancel them even outside of work). Will this affect the overall game? Will it affect future titles from the studio?

For my personal opinion, I share many of the worries with Sophia. Dishonored is one of my all time favorite games that I still find enjoyment hopping back into and rushing through or simply exploring. Its world was one that I was deeply engrossed in and wanted to learn as much as I could through its lore. Dishonored 2 was a fun game, but I felt it was overall weaker in its narrative than the first. Prey I enjoyed, but I feel that my attempts of trying to go for the platinum (which made me run through the entire game on a first play through, on hard at that, with no upgrades) lessened the experience. I want DeathLoop to be great. I love the concept and its focus on the best part of Dishonored combat (the stylish and quick action and unique abilities) is awesome to see. However, I fear that Arkane will become what Obsidian has become - a shallow imitation of what it once was, marred by overly political, regressive individuals that negatively affect a major portion of the game (such as the writing in Outer Worlds).

 

[D.Final]

Sophia Narwitz discusses her enjoyment of Arkane and the immersive sim genre as well as the issues going on inside the studio.

For those that can't watch the video, we learn that the studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group).

This has created tension within the company. You have one group of developers who just want to develop great games, another group that wishes to push their personal politics on every employee and into the products they make, and corporate that wants to push GAAS. Her sources state that Dishonored 2 and Prey were not affected by these two groups, but they fear that future products will be.

This leads to the core question of the video. Deathloop is a game that looks interesting with a unique concept and what seems to be solid gameplay behind it, however the overbearing pushes by Zenimax and the toxic work place environment that has impacted the mental well-being of a number of employees (reaching the point that those employees fear coworkers digging through who they follow and their past actions for reasons to cancel them even outside of work). Will this affect the overall game? Will it affect future titles from the studio?

For my personal opinion, I share many of the worries with Sophia. Dishonored is one of my all time favorite games that I still find enjoyment hopping back into and rushing through or simply exploring. Its world was one that I was deeply engrossed in and wanted to learn as much as I could through its lore. Dishonored 2 was a fun game, but I felt it was overall weaker in its narrative than the first. Prey I enjoyed, but I feel that my attempts of trying to go for the platinum (which made me run through the entire game on a first play through, on hard at that, with no upgrades) lessened the experience. I want DeathLoop to be great. I love the concept and its focus on the best part of Dishonored combat (the stylish and quick action and unique abilities) is awesome to see. However, I fear that Arkane will become what Obsidian has become - a shallow imitation of what it once was, marred by overly political, regressive individuals that negatively affect a major portion of the game (such as the writing in Outer Worlds).

It's a suspicious question..

 

[Dr. Claus]

It's a suspicious question..

How so?

 

[Quixz]

Phill will sort out this nonsense pronto

 

[HarryKS]

Still don't understand what Deathloop is. Is it a classic fps with a campaign or more of an arena shooter like Unreal 3.

 

[Andodalf]

How so?

It's a loaded question, It assumes that there is Turmoil without that being an established fact. It's also a bit of a leading question.

Still don't understand what Deathloop is. Is it a classic fps with a campaign or more of an arena shooter like Unreal 3.

? It's pretty clearly a variant of the Dishonored style of immersive sim we've seen before, just in an open world setting like Prey, but less metroidvaniaey. It won't have a traditional linear FPS campaign, and is by no means an arena shooter

 

[johntown]

I'm not worried I have a PC.

 

[CatLady]

Sophia Narwitz discusses her enjoyment of Arkane and the immersive sim genre as well as the issues going on inside the studio.

For those that can't watch the video, we learn that the studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group).

This has created tension within the company. You have one group of developers who just want to develop great games, another group that wishes to push their personal politics on every employee and into the products they make, and corporate that wants to push GAAS. Her sources state that Dishonored 2 and Prey were not affected by these two groups, but they fear that future products will be.

This leads to the core question of the video. Deathloop is a game that looks interesting with a unique concept and what seems to be solid gameplay behind it, however the overbearing pushes by Zenimax and the toxic work place environment that has impacted the mental well-being of a number of employees (reaching the point that those employees fear coworkers digging through who they follow and their past actions for reasons to cancel them even outside of work). Will this affect the overall game? Will it affect future titles from the studio?

For my personal opinion, I share many of the worries with Sophia. Dishonored is one of my all time favorite games that I still find enjoyment hopping back into and rushing through or simply exploring. Its world was one that I was deeply engrossed in and wanted to learn as much as I could through its lore. Dishonored 2 was a fun game, but I felt it was overall weaker in its narrative than the first. Prey I enjoyed, but I feel that my attempts of trying to go for the platinum (which made me run through the entire game on a first play through, on hard at that, with no upgrades) lessened the experience. I want DeathLoop to be great. I love the concept and its focus on the best part of Dishonored combat (the stylish and quick action and unique abilities) is awesome to see. However, I fear that Arkane will become what Obsidian has become - a shallow imitation of what it once was, marred by overly political, regressive individuals that negatively affect a major portion of the game (such as the writing in Outer Worlds).

This is not good news. I love Dishonored and Prey and I'm hoping for Sequels to both. Once they get settled at Xbox, Phil needs to send them packing along with Bonni, Stinkles and their horde of danger hair diversity hires.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

Phill will sort out this nonsense pronto

definitely did a great job sorting it out at 343i

...........

oh wait

 

[The_Observer]

Why do they have to destroy everything in this world that is good? These far-leftists are literally evil destroyers...

 

[rofif]

So there is a chance deathloop will look even less interesting ?!

 

[MastaKiiLA]

Suspect af. Anytime I see someone mention far-left politics, I'm already suspicious. WTF is far-left politics anyway? Far-right is racist shit. What exactly is far-left? Is there militant tolerance?

Also, when you're concerned about people digging through your follows, it means you're probably on some questionable shit.
(a) Your social media should be private, in the first place. This is like corporate workplace 101.
(b) If there's anything in your social webs that you think would get you cancelled, then you're on some questionable shit, and need to see (a).
(c) If HR, aka CYA Incorporated, is on the side of any particular group, you're probably doing some questionable shit, and definitely need to see (a).

HR covers its ass at every turn, unless you have the worst HR department in the world. They're usually only interested in not causing lawsuits. Some of the word choices in the description just make it sound like some dicks want sympathy for being asked to conform. No one likes change, but it's part of being a grown-up. I doubt anything changes about a game that already has a black guy as the main lead, and a black/latinx woman as the main antagonist. The game seems pretty progressive already. What exactly could be more left than that?

 

[Tesseract]

hope not, it's one of the only games i'm looking forward to

 

[nikolino840]

Suspect af. Anytime I see someone mention far-left politics, I'm already suspicious. WTF is far-left politics anyway?

Maybe they go to the studios with a che guevara tshirt

 

[Iced Arcade]

definitely did a great job sorting it out at 343i

...........

oh wait

......



Like delaying the game and getting more resources in on it


.....oh wait

 

[Stray Parts]

Hopefully Arkane come through intact but I'm skeptical.

Arkane were old school progressives & apolitical's who didn't screech from the rooftops at every opportunity unlike the current woke militant.

As university's have been pumping out these far leftists they get plugged into the system, corporate, government etc and begin to tear apart the basic fundamentals of civic society, far lefts do not believe in tolerance, they believe in tyranny to force their demented vision of utopia (which is ever changing and not grounded in principles).

Corporate leadership is terrified by the woke militant, some play along in the hopes it dies out, some actually implement polices based on woke demands & they typically suffer economic consequences as a result. Red Bull fired the wokes they put in charge after causing chaos at the company.

MS has been paying a lot of lip service to the wokes, I dont see MS taking on them on should they take control of Arkane and bad games from Arkane shortens their life span but it also serves as a warning to not let the woke take over other studios (silver lining in every cloud so to speak).

 

[MrFunSocks]

What comes after damage control, the thread 2: electric boogaloo? Damage control, the thread 3: damage control harder?

 

[Dr. Claus]

It's a loaded question, It assumes that there is Turmoil without that being an established fact. It's also a bit of a leading question.




? It's pretty clearly a variant of the Dishonored style of immersive sim we've seen before, just in an open world setting like Prey, but less metroidvaniaey. It won't have a traditional linear FPS campaign, and is by no means an arena shooter

Not a loaded question when there *is* evidence. There are former employees that have openly stated the issues as well as "insiders" that have done the same. Sophia Narwitz has a proven track record to lead people to believe what she suggests.

As for Deathloop, so far nothing shown has suggested it is an Immersive Sim. It seems quite linear from everything that has been shown thus far.

 

[Dr. Claus]

This is not good news. I love Dishonored and Prey and I'm hoping for Sequels to both. Once they get settled at Xbox, Phil needs to send them packing along with Bonni, Stinkles and their horde of danger hair diversity hires.

That would be the dream. I would buy a Series X immediately (instead of sometime in Jan/Feb as is my current plan) if they were to clean house with the regressive left now, but I sadly don't see that happening (at least not until a massive failure from the studio). At worst I think we will more likely see the good employees leaving Arkane to form their own studio.

What comes after damage control, the thread 2: electric boogaloo? Damage control, the thread 3: damage control harder?

MrFunSocks What exactly is "damage control" about this question? Do you think any criticism of Arkane is suddenly anti-xbox?

 

[Dr. Claus]

Suspect af. Anytime I see someone mention far-left politics, I'm already suspicious. WTF is far-left politics anyway? Far-right is racist shit. What exactly is far-left? Is there militant tolerance?

Also, when you're concerned about people digging through your follows, it means you're probably on some questionable shit.
(a) Your social media should be private, in the first place. This is like corporate workplace 101.
(b) If there's anything in your social webs that you think would get you cancelled, then you're on some questionable shit, and need to see (a).
(c) If HR, aka CYA Incorporated, is on the side of any particular group, you're probably doing some questionable shit, and definitely need to see (a).

HR covers its ass at every turn, unless you have the worst HR department in the world. They're usually only interested in not causing lawsuits. Some of the word choices in the description just make it sound like some dicks want sympathy for being asked to conform. No one likes change, but it's part of being a grown-up. I doubt anything changes about a game that already has a black guy as the main lead, and a black/latinx woman as the main antagonist. The game seems pretty progressive already. What exactly could be more left than that?

As stated in the video, something as innocuous as following Sophia Narwitz, who is by no means "questionable shit" is considered a taboo within the work place. Far left is the same thing as Far-right. Both are openly racist, openly regressive ideologies, just using different terminology.

The fact that you are somehow trying to handwave away this is what is truly suspicious.

 

[GHG]

Ugh this is not what I wanted to read about one of my favourite developers.

Hopefully they can be set straight so that making high quality games is their only focus and the whole studio is pulling towards that goal.

 

[The_Observer]

That would be the dream. I would buy a Series X immediately (instead of sometime in Jan/Feb as is my current plan) if they were to clean house with the regressive left now, but I sadly don't see that happening (at least not until a massive failure from the studio). At worst I think we will more likely see the good employees leaving Arkane to form their own studio.




MrFunSocks What exactly is "damage control" about this question? Do you think any criticism of Arkane is suddenly anti-xbox?

These big tech companies are slaves of that agenda so don't expect any of them to get rid of these scum.

 

[MrFunSocks]

MrFunSocks What exactly is "damage control" about this question? Do you think any criticism of Arkane is suddenly anti-xbox?

I'm sure you would have posted this thread now even if MS didn't just buy the company that owns Arkane Studios, right?

I would buy a Series X immediately (instead of sometime in Jan/Feb as is my current plan) if......

I'm sure you would. You seem concerned.

 

[VlaudTheImpaler]

This is not good news. I love Dishonored and Prey and I'm hoping for Sequels to both. Once they get settled at Xbox, Phil needs to send them packing along with Bonni, Stinkles and their horde of danger hair diversity hires.

Yeah, this is legitimately the biggest worry I have with these acquisitions. Heck, with any studio and new project these days. This is the poison that is infecting not only our gaming industry but also our society. The faster we can get back to a sense of normalcy the better. As it is, every new project has a sort of sword of Damocles hanging above it's head for me, no matter how great they look graphically, just waiting for the identity politics to show up.

Hopefully they can at the very least mandate a stop to that crap being injected into games if they can't eject the poisoners all together.

 

[Dr. Claus]

I'm sure you would have posted this thread now even if MS didn't just buy the company that owns Arkane Studios, right?


I'm sure you would. You seem concerned.

Yes, I would have. Why would I denigrate a company whose system I am going to buy in only a few short months? Not everything is some slight against a console manufacturer, mate. Stop looking for shit that isn't there.

 

[Bryank75]

Wow...right on fucking cue. It's as if by a miracle studios just turn to shit the minute MS get their hands on them.

I am not blaming MS here, I am just saying they seem to have terrible luck.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Wow...right on fucking cue. It's as if by a miracle studios just turn to shit the minute MS get their hands on them.

I am not blaming MS here, I am just saying they seem to have terrible luck.

This has been an ongoing issue long before MS even thought about buying them. Don't try to make this some asinine console war bullshit, mate.

 

[Bryank75]

This has been an ongoing issue long before MS even thought about buying them. Don't try to make this some asinine console war bullshit, mate.

Did I?

I just said MS have terrible luck and it's not on them....

Why are you offended?

 

[Esca]

I hope things workout for the better, they are one of my fav developers

 

[Dr. Claus]

Did I?

I just said MS have terrible luck and it's not on them....

Why are you offended?

"It's as if by a miracle studios just turn to shit the minute MS get their hands on them. "

This reads to me that you are suggesting the studio turned to shit the "minute MS get their hands on them". As if it is MS's fault that they turned to shit. However, this isn't the case as stated before as they have been having issues for a long while now. Not to mention Arkane was just a side thing as part of the Bethesda/Zenimax buyout.

Not offended at all, just tired at the inane console warring that folks have been pushing (such as MrFunSocks here).

 

[Bryank75]

"It's as if by a miracle studios just turn to shit the minute MS get their hands on them. "

This reads to me that you are suggesting the studio turned to shit the "minute MS get their hands on them". As if it is MS's fault that they turned to shit. However, this isn't the case as stated before as they have been having issues for a long while now. Not to mention Arkane was just a side thing as part of the Bethesda/Zenimax buyout.

Not offended at all, just tired at the inane console warring that folks have been pushing (such as MrFunSocks here).

I made sure to add the second sentence so it wasn't misconstrued as me blaming Microsoft.

Here is the sentence following: 'I am not blaming MS here, I am just saying they seem to have terrible luck.'

I was in fact empathizing with them, it is a lot of money to spend to inherit issues like that.

 

[Dr. Claus]

I made sure to add the second sentence so it wasn't misconstrued as me blaming Microsoft.

Here is the sentence following: 'I am not blaming MS here, I am just saying they seem to have terrible luck.'

I was in fact empathizing with them, it is a lot of money to spend to inherit issues like that.

Then my bad, mate.

 

[THEAP99]

For those that can't watch the video, we learn that the studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group).

That's a whole lot of cringe if I ever read it.

 

[Bryank75]

Then my bad, mate.

No problem.

 

[aries_71]

Hmmm. What a coincidence... MS buys the studio and this rumor magically appears by an unknown youtuber. I wouldn’t be surprised if similar rumors appear for each and every one of MS Zenimax studios.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Hmmm. What a coincidence... MS buys the studio and this rumor magically appears by an unknown youtuber. I wouldn’t be surprised if similar rumors appear for each and every one of MS Zenimax studios.

Sophia Narwitz isn't some unknown youtuber. She is a journalist who has been working in the industry for a number of years. Also she posted this before the buyout, if you spent even a second looking at the post date.

As for Arkane, there were rumors of regressive far-left types taking over for a couple years now.

 

[aries_71]

Sophia Narwitz isn't some unknown youtuber. She is a journalist who has been working in the industry for a number of years. Also she posted this before the buyout, if you spent even a second looking at the post date.

As for Arkane, there were rumors of regressive far-left types taking over for a couple years now.

Never heard of her, and I’ve been gaming sine the early 80. Must be well known at her home during lunchtime.

Regressive far-left types. How scary, that sound like a WW2 german armored division on the rampage.

 

[Piku_Ringo]

That would be the dream. I would buy a Series X immediately (instead of sometime in Jan/Feb as is my current plan) if they were to clean house with the regressive left now, but I sadly don't see that happening (at least not until a massive failure from the studio). At worst I think we will more likely see the good employees leaving Arkane to form their own studio.

Today, we are making commitments to address racial injustice and inequity for the Black and African American community in the United States. We will additionally take important steps to address the needs of other communities, including the Hispanic and Latinx community, across the company in the next five years. We are focused on three multiyear, sustained efforts:

• Increasing our representation and culture of inclusion. We will build on our diversity and inclusion (D&I) momentum from the past five years by adding an additional $150M of D&I investment, and will double the number of Black and African American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the United States by 2025.
• Engaging our ecosystem. We will use our balance sheet and engagement with suppliers and partners to extend the vision for societal change throughout our ecosystem, creating new opportunities for them and the communities they serve.
• Strengthening our communities. We will use the power of data, technology, and partnership to help improve the lives of Black and African American citizens across our country, including to address the safety and well-being of our own employees in the communities in which they live.

Addressing racial injustice - The Official Microsoft Blog

An email from CEO Satya Nadella to Microsoft employees: As I shared in our Employee Town Hall last month, and in my email earlier this month, we are committed to take action to help address racial injustice and inequity, and unequivocally believe that Black lives matter. Below you will see many...

blogs.microsoft.com

Now why would they get rid of those on the right side of history for?

 

[Oddvintagechap]

Corny concerns

 

[KingdomHeartsFan]

You hire these mentally unstable extremists and this is what's gonna happen.

I'm sure you would have posted this thread now even if MS didn't just buy the company that owns Arkane Studios, right?


I'm sure you would. You seem concerned.

Dude you shit up every thread with this crap. You go into every thread in full defense mode about your precious Xbox.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Never heard of her, and I’ve been gaming sine the early 80. Must be well known at her home during lunchtime.

Regressive far-left types. How scary, that sound like a WW2 german armored division on the rampage.

Perfect example of a person who lives in an echo chamber.

 

[Dr Bass]

Suspect af. Anytime I see someone mention far-left politics, I'm already suspicious. WTF is far-left politics anyway? Far-right is racist shit. What exactly is far-left? Is there militant tolerance?

Also, when you're concerned about people digging through your follows, it means you're probably on some questionable shit.
(a) Your social media should be private, in the first place. This is like corporate workplace 101.
(b) If there's anything in your social webs that you think would get you cancelled, then you're on some questionable shit, and need to see (a).
(c) If HR, aka CYA Incorporated, is on the side of any particular group, you're probably doing some questionable shit, and definitely need to see (a).

HR covers its ass at every turn, unless you have the worst HR department in the world. They're usually only interested in not causing lawsuits. Some of the word choices in the description just make it sound like some dicks want sympathy for being asked to conform. No one likes change, but it's part of being a grown-up. I doubt anything changes about a game that already has a black guy as the main lead, and a black/latinx woman as the main antagonist. The game seems pretty progressive already. What exactly could be more left than that?

Despite what you may believe racism has nothing to do with far right or left necessarily. Far left is authoritarianism. Facism. Socialism. Communism. Basically control over a populace. Too the furthest right is anarchy. Total freedom. A republic is a bit to the left of that which is how we live in the US.

The fact you don’t understand what “far left” means just shows how entrenched in normalcy it’s trying to be made these days. And the fact you see being on the “right” as racist is just another sign of that.

 

[CitizenX]

Fck me, probably one of the few devs I consider God tier and now they are worried about bending the knee. Here's some real life talk Mfers, get a life, worry about yourself and your family.

 

[CitizenX]

No problem.

the, what, 10%?

 

[semicool]

Remember when the Agenda of making games was making fun games and earn money in so doing?....sigh


Plea to all SJWs ....if you want to work in the entertainment industry, stick to filmmaking, theatre etc....and stay away from videogames.

 

[CitizenX]

Remember when the Agenda of making games was making fun games and earn money in so doing?....sigh


Plea to all SJWs ....if you want to work in the entertainment industry, stick to filmmaking, theatre etc....and stay away from videogames.

They are actually nothing but a disease at this point. If it's hired you as a corp. or simply an employee with an open mindset of life, freedom and choice you are fucked.

Actually you are only fucked if you cower like the entire planet or you stand up and tell them to fuck off.

 

[worldwithpyramids]

I imagine Raphael Colantonio was a huge reason for Arkane’s success.

 

[SF Kosmo]

Zenimax leadership is pretty trash in general. I do think it's pretty hard to justify immersive sims commercially, with the underperformance of games like Prey, Thief Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Dishonored 2 (to say nothing of also-rans like Underworld Ascendant), but live service games are probably not the right direction.

Cyberpunk seems to draw from immersive sims as well as RPGs, I wonder if that will pave the way for more of that kind of game to come back

 

[HE1NZ]

Plea to all SJWs ....if you want to work in the entertainment industry, stick to filmmaking, theatre etc....and stay away from videogames.

It's not how it works. Their whole purpose is to corrupt industries and institutions. Filmmaking and theatre are completely taken over already. Videogames however proved difficult target to subvert. Seems like they stopped trying to attack the industry through gaming media (backlash was too strong and youtubers just took over) and are now infiltrating big publishers instead.

 

[aries_71]

Perfect example of a person who lives in an echo chamber.

While you are a perfect example of a person who spouts yellow journalism, trying to feed hits on a video that does nothing but speculate on a few rumors, and warning us of the dangers of these so called regressive far left types. Your agenda stinks.