This fetishized in-game ad from Cyberpunk 2077 raises some questions about how the game may depict LGBT (NSFW) [See Staff Post Before Posting]

[Gestault]

So now they've clarified and people still won't accept the artist's answer?

That needs to be threadmarked.

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I agree that the response should be threadmarked or added to the OP, but it's a bit much to imply people are being unreasonable if they end up disagreeing with that rationale, or see issues in the final execution. And to be frank, there's been an issue with honesty/sincerity in a handful of statements out of the studio, so some scrutiny is warranted.

That said, I definitely appreciate having the explanation.

 

[Deleted member 888]

Hey, at this point it's all speculation. Though if the developer explanation that was just posted in this thread is any indication, it's likely intended to be a long-reaching jab at companies pretending to be woke for brownie points.

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I didn't get that from the response, more it's the continued evolution of advertising using what is deemed as sexually exciting or in demand of those times. If you look back at marketing to earlier eras, what was a "sexy ad" then, probably looks tame as fuck compared to what we see these days.

I mean you go back far enough and both women and men would have what resembles clothing, but nowadays you have aftershave ads where men prance about topless or there was even one in the UK with an arse on show. During daytime TV.

Or things like this



But maybe 50~60 years ago our time, and just having knees or thighs flashing for a second was the sexually stimulating ad of those times.

So you take that to the Cyberpunk world where modifications are the norm and sexuality is far more varied and less restrictive to "man/woman", and you presumably get corporations doing sexual ads that reflect that.

 

[Suicide King]

Go out of her way?

People took the image out of context. Or actually without any context

Polygon then had to specifically go out and ask about it to get some context

Artist provides context.

It's almost like people were jumping the gun

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The context is that CDPR has repeatedly been shitty about social issues. Not only transphobic, but as in the recent hands-on, racist as well.

The artist's word is not canon to its interpretation.

Ha, nice dodge and also bollocks, they are engaging in public relations certainly but that doesnt make them a "PR person" as the clear implication and connotation of the phrase "PR person" is that its someones job, not a process they are currently engaging in. Why not just own up to the fact that you made a stupid mistake? It would have to be less embarrassing than linguistic gymnastics.

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It was just a joke because that person had to justify the game's marketing.

To use your anology, the "book" isn't out yet and we're all doing a close read of a paragraph. Hopefully the finished text works like she claims to have intended, we'll have to wait and see. For now at least, the designers explanation gives a plausible context for the ad and how it fits into the themes of the work. I hope the finished game turns out to be the nuanced interrogation of corporate greed that she claims -- I don't think we've seen enough at this point to really know either way yet. People certainly have cause to be a little suspicious.

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Or, in a better case, doing a close read of a paragraph of a book written by a known transphobe. Maybe the full book isn't transphobic, but that doesn't change the expectation I have of what it will contain.

 

[Alienous]

I'm trying to, but I don't see how this one can offend someone. It's just a sexualized ad in the in-game universe. The PR statement makes sense as well.

It's not making fun of or degrading trans people at all.

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If a game lacked any positive representation of black people, and the studio had tweeted out a joke a year before that was widely perceived to be mocking a struggle within the black community, then an in-universe advertisement showed up with the image of black character selling a product with the slogan "Unleash your inner beast" would you assume the most favourable & innucous interpretation of that last part? I wouldn't.

So I can understand the reaction to this image.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

As CDPR has responded to the controversy, a new thread has been created based on their response. The guidelines for this topic have been posted and apply there as well: https://www.resetera.com/threads/po...k-2077-read-staff-post-before-posting.122807/