-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Tim Sweeney (Epic Games): Companies should divorce from politics, Android is a fake open system, iOS is worse, "respect Gamer rights and freedoms"
- Thread starter Chairmanchuck (另一个我)
- Start date
US Gamer seems to have a complete picture of the keynote.
Epic's Tim Sweeney Says Game Companies Need to "Divorce" Themselves From Politics [Update]
Update [5:46 p.m. ET]: Sweeney took to Twitter to expand on his talk at DICE Summit 2020. "If a game tackles politics, …
www.usgamer.net
They could only buy the ongoing game award against XIV after all
Your direct quote does not contradict the paraphrase. Meaning both statements are likely true. He thinks politics shouldn't be dragged into gaming " "there's no reason to drag divisive topics...into gaming at all." " But then clarifies that hes referring to gaming companies and that creators should include whatever politics in their games they wish too. " Sweeney said that marketing departments can stay out of politics, but the creative people should be free to say what they want to say. "
These statements are not contradictory.
If Chik fil a had just been a fast food place and nothing else, Didn't promote homophobia, didn't donate to anti-LGBT causes etc Liberals/Leftists would still eat at chik fil a. But Chik fil a had to be *shit* and do those things and get involved in things that aren't just making chicken. Sweeny is saying that game companies themselves just need to be game companies, Let video game developers make whatever stories and politics they want to make.
FFXIV would have won if it was apolitical.
/s
Edit: In case someone was curious FFXIV has quite a lot of politics in it. At it's peak during Stormblood which is drenched in it.
Last edited:
Both statements are true. He started out saying marketing departements should stay out of politics, but then expanded that to say that there's no reason to drag politics into gaming at all.
so you tell me if his definitive statement in the end still allows his previous statement to be true, because it doesn't.
It's all too easy to conclude that we live in a just and fair meritocracy when you've been overwhelmingly rewarded for your contributions. It takes a whole different skill set to recognize how systemic bias works against people who don't share your own lived experience.
An artistic medium entirely divorced from politics is still making a political statement because that subject affects everything.
When people like this say "don't bring politics into gaming" they don't mean "game devs shouldn't put lgbt/economic/social politics into gaming" because that would be against their capital interests, what they're really saying is "don't criticize us when game studios/game devs/gamers are being bigots/intolerant/racist/homophobic/anti-human rights". The keywords there are "don't criticize us", because that's what really hurts them financially.
Tim knows that difference. I sincerely doubt he's advocating for the former argument, as probably Fortnite uses politics to sell items all the time.
Tim knows that difference. I sincerely doubt he's advocating for the former argument, as probably Fortnite uses politics to sell items all the time.
Last edited:
I don't agree with his execution but I agree with the sentiment. I don't always want politics in all my gaming or entertainment. We live that shit all day every day everywhere. Sometimes I just want to escape from it all for a few hours. I don't want mine or anyone else's political views forced on people that are just looking to blow off some steam after a long hard day.
I'm not saying politics should be completely excluded from gaming or other forms of entertainment. If someone wants to make something with a specific political message or point of view that's fine. More power to you. But there's nothing wrong with wanting some apolitical fun.
I'm not saying politics should be completely excluded from gaming or other forms of entertainment. If someone wants to make something with a specific political message or point of view that's fine. More power to you. But there's nothing wrong with wanting some apolitical fun.
And what you consider apolitical is political to others.
So who gets to decide what?
Last edited:
To me being apolitical IS a political statement, and not one I agree with.
It is absolutely crystal clear what he said and thank you for comprehending it. I don't why others are trying to equivocate on his behalf.
First Cliffy and now this guy. Man, the majority will really go the distance to throw minorities under the bus to promote the status quo and establish some semblance of "unity" so that they can make a buck from the largest number of potential clients.
He seems like the type of person who'd scream that games are getting to "PC!!!!" and "it's forced diversity!!!!" by having a gay character in them
I don't remember that controversy quite the same way, but that's not really relevant to the main points I was making about the dissonant stance of everything being political.
A CEO doesn't want consumers to view their purchasing decisions through a political lens? Well I never.
Exactly.
Some people say that a woman protagonist is political (see Gears 5 trailer comments, or TLOU 2).
Tim is one fucking idiot
politics in games is divorced as it is in film and music ie it's in everything and you can't take it out at all,
"GAMER RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS", worst buzzword this decade already
That fucking quote from him about Chick-Fil-A is some alt right bullshit that Fox News spews on shitheads like Tucker and Hannity does
politics in games is divorced as it is in film and music ie it's in everything and you can't take it out at all,
"GAMER RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS", worst buzzword this decade already
That fucking quote from him about Chick-Fil-A is some alt right bullshit that Fox News spews on shitheads like Tucker and Hannity does
While I honestly can't say for sure about anything since I'm only reading paraphrases from reporters interpretations and not his own words, I will say I'll concede this.
Reading up on some other opinions of his, I wouldn't be surprised if he *was* advocating to take politics out of games. But I guess thats just not clear to me as of right now.
I won't be able to figure out the whole story until I get home, but Tim just tweeted this. Does this change contradict what he said at the conference or anything?
But doesn't make any sense.
"The game can be political, but you cant use those political points in marketing"
its trying to have your cake and eat it too
Politics is every, whether people like it or not. I tend to stay away for reasons I'd rather not get into but to think games can divorce themselves from that is ridiculous. That being said I completely agree with his Android take it's a lot less open than people generally think.
It involved gay marriage - as in, should this minority group has the same rights as everyone - but it also involved Chic-Fil-A's founder donating to a group that supports conversion therapy.
Ultimately, if you feel like laser-focusing on the specific topic of "is everything actually political though" when this thread involves a dismissal of issues revolving around the very existence and basic human rights of a minority groups, it kind of makes me wonder if you aren't missing the forest for the trees here. As politics as being discussed here, the state of being apolitical is just a reframing of the silencing of minorities.
Man, I was really enjoying the little bit of time there where Tim wasn't doing or saying something so unbelievably stupid.
All good things must come to an end, I guess.
This, on the other hand...
...shows why Cory is still so adored.
All good things must come to an end, I guess.
This, on the other hand...
...shows why Cory is still so adored.
He's just doing the usual "But why is he gay/black?" thing where political subjects or diverse figures need to "justify" themselves and are only ever seen as cynical brands going woke for money that a lot of these guys do.
It's never good enough, it's always a ploy, a cash grab, a virtue signal.
I came to the conclusion a long time ago that for anyone who says shit like this, it's safe to assume that they hold the most nefarious of beliefs.