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Are there any developers/publishers you boycott?
- Thread starter Alchemist_Zero
- Start date
Honest question since he's been mentioned a bunch here: do people really feel that Phil Fish is still deserving of a boycott? His drama is from before I started paying attention to the gaming world, but I thought it was basically just some dumb stuff said offhandedly rather than him genuinely being some hateful asshole. I heard a recent interview with him on the My Perfect Console podcast and thought he came across as a perfectly nice, well-adjusted person.
- Ubisoft, because of their management bullshit plus forcing Denuvo on literally everything.
- Hoyoverse, since the Natlan reveal shitstorm. Was a 'dolphin' on GI, now I'm permanently a full F2P leecher + don't talk about their games online anymore. This way they'll get no engagement from me, since they want F2Ps because those are the ones who help drive online discussion the most.
- Every game using Denuvo is also an automatic no buy from me. Kindly stick your draconian DRM where the sun don't shine, and thank you very much.
- And anyone who doesn't practice regional pricing, and as a result want completely ridiculous amounts of money in BRL for their games (Square/Koei/Bandai/Atlus).
I don't buy games from Ubisoft, Blizzard and Quantic Dream and it's mostly due to the right reasons, but they also haven't done a lot I've been interested in lately.
Ubisoft's Prince of Persia Metroidvania caught my eye but couldn't bring myself to give money to them.
Ubisoft's Prince of Persia Metroidvania caught my eye but couldn't bring myself to give money to them.
Hmm, the problem is that the USSR included Ukraine, Russia, and other republics, so a lot is intertwined with Ukraine (including the general secretaries). For example, in the USSR, people used to say that all the beautiful women were from Ukraine, and so on.
What Ukrainians might have found offensive probably wasn't intended that way. The game was developed before the war started (though, of course, Ukrainians will say the war began for them in 2014, and they're right, but for most people, it started in 2022). As for the offense, what comes to mind is the robot with a braided hairstyle, which was likely taken as a reference to Tymoshenko (former prime minister of Ukraine). But in the USSR, a braided hairstyle was often associated with Ukrainian women = cute women . Even now, if someone says "a girl with a braid," I picture a Ukrainian woman.
As for funding from Russia, unfortunately, I can't say for sure, but I can assume that it existed before 2022 when it wasn't considered toxic.
In general, I'm saying that we shouldn't look at the situation from just one perspective - we need to listen to everyone's side.
The only justified criticism is the excessive sexualization, even over the top. There's a robot assistant in the game named Nora, who makes very (and I mean very) inappropriate jokes.
Thanks, I hope so too.
I don't believe boycots work without organisation so not really. The only one close to it is Ubisoft but that's just because the creepy shit is stuck in my head. I would have bought the new Prince of Persia day one if not for that and I'm still waiting for it to go down to a price I'm comfortable with.
Thanks a ton, really, for this information. I hadn't even been particularly interested in the game, but just speaking more generally as regards the situation(s), irrespective of the game, the bits about the timeline, the PM, the braids—I honestly wouldn't have known otherwise. I appreciate your perspective.
I'm just not educated enough on this stuff, and I need to at least attempt to remedy that; knowing that I'm essentially ignorant of much beyond the broad outline isn't a great thing.
There's plenty of developers, publishers and franchises I choose not to support but I'd hardly call it a boycott. There's also some that are on the shit list but I never had any interest in their games to begin with so it doesn't count for much. Blizzard hit the shit list for fucking with the eSports player from Hong Kong in 2019, but I've literally never played or been interested in a Blizzard game so it's pretty easy to continue not being interested.
I've only ever wrote off one thing completely in my life and that's lostprophets after what Ian Watkins did. I've always felt bad for the rest of the band but I can't stomach listening to that monster. Games tend to be further removed from their creators that it often doesn't enter into my mind on who they are as people.
Nothing I'd call a boycott, but some where I was leaning pass and someone or something attached was enough for that be the case, probably wouldn't have got them either way though, so not really a boycott.
Also just a general I won't buy any game with any sort of gambling that is tied to real money (loot boxes/Gachas/sports or just actual gambling), don't need that shit in my life, don't even really watch any sports anymore as shit is impossible to watch without getting roughly 7 million gambling ads.
Also just a general I won't buy any game with any sort of gambling that is tied to real money (loot boxes/Gachas/sports or just actual gambling), don't need that shit in my life, don't even really watch any sports anymore as shit is impossible to watch without getting roughly 7 million gambling ads.
I'm so confused on what makes a sad dad story bigoted. Is it that you have examples of them being bigoted?
At the time I was playing KoL. I found out about that, felt horrified and quit.
I sent a pm to a mod here on resetera, they said they'd deal with it. I thought they'd create a thread with a PSA or something but nothing came out of that, so I moved on.
Last year I was weak and got back to KoL, but the game is so greedy and fomo now that I decided not to go back again. I haven't even thought about the game until now.
This. I assume every human is horrible in a way or another. I dealt with it long time ago.
Ubisoft
CD Projekt
Game Science
Avalanche Software
But that's basically meaningless, because none of those companies create games I am interested in in the first place.
CD Projekt
Game Science
Avalanche Software
But that's basically meaningless, because none of those companies create games I am interested in in the first place.
Yeah, there are. Anything by Hidetaka Suehiro is a no-go for me. I've never liked any of his games, and D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die was one of the worst gaming experiences I've ever had.
Another one is Level-5. I thought they had potential, but they were one disappointment after another. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright was the final straw for me. I haven't bought anything from them ever since, and I never will—even if it turns out to be good (which I highly doubt).
And of course, EA because it's EA. (I absolutely hate them for killing Mirror's Edge).
Another one is Level-5. I thought they had potential, but they were one disappointment after another. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright was the final straw for me. I haven't bought anything from them ever since, and I never will—even if it turns out to be good (which I highly doubt).
And of course, EA because it's EA. (I absolutely hate them for killing Mirror's Edge).
I primarily gamed on PS from 2001-2018, but their "business decisions" during the PS4 generation soured me on them big time. I still love a lot of their games and will buy them occasionally on PC, but I have moved out their ecosystem and have no intention of going back.
I'm not gonna buy from obvious shitheads like the Black Myth devs. But I don't find boycotting huge publishers as an aggregate very meaningful. Like, I'm gonna refuse to buy a Double Fine game to "teach MS a lesson" about closing down Tango? Pretty sure that's not gonna have the effect we're all hoping for.
I feel like we're seriously watering down the definition of boycott if people are just listing games they're not interested in or don't like because of a previous bad entry. As oppose to "this is something I want / need, but am not getting / using to take a stand". Same for just buying used, I mean, do you, but don't make it seem like it's more than it actually is.
What's your definition of bigoted exactly?
Idk, not really. Not in a way that I'd define as a hard "boycott". I've not bought games made in part by certain people that I'd otherwise be interested in. Or just been soured on a dev and avoided them for a while. But I don't maintain a set list of major developers or publishers that I boycott completely.
I feel it happens often with indie devs where I'll see a thread about a game or hear about a game that seems cool, then learn than one or more of the people on the team that made it are pieces of shit, so then I'll just decide not to buy that game and I never hear of the developer again. So I couldn't even remember the names now if I tried.
I feel it happens often with indie devs where I'll see a thread about a game or hear about a game that seems cool, then learn than one or more of the people on the team that made it are pieces of shit, so then I'll just decide not to buy that game and I never hear of the developer again. So I couldn't even remember the names now if I tried.
The Western game industry has too many white guys. Fine, that problem can be solved over time (with a tremendous amount of work) but meanwhile, most big cinematic games that carry a lot of prestige have white, usually male, main characters.
Now you could say that they simply are stuck with showing the perspective that they have experience or you could assume that it's a colonizer mindset rushing to stake territory by making the hero characters that kids grow up with look like themselves. As far as specific examples that come to mind, Mass Effect (default character), Halo, TLOU, God of War, and maybe you could argue Witcher 3 although the last one has a bit of an asterisk due to the whole mutant element.
The fucked thing is I like most of those games but now I can see that they all suffered from probably being a self-insert for the people working on it. I can understand when a game has to go with a particular ethnicity or gender due to its setting, such as Yakuza games or Red Dead Redemption, but the examples I gave all take place in settings where there would be no reason to assume that it has to be a white person taking the lead.
It's true for most new IPs. Occasionally, a game series will start to incorporate diversity over time in the sequels but it's extremely rare for the first game in a AAA series to have a main character that isn't white.
I mean, if you want, I can probably list dozens of games but I feel like that's just trollish. If you disagree with any part of this at all, feel free to argue.
I boycott nearly all publishers
By buying these games from these companies we're probably screwing ourselves over and contributing to a widening wealth gap.
By buying these games from these companies we're probably screwing ourselves over and contributing to a widening wealth gap.
I refuse to buy anymore Wizarding World stuff because JK Rowling has been doing tangible harm with her bigotry. I can tell from sales and my own friendlists on gaming services that I don't seem to be helping but I'm going to continue with this one. JK's behavior has been so awful that I legit can't summon my positive past memories of Wizarding World stuff anymore—it's just legit ruined for me now. Lady has straight up been acting like a misogynist because her transphobia has gotten that severe and awful—it isn't getting any better; it's just getting worse.
That's the only standing one, though. And I think that one is for life. I personally can't separate the art and the artist anymore with WW, no matter how much the art suggests very different things than its artist.
That's the only standing one, though. And I think that one is for life. I personally can't separate the art and the artist anymore with WW, no matter how much the art suggests very different things than its artist.
Specific developers/publishers? No. Even when there's been some very low points, the video game industry pales in comparison to the heinous shit that other corporations commit on a daily basis.
I think I mentioned this in another thread a while ago, but I also quit all things Blizzard after the Hong Kong fiasco in 2019. I generally tend to stay away from the big publishers (EA, Ubisoft, Activision) as well, but not for any particular reason. Definitely going to stay away from the Stellar Blade and Black Myth devs given everything I've read about them. And I tend to be wary about companies based in Russia and China.
User Banned (Permanent): Sinophobia commentary on new account
I dont wanna play any chinese game. In fact I try to support China as little as I can.
It's really too hard to target simply hurting the bad actors while allowing to good actors to continue to make a living for their families and loved ones. Games are just made by so many people.
In general though I am fairly selective of what I purchase.
In general though I am fairly selective of what I purchase.
all the time! those greedy indie devs have had it too good for too long
I would never boycott EA or Ubisoft, their hearts are really in it
I would never boycott EA or Ubisoft, their hearts are really in it
with the reports of crunch culture, i just didn't feel like i wanted to play rockstar games for a while. i skipped both gta 5 and rdr 2. but after more recent news about an improving situation there, i feel like i would be able to support gta 6, and i even bought gta 5 on a huge discount to play in the meantime, though with how many incredible games are releasing these days, who knows when i'll have time to play it
Hoyo has landed on my shitlist with Natlan. Always knew they were allergic to melanin, but the fact they went out of their way to steal so heavily from culture without giving any representation just made me want to never give them money, playtime or views ever again. Was shown a TikTok of a black choir recording music for Natlan the other day and boy did that just reaffirm me in my decision.
Not really. There are developers that I don't have much respect for, and that would play a role in me making a decision to buy or not to buy a game.
But if they release a really really good game that I'm interested in, I'd probably still buy it…
But if they release a really really good game that I'm interested in, I'd probably still buy it…
Pretty much anything by Katsura Hashino, given the homophobic/transphobic content suspiciously present in every game he helms.
You still haven't explained why a sad dad is bigoted but a happy one isn't.
I think people's problem with MS is mostly that they bought Activision and then closed a bunch of smaller game studios not too long ago, including Tango Gameworks, which had made itself pretty popular with Hi-Fi Rush last year, and the fact that they had pitched a sequel shortly before the studio closed doesn't help either.
It's not really a boycott but an accumulation of lots of things. I suspended any further investment in Microsoft Xbox ecosystem.
Not really. I have to actually be interested in the games to begin with.
There are games that I only play on Sub or buy used because of the shitty devs, but that's about it.
There are games that I only play on Sub or buy used because of the shitty devs, but that's about it.