Lords of the Fallen publisher CI Games confirmed it would not “embed social or political agendas” in its games due to the “high risk it can present”.
According to Strefa Inwestorów (thanks, PC Gamer), global marketing director Ryan Hill told investors the studio would focus on “excellent user experience with compelling thematics and characters created specifically for core and adjacent audiences” following perceptions “a number of high profile releases underperform[ed] commercially during the last year” due to what he believed to be “social or political agendas.”
“We remain committed to producing player-first video games that prioritise an excellent user experience with compelling themes and characters created specifically for core and adjacent audiences,” Hill said when asked for the studio’s position on “DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion - more commonly known as EDI in the UK] in gaming”.
"While some video games have recently taken the opportunity to embed social or political agendas within their experiences, it is clear that many players do not appreciate this, and as a result, we have seen a number of high profile releases underperforming commercially during the last year alone.
“Our games will always be developed to maximise player enjoyment and commercial success, and as such, we will not be integrating any social or political agencies into these experiences going forward having observed the high risk this can present.”
Hill did not expand on his definition of “social or political agencies”, nor defined what “high risk” meant to him and studio leadership. He also didn’t exemplify what games he considered had “underperformed commercially” or, indeed, clarify what commercial success looked like to him.
CI Games declined to comment further on Hill’s statement to investors.
The action-RPG is currently sitting on a “mixed” Steam user score, and received just two stars in Eurogamer’s Lords of the Fallen review. A sequel is currently in development.
What are your thoughts on this?
Gender-neutral protagonist: “social agenda”
Toxic masculinity: “default assumption. least offensive. go with that”Sorry to inflict this upon you, but in case anybody wants to see how the degenerates view the world of gaming: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44927664-Woke-Content-Detector/
I fuckin can’t…
Like you honestly might as well not play any video games except for that batshit Remember The Alamo “game” someone made.
lol they have Avowed on there listed as do not recommend because you can pick pronouns. The game isn’t even out yet. It takes 30 seconds to make your character cis at which point you never have to think about it again. Fucking losers
Buncha fuckin snowflakes
Jesus Christ they literally have a group looking for this stuff ahahahaha
This is how the “center” shifts to be “sustainably fascist”.
More thoughts: if you take a stance like this then you are basically conceding that video games are basically just time-wasting, masturbatory drivel. Personally, I believe games can and should strive to be art. Art has meaning, message, and expression. It’s intrinsically political because it’s intrinsically human.
So keep buying CI games if you think art is stupid, games are stupid, and you just want to be stupid with them.
More thoughts: if you take a stance like this then you are basically conceding that video games are basically just time-wasting, masturbatory drivel
When you phrase it like this i actually support the developer then. Grow up and read a book lol
No u
It seems pretty straightforward, if oddly worded and morally/ethically ignorant/bankrupt.
Investors care about return on investment, and he’s reassuring them that the studio is not going to take any risks that may impact that. It’s not in his best interests to be more specific than that.
He was also asked a very leading question about the studio’s opinion on DEI, which (unfortunately and ridiculously) is a contreversial topic right now. He’s telling the money faucets what they want to hear, while confirming for anyone who cares to listen that they are a profits first studio.
“We don’t care about anything besides making a product that pleases our customers and makes you a lot of money. Next question please, before I have to say anything that could jeapordize our cash flow!”
I promise all my games will always have social commentary and/or political messaging.
