Game Science is reportedly banning content creators who want Black Myth: Wukong codes from discussing certain topics, including "feminist propaganda".
Black Myth: Wukong developer Game Science is reportedly trying to ban content creators from discussing certain topics in exchange for game codes.
In a leaked document, which at least one content creator has publicly stated they received from Game Science, there is a “do’s and dont’s” section, telling those who receive a code what they cannot discuss in their content. Here, the document informs those with Black Myth: Wukong codes that they cannot include “politics” and “feminist propaganda” in their coverage of the game, among other topics.
“GLHF has confirmed that the “Do’s & Don’ts” document was sent to Reinier and at least one other content creator by Hero Games, a developer and publisher that co-published Black Myth: Wukong according to a LinkedIn post from the company. Hero Games is also a major shareholder in developer GameScience, and as of a 2021 press release was the largest external shareholder of the company.
Reinier sent GLHF a copy of the email sent to content creators and we can confirm that it was sent from a company email address associated with Hero Games. The email signature also contained a Discord username, and the account associated with the sender is listed as a Hero Games employee on their profile in the official Black Myth: Wukong Discord server.”
Others have already pointed out important things about what the dev has said; I would like to add that the book the game is based on has a number of female characters which are simply not in the game.
I was just going to write “China’s gonna China”, but then I remember this particular studio goes a little further than that:
In one instance, a lead is said to have written that men and women play different games because of “biological conditions”, following up his comment by writing: “Fck sissies, fck tragic love stories, fuck moon-lit peach blossoms and flute-playing scholars! […] Some things are just for men, their depression, their anger, their pain…”.
The studio is also said to have shared job recruitment posters that boasted “friends with benefits” as a job perk. Another was reported to have read, “Fatties should f*ck off.”
Except he’s not saying people have different tastes. He’s saying genders have different tastes, of which only that gender can enjoy and they should enjoy them. He’s saying the opposite of what you’re implying it says.
Fuck China, but I really don’t see how this is specific to them. Lets not pretend this shit couldn’t happen (and is happening) pretty much anywhere else on the planet.
But what I’m thinking is that they don’t really have much leverage, I don’t know who is expecting this studio to put out more than this one anticipated game before returning to relative obscurity. At most they can provide a shorter demo and deny the full game codes to reviewers that didn’t obey.
I only go by steam reviews and gameplay videos/demos, if the games aren’t recommended by someone I know personally.
Game journalism has always been essentially marketing, the publications are way too tied to the industry and way too dependent on advertising from the same companies and products they’re supposed to be criticising, hence why big titles that get less than an 8 are equivalent to normal games getting a 2 or a 3.
Good games will rise to the top organically, some might get lost in the shuffle but it won’t be the perennially 2 weeks late big budget crap apologists at whatever game “”“news”“” publication you care to name to fix that.
You must be reading weird reviews then. Probably too deep into the influencer-bubble, which granted with the proliferation of video reviews and the way algorithms work on Youtube and so on is sadly rather comment.
I would quarantine that game in my review bucket based on it’s isolation of specific trigger words such as ‘COVID-19’. I’d rather talk about Winnie the Pooh, tbh.
Why did they forbid talking about stuff that isn’t about the game? Why do they need to talk about this stuff?
The game studio brought this up, not the reviewers. The reviewers are just pointing out that the devs are clearly woke obsessed piss babies that can’t not talk about politics, even when it doesn’t have anything to do with their game.
Why do they feel the need to forbid that speech if it isn’t related to the game. If the content of the game inspires people to discuss such issues then they should be allowed to discuss them. If it’s extremely misogynistic, they should be allowed to point that out.
If the same document forbade reviewers from talking about, say, white replacement (which I don’t personally believe btw, just trying to hold up a mirror, here), I’m sure you wouldn’t be crying censorship.
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This is fake.
https://x.com/JordanMiddler/status/1824864368342753719
EDIT: Seemingly different guidelines for reviewers and “influencers”? I’ll wait for the dust to settle on this one.
It’s not.
https://x.com/paultassi/status/1825193786273681489?s=46&t=EUtgwMByNj4sQbVP9INV-Q
Ah yes, the undeniable proof that is a man’s word and a screenshot of a bullet points list without any context.
“GLHF has confirmed that the “Do’s & Don’ts” document was sent to Reinier and at least one other content creator by Hero Games, a developer and publisher that co-published Black Myth: Wukong according to a LinkedIn post from the company. Hero Games is also a major shareholder in developer GameScience, and as of a 2021 press release was the largest external shareholder of the company.
Reinier sent GLHF a copy of the email sent to content creators and we can confirm that it was sent from a company email address associated with Hero Games. The email signature also contained a Discord username, and the account associated with the sender is listed as a Hero Games employee on their profile in the official Black Myth: Wukong Discord server.”
Source
Here’s the Forbes article: The Black Myth: Wukong ‘No Feminist Propaganda, No COVID-19 Discussion’ Email Is Real
Others have already pointed out important things about what the dev has said; I would like to add that the book the game is based on has a number of female characters which are simply not in the game.
The guy who sent this was apparently using a gmail domain, not Game Science domain, this might be fake.
The article itself says that they never received any such requirements.
And valid game keys so…
I was just going to write “China’s gonna China”, but then I remember this particular studio goes a little further than that:
Charming.
deleted by creator
Except he’s not saying people have different tastes. He’s saying genders have different tastes, of which only that gender can enjoy and they should enjoy them. He’s saying the opposite of what you’re implying it says.
So a 4chan edgelord is somehow running part of a company. Lovely…
I wasn’t aware that only men have depression, anger and pain. 🤔
Lots of bigoted edgelords have lots of management positions… they just aren’t actually on 4chan.
Glad I never intended to give money to these assholes.
With that attitude I won’t even pirate it
Fuck China, but I really don’t see how this is specific to them. Lets not pretend this shit couldn’t happen (and is happening) pretty much anywhere else on the planet.
I mean, you can just ask for suicide watch straight up, instead of veiling it like that?
Red flag.
Not for most of the Dark Souls crowd.
But what I’m thinking is that they don’t really have much leverage, I don’t know who is expecting this studio to put out more than this one anticipated game before returning to relative obscurity. At most they can provide a shorter demo and deny the full game codes to reviewers that didn’t obey.
Seems reasonable. They are to review the game so the player know what’s the game like.
You are confusing “review” with “advertise”.
That’s all mainstream reviews have been for AAA games for the last decade+ anyway.
What all obedient reviews have been, yes. And those are the reviews you’ve been seeking out and watching.
LMAO way to assume shit about me.
I only go by steam reviews and gameplay videos/demos, if the games aren’t recommended by someone I know personally.
Game journalism has always been essentially marketing, the publications are way too tied to the industry and way too dependent on advertising from the same companies and products they’re supposed to be criticising, hence why big titles that get less than an 8 are equivalent to normal games getting a 2 or a 3.
Good games will rise to the top organically, some might get lost in the shuffle but it won’t be the perennially 2 weeks late big budget crap apologists at whatever game “”“news”“” publication you care to name to fix that.
You must be reading weird reviews then. Probably too deep into the influencer-bubble, which granted with the proliferation of video reviews and the way algorithms work on Youtube and so on is sadly rather comment.
I would quarantine that game in my review bucket based on it’s isolation of specific trigger words such as ‘COVID-19’. I’d rather talk about Winnie the Pooh, tbh.
Straight up saying not to say anything that paints the game negatively or might piss someone off; that’s not telling people what the game is like.
So just really worried about right-wing cancle culture?
Oh no! You can’t talk about politics. When talking about the game. Who haves nothing do to with politics.
Good to know you like censorship.
Why you need to talk about that stuff. If the game about is not about that stuff?
Why did they forbid talking about stuff that isn’t about the game? Why do they need to talk about this stuff?
The game studio brought this up, not the reviewers. The reviewers are just pointing out that the devs are clearly woke obsessed piss babies that can’t not talk about politics, even when it doesn’t have anything to do with their game.
Because I am a believer in death of the author. That means that a developer doesn’t get to decide what their game is or isn’t about.
A dev could have put in a theme unintentionally. Does that mean you are not allowed to talk about it?
Why do they get to decide what a work of art means to me?
Forbidding people to talk about politics is inherently political, and therefore hypocritical.
Good to know you like censorship.
Why do they feel the need to forbid that speech if it isn’t related to the game. If the content of the game inspires people to discuss such issues then they should be allowed to discuss them. If it’s extremely misogynistic, they should be allowed to point that out.
If the same document forbade reviewers from talking about, say, white replacement (which I don’t personally believe btw, just trying to hold up a mirror, here), I’m sure you wouldn’t be crying censorship.
That’s a really stupid hypothetical because why would a Chinese company give the first shit about “white replacement”?
And the devil has enough advocates.