Culture Wars General - KiA Diet Coke Edition

[Dom Cruise]

I remember back in the nineties a female player sent a letter into CVG complaining about something. They titled it "Time Of The Month".

In 2003 a female reader sent an angry letter to Official US Playstation Magazine complaining about sexualized images of women and even went as far as to cut out these images from the magazine and mailing them (and it stupidly included stuff like images from the movie Blue Crush from the DVD review section, because OPM was totally responsible for making that movie)

OPM shrugged it off as "you'd think women were a big part of the video game industry or something" ie not getting that the reader was upset over the females being sexy, because "sexy is bad" was such an alien concept to most people in the 2000s, which was all about sex, sex, sex.

But it proves that there were people like that out there even back then, just seething over sexy women in video games, they just didn't have the power that they do now pre-social media.

 

[Gutpuke]

That reminds of something funny I found in scans of an issue of PSM from 2006.

View attachment 1515665

Homophobia and a cartoon about beating up a game dev (Can't help but imagine Druckmann), gaming culture used to be so wonderfully edgy, it's really depressing how pussified it's become.

But the thing is back then there was an issue with cynicism, you talk about the Skyrim era in 2011, well I remember around that time endless whining that every new Elder Scrolls was not as good as Morrowind.

Instead of people whining about problematic content it was whining about gaming just not being as good as it used to be.

I'm not saying people didn't have valid criticisms at times, the truth is the 7th gen was a mixed bag, but gamers did still take things for granted back then, gaming culture was at least still for gamers and edgy humor was allowed.

Is that fucking Adam Warren?

 

[Sinner's Sandwich]

I would at least give the 80s cartoon PSAs the credit of sometimes talking about a lesson of Value.

I have no idea what the Fuck the Last of Us 2 is actually trying to say.

TLOU2 told you how to waste 100 million dollars and ruin a franchise

 

[Dom Cruise]

I would at least give the 80s cartoon PSAs the credit of sometimes talking about a lesson of Value.

I have no idea what the Fuck the Last of Us 2 is actually trying to say.

"Fuck white men" is the message of the game, wrapped up under the guise of "revenge is bad" but the character seeking revenge is a Mary Sue who is awesome at everything and murders the problematic white male, so the game doesn't even really think "revenge is bad" since the whole game is an act of revenge against white male gamers who enjoyed the first game, it's incredible how hypocritical the game is.

The whole game was just Trump Derangement sperging out, the worst SJW spazz out seen in gaming yet, ruining what could have been a good franchise.

The first game meanwhile actually had intelligent things to say and it's message only grows more relevant over time.

Is that fucking Adam Warren?

It sure is, dude did tons of illustrations for PSM, a lot of the issues ended with a funny illustration by him like that one and he also contributed illustrations to the annual "swimsuit issue" featuring fanart of lots of game girls in bikinis, which you can file away under "stuff you wouldn't see from gaming journalism anymore" like many other things.

 

[Terrifik]

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Cites Black Lives Matter Movement As Reason to End “World of Warcraft’s Race War

Spoiler: ss

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Blizzard Watch Fan Site Calls For An End to "World of Warcraft's Race War" Citing Black Lives Matter Movement
Blizzard Watch Fan Site Cites Black Lives Matter Movement As Reason to End “World of Warcraft’s Race War”
Jorge Arenas August 17, 2020 Video Games
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The war against fantasy races and immersion has entered into the world of Azeroth, as a recent opinion piece published by general Blizzard fan site Blizzard Watch has called for the “end of race-based factions” based on rhetoric advanced by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Calls For An End to "World of Warcraft's Race War" Citing Black Lives Matter Movement

In the piece titled “Now more than ever, Blizzard needs to rethink WoW’s race war,” author Scott F. Andrews laments the use of races within Azeroth as a defining factor for the game’s two major factions, the Horde and the Alliance.

Related: Psychology Professor Chris Ferguson Accused Of Slavery Apologism And White Supremacy For Arguing Orcs Are Not Racist

Andrews’ piece begins with a reflection upon the storyline for the expansion Mists of Pandaria, where the Horde and Alliance enter a once foreign continent and bring their conflict to the peaceful land of Pandaria which results in much of the region being devastated beyond recognition.

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Calls For An End to "World of Warcraft's Race War" Citing Black Lives Matter Movement

Andrews believes that the events of this expansion could have provided a suitable finale to the game’s longstanding war narrative, as he says that “in the story’s finale, the two factions — and by extension all of Azeroth’s main races — come together to defeat Garrosh. Bit this conclusion could have been even more powerful: it could have been the end of race-based factions.”





This ‘all hands on deck’ resolution to the war appears to omit a few minor details, such as King Varian Wrynn’s warning to the Horde about upholding honor (a quality that Blizzard forgot existed while writing Battle For Azeroth) or how Jane Proudmore prevented the Blood Elves from rejoining the alliance due to their association with the Horde, which would quickly prevent the simple formation of a greater alliance.

Related: Former Overwatch Pro Silkthread Reveals Blizzard Tried To Fine Him $1000 For Pepe The Frog Tweet

Andrews further argued that “fantasy literature has also largely moved past the idea that all members of a fantastical race share the exact same beliefs and values, that in any war all members of a given race would naturally be allies against other “enemy” races.”

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Calls For An End to "World of Warcraft's Race War" Citing Black Lives Matter Movement

While not as widespread as Andrews’ blanket description presents, certain fantasy publications have recently made concerted efforts to move away from the use of classical fantasy race tropes as a tool to explore human behavior.

Related: Man Who Claimed Dungeon & Dragons’ Depiction Of Orcs Is Racist Admits “D&D Is Overwhelmingly Not My Game of Choice”

One prominent example of this effort can be seen in recent moves by the publishers of Dungeons and Dragons, who are moving away from the use of unflattering racial traits in their latest campaign books, as the company believes these are “are painfully reminiscent of how real-world ethnic groups have been and continue to be denigrated.”



Though Andrews and those who put forth similar arguments claim that they only seek to expand upon story lines and enrich the community, it appears that their actions are motivated more by contemporary social politics rather than any concern for the enjoyment of the game.

Related: Blizzard Now Appears to Be Offering Refunds for Warcraft III: Reforged After Massive Consumer Revolt and Threats of Government Action

Andrew notes that “the massive worldwide Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd on May 25 have put a spotlight on racial injustice throughout the United States and elsewhere” and observed that “many changes, big and small, have come about as a result.”

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Calls For An End to "World of Warcraft's Race War" Citing Black Lives Matter Movement

Based on these recent real world events, Andrews argued that “Now, more than ever before, it’s time to end WoW’s race war. It’s time to let factions be factions, not racial segregation. Let faction pride be pride in a set of beliefs, not prejudice.”

Related: Blizzard Finally Responds To Consumer Outrage Over Warcraft III: Reforged

This reasoning was quickly followed by the hyperbolic comparison between fictional battle cries and real-world hate speech, as Andrew claimed that ““For the Horde” and “For the Alliance” are the two opposing rallying cries of WoW. But when you think about it, are these cries really any different from shouting “white power” in America today?”‘

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Cites Black Lives Matter Movement As Reason to End "World of Warcraft's Race War"

This comparison only makes sense if one completely ignores the longstanding lore behind both the Horde and the Alliance.

Related: US Congressman Lou Correa Calls on Blizzard to “Remedy” Racism in World of Warcraft

“For the Horde” is a battle cry that, created by the Orcs, is cried out by the Forsaken, Blood Elves, Trolls, and Taurens as a unifying cry that brings all these races together, in opposition to their treatment as ‘outsiders’ by the greater inhabitants of Azeroth.



In the case of the Alliance, “For the Alliance” serves a similar purpose and acts as a unifying call between Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Worgens, Nightelves and Dranai, signifying that the different races are united under the same banner.





Given that Blizzard staff was heavily inspired by the settings of classic Dungeons and Dragons campaigns and the epic fantasy world seen in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, it should come as no surprise to see that World of Warcraft’s twin factions have provided multi-racial unity in the face of looming threats since the game’s launch in 2004.

Related: World of Warcraft To Introduce Transgender Character and Gay Pirate Couple In Upcoming Shadowlands Expansion

World of Warcraft also prominently features non-race based factions that are less ridged with their membership requirements and feature representatives from both sides of the war, such as the Argent Crusade, made up of living and undead members of both factions, and the Cenarion Circle, whose membership is based on one’s class rather than their race

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Calls For An End to "World of Warcraft's Race War" Citing Black Lives Matter Movement

However, despite framing his argument as concern for a hypothetical player’s wellbeing, Andrews appears to be more focused on using the game as a vehicle for his own political views, underhandedly stating that Blizzard is “aware that the game promotes a race war, and they are aware, as we all are, about this powerful moment in history.”

He then urged “Blizzard to seize this moment and make changes.”

Related: Blizzard Forces WoW Guild “Make Azeroth Great Again” to Change Its Name

As World of Warcraft was recently saved from the brink of extinction through the introduction of a “classic” version of the game, would the future removal of such fantasy elements truly help it’s continued survival or signal it’s end?

Let us know in the comments down below!

 

[Safir]

Blizzard Watch Fan Site Cites Black Lives Matter Movement As Reason to End “World of Warcraft’s Race War

> Jane Proudmore
> Taurens
> Worgens, Nightelves and Dranai
My, what exemplary reporting.
(I haven't touched the game in 10 years.)

 

[Rakdos92]

> Jane Proudmore

Jaina Proudmoore is absolutely justified in wanting to drown Ogrimmar in a neverending tide of Tsunamis!

> Taurens

Except for the Tauren, they are good people and don't deserve being saddled with the rest of the Horde.

 

[Homersexual]

Call of Duty of all things has started red pilling people. I couldn't imagine a piece of mainstream media showing clips of Yuri Bezmenov. 2020 is a hell of a year.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War Trailer

Yuri Bezmenov interview

 

[Rakdos92]

Call of Duty of all things has started red pilling people. I couldn't imagine a piece of mainstream media showing clips of Yuri Bezmenov. 2020 is a hell of a year.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War Trailer

You might cheer this, but I suspect the developers will try to find a way to make that Perseus guy a good figure who merely tried to start making things better for the poor widdle minorities rather than being scum that worked for one of the worst terror-regimes in recent human history.

 

[Xerxes IX]

I have no idea what the Fuck the Last of Us 2 is actually trying to say.

Troons will inherit the earth? Druckmann has a ryona fetish?

 

[Rakdos92]

Troons will inherit the earth? Druckmann has a ryona fetish?

Jews will never stop using victimhood?

 

[Syaoran Li]

You might cheer this, but I suspect the developers will try to find a way to make that Perseus guy a good figure who merely tried to start making things better for the poor widdle minorities rather than being scum that worked for one of the worst terror-regimes in recent human history.

I'm not so sure about this one, especially given how CoD is so normie-friendly (who are slowly turning on the Woke Left) and because the CoD games tend to have shorter development cycles compared to most of the other AAA titles and there's enough Gen X'ers both normie and geek who do play Call of Duty but also remember the Soviet Union and don't like communism.

At most, I suspect they'll try to tie Perseus into RussiaGate. Aside from that, I don't seem them going all in on Antifa/BLM shit. Especially since the Woke Left views Yuri Bezmenov references to be a fascist/Nazi/Alt-Right dog whistle by itself.

If they were going full woke, I think they wouldn't have mentioned Bezmenov at all to begin with, especially not for the announcement teaser trailer.

They definitely would have not included clips of his seminars and interviews juxtaposed with the civil unrest of the 60's (and one or two "blink and you miss it" clips of the '92 LA Riots) and brute Soviet militarism.

Activison endorsed BLM in June and gave their boilerplate endorsement like every other brand did, but I also think there's enough people in their ranks to know which direction the wind's start to blow and are going this route. They've seen what wokeshit did to Battlefield, the biggest competitor to Call of Duty, and the shitshow that was Last of Us Part 2.

Especially when you consider the timing of it all alongside the Facebook purges of Antifa groups and pages or the earlier Teespring ban for "legal reasons" and the media is now no longer endorsing Antifa like they were before (they haven't cut BLM off just yet)

Blizzard is woke as fuck and they're part of Activision but I also think Blizzard is one of the more autonomous subsidiaries within it.

 

[SmugAutist]

You might cheer this, but I suspect the developers will try to find a way to make that Perseus guy a good figure who merely tried to start making things better for the poor widdle minorities rather than being scum that worked for one of the worst terror-regimes in recent human history.

If that's what they'll do, then they have an extremely curious way of getting to it.

Woke marketing is never subtle. They don't reel you in with a promising trailer only to smack you with a revelation. Woke marketing is extremely in your face, especially in videogames. Look at any trailer for upcoming games or TV shows and you already know it's going to be woke: Battlefield V, Wolfenstein Youngblood, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, take your poison. The trailer for a woke game reaches through your screen to hammer you in the face with wokeness so that they can get asspats from Twitter checkmarks and for Polygon and Kotaku to write fart-huffing op-eds. This trailer is actively pissing off those same people.

I could be reaching for that whitepill too hastily, but if it's what you're saying it is, then it'll be the first time that a videogame incorporated subtlety to spread some woke message since the late 2000s

 

[Judge Dredd]

They've seen what wokeshit did to Battlefield, the biggest competitor to Call of Duty, and the shitshow that was Last of Us Part 2.

CoD was one of the first victims of wokeshit. SJWs complained about the lack of female characters, so Ghosts added female characters. SJWs complained that they could be shot, stabbed, and AC130'd like every other character. They also claimed the game was racist because one character references the use of exotic plants to make poison to torture PoWs. (I don't get it either.)

Many CoD games since then have had complaints from the woke clique, but none of them stuck. Likely because they don't play the games so their complaints are based on stereotypes of stereotypes.

 

[HeyYou]

Call of Duty of all things has started red pilling people. I couldn't imagine a piece of mainstream media showing clips of Yuri Bezmenov. 2020 is a hell of a year.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War Trailer

Yuri Bezmenov interview

Holy shit is Black Ops actually going back to conspiracy thrillers? I didn't even buy the reboot of Modern Warfare but I might pick this one up if the story actually ends up being interesting.

 

[BrokenWokenBespoken]

Holy shit is Black Ops actually going back to conspiracy thrillers? I didn't even buy the reboot of Modern Warfare but I might pick this one up if the story actually ends up being interesting.

I think Black ops IIII made them realize people want campaigns, not a Siege rip-off.

 

[Ruin]

WTF? A Call Of Duty Campaign that actually looks like I might want to play it? What year did I go back to?

 

[Poop A Loop]

If it makes the tankies angry then I'm all for it. It already triggered a bunch of redditors who couldn't stop themselves from asking "where's the 'no politics in games' crowd now?" in a big ole' circlejerk.

 

[Billy "the Bot" Bobson]

After the recent teaser for Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War, in which clips from an interview with notable Communist defector and right-wing fan-favorite Yuri Bezmenov were played, it made me think about the above statements. I am now sincerely interested in purchasing this game. I haven't owned a Call of Duty game since the original Black Ops, nor have I played it since the original Modern Warfare port for PS4 (which made me realize that the campaign did not age very well). But this trailer was incredibly appealing to me, partially because it seems like it may tackle a more interesting setting and subject matter, but more because it used a fairly notable talking point. I'm interested in seeing how they will use the theme of "Communist Subversion". More likely, it will be a fairly middle of the road follow-up to the original Black Ops, considering it's conspiracy fueled campaign. I'm also expecting some retarded virtue signalling, considering the state of gaming today. But perhaps, there's just a chance that it could actually explore and support a position I hold myself; anti-Marxism. But as I think about it more and more, is it actually worth buying for that reason at all?

I understand that companies don't genuinely care about political identity, that it's a marketing tool to sell their product. Being a rational man, I also understand that if you want your positions represented, you should support it as much as you can. Does it cheapen the product itself if you're purchasing it for a political reason? Does it cheapen the political position if you're buying into a marketing tool?

This is much more than just this particular game, and the actual trailer has yet to release (and there are many likely ways that Activision can fuck up and lose my interest), but I felt as if this topic is important to discuss and think over. Overall, you cannot entirely separate the author from the work, nor can you entirely separate politics from art. They are both far too intwined with each other to ever fully break from one another and pretend as if you should only support a work only for its purest merits. However, the merits of the work itself need to be good to stand alone from the politics. In the case of video games: if the gameplay is shit, don't support it, if the politics is shit, don't support it. If the gameplay is good, and the politics good, support it. Of course, defining "good" in this instance is entirely subjective.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

Who the fuck cares?