Explaining why most gaming industry pundits are dumb enough to think Roe v. Wade are the two options for how to cross a stream, it's the latest episode of Splash Damage:
When you think of video games, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Definitely not the divisive social issue of abortion, right? Well, apparently, some game studios thought it wise to speak in support of Roe v. Wade while Kotaku and others embarrassed themselves with terrible takes on the subject. We talk about it all along with diversity checklists in video games, including Activision Blizzard’s hilarious new diversity-measuring algorithm; Kotaku gatekeeping Elon Musk over his Elden Ring build; Demon Slayer censorship; how terrible the Halo show is; Percy Jackson’s raceswapping; and more.
Find the episode on your favorite podcasting app or here, and thanks for listening and your support!
Standard Disclaimer: I'm not Scrivonaut, I don't benefit from reposting these from Reddit, and I'm not associated with the show in any way, shape, or form.
First and foremost, my general take on it is that entertainment companies and their management need to sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up when it comes to political takes of any sort. Your sole reason for existing is to make things to distract and entertain the masses, not virtue-signal it up over the wholesale murder of the unborn.
As far as ActiBliz goes, they've gone off the deep end. Trying to pass Overwatch 1.1 off as a sequel was bad enough, but this? Ho-lee-shit. Write them off now and be done with it.
Kotaku is maidenless. Full stop. Those morons wouldn't know a good Elden Ring build if it jumped up and bit them on the ass. They just took this as a chance to dunk on their latest political target and hide it behind a video game facade (as they often do).
I'm anti-censorship in all forms, across the board. Covering up anime booba just to appease a foreign market? Just don't release the damn thing overseas if you're going to have to go to that length. Too many people and companies bow to the power of the CCP, and kowtowing to them just to get more market share and the ChiCom bux.
I'm not even going to bother dunking on the Paramount+ TV show. The jokes write themselves and the truth of how the show is being run is stranger than any fiction you could make up.
Rick Riordan has dug his own hole on the Percy Jackson front. It was annoying enough that they didn't have Annabeth as a Blonde in the 2010 film, but wholesale race lifting of the character for D+ is nothing more than corporate virtue signaling. If this show isn't DOA, I'd be surprised.
Devs and studios:
THE THE FUCK UP.
We pay you to entertain, not to think.