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Hit Chinese Video Game Seeks to Curb 'Negative Discourse'

15 points by mikhael 2y ago

NotGMan 2y ago
It's actually the other way around: mainstream media tries to attack a game that is the #1 most played game on steam and is smashing all records. Steam is great because the reviews are from REAL people, not journalists so you can immediately see what is real vs what is media lies.
- solardev 2y ago
  Per the article, it's not about good or bad reviews, but the company asking streamers not to discuss things China doesn't like (like feminism or covid). Not even related to the game.
  - pessimizer 2y ago
    That being said, it would be incredibly frustrating if I were paying people to to advertise for me (or giving people early access to something that will juice their channel), and they insisted on talking about black on black crime, welfare queens, and a "culture of grievance" while reviewing it because I'm black. I also bet the NYT wouldn't be framing it as a censorship campaign if I made early reviewers sign something saying that they wouldn't; instead they'd be cheering me on. Not even related to the game is right.
    - snapcaster 2y ago
      You're 100% correct, but this site is dominated by americans, and they have mostly been thoroughly brainwashed to reflexively hate China and never allow it to have a single W (in their minds)
      - solardev 2y ago
        W?
        itishappy 2y ago
        Win. "Never allow them to have a single win in their minds."
        solardev 2y ago
        Thank you. The longer I get in years, the shorter the words get on the internet...
      - smolder 2y ago
        Calling it brainwashing doesn't appreciate that there are tensions between different cultural norms. And if you want to look at it that way, every country is looking to be the best at brainwashing, and China's no slouch there.
        snapcaster 2y ago
        The first time I hear an american acknowledge lifting 800 million people out of poverty is good and commendable i'll concede any other country is close in terms of brainwashing skills
        smolder 2y ago
        It's a talking point more than analysis, both countries pried themselves on "lifting from poverty" but don't acknowledge the people that become fodder for a selfish hierarchy.
alephnerd 2y ago
It sucks, but it makes sense that Game Science has to limit discourse. Game Science doesn't want to get cancelled - look at what happened to Lotte China in 2017 [0]. Public Relations management is hard, especially given the amount of hyper-polarization [0] - https://www.reuters.com/article/business/with-china-dream-shattered-over-missile-land-deal-lotte-faces-costly-overhaul-idUSKBN1CT35Y/ https://www.reuters.com/article/business/with-china-dream-sh...
everforward 2y ago
I hate that most games now only have first-party servers. If the game developers are responsible for server hosting, they're also responsible for what happens on those servers, and rules for conduct end up coalescing on the most sensitive parties. It's insane to me that there are games rated T or M where swearing isn't allowed. Overwatch made saying "ggez" a bannable offense. The discourse is becoming sterile. I liked it when people could run their own servers with their own set of rules, and each server had a different sense of character stemming in part from the rules. There were servers stricter than modern game moderation that were "family friendly", and the spectrum ranged all the way to places where the average message contained 4 innuendoes and had more curse words than not. You could choose your own adventure and community.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- jdlshore 2y ago
  Isn’t “ggez” a taunt, meaning “I beat you easily?” (effectively, “you suck”). Given the toxicity in online gaming communities, I can see why global servers might play whack a mole with those sorts of bans. That’s not to take away from your overall point, that it’s nice to allow community servers. I’d guess that companies don’t do that because it takes more effort and reduces their control over the game experience, and not enough players care enough to make it economically viable given those constraints.
  - ecshafer 2y ago
    Saying ggez is a taunt, thats the point. People talk trash and taunt when they play competitive games. The only sport it doesnt happen in is golf. Its overly sterile to ban taunting.
- paradox460 2y ago
  Quake 3 and it's descendent games (including the amazing Tremulous) were such an amazing time to be a gamer. The servers built their own communities, and were really just a blast to play
Pfhortune 2y ago
Were these streamers offered more than a $60-70 game key to self-censor? Why would anyone agree to such a thing for so little?
- itishappy 2y ago
  Most self-censorship is done for free.

15 points by mikhael 2y ago

It's actually the other way around: mainstream media tries to attack a game that is the #1 most played game on steam and is smashing all records. Steam is great because the reviews are from REAL people, not journalists so you can immediately see what is real vs what is media lies.

solardev 2y ago
Per the article, it's not about good or bad reviews, but the company asking streamers not to discuss things China doesn't like (like feminism or covid). Not even related to the game.
- pessimizer 2y ago
  That being said, it would be incredibly frustrating if I were paying people to to advertise for me (or giving people early access to something that will juice their channel), and they insisted on talking about black on black crime, welfare queens, and a "culture of grievance" while reviewing it because I'm black. I also bet the NYT wouldn't be framing it as a censorship campaign if I made early reviewers sign something saying that they wouldn't; instead they'd be cheering me on. Not even related to the game is right.
  - snapcaster 2y ago
    You're 100% correct, but this site is dominated by americans, and they have mostly been thoroughly brainwashed to reflexively hate China and never allow it to have a single W (in their minds)
    - solardev 2y ago
      W?
      - itishappy 2y ago
        Win. "Never allow them to have a single win in their minds."
        solardev 2y ago
        Thank you. The longer I get in years, the shorter the words get on the internet...
    - smolder 2y ago
      Calling it brainwashing doesn't appreciate that there are tensions between different cultural norms. And if you want to look at it that way, every country is looking to be the best at brainwashing, and China's no slouch there.
      - snapcaster 2y ago
        The first time I hear an american acknowledge lifting 800 million people out of poverty is good and commendable i'll concede any other country is close in terms of brainwashing skills
        smolder 2y ago
        It's a talking point more than analysis, both countries pried themselves on "lifting from poverty" but don't acknowledge the people that become fodder for a selfish hierarchy.

alephnerd 2y ago

It sucks, but it makes sense that Game Science has to limit discourse. Game Science doesn't want to get cancelled - look at what happened to Lotte China in 2017 [0]. Public Relations management is hard, especially given the amount of hyper-polarization [0] - https://www.reuters.com/article/business/with-china-dream-shattered-over-missile-land-deal-lotte-faces-costly-overhaul-idUSKBN1CT35Y/ https://www.reuters.com/article/business/with-china-dream-sh...

everforward 2y ago

I hate that most games now only have first-party servers. If the game developers are responsible for server hosting, they're also responsible for what happens on those servers, and rules for conduct end up coalescing on the most sensitive parties. It's insane to me that there are games rated T or M where swearing isn't allowed. Overwatch made saying "ggez" a bannable offense. The discourse is becoming sterile. I liked it when people could run their own servers with their own set of rules, and each server had a different sense of character stemming in part from the rules. There were servers stricter than modern game moderation that were "family friendly", and the spectrum ranged all the way to places where the average message contained 4 innuendoes and had more curse words than not. You could choose your own adventure and community.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
jdlshore 2y ago
Isn’t “ggez” a taunt, meaning “I beat you easily?” (effectively, “you suck”). Given the toxicity in online gaming communities, I can see why global servers might play whack a mole with those sorts of bans. That’s not to take away from your overall point, that it’s nice to allow community servers. I’d guess that companies don’t do that because it takes more effort and reduces their control over the game experience, and not enough players care enough to make it economically viable given those constraints.
- ecshafer 2y ago
  Saying ggez is a taunt, thats the point. People talk trash and taunt when they play competitive games. The only sport it doesnt happen in is golf. Its overly sterile to ban taunting.
paradox460 2y ago
Quake 3 and it's descendent games (including the amazing Tremulous) were such an amazing time to be a gamer. The servers built their own communities, and were really just a blast to play

Pfhortune 2y ago

Were these streamers offered more than a $60-70 game key to self-censor? Why would anyone agree to such a thing for so little?

itishappy 2y ago
Most self-censorship is done for free.