Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed opening disclaimer change is bizarre.

[Tohuvabohu]

Wasn't it a direct marketing reaction to the trailer not having chicks in it?
Like they had to make it clear they're not sexist because they don't want to lose sales. Kinda cynical if you ask me.

I suppose that's why Syndicate has women running around in street gangs and goon squads during 19th century London, even if it makes no fucking sense at all.

Seems that people care more about "inclusivity", rather than caring that it doesn't make any fucking sense at all.

OT: I found that new splash screen to be humorous. Hell, I found it bizarre in the first Assassin's Creed game.

I didn't know videogames needed a disclaimer stressing the "diversity" of the team that designed it... Like that matters at all. I mean what is this, a videogame, or a college campus?... huehuehuehue

 

[EXos]

To be honest I don't see the problem. Basically it gives them cart-blanche to do anything in the game. If someone is offeneded they can say that they've been warned.

The 'gender identities' is new but personally it's to keep the SJW out of their hair.

 

[Zontar]

I'm more confused as to how there is 12 writers and not one of them thought "wait, this story is terrible".

It's probably BECAUSE there where 12 writers that the story was terrible.

Though then again, the story being terrible is about only half of what was wrong with the game.

 

[Areloch]

Wasn't it a direct marketing reaction to the trailer not having chicks in it?
Like they had to make it clear they're not sexist because they don't want to lose sales. Kinda cynical if you ask me.

I suppose that's why Syndicate has women running around in street gangs and goon squads during 19th century London, even if it makes no fucking sense at all.

Seems that people care more about "inclusivity", rather than caring that it doesn't make any fucking sense at all.

OT: I found that new splash screen to be humorous. Hell, I found it bizarre in the first Assassin's Creed game.

I didn't know videogames needed a disclaimer stressing the "diversity" of the team that designed it... Like that matters at all. I mean what is this, a videogame, or a college campus?... huehuehuehue

Besides, doesn't matter how well you do at representing a certain group A) some people will still find it offensive and B) Kotaku will write an article about how you hate said group because of A.

So honestly, better to just do your best and just not worry about it.

 

[Something Amyss]

Maybe it's because I haven't had enough coffee thus far, and I haven't been sleeping much, but I really don't see what the big deal is here.

It's obvious, isn't it? Assassin's Creed is being inclusive to people who aren't straight, white, cisegender males ("real gamers") and now there's an issue with quality.

I suppose that's why Syndicate has women running around in street gangs and goon squads during 19th century London, even if it makes no fucking sense at all.

Agreed. I mean, I can accept Batman-style grappling hooks that I can see existed through DNA-encoded memories accessed to look for pieces of artifacts left by ancient aliens, but this nonsense with chicks in gangs is totally blowing my immersion.

You know, I'm just going to stop for a moment and be serious, and point out that the one part of that sentence that actually happened historically was the women in street gangs. Yup...no sense at all.

Seems that people care more about "inclusivity", rather than caring that it doesn't make any fucking sense at all.

Oh, is this going to be another case of "no black people in France?"

 

[Tohuvabohu]

Maybe it's because I haven't had enough coffee thus far, and I haven't been sleeping much, but I really don't see what the big deal is here.

It's obvious, isn't it? Assassin's Creed is being inclusive to people who aren't straight, white, cisegender males ("real gamers") and now there's an issue with quality.

I'm pretty sure there's been an issue with quality in regards to this series, for a very very long time before this.

Seems that people care more about "inclusivity", rather than caring that it doesn't make any fucking sense at all.

Oh, is this going to be another case of "no black people in France?"

Are you kidding? With a disclaimer like that. The Inclusivity is absolutely palpable! No no, I got a safe feeling about this.

OT: I sure do miss disclaimers like these:

Spoiler

[/spoiler]

I guess violence and gore is a given in most games these days, though.

 

[Politrukk]

I find your thread bizarre and I mean that in the best way possible.

Before:
Gays/Trans:
"we want awareness and inclusion!"

After:
"NO NOT LIKE THAT YOU CORPORATE PIG!"

that's what this reads like to me.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Doesn't the series now have characters of various sexual and gender orientations, hence the update? I mean, I find the disclaimer a tad daft to begin with, but at least it follows the internal logic.

Either way, seems rather nitpicky to complain about a disclaimer that stays on screen for all of five to ten seconds. Personally, I'd complain about the ridiculously long credits sequences first.

 

[Something Amyss]

Are you kidding? With a disclaimer like that. The Inclusivity is absolutely palpable! No no, I got a safe feeling about this.

Are we pretending you didn't say the untrue portion about it not making sense?

Because saying the "inclusivity is palpable" doesn't actually address what I said.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Why though? I've never really seen anything controversial and racially charged in an Assassins Creed game. Granted, that may be because I don't play them and find them terrible for reasons completely unrelated to the localisation managers gender identity, but surely I'd have heard some kind of upshot. What are they covering their asses from?

I have no idea. I've just heard on these forums that just the idea that someone somewhere might criticize your game is literally the worst thing that can happen to a developer.

 

[SolidState]

It's just more pandering to appease the SJWs.

Frankly, I'm surprised that bit about "gender identity" wasn't included at the beginning of Black Flag, because in that game there's literally a woman character pretending to be a man.

 

[Ambient_Malice]

Maybe it's because I haven't had enough coffee thus far, and I haven't been sleeping much, but I really don't see what the big deal is here.

I'll put the over/under on "The SJWs have won" at five posts.

OT: Looks like Ubi is broadening the size of the net they use to cover their ass.

Why though? I've never really seen anything controversial and racially charged in an Assassins Creed game. Granted, that may be because I don't play them and find them terrible for reasons completely unrelated to the localisation managers gender identity, but surely I'd have heard some kind of upshot. What are they covering their asses from?

The Assassin's Creed games are, or at least, were--back before the series creator was fired--offensive to billions of people around the world because of how they depict history, the origins of man, and the role of religion and religious organisations throughout history. The first game centered on the conflict between Muslim Assassins and Not-Really-Christian Templars.

The dislaimer before AssCreed games is akin to, hypothetically, putting "This film is based on a book written by a devout Japanese Catholic" before Martin Scorsese's upcoming film Silence, about the persecution of Christians in Japan, and which involves a climax where the main character breaks a cross to save other Christians from punishment -- some will likely find this deeply offensive. The Assassin's Creed games strongly imply that iconic religious figures were using "Pieces of Eden" created by some precursor race of beings.

As for Ubisoft's "embracing diversity", their new disclaimer OMITS mention of religious diversity, and also doesn't make any mention of ethnic diversity.

"Various religious faiths and beliefs" was technically double handling, sure. But "beliefs... and gender identities" is also double handling because they're both... beliefs. If they really believed in embracing diversity, this disclaimer would run the gamut from political affiliations to hair colour. (Ginger inclusion, for the win.)

And at the end of the day, the original statement was NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF. It is literally the "Hey, we sing about raping nuns but our bass player is totally a Catholic, yo!" defense.

 

[Tohuvabohu]

Are you kidding? With a disclaimer like that. The Inclusivity is absolutely palpable! No no, I got a safe feeling about this.

Are we pretending you didn't say the untrue portion about it not making sense?

Because saying the "inclusivity is palpable" doesn't actually address what I said.

Alright my snark aside, my grasp on history isn't doctorate level, but I never heard of the prevalence of a large amount of brutal, violent female enforcer thugs in the Victorian era criminal underworld ready to beat people to death(As is the case with every enemy you meet in every Assassins Creed game). I could be hilariously wrong on this, but I genuinely do not know. I mean, I think I know enough about the era to say that brutal female criminals weren't a common thing at the time. So uncommon and unheard of, that the game's recreation of the Victorian era involving a lot of violent female thugs within the criminal underworld seems nonsensical.
But hey, I could be wrong.

Now that I addressed your point, I'd like to bring attention to what you said above that.

It's obvious, isn't it? Assassin's Creed is being inclusive to people who aren't straight, white, cisegender males ("real gamers") and now there's an issue with quality.

I'm pretty sure there's been an issue with quality in regards to this series, for a very very long time before this.

Yeah, there's no harm done to the series by the "inclusivity", it's been lifeless for a long time and its legacy of historical accuracy is already forgotten - But if this absurd disclaimer can win it some brownie points with potential customers, then go for it.

But hey, I did my best to address your points so I think it's reasonable of me to ask you a serious question. Do you genuinely believe there's a "sudden" problem regarding the quality of the series now, because of the game's efforts to be inclusive?

 

[RedRockRun]

Assassin's Creed is like Tumblr's wet dream:

A small and diverse group of oppressed but enlightened, anarchist-esque individuals fighting The Man.

But really what this disclaimer is truly saying is, "We're heroes."

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Do they plan on maybe saying gay people are evil aliens in the next one?

Its a non issue really but it does seem pointless, since the religion thing was for fear they would offend religious people when they use their religions for conspiracy stuff and as bad guys or whatever. I dont see how they plan on putting in content that might offenx LGBT(on purpose).

 

[Ambient_Malice]

here are Tumblr types waiting to be offended by the slightest thing

Says the one who made a thread to complain that a game's opening disclaimer expanded to include different sexualities and gender identities.

It wasn't "expanded". The new disclaimer no longer mentions "various religious faiths". That line was the key reason why the statement was seen as an attempt to weasel out of responsibility for offending people.

Exactly what content in AC: Syndicate is so offensive to people of "various sexual orientations and gender identities" that it needs a disclaimer? Because that disclaimer is, IMO, meant to be Ubisoft's "I have a black friend" defense. When Assassin's Creed offends billions of such-and-such-ians, they can whine, "B-B-But we have Such-and-suchians on the development team!" Like when Tyler the Creator fans defend his lyrics by pointing to his "diverse" band members.

You talk about how the original disclaimer was little more than ass-covering, and now they've just put a bigger cover on it for characters that are more diverse than what particular version of the Almighty they pray to.

And as I mentioned, that's the problem. Ubisoft no longer specifies that their team is religiously diverse. The only group (religious people upset by blasphemy) with a valid claim to being offended by the Assassin's Creed series no longer gets a concession apology. Instead, the disclaimer has been twisted into a weird "We have some gay people on our team and stuff" statement that ignores the original reason Assassin's Creed is a "problematic" game series that needs some sort of disclaimer.

Do they plan on maybe saying gay people are evil aliens in the next one?

Its a non issue really but it does seem pointless, since the religion thing was for fear they would offend religious people when they use their religions for conspiracy stuff and as bad guys or whatever. I dont see how they plan on putting in content that might offenx LGBT(on purpose).

The Assassin's Creed story hinges on the Pieces of Eden that were used by various iconic figures, including religious leaders, throughout history. It also hinges upon the TRUE origins of humankind. This storyline is offensive to various religions in a variety of ways. (Fortunately, most people are sane enough to enjoy fictional stories that directly attack their most dearly held beliefs and identities.) And the story hasn't been resolved in any meaningful way, likely because the series creator was ditched after Brotherhood and the storyline shrivelled up with Assassin's Creed 3. Since then the games have been spinning their wheels. But sooner or later Ubisoft is going to have to bite the bullet and get back to story content that offends religious people.