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Can an MMO be released and marketed while being politically incorrect?

l2avisml2avism Member UncommonPosts: 386
edited October 2015 in The Pub at MMORPG.COM
I'm not going to take sides on the whole freedom-of-expression vs someone-may-get-offended argument. Lets say that I were to release a game that included some elements that may poke fun at or include negative aspects of some of the political correctness crusade that is currently smothering all aspects of society today. Would you play such a game? Would it be able to advertise freely? Would the creator get shot?
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Comments

  • muffins89muffins89 Member UncommonPosts: 1,585
    don't popular games like this already exist?  saints row,  grand theft auto,  and fallout, all come to mind.
  • SpottyGekkoSpottyGekko Member EpicPosts: 6,916
    There is no doubt that it could be released, regardless of how "politically correct" it is.

    As for marketing, conventional media may have an issue with it, but that can be largely irrelevant nowadays.

    Your poll questions indicate that you are not considering the power of social media and viral marketing. Do you really think that no product or event can be successful today without conventional marketing ? 0.o
  • NibsNibs Member UncommonPosts: 287
    "Political correctness" covers a huge range of things. Sexism, racism (even if only orc vs human), slavery, bigotry are all present in games already.
  • MitaraMitara Member UncommonPosts: 755
    I think the degree of political correctness matters. Nobody wants to fly a plane to see if they can hit 2 towers, but Grand Theft Auto seems to work pretty well.
  • PsYcHoGBRPsYcHoGBR Member UncommonPosts: 482
    What is considered offensive in one country can be considered ok in another.
  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    muffins89 said:
    don't popular games like this already exist?  saints row,  grand theft auto,  and fallout, all come to mind.
    Exactly. Can it be done? Yes.

    Ravism, can you do it? Based on your posts so far, I don't think that's a road you should travel. 

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 44,056
    edited October 2015
    All depends on the subject, and context.  You can play as a gangster such as in Grand Theft Auto and get away with it, even through there has been a sizeable public outcry at times.

    I doubt you could pull off a game that included actual slave trading in the 15-16th century America, or the colonization of the America's with the corresponding  slaughter of the native American peoples.

    One reason I think western games are few and far between is they have a hard time dealing with "Indians" in the lore. 

    When I was a child it was acceptable to play cowboys and indians, and the indians usually lost, because everyone knew from the movies that is what they were suppose to do.  Same thing when we played war as Americans vs Germans, Nazi's always lost too. Now days I'm pretty sure no children play such games, but maybe its SEALS vs ISIS, I dunno.

    You can have WWII games, and even play as Germans/Nazi's, but no one is going to include a death camp simulator as a mini-game. (and of course this idea should be unthinkable.)

    So, it's a very fine line to walk if you decide to be politically incorrect, and if not careful the outcry could doom your game to failure.


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  • ScalplessScalpless Member UncommonPosts: 1,426
    The whole political correctness angle tend to be greatly exaggerated.  You're fine as long as the game doesn't contain material that's actually stupid and offensive by any reasonable person's standards.
  • l2avisml2avism Member UncommonPosts: 386
    Loktofeit said:
    muffins89 said:
    don't popular games like this already exist?  saints row,  grand theft auto,  and fallout, all come to mind.
    Exactly. Can it be done? Yes.

    Ravism, can you do it? Based on your posts so far, I don't think that's a road you should travel. 
    It seems that I have a stalker. :open_mouth: 
  • iridescenceiridescence Member UncommonPosts: 1,552
    You'd have to define what you mean. Like a game which was openly racist or homophobic or something is going to get a lot of heat (pretty justifiably) but if it's just GTA-level it could probably get away with it (although may have a higher rating as a result I suppose which could hurt sales)

  • l2avisml2avism Member UncommonPosts: 386
    edited October 2015
    You'd have to define what you mean. Like a game which was openly racist or homophobic or something is going to get a lot of heat (pretty justifiably) but if it's just GTA-level it could probably get away with it (although may have a higher rating as a result I suppose which could hurt sales)

    The problem is nobody knows what is racist or sexist anymore since these days just about anything is labeled as such.

    Lets say the game had libertarian overtones to the lore.
    Libertarians seem to be controversial to people who identify themselves as liberal and conservative for example.
  • Superman0XSuperman0X Member RarePosts: 2,292
    It is possible for politically incorrect games to be successful. Just look at Scarlet Blade.
  • bonzoso21bonzoso21 Member UncommonPosts: 380
    Isn't this site consistently flanked by banners of huge breasted cartoon women in barely anything? There's a target audience for everything, and nowadays you can pretty much advertise to them directly, I should think.
  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Superman0X said:
    It is possible for politically incorrect games to be successful. Just look at Scarlet Blade.
    Yeah, it definitely depends on where the line is drawn and how it is drawn. A game about trading slaves? Not so good. A game about aiding the underground railroad? Probably doable. 

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • KenFisherKenFisher Member UncommonPosts: 5,035
    I voted "poll offends me" as a joke. :)

    Poking fun at PC sounds amusing, as long as it doesn't cross the line to promoting hatred.
    Ken Fisher - Semi retired old fart Network Administrator, now working in Network Security.  I don't Forum PVP.  If you feel I've attacked you, it was probably by accident.  When I don't understand, I ask.  Such is not intended as criticism.
  • fivorothfivoroth Member UncommonPosts: 3,916
    Political correctness is not that important imo. People don't care that much if you make fun of political parties etc or you are hating on the president/PM. Racism, people tend to be more sensitive and certain things are definitely considered a no no. it also depends on everything else about the game. Political crap is only a tiny part and I doubt many people will buy a game for that reason.

    things like killing Jews in death camps, or making a game where you reanact pearl harbour by playing the Japanese and slaying Americans may be seen as unacceptable.

    Killing Germans apparently is fine judging by all the WWII crap we are getting.

    Mission in life: Vanquish all MMORPG.com trolls - especially TESO, WOW and GW2 trolls.

  • VrikaVrika Member LegendaryPosts: 7,989
    edited October 2015
    bonzoso21 said:
    Isn't this site consistently flanked by banners of huge breasted cartoon women in barely anything? There's a target audience for everything, and nowadays you can pretty much advertise to them directly, I should think.
    I think those banners are good example of how the situation is exactly the opposite: Some lines are rarely if ever crossed. Even if huge number of games use sex appeal so sell, showing uncensored sex in a game is very rare. It would also result in ban from Steam, XBox, Playstation, etc. There are games that have uncensored sex, but those games are excluded from most of the places you'd normally buy a game from and from many of the platforms.
     
  • RobsolfRobsolf Member RarePosts: 4,607
    muffins89 said:
    don't popular games like this already exist?  saints row,  grand theft auto,  and fallout, all come to mind.
    I'd even venture to say that the outrage often feeds the sales, and is an advertisement in itself.
  • psiicpsiic Member RarePosts: 1,642
    Have you never played any asian mmo ever? You think its politically correct making little girls sex objects?
  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    fivoroth said:
    Political correctness is not that important imo. People don't care that much if you make fun of political parties etc or you are hating on the president/PM. Racism, people tend to be more sensitive and certain things are definitely considered a no no. it also depends on everything else about the game. Political crap is only a tiny part and I doubt many people will buy a game for that reason.

    things like killing Jews in death camps, or making a game where you reanact pearl harbour by playing the Japanese and slaying Americans may be seen as unacceptable.

    Killing Germans apparently is fine judging by all the WWII crap we are getting.
    PC isn't about political leanings, but about not marginalizing groups. The white male hero, the subservient female, the second-fiddle minority, the lack of LGBT representation... these are some of the larger PC concerns that come into consideration when making a game. 

    You bring up killing Nazis, which is another area of PC... The icon/flag/symbol used is the Iron Cross. Most developers avoid the swastika (actual flag of the Nazi party) for PC reasons. 




    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • iridescenceiridescence Member UncommonPosts: 1,552
    l2avism said:


    Lets say the game had libertarian overtones to the lore.
    Libertarians seem to be controversial to people who identify themselves as liberal and conservative for example.
    I don't think most people care if a game has  a political bent as long as you don't go out of your way to insult whatever thy believe (and even that you can get away with if you're funny/clever about it as things like South Park prove).


  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,499
    edited October 2015
    A lot depends on how it's politically incorrect. A game where the objective is to hunt down and murder all people of a particular race even though they haven't done anything wrong would get quite a backlash.

    A game that pokes fun at some element of political correctness that 5% of the population tries to zealously enforce and the other 95% thinks is nuts wouldn't have such problems. Indeed, if the 5% tried to create a backlash, that would just be free advertising for the game and probably make it more successful.
  • Flyte27Flyte27 Member RarePosts: 4,574
    You don't see to many games like Grand Theft Auto out there.  I have to believe there is a reason for that.  I feel there were a lot more when I was growing up. 

    I've always felt that games are not to be taken seriously.  They are the place where you can do things you can't in real life and enjoy because it's not hurting anyone.  It's a guilty pleasure so to speak.  Unfortunately many people seem to be offended by many different topics.

     I'm sure Grand Theft Auto V had a lot of people speaking out against it.  It just made so much money that there isn't much any protesters could do I'd imagine.

    Another game of note is the Witcher series of games.  They have a lot of sexism and racism.  A lot of that was toned down in the third installment.  It made the bad guys feel more real (which was good for me).  It also made the good guy feel more real as he had a lot of flaws.  One being his sleeping with every woman that showed interest in him.  There were also a few scenes in the first Witcher game with threat of rape by some unsavory characters.  There was never any actual rape as Geralt always save the girl.  None the less I believe this was complained about quite a bit by various people and organizations.  There was also a torture scene of a woman in the begging of the Witcher 2 that was modified I believe due to lots of complaints.  It had nothing to do with sex.  It was simple torture.
  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,857
    How many television programs are successful because of their politically incorrect Schtick?

  • Beatnik59Beatnik59 Member UncommonPosts: 2,413
    I think digital distribution, plus the decentralized nature of video game criticism, means that the occasional title that bucks established norms can succeed.

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