Taiwanese studio Red Candle Games had a really unhealthy weekend. After the launch of their 80s-set horror game Devotion, gamers observed a scrap of paper in-game which invokes the names of Chinese president Xi Jinping and Winnie The Pooh. Xi (a person who appears very similar to the cuddly cartoon bear) being an inexpensive man in a position to take a light joke, Winnie The Pooh and all reference to the stuffed bear is restricted in China – see John Oliver’s breakdown here.
The reference within the game, nonetheless innocuous, sparked a review-bombing marketing campaign in opposition to the game by aggrieved Chinese gamers. This led to an apology from the studio, adopted their Chinese Weibo social media account being shut down, and the removing of the game from Steam in China. Now it’s simply gone altogether, globally.
I discover this mess upsetting. Nobody ought to need to apologise to anybody. Having 1000’s of fiercely nationalist Chinese players dashing to defend Xi Jinping from this mildest of slights is horrifying, and far of the language used within the overview spam is unfortunately acquainted in tone. No scarcity of ‘Why are you forcing politics into things?’ and ‘Games should be apolitical’, in some way glossing over the truth that half of the horror in Red Candle’s earlier game, Detention, was historic and political in nature. The studio pulled no punches referencing the White Terror, a interval of brutal martial regulation in Taiwan, however really feel compelled to apologise right here, and that’s tragic.
Red Candle Games look like scrubbing all reference to Devotion that they’ll, no less than in locations the place it may be spammed by strangers – it’s gone from their YouTube channel now, not even a trailer surviving. The solely trace that it was ever on Steam is the Devotion soundtrack, which can be being review-bombed. The offended mob – 1000’s, apparently – have even descended on Detention to hurl abuse on the studio there. This strikes me as an excellent time for Valve to evaluate their overview coverage, as a result of one thing is clearly damaged right here. Red Candle’s second statement on this mess even has them addressing malicious rumours being unfold in regards to the game and the studio.
There are occasions when prospects having management over what seems on a store-front is useful. This shouldn’t be a type of occasions. Here’s hoping this mess blows over quickly, and Devotion can return to shops. I’ve heard nothing however reward for it – nicely finished, Red Candle, you’re doing good.
