Political Corruption of Gaming is Worse than you Think

Summary

This video delves into the growing politicization of the gaming industry, with insights from Cedric Chang, a developer involved in major titles like 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' and 'Horizon Forbidden West.' The speaker argues that political agendas, particularly left-leaning ideologies, have taken over major game studios, leading to fear of backlash, reduced creative freedom, and brain drain. The video explores how activist developers push their views and how this trend could be harming the industry. Studios may suffer from consumer rejection and internal challenges in the coming years.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The video discusses the politicization of the gaming industry, with emphasis on how politics and ideologies affect game development.
• 🗣️ Developer Cedric Chang, who worked on notable games like Dux, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Horizon Forbidden West, shared his insights on the issue.
• ⚖️ Chang claims that game studios are influenced by political agendas and that this politicization has impacted both internal studio culture and game content.
• 😨 Fear of offending any group is prevalent among studios, leading to a cautious approach to avoid any controversy.
• 🎓 Chang highlights that many developers come from artistic backgrounds, particularly in Europe, where left-wing ideologies are common in creative circles.
• 🚫 Scandals within the gaming industry, such as those involving EA, Ubisoft, and Blizzard, have led to increased attention on employee safety and workplace behavior.
• 📉 Activist developers, with extreme political views, have gained influence in studios, pressuring managers and executives to comply with their demands.
• 👩‍💻 Many non-activist developers are leaving major studios, resulting in a significant brain drain, which has led to the formation of new studios like Frost Giant and Dreamhaven.
• ⛔ Chang predicts that the situation will worsen, with games failing more frequently due to the overwhelming political influence on development.
• 💸 Despite consumer rejection of politically-driven games, executives are hesitant to address the root cause, instead attributing failures to minor factors like pricing models.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video discusses the politicization of the gaming industry, highlighting how political agendas have affected game development and the creative direction of major studios.

Who is Cedric Chang, and why is his perspective important?

Cedric Chang is a developer who worked on games like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Horizon Forbidden West. His perspective is important because he has firsthand experience working in major game studios and provides insights into how politics have influenced the industry.

What are some examples of games mentioned that have been affected by political agendas?

The video mentions games like Concord and Star Wars Outlaws as examples of projects that had potential but were negatively affected by political agendas.

How does the video describe the impact of political correctness on game studios?

The video explains that many game studios are now heavily influenced by political correctness and fear offending anyone, which has led to a cautious and restrictive creative environment, ultimately affecting game quality and development.

What connection does the video make between art colleges and political awareness in game development?

The video argues that many developers come from art backgrounds where political awareness is emphasized, and this has contributed to the left-leaning political environment in game studios. The speaker reflects on his own experience in drama school, where discussions about societal restrictions and political ideas were common.

Why does the speaker believe there is brain drain happening in game studios?

The speaker suggests that many developers are leaving big studios because they feel they can no longer make the games they want to due to political interference. As a result, they are starting their own studios to work on games without political agendas.

What role do activists play in game development according to the video?

The video claims that activists within game studios have gained significant influence over management and executives, pushing their political ideologies into games. These activists allegedly demand changes and threaten to halt development if their demands are not met.

How does the speaker view the impact of scandals in the gaming industry?

The speaker acknowledges that past scandals, such as those involving EA, Ubisoft, and Blizzard, have led to necessary attention on workplace safety. However, he argues that these scandals have also given activists more power to impose their political views within studios.

What is the speaker's prediction for the future of the gaming industry?

The speaker predicts that the gaming industry will continue to face challenges from political agendas, and that many prestigious studios will suffer from consumer rejections in the coming years due to the politicization of their games.

How does the speaker feel about the future success of politically influenced games?

The speaker believes that games heavily influenced by political agendas are more likely to fail because consumers will reject them. He argues that studios and publishers are mistakenly focusing on factors like pricing instead of recognizing the negative impact of political content on game success.