Avowed's chance at success was just DESTROYED by its own Art Director.

Summary

The video discusses the upcoming game AOW by Obsidian Entertainment, focusing on issues surrounding its art director, Matt Hansen. The creator criticizes Hansen's controversial behavior on social media, claiming it is detrimental to the game's success. Hansen's outspoken political views, alleged racism, and disruptive online presence are highlighted as key factors that could harm the game's reception. The video also contrasts Hansen's actions with those of other industry professionals who aim to inspire through passion and skill rather than controversy, urging viewers to reconsider supporting a game shaped by such negativity.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker discusses the game AOW, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, highlighting both the game's potential and concerns regarding its art director, Matt Hansen.
• 😀 The speaker expresses that while the game appears fine, the behavior of Matt Hansen has caused a negative stigma surrounding it, potentially impacting its success.
• 😀 The core issue stems from Matt Hansen's behavior on social media, which the speaker describes as childish tantrums that reflect poorly on the game’s image.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes that Hansen's public actions are likely to alienate a significant portion of the gaming community, potentially causing the game to fail commercially.
• 😀 Matt Hansen's public statements indicate a desire to upset certain groups, particularly those opposed to gender superiority and identity politics in games, rather than focusing on creating a great gaming experience.
• 😀 The speaker criticizes Hansen for promoting identity politics and divisive ideologies, which could tarnish the game's reception and limit its appeal.
• 😀 The speaker feels that the game's development, while involving talented people, will not be properly acknowledged due to the negative influence of Matt Hansen's actions and statements.
• 😀 Hansen’s comments on race, specifically targeting white people, are described as openly racist, and the speaker is strongly opposed to this stance, viewing it as harmful and divisive.
• 😀 The speaker asserts that Hansen's approach to diversity—prioritizing skin color over talent—results in poor hiring practices and contributes to the failure of games that adopt such policies.
• 😀 The speaker suggests that genuine support for diverse artists should come from offering opportunities based on merit, rather than seeking attention through performative actions or political rhetoric.

Q & A

What is the main reason the speaker is discussing AOW in this video?

The speaker is discussing AOW due to concerns about the behavior of its art director, Matt Hansen, who has been engaging in controversial actions on social media, which the speaker believes could negatively impact the game's success.

What is the speaker’s opinion on the game AOW itself?

The speaker mentions that the game looks fine and that they were initially interested in it. However, the speaker believes that the controversy surrounding Matt Hansen has overshadowed the game's potential and could harm its reception.

What issues does the speaker have with Matt Hansen's actions?

The speaker criticizes Matt Hansen for engaging in childish tantrums on social media, making divisive political statements, and promoting harmful ideologies, such as racism and performative activism. The speaker believes these actions are damaging both to the game and to the wider gaming community.

How does the speaker describe Matt Hansen's approach to game development?

The speaker describes Matt Hansen's approach to game development as focused on upsetting certain groups of people rather than creating a beautiful or inspiring game. Hansen's focus on anger and controversy, particularly around gender and identity politics, is viewed negatively by the speaker.

What accusations of racism are made against Matt Hansen?

The speaker accuses Matt Hansen of being openly racist, particularly against white people, and of advocating for hiring practices that prioritize race over talent and skill. The speaker views Hansen's actions as perpetuating a 'white savior' complex that undermines the merits of black artists.

How does the speaker feel about racism in the context of the gaming industry?

The speaker strongly condemns racism, particularly when it reduces individuals to their skin color and ignores their abilities, struggles, and merits. The speaker believes that Hansen's behavior is counterproductive and harmful to the progress made by previous generations in fighting for equality.

What alternative actions does the speaker suggest Matt Hansen could have taken?

The speaker suggests that if Matt Hansen genuinely cared about helping marginalized artists, he could have personally reached out to talented individuals, like the artist Sean from 'React and Draw,' and offered opportunities for collaboration, rather than engaging in performative online behavior.

What is the speaker’s opinion on the broader issue of political correctness in the gaming industry?

The speaker expresses frustration with the rise of political correctness in the gaming industry, arguing that it has led to games being created based on political agendas rather than passion or talent. The speaker believes that this trend has contributed to the failure of certain games.

How does the speaker describe Matt Hansen's personal character and behavior?

The speaker describes Matt Hansen’s behavior as attention-seeking, childish, and unprofessional. They suggest that Hansen's actions could be a result of substance use or other personal issues, citing errors in his tweets and logical inconsistencies as evidence of his unbalanced state of mind.

What does the speaker believe is the ultimate impact of Matt Hansen's behavior on AOW?

The speaker believes that Matt Hansen's controversial actions will result in the loss of a significant audience for AOW. This could lead to the game’s poor sales and a negative stigma attached to it, overshadowing the hard work of other talented people involved in its development.