Ukraine vs. Atomic Heart and four other gaming controversies

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Let’s face it: Video games suck. They're too violent and addictive. They stunt social development and are filled with sexual immorality. They turn our youth into depraved, depressed, and degenerate criminals and are played by D&D-loving, occult-observing, Beelzebulb-worshiping fanatics!
Nah, I’m just kidding. Video games are great. But it seems that the game industry and games alike have been the center of controversy for about as long as they’ve existed. Just in the past week, Atomic Heart (check out my review here) has been riddled with controversy. I’m not here to comment on politics, but the phenomenon of controversy that surrounds otherwise pretty great games is fascinating to me. So let’s dive into some of the most recent controversies I’ve seen in the industry (and one historical one, just for fun).
Atomic Heart vs. Ukraine
Atomic Heart has been in the news lately, and not just because it’s an alt-history dystopian story and its unique visual design. Atomic Heart has been mired with accusations of racism and, more recently, calls for a moratorium on sales in Ukraine. In fact, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation has asked for Valve, Sony, and Microsoft to stop selling the game in Ukraine and to “limit distribution” in other countries, as the taxes on Russian developer Mundfish and its investors will probably support the Russian war machine in some way. That would be the same war machine that has been in active use against Ukraine for a year now. Say what you will about Ukraine’s big request here, but video game controversies have certainly come a long way from “they rot your brain” to “they financially support a deeply unpopular war.”
Hogwarts Legacy banned from charity speedrunning showcase
Controversy surrounding Harry Potter is nothing new. When I was a kid, I remember people saying the Harry Potter books promoted literal witchcraft and should be taken off the shelves, but these days the franchise is receiving some new heat. Games Done Quick (GDQ), a speedrunning organization that puts on multiple week-long Twitch showcases a year to raise money for different charity, has banned Hogwarts Legacy and all other Harry Potter-related games from being part of their events. In this new ruling, Games Done Quick says this decision is subject to review in the future, but for now at least, you’ll have to look elsewhere to see folks zooming through the halls of Hogwarts.
If you’re unaware of why there’s such strong feelings against Harry Potter in some circles, a quick Google search will reveal various transphobic statements made by series author J.K. Rowling. Even Daniel Radcliffe—Harry Potter, himself!—spoke out against Rowling’s comments in 2020. It’s too bad too, because by all accounts, the game itself is actually pretty great. Check out my colleague Jay’s review to see for yourself.
Final Fantasy and “historical realism”
Everyone knows you can’t have ethnic diversity fantasy in games because there was no ethnic diversity in medieval Europe! At least, this was the argument made by Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida when explaining why the much-anticipated entry in Square Enix’s beloved JRPG series won’t feature many Black characters or people of color. Many angry reactions to this comment pointed out that this is a fantasy game—it’s literally in the title!—and, even if it wasn’t, having no people of color in a medieval European setting isn’t actually historically accurate.
To Yoshida’s credit, it looks like he took the criticism to heart and has dialed down his original comments. In an interview this week, he said that Final Fantasy XVI’s world of Valisthea is based on “research and investigation into various cultures and value systems around the world…[woven] into a sweeping fantasy narrative and world with great respect and care.” So will Final Fantasy XVI have a diverse cast after all? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see when the game comes out on June 22.
Advance Wars delayed because of real war
Yes, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has once again made it onto this list. Last year, just after this latest act of war started, Nintendo announced that it would indefinitely delay the launch of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp for the Nintendo Switch. Not only did this statement shock the gaming industry, but it also showed the political pull and ethical dilemmas many developers go through in response to global events. Maybe gaming isn't filled with Beelzebulb worshippers after all. The new release date for Advanced Wars is set for April 21, but with the war that inspired the original delay still raging, it’s unclear why Nintendo decided now is the right time and place for an Advance War.
Mortal Kombat and the ESRB
No list of controversial games would be complete without the mother of gaming controversies, Mortal Kombat. If you’re a millennial like me, then you probably remember going out into the schoolyard filled with adrenaline and shouting “MORTAL KOMBAT!!!” at the top of your lungs. There was something mythological about this game. Kids would whisper about rumored blood and nudity codes. There were fatalities that involved eating someone and spitting the bones out. The characters were awesome, and Scorpion’s perfect taunt of “Get over here!” became a catchphrase in and of itself.
Well, the United States Congress also noticed the fanfare around the game. Lo and behold, after a series of over-the-top, fearmongering congressional hearings led by Connecticut’s Joseph Lieberman, we got the creation of the ESRB game rating system. The ESRB was basically created as a compromise, allowing the gaming industry to have control over its own ratings rather than being labeled (and potentially censored) by the government directly. It’s weird to imagine a time before games had age restrictions, but it existed!
     
With all this controversy, it’s easy to forget that video games have also been linked to enhanced cognitive skills, stress relief, rehabilitation, education, and positive social behavior. If there's one thing for certain, though, the next good controversy is undoubtedly just around the corner.
💬 There are a million more controversies to mention, so name some more gaming controversies in the comments and give your (RESPECTFUL) opinions on them.
REMEMBER: We all love games and are here to have fun. We want to hear your opinions on different gaming controversies in the comments, but anything hateful or mean will be deleted.
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TappyBoio
TappyBoio
6
bullshit
03/06/2023
Author liked
spectical space cat
spectical space cat
1
this is literally a gaming app
03/11/2023
Author liked
Fisher Melton
Fisher Melton
21
personally i think its bullcrap, and that a game shouldnt boycotted just because of its origins. they cant control if they give their money to russia.
03/03/2023
Lyn
Lyn
14
I wish taptap have dislike button. And what the fk is money got from selling game send to war machine? They work hard, pay for their dev, modeling, music, sound, etc . They want to make game and feed their family too, are people think Russian need to pay for war machine? Me friend is a dev from open source software. Most of them want everything is open source so us no need to pay hundred of money. And we can support them a little tip. They just crying and begging over everything: sports,shop,... now even gamming? the fk ?
03/10/2023
Fisher Melton
Fisher Melton
3
hes saying the controversies are stupid, (though very vaguely, his opinion isnt stated specifically)
03/10/2023
jordan
jordan
7
After not so careful considerations, all these controversies are made up by bunch of ko good retards who got lot of times to talk shit.
03/10/2023
Fisher Melton
Fisher Melton
3
100% valid opinion 👌
03/10/2023
Алексей Золотенко
Алексей Золотенко
2
why I can't dislike this post? so many people with limited thinking are trying to impose their opinions on others. such people need to be isolated from society
03/10/2023
6blCTPOmiha
6blCTPOmiha
1
It so stupid to make conclusion by reviews whithout playing it. In fact, this game shows Soviet from the bad side at the end. I hope a lot of readers check comments and will try pass this game and make Ur own conclusion. ✌️
03/10/2023
Fisher Melton
Fisher Melton
3
he made a review, and he liked it alot he isnt dissing atomic heart or anything else, but staying neutral (i can tell he is supporting the games tho)
03/10/2023
Author liked
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