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Dead Island PR come up with most appalling idea in history of gaming PR

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  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/10/15/help-decide-dead-island-riptide-39-s-collector-39-s-edition.aspx

    Even more baffling:
    Deep Silver wants to do a collector's edition for Dead Island Riptide, which is due out sometime next year. The publisher is asking fans to take a survey to give feedback for what is offered. "We've polled the community for ideas, and we have some ideas of our own. If you have a few minutes, please let us know how just you feel about these ideas.

    "We will take all of this feedback under serious consideration, so here is your chance to tell us what you want!" To take the survey click here.

    Deep Silver also said today the original Dead Island has sold over 4 million copies across all platforms to date.

    Survey is closed now, but who on earth wrote in "I would like a lady's torso please"

  • PreciousBodilyFluidsPreciousBodilyFluids Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    Fiaryn wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    So it's the boobs that are the problem here? If they were gnawed off it would still be creepy but not sexist?

    Actually? Yes. And it's not that it's boobs, it's PERFECT BREASTS on a mutilated torso.

    Imagine if this statue instead was of a man's severed pelvis, bloody, with a throbbing, engorged cock, 10" easy, bulging from the scraps of ripped speedo, desperately struggling to restrain it.

    I would think the same thing I do now: What the fuck is that? Why would I want that? And then move on with my life.

    The unexamined life, we have found it.

    No I see what you guys are trying to see. I get it. I just think you're trying to make it something worse than it really is: a fucking ugly statue.
    Like it is literally reducing a woman to a pair of boobs, done in the most horrible way.

    It's ugly, sure. But for more reasons than the strictly aesthetic one.

  • Albino BunnyAlbino Bunny Jackie Registered User regular
    I'm usually really lax on alot of 'sexism' kinda stuff. It's just how the industry does things, it's not that bad, it works with in the context of the story.

    I don't think an entire trilogy of games could justify that statues existence.

    Seriously, what the fuck.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    edited January 2013
    Tube wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Actually? Yes. And it's not that it's boobs, it's PERFECT BREASTS on a mutilated torso.

    Imagine if this statue instead was of a man's severed pelvis, bloody, with a throbbing, engorged cock, 10" easy, bulging from the scraps of ripped speedo, desperately struggling to restrain it.

    More to the point, think about how that would never happen.

    I know this says absolutely nothing good about me, but I'd probably find that fucking hilarious, and giggle like a 6th grader every time I looked at it.

    Anyway, people, good lord. Most of these opinions aren't mutually exclusive. That @urahonky isn't terribly offended for the reasons others are isn't a big deal; that he doesn't find it stupid for the same reasons you do...whats the point in getting so mad about it? I'm not sure anyone would argue that it's fine or not incredibly incredibly bad, for whatever reason. It just offends the senses for different people at different levels.

    The Dude With Herpes on
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  • Johnny ChopsockyJohnny Chopsocky Scootaloo! We have to cook! Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered User regular
    Nope, still not the most appalling PR stunt in the history of gaming. Maybe Top 5 material, but the rest of the Top 5 is Acclaim's firmly-held territory.

    I shudder to think of what kind of person would proudly display that thing on their mantle. Where it can be seen. By eyes. Sure, it's a conversation piece: albeit a short one because the conversation would immediately change to "gotta go bye don't call me" once someone saw it.

    ygPIJ.gif
    Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
  • frandelgearslipfrandelgearslip 457670Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    Also, more behavior from the developer / publisher that makes them appear to not think much of women.

    This I can agree with.

    I was not planning on playing riptide, because I just finished the first game as part of my backlog challenge and was already turned off by the horrible cutscenes in the game including one where the two male player characters blame a female npc for getting raped. So yeah compared to the misogynistic piece of shit the first game was I barely raise my eyebrows to the torso.

  • BasilBasil Registered User regular
    A game about dead girls in bikinis is selling a dead girl in a bikini.

    I can see how marketing got from a to b.

    9KmX8eN.jpg
  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    the horrible cutscenes in the game including one where the two male player characters blame a female npc for getting raped.

    Holy shit, really?

  • PreciousBodilyFluidsPreciousBodilyFluids Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Actually? Yes. And it's not that it's boobs, it's PERFECT BREASTS on a mutilated torso.

    Imagine if this statue instead was of a man's severed pelvis, bloody, with a throbbing, engorged cock, 10" easy, bulging from the scraps of ripped speedo, desperately struggling to restrain it.

    More to the point, think about how that would never happen.

    I know this says absolutely nothing good about me, but I'd probably find that fucking hilarious, and giggle like a 6th grader every time I looked at it.

    Anyway, people, good lord. Most of these opinions aren't mutually exclusive. That @urahonky isn't terribly offended for the reasons others are isn't a big deal; that he doesn't find it stupid for the same reasons you do...whats the point in getting so mad about it? I'm not sure anyone would argue that it's fine or not incredibly incredibly bad, for whatever reason. It just offends the senses for different people at different levels.

    That he doesn't care is one thing, but he's actively denying the misogyny going on in the statue.

    And even if you just don't care, you simply can't deny that part. You'd be wrong if you did.

  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    Fawst wrote: »
    Tube wrote: »
    Fawst wrote: »
    Am I making sense yet? People are up in arms over this perceived misogyny when it comes to a statue, but when it comes to a video game, no one bats an eye. I think the word I'm looking for to describe this is "hypocrisy."

    That word doesn't mean what you think it means.

    Well if people (read: society) can modify the English language and make words mean far more than their original intent (referencing "misogyny" here), then I think I'm OK.

    Oh dear.

    Ooooh, I know, I can't believe he just WROTE that!

    First thing first: I was half-joking in response to Tube. Words like "axe" suddenly mean "ask," etc.
    Second thing second: the word I was actually looking for was "contradictory." I stand corrected.
    Last thing last: the definition of misogyny is "a hatred of women."

    I don't think that misogyny is the case here. People who toss words around without knowing what they truly mean look as big a fool as I did above using "hypocrisy" incorrectly. It also diminishes their arguments. Objectification of women as just a pair of tits? Yes, in a literal sense, this is. Ill-advised and stupid? Absolutely. Tasteless? It's a matter of opinion, given the context. Misogynistic? No, I won't agree to that.

  • rRootagearRootagea MadisonRegistered User regular
    edited January 2013
    It might be helpful to note that the quote is attributed to a marketer at Deep Silver, the publisher, and not Techland, the developer.

    Since a marketer's sole objective is to attract attention to the game through any means possible, shock value might have been their last resort because the market is incredibly zombie saturated at the moment. If I were to ask what are the most anticipated zombie games coming out, this one probably wouldn't break the top 5. Being in the limelight at all equates this game with the rest as worthy of consideration.

    I mean, doesn't it seem a little too offensive to be accidental and with such apt timing as well.

    rRootagea on
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    the horrible cutscenes in the game including one where the two male player characters blame a female npc for getting raped.

    Holy shit, really?

    A friend was telling me about it this morning when the news about this stupid statue broke.

  • Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    You know what would have been cool? A Zombie statue that depicts a zombie.

    For those of you not understanding the outrage about this, and how it has to do with sexism, think about the process behind the creation of this.

    Dead Island is a game that takes place on a tropical island during the zombie apocalypse. The company wants to make a statue based around this to include with the CE version of the game.

    They have several choices:

    A weapon from the game!
    A male zombie all gory and shit!
    A female zombie all gory and shit!
    A truck or something (possibly hitting a zombie!)

    They went with something that BARELY has anything to do with the game. Just LOOK at what the zombies look like in this game. Notice something? The zombies have fucked up skin. So, this torso isn't a zombie torso, it's a regular person. So, it doesn't so much have anything to do with zombies. It's in a bikini, which is because the game takes place on a tropical island resort thing. Wait, no, that's wrong, it's because they want to attract male gamers to buying it because it's a pair of fucking tits. Which is the reason the breasts aren't messed up at all.

    So basically the whole point of the damned thing is to reduce a dead girl down to a pair of tits to sell your shitty game to shitty guys who are fucked in the head. Guess why that's offensive? Yeah, it's not because of the gore. It's not because the game is violent. It's because this thing has literally nothing to do with the game, and is objectifying women. This isn't a statue of a character from the game, a zombie, or anything to do with the game. It's literally just a pair of tits.

    No I don't.
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Actually? Yes. And it's not that it's boobs, it's PERFECT BREASTS on a mutilated torso.

    Imagine if this statue instead was of a man's severed pelvis, bloody, with a throbbing, engorged cock, 10" easy, bulging from the scraps of ripped speedo, desperately struggling to restrain it.

    More to the point, think about how that would never happen.

    I know this says absolutely nothing good about me, but I'd probably find that fucking hilarious, and giggle like a 6th grader every time I looked at it.

    Anyway, people, good lord. Most of these opinions aren't mutually exclusive. That @urahonky isn't terribly offended for the reasons others are isn't a big deal; that he doesn't find it stupid for the same reasons you do...whats the point in getting so mad about it? I'm not sure anyone would argue that it's fine or not incredibly incredibly bad, for whatever reason. It just offends the senses for different people at different levels.

    It reads to me less that he's in disagreement with us and more of telling us we're wrong. It would be one thing for him to say, "Well, it doesn't offend me, but I can see why," but instead it's, "It doesn't offend me, why is it offending any of you?"

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Fawst wrote: »
    Misogynistic? No, I won't agree to that.

    You don't need to. It will remain mysoginistic with or without your approval.

  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    Tube wrote: »
    the horrible cutscenes in the game including one where the two male player characters blame a female npc for getting raped.

    Holy shit, really?

    A friend was telling me about it this morning when the news about this stupid statue broke.

    I honestly don't remember that at all, but the dialogue was so terrible and the main characters so unlikable that I wouldn't be surprised.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    Tube wrote: »
    the horrible cutscenes in the game including one where the two male player characters blame a female npc for getting raped.

    Holy shit, really?

    A friend was telling me about it this morning when the news about this stupid statue broke.

    yeah, I remember that. It was very much implied and not clear what the point of that scene was but it still left me intensely uncomfortable. Now I know why.

  • LockedOnTargetLockedOnTarget Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    Fawst you are kind of starting to remind me of people who say they aren't homophobic because they aren't literally afraid of gay people.

    LockedOnTarget on
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    I'm not saying "why is it offending you?" I'm saying "I can see what you guys are trying to see on something".

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    I'm not saying "why is it offending you?" I'm saying "I can see what you guys are trying to see on something".

    You're still telling us we're wrong.

  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    And you're telling me that I'm wrong for not thinking it's sexist...

  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    And you're telling me that I'm wrong for not thinking it's sexist...

    That is because you are wrong

    See, there's a reason for everything

  • Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    And you're telling me that I'm wrong for not thinking it's sexist...

    Well... you are.

    No I don't.
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Actually? Yes. And it's not that it's boobs, it's PERFECT BREASTS on a mutilated torso.

    Imagine if this statue instead was of a man's severed pelvis, bloody, with a throbbing, engorged cock, 10" easy, bulging from the scraps of ripped speedo, desperately struggling to restrain it.

    More to the point, think about how that would never happen.

    I know this says absolutely nothing good about me, but I'd probably find that fucking hilarious, and giggle like a 6th grader every time I looked at it.

    You should; it would be funny as hell.

    Sadly, you will never see it outsde of a gay sex shop yet you will see the opposite everywhere you go.

  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    Alright. Glad we sorted that out! I think you guys are wrong and you think I'm wrong. Welcome to the Internet! :)

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    I'm not saying "why is it offending you?" I'm saying "I can see what you guys are trying to see on something".

    We

    are not

    TRYING.

  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    urahonky wrote: »
    Alright. Glad we sorted that out! I think you guys are wrong and you think I'm wrong. Welcome to the Internet! :)

    Yeah, but they're right.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    urahonky wrote: »
    Alright. Glad we sorted that out! I think you guys are wrong and you think I'm wrong. Welcome to the Internet! :)

    You could not have missed the point more. You don't like it because it's ugly, we all agree. We don't like it because it's ugly AND mysoginistic; you give us a golf clap for effort.

    a subtle difference is in effect

    Magic Pink on
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    We are all arguing for nothing anyway because they'll change it to something else and the game will still sell and everyone will move on with their lives.

  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    urahonky wrote: »
    I'm not saying "why is it offending you?" I'm saying "I can see what you guys are trying to see on something".

    I wouldn't require anybody to offended by it, but just on gut instinct, that statue just feels wrong. Like if you take this:
    You know what would have been cool? A Zombie statue that depicts a zombie.
    I can see those and go, "oh, zombie stuff" (except for that creepy zombie maid). On the other hand, my immediate reaction to that statue is "what kind of sicko cooked this up?", because people pieces on display, much less highly overtly sexualized ones, hits some high notes of revulsion.

    If you stripped everything personal out of the equation and just looked at this more objectively, the fact that a group of people got together and thought that that statue was entirely acceptable as a promotional item also indicates some serious problems in regards to those people, as well as problems with whatever chain of people the item had to go through for approval. It is definitely a Not Cool item, and the fact that the people responsible for making and releasing it couldn't see that indicates some serious issues there.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • PreciousBodilyFluidsPreciousBodilyFluids Registered User regular
    Fawst wrote: »
    Objectification of women as just a pair of tits? Yes, in a literal sense, this is. Misogynistic? No, I won't agree to that.

    Alright, let's settle this then, since all you seem to care about is semantics.

    Regardless of whether you want to call it misogyny, can you at least admit that the literal reduction of a woman to a pair of tits is a bad thing? Can you really not understand why some of us feel that is a bad thing and that we should express that it is a bad thing?

    Oh, and to pre-emptively reply to your "lol wikipedia" response, you'll find it's an incredibly well-sourced article.

  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    Henroid wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    I'm not saying "why is it offending you?" I'm saying "I can see what you guys are trying to see on something".

    You're still telling us we're wrong.

    I don't think he's trying to tell you that you're wrong. Just because somebody views something differently from you it does not explicitly mean that they are saying your view is wrong. LIke it or not, it's arguably a work of "art", and with that comes that level of subjection. There's a lot of emotion flying around here and it seems to be shutting down reason. :|

    I think it's a tasteless and poorly thought out marketing idea. I don't think the dudes that thought this up are misogynist, because it's entirely possible that they may have, in their ignorance, thought this was a good idea that people would like...

    tastydonuts on
    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    Alright. Glad we sorted that out! I think you guys are wrong and you think I'm wrong. Welcome to the Internet! :)

    You could not have missed the point more. You don't like it because it's ugly, we all agree. We don't like it because it's ugly AND mysoginistic; you give us a golf clap for effort.

    No. I fucking get it. It is sexist because it has perfect boobs. Which is a lie because everyone knows that even if it didn't have the boobs you guys would still be up in arms about how it's a woman's corpse mutilated and not a man's corpse.

  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    urahonky wrote: »
    We are all arguing for nothing anyway because they'll change it to something else and the game will still sell and everyone will move on with their lives.

    Oh shit, you're telling me that this forum isn't solely responsible for all the major decisions of the world? I'M MELTING.

  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Fawst wrote: »
    Misogynistic? No, I won't agree to that.

    You don't need to. It will remain mysoginistic with or without your approval.

    OK, then explain how it's misogynistic. I think it's sexist because of its idealistic (to put it foolishly) portrayal of the female body. But can you prove 100% that it exists because the creator hates women? I'm going with the dictionary definition here, so please, if you can explain to me how that is a wrong interpretation of the word, I'd appreciate and welcome it.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    Alright. Glad we sorted that out! I think you guys are wrong and you think I'm wrong. Welcome to the Internet! :)

    You could not have missed the point more. You don't like it because it's ugly, we all agree. We don't like it because it's ugly AND mysoginistic; you give us a golf clap for effort.

    No. I fucking get it. It is sexist because it has perfect boobs. Which is a lie because everyone knows that even if it didn't have the boobs you guys would still be up in arms about how it's a woman's corpse mutilated and not a man's corpse.

    Really? Prove it.

  • Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    Alright. Glad we sorted that out! I think you guys are wrong and you think I'm wrong. Welcome to the Internet! :)

    You could not have missed the point more. You don't like it because it's ugly, we all agree. We don't like it because it's ugly AND mysoginistic; you give us a golf clap for effort.

    No. I fucking get it. It is sexist because it has perfect boobs. Which is a lie because everyone knows that even if it didn't have the boobs you guys would still be up in arms about how it's a woman's corpse mutilated and not a man's corpse.

    YAY LOGICAL FALLACY!

    Please, go on telling me how offended I'd be if the statue was less offensive.

    No I don't.
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    We are all arguing for nothing anyway because they'll change it to something else and the game will still sell and everyone will move on with their lives.

    Oh shit, you're telling me that this forum isn't solely responsible for all the major decisions of the world? I'M MELTING.
    V-DAY ON THE FORUMS!

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    urahonky wrote: »
    I'm not saying "why is it offending you?" I'm saying "I can see what you guys are trying to see on something".

    You're still telling us we're wrong.

    I don't think he's trying to tell you that you're wrong. Just because somebody views something differently from you it does not explicitly mean that they are saying your view is wrong. LIke it or not, it's arguably a work of "art", and with that comes that level of subjection. There's a lot of emotion flying around here and it seems to be shutting down reason. :|

    I think it's a tasteless and poorly thought out marketing idea. I don't think the dudes that thought this up are misogynist, because it's entirely possible that they may have, in their ignorance, thought this was a good idea that people would like...

    That doesn't change the fact the end result IS mysoginistic and needs to be treated as such.

    And yes, he is saying we're wrong. Read his posts again. Pay attention to him saying what we're "trying" to do.

  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    Fawst you are kind of starting to remind me of people who say they aren't homophobic because they aren't literally afraid of gay people.

    Ooooooooookaaaaaaaay... that's "kind of" the most insulting thing anyone has ever said to me. What does that mean, exactly? You're saying that I'm something, but I'm not sure what.

This discussion has been closed.