Thanks
@Osiris397. Now I'm done with that nonsense, I'll try and get back to our discussion.
That's fair and frankly had I not wanted to get it Day 1 I would probably would wait since the biased reviews will affect sales which will mean the price of the game will be dropping precipitously and relatively soon.
I'll probably wait for sale or try the game on gampass or something further down the road, but I'm not paying full price for it.
Going back to the opening post.
Journalists look at games differently than fans. It's more clinical and impersonal, not like fans who typically get more emotionally invested. Neither side is wrong, it's just subtle differences in approach.
So trying to tow the line between understanding the perspectives of both is a task I envy nobody. Especially when it's TGW, who need to maintain the professional relationship with journalists and the respect of fans. In the end, no decision they make is going to please everyone, so that's not the goal. The goal is make decisions that everyone can at least respect even if they disagree.
So whilst I don't think TGW/Geoff Keely (Whomever you think is most responsible for the decisions) taking the feedback from both fans and journalists is a terrible thing, it's difficult to offer the aforementioned respect to thier decisions if I feel they are doing it for the wrong reasons.
Rejecting Dragonage: The Vielguard because of the objections of homophobic twits (and I'm not suggesting that's why, I'm just speculating), that's the wrong reason. A few years ago, a lot of people believed Hogwarts Legacy was dropped for nominations because of the backlash aimed at J.K Rowling for her transphobic comments and beliefs (again, I'm speculating, I'm not saying that's why Hogwarts Legacy was dropped for nominations), and to me, that's the same thing. What "side" of the social/political spectrum the backlash comes from is irrelevant. In my opinion, games should not be rejected because of an individual's political bias. Review the content of the game, not how that content gets reflected in an individual.
Now, If a game or game developer is openly and deliberately offensive, prejudiced, using thier product to spread hatred or misinformation or something, that's another matter and that should be called out, but that's a whole other topic.
Like I said, there is a difference between not agreeing with a decision and not respecting it. Personally, I both disagree and disrespect the decision they made with Hogwarts Legacy because:
- It was legitimately a very good game I enjoyed playing very much.
- Even though I find J.K Rowling and her views vile, the game and it's developer Avalanche Studious were not so infected. The game even had a trans' character in it that I believe was voiced by an actual trans' actor.
Now, like I've said, I haven't played Dragonage The Vielguard, but I am ready to agree with the decision to not nominate the game because, based of what I've seen and heard from trusted sources, I just don't think it's a very good game. However, if it turns out TGA rejected it because of the social/political implications, I would respect that desicion no more than I did Hogwarts Legacy. That would be just as wrong.