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00:00We are at war.
00:02No! Sweet Liberty! No!
00:07Gaming is under siege and the attackers are within the industry.
00:11For the better part of a decade, especially within the last five years,
00:15gamers, the ones who made the industry the billion-dollar complex it is
00:19and kept the machine rolling with their hard-earned dollars,
00:23have been public enemy number one.
00:25Currently, nearly the entire gaming industry is in freefall.
00:30Countless big-budget releases massively underperforming,
00:34endless rounds of layoffs and studio closures,
00:37and millions upon millions of dollars in profit lost year over year.
00:42So, how did we get here, and more importantly,
00:45can gaming be saved or are we on the verge of another collapse?
00:49Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today, we're going to try to save our favorite hobby
00:54and the gaming industry from itself.
00:56Sorry, man.
00:59Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!
01:03Hmm!
01:04This is your fault, you limey f***!
01:07Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
01:10and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
01:15It's hard to pinpoint when exactly gaming turned so antagonistic,
01:20as the majority of games came and went with very little controversy.
01:24But, if I had to pinpoint the igniting spark,
01:28I'd have to say, among other real-world events of the time,
01:31it was probably the release of The Last of Us Part II in 2020.
01:36Now, I'm not going to pretend that Laura Bailey and Naughty Dog themselves
01:40didn't receive a lot of backlash and threats,
01:42which is absolutely ridiculous and never should have happened,
01:45but beyond those things, it was Naughty Dog's response to the backlash
01:50against their story and characters that seemed to tip the scales.
01:53After fans were understandably upset over Joel's untimely death
01:57and rightfully called out how easily Joel let himself fall into a trap,
02:02especially after the events of the first game,
02:05Naughty Dog went on the defensive,
02:07copyright-striking YouTube channels for daring to voice their opinion about the game.
02:11Now, besides this being a gross misuse of the copyright protections on YouTube,
02:17had they simply put their head in the sand
02:19and let fans and critics alike talk openly about the game,
02:22it's likely much of the backlash would have subsided over time,
02:27especially since the game has received a re-evaluation by many fans in recent years.
02:32This is much like how Kojima ignored the backlash
02:35to the Raiden bait-and-switch back in Metal Gear Solid 2,
02:38and that game has since become regarded as one of the best and most important games on the PS2.
02:44And yet, because of their overreaction,
02:48the Naughty Dog brand as a whole has been irreparably damaged,
02:52and you need only look at the extremely negative reaction
02:54to what should and could have been the start of a brand new chapter for the studio with Intergalactic,
03:00only to see that sentiment has not changed whatsoever in the last five years.
03:05But we can't put all the blame on one studio.
03:09No, this is a problem that affects nearly every single studio, media outlet, and gaming community.
03:16This game is going down and it's all your fault!
03:19Gaming has gone mainstream,
03:22and because of this, naturally, bad actors have found a way inside
03:26in an attempt to influence the medium from within.
03:29For decades, gaming was viewed as a childish pastime,
03:33something you partake in as a kid and then presumably grow out of as you get older.
03:38However, gaming has widely become recognized as one of the most profitable forms of entertainment in the world,
03:44with players of all ages and demographics continuing to play well into their golden years.
03:50And much like film, television, and even literature,
03:53those with their own agendas and ideals couldn't leave well enough alone
03:58and began to warp that which is loved by millions around the world.
04:10With the rise of social media,
04:13so-called gaming journalists began openly attacking gamers
04:17in an attempt to shut down discourse,
04:19no matter what the game or the commentary surrounding it was.
04:22Gamers have been labeled every possible name in the book,
04:26simply for disagreeing with the direction of the industry.
04:30And it's not just the mainstream gaming sites either.
04:33Game developers themselves have become emboldened,
04:36openly attacking their customer base for something as minor
04:39as asking the most basic questions about a game.
04:42The entire industry has become infected by an anti-gamer sentiment,
04:47and it has become rotten to its core.
04:50Community managers are especially egregious in this space,
04:54banning commentators and fans for no reason other than the crime of,
04:58checks notes,
04:59having a difference of opinion,
05:02dictating their rule and voice to be that of the company that employs them,
05:07and completely destroying minigames' reputations before the game even releases.
05:11The pursuit for more diversity in the medium,
05:14which was never an issue before,
05:17through the groupthink of DEI,
05:19or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,
05:21has been morphed and twisted into something altogether much more sinister.
05:26The forced implementation of DEI has resulted in games becoming nothing more than platforms
05:32or soapboxes for people who don't even care about gaming.
05:36Funnily enough, diversity, equity, and inclusion only applies to specific groups,
05:42and is only inclusive to those who agree with everything the group represents, full stop.
05:47DEI has instead become destroy everything from the inside,
05:52as they force their ideologies onto a customer base simply looking for the escapism they once enjoyed.
05:58And God forbid you don't agree with these ideas.
06:03Numerous gamers have received death threats,
06:05been deplatformed,
06:06cancelled,
06:07and even doxed or swatted for simply having a difference of opinion.
06:12And yet, for all the controversy over the numerous threats against Naughty Dog and Laura Bailey,
06:17these events largely go unreported with mainstream journalists
06:20siding with big-name publishers either to not lose their exclusive access,
06:25or because they agree with the developers' politics.
06:28Gaming has always been a naturally diverse storytelling medium,
06:33with numerous characters from all walks of life having prominent roles within games.
06:38And in the old days, these characters were represented as actual human beings,
06:43capable but flawed, intelligent but naive,
06:46and generally portrayed as everyday human beings, warts and all.
06:50However, in the modern-day pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion,
06:55all these basic human elements are stripped away,
06:58leaving nothing but perfection of the human existence,
07:01incapable of being anything less and always superior to all those around them,
07:06while always going out of their way to make sure they don't offend anyone ever.
07:10This is no better personified than in the recent girl-boss trope,
07:15many developers and writers' mistake for strong female characters.
07:19These Mary-Sues are the bestest at absolutely everything,
07:24perfection personified,
07:25and always have to remind everyone else in the room how much better they are than their contemporaries.
07:31Look no further than Aloy from the Horizon series.
07:34Whereas in Zero Dawn, Aloy was still naive about the world,
07:38and would make mistakes as she learned and grew as a character.
07:41In Forbidden West, she is the greatest, smartest, and most capable human being on the planet.
07:48A machine kneecap, maybe?
07:50Well, you'd need a filter.
07:52Synthetic membrane would do it.
07:54With a hose to a compressed air capsule.
07:58Hammer and tong.
07:59Flawless in her execution of everything,
08:02with all others falling over themselves to behold her greatness.
08:06This is another reason Naughty Dog's upcoming intergalactic has become so instantly reviled.
08:12First impressions matter,
08:14and the arrogant, overconfident girlboss aura coming off new protagonist Jordan
08:18could single-handedly power the feminist movement for the next six generations.
08:24He's not worth it.
08:28I'm wasting my time, aren't I?
08:30This isn't even mentioning the constant race swaps of established characters,
08:35Isn't Deadshot supposed to be white?
08:38the continued uglification of female characters,
08:41game writers purposely ignoring or outright rewriting canonical lore just to fit their agenda,
08:47and just the general PC nature the entire Western industry has shifted towards,
08:52at such an accelerated pace it could have sunk the Titanic on its own.
08:56Now, I say specifically Western developers,
08:59because the Asian market has been single-handedly carrying the industry in the last couple of years.
09:04And this is an issue almost exclusive to Western developers too.
09:09While Western devs have been focusing on social justice issues,
09:13self-insert, and over-politicizing the gaming space,
09:16Asian devs have been giving gamers what they actually want.
09:20Fun games with interesting worlds, mechanics, and compelling stories with beautiful characters.
09:25For every K-Vess, there's an Eve.
09:27For every Jordan, there is a Tifa.
09:30For Western devs, even legacy characters are no longer safe from this de-beautification.
09:35Look no further than the entire character roster of Concord,
09:39Mary Jane between Spider-Man 2018 and Spider-Man 2,
09:43Joanna Dark in the Perfect Dark reboot,
09:45or worst of all, what they've done to Lara Croft.
09:49And gamers have resoundedly rejected all of this being forced by Western dev studios.
09:55Controversial or not, DEI has been one of the most detrimental implementations in gaming ever.
10:02Gone are the days when delivering a solid product and putting in the work
10:05were what it took to advance and make a name for yourself in the industry.
10:09Now, it's based on your background, your preferences,
10:13and checking all the right ideological boxes.
10:16Promotions are no longer based on merit or qualifications,
10:19and many dedicated, lifelong employees are getting passed over for diversity hires
10:25with little to no background within gaming and even giving high-ranking positions.
10:30Uh, it didn't require any discipline to attain it.
10:34You know, you read what others had done, and you took the next step.
10:38You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility.
10:41Along with this new hiring practice comes more bloated staff,
10:45full of unqualified people who go out of their way to hire former associates
10:49and other equally unqualified individuals who bring nothing of worth to a given project.
10:56This, in turn, also comes with even more downsides,
10:59as these individuals are more focused on their activism rather than their actual job.
11:04Countless former employees from studios describe toxic work environments
11:08in which everyone walks on eggshells in what has been described as toxic positivity,
11:13leading to no pushback or criticism of any kind being allowed within the workplace.
11:18This isn't your safe space.
11:21This is a job.
11:23You know why?
11:24Because when I need a job done, I get someone with a job to do that job!
11:30Talentless people hiring other talentless people to create a product no one wants,
11:35all while viciously attacking anyone online who speaks out against the direction of the industry.
11:40This isn't even mentioning the outside consulting firms.
11:44For some reason, these gaming giants who used to have no problem creating sprawling,
11:49detailed worlds with the beloved and fleshed-out, well-written characters
11:53suddenly need writing consultants?
11:56What?
11:57You need only look at disasters like Suicide Squad and Forspoken
12:01to get a sense of the writing capabilities of these consulting agencies.
12:05Who leaves a newborn baby on the street?
12:08Right?
12:09And my name is Frey Holland.
12:12Well, at least it wasn't the Queen's Midtown Tunnel.
12:14That would have been an awful last name.
12:17I was joking!
12:20Who also happen to charge exorbitant fees for their services,
12:24while fundamentally destroying everything they touch.
12:28Derivative, cliche-riddled narratives that go out of their way to be as inoffensive as possible
12:32at the cost of saying anything meaningful.
12:36She's gonna say,
12:37I have to find Homer first.
12:38Gotta find Homer first.
12:41Compare the writing between Spider-Man 2018 and Spider-Man 2 as a prime example.
12:47Suddenly, everyone is talking as if HR is lurking right around the corner.
12:52Jonah?
12:54Kiss my ass.
12:55I quit.
12:56What's up?
12:57You're so cool.
12:59This also means that many beloved heroes need to be completely torn down and or punished
13:06seemingly for no other reason than fans' adoration for them.
13:10Suddenly, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider is no longer a treasure hunter,
13:14but is now a seeker of truth.
13:17What the hell is even that?
13:19No one had any issue with the Tomb Raider series beyond Lara's bust size
13:23throughout her entire gaming catalog,
13:25even into the reboot trilogy.
13:27Until some social justice warriors came in and told everyone
13:31that what Lara had been doing for the better part of two decades
13:35was wrong and you should feel bad for enjoying it.
13:38Now, you can't even boot up the recent remasters
13:41without a ridiculous word salad from the devs at the beginning condemning her actions.
13:47It's right behind my eyes.
13:49It's a hot night.
13:52Calling back to Joel and his abysmal treatment from The Last of Us Part 2 for a moment,
13:56no one had a problem playing as Ellie in the sequel.
14:00No one.
14:01And there were undoubtedly numerous other ways
14:04they could have still told the story they did
14:06without killing Joel in such an undignified manner.
14:09Which ended up feeling like nothing more than the devs purposely being mean-spirited
14:14for the simple reason that fans loved Joel,
14:17identified and sympathized with him,
14:19and that was apparently not the message Naughty Dog wanted to be taken from the game.
14:24Therefore, fans must be punished.
14:26And the same thing happened again in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League
14:31and their send-off for Kevin Conroy's final performance as the definitive Batman.
14:36Noticing a pattern yet?
14:38Are we done with your bad stand-up routine?
14:41Almost.
14:43But you always gotta end on your best joke.
14:47These DEI hires and consulting groups also lead to another major issue.
14:52Bloat.
14:53Studios that used to produce incredible games with barely 100 people
14:57are suddenly ballooning alongside their budgets
15:00with not only multiple studios,
15:03but hundreds, sometimes thousands, working on a single title.
15:07And the products don't match the growth.
15:10Gamers have become beta testers,
15:13playing games with massive day-one patches
15:15or being encouraged to revisit a game a year after launch
15:18because it's fixed now.
15:20Concord, a game that cost somewhere in the ballpark of $400 million,
15:24not including what Sony spent to acquire the studio,
15:29has an hour and 15 minutes of credits.
15:32For what?
15:34Who are these people?
15:36What exactly did they do to make this game?
15:39It certainly doesn't look, feel, or play
15:42like a feature-length movie worth of developers worked on it.
15:45Millions upon millions of dollars
15:47for a game absolutely no one wanted and no one played.
15:51Recent successes like Black Myth Wukong,
15:54whose development team consisted of roughly 140 people,
15:58or Stellar Blade with its staff of 300,
16:01arguably delivered better products
16:03than anything major AAA studios have put out
16:05this entire generation,
16:07and probably even the previous one.
16:09And you know what?
16:10Despite coordinated and manipulative hit pieces
16:13based on manufactured controversy by mainstream journalists,
16:17both games were resounding commercial successes.
16:20Well, guys, I was already gonna buy the game,
16:23but I think now I might have to buy it twice.
16:26Hell, my most anticipated game of 2025,
16:29Expedition 33,
16:31has only 30 developers working on it.
16:3430!
16:34And that game's production, art design,
16:37and creativity is light years ahead of anything else
16:40we're expected to receive from a major studio in the near future.
16:44Shocking, what you can accomplish
16:46when you bring together passionate people
16:47who only want to entertain
16:49and create something new and exciting,
16:51isn't it?
16:52And yet,
16:53big AAA,
16:54or quadruple-A studios,
16:56and Microsoft,
16:57are constantly having to bring in
16:59even more studios to develop their games,
17:02while having the absolute nerve
17:04to start talking about charging $100 for games going forward.
17:08I went from happy to angry.
17:11Skip said,
17:12now I feel like kicking his ass.
17:13That's right!
17:14Some lunatics out there are trying to use GTA 6
17:17to push the idea that due to ballooning costs of game development,
17:21GTA 6 could be the first $100 game
17:24to set the standard for the industry
17:25for no other reason than it's the most anticipated game this generation.
17:29All while completely overlooking the fact
17:32that with all these special editions,
17:34DLCs, skins, content packs, and so on,
17:37video games already cost well over $100 for the complete experience.
17:42Am I so out of touch?
17:44No, it's the children who are wrong.
17:47It's just the sheer audacity
17:49to ask your customer base to pay more
17:52while continuing to release games that no one wants,
17:55or plays that end up falling well below the quality
17:58of anything we received even two decades ago.
18:02Does all coffee smell like this?
18:04Coffee, coffee.
18:05Some people like cream or sugar in their coffee.
18:07Let coffee in the kitchen.
18:09The coffee, the coffee.
18:10No!
18:12Shut up!
18:13Oh my god, I don't care!
18:15This also brings up another point of contention,
18:19the constant stream of safe games.
18:21The PS5 and Xbox series have become nothing but expensive boxes
18:26for a constant stream of remakes and remasters,
18:29wasting valuable resources and developers
18:31on re-releasing last-gen content on current-gen hardware.
18:36This generation, the PS5 has seen less than 50 PS5-exclusive games,
18:41with only a handful of these coming from internal studios.
18:45After wasting years developing live service titles
18:48no one was demanding, Sony cancelled almost all of them,
18:52forcing those studios to start from scratch
18:55and likely not even release a single game this generation.
19:00What is it?
19:02The end.
19:04Or how it begins, anyway.
19:06And don't even get me started on Xbox.
19:10After spending billions of dollars
19:12acquiring some of the biggest development
19:14and publishing companies in the world,
19:16what does Microsoft have to show for it?
19:19Countless flops, bug riddled games,
19:22and now a push for everything to be an Xbox console.
19:25This is truly the weakest
19:28and most pointless gaming generation
19:30of the last 30 years.
19:33How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?
19:37This focus on safe games
19:39has also completely crippled the industry,
19:41with recycled content being pushed as new and exciting,
19:45focusing primarily on legacy properties,
19:48while being completely risk-averse to anything new
19:50that doesn't immediately become a blockbuster financial hit.
19:54Publishers have turned to rebooting the entire series,
19:58betting on nostalgia and brand recognition
20:00to create the next blockbuster,
20:02while at the same time updating the game
20:04for the mythical modern audience
20:06and disrespecting the property in the process.
20:09Legacy characters are often neutered,
20:12pale imitations of themselves,
20:13pushed to the background by new, diverse characters
20:16who constantly belittle them
20:18while establishing their superiority.
20:20The bait-and-switch tactic has become so commonplace,
20:24many fans are able to easily spot it
20:26and rightfully reject these titles
20:28by voting with their wallets.
20:30The pursuit of safe financial investments
20:32has also seen the closure
20:34of numerous high-profile studios,
20:36with many of them either being shut down completely
20:39or absorbed into bigger, more recognizable properties.
20:43Activision with Call of Duty
20:44and Ubisoft with Assassin's Creed
20:46are the biggest offenders in this department.
20:49Anything that isn't an immediate commercial success
20:52is squashed,
20:54usually within the same fiscal year
20:56as publishers quickly try to recoup their costs
20:59to please their corporate shareholder overlords.
21:01Which leads me to my next point.
21:04Video games are no longer designed for gamers.
21:08They're created solely to fulfill profit quotas,
21:11the shadowy organizations and individuals
21:13who bankroll these publishers
21:15to churn out a constant stream of mediocre products
21:18and blaming their customer base for their failures.
21:21The recent push for games to appeal to a modern audience
21:24has also been a significant financial blunder
21:27for the industry.
21:28The pursuit of new players while blacklisting
21:31and disowning the dedicated fanbases
21:34that made the game industry
21:35the billion-dollar entertainment complex it is,
21:37is a bold choice to say the least.
21:40It's a bold strategy, Cotton.
21:42Let's see if it pays off for them.
21:44And, surprise, surprise,
21:46the modern audience not only doesn't exist,
21:49but also doesn't play or buy video games.
21:53These people are only interested
21:55in pushing the activism these new games represent,
21:58while refusing to do any of the monetary lifting
22:01required to keep pushing the message.
22:03The recent push against male gamers
22:06has backfired catastrophically to say the least.
22:09Gaming is and always has been a male-dominated hobby,
22:14with male gamers making up the vast majority
22:16of the customer base by a pretty large margin.
22:20And while there has been an uptick in female gamers
22:22over the last few generations,
22:23this demographic still pales in comparison
22:26to what should be primarily
22:28the target audience of these developers.
22:31Look at it!
22:32It's ugly, isn't it?
22:33You look at it!
22:35Hello.
22:36You look at it!
22:38I see.
22:39So, now, where does this leave the industry,
22:42and is there anything we can truly do to save it?
22:45Well, no, not really.
22:48It's so gratifying to leave you wallowing
22:50in the mess you've made.
22:51You're screwed.
22:52Bye.
22:53This is an infection from within the industry
22:55that is so deep,
22:57nothing short of a complete collapse
22:59and restructuring could fix the downward spiral
23:02they themselves have enacted.
23:04What I mean by this is not only do you have people
23:07at the top talking out of both sides of their mouth,
23:10claiming to love gaming while at the same time
23:12doing absolutely everything to burn it down from within,
23:16but they also protect their own.
23:18Gaming has become an industry of failing upwards.
23:22There used to be a time when those responsible
23:25for financial failures were held accountable.
23:27Whether through resignation or termination,
23:30those who made the decisions
23:31were the ones who suffered the consequences.
23:34Not so anymore.
23:36Instead, while those in the corporate positions of power
23:39continue to rake in ludicrous salaries,
23:42the devs simply trying to do their jobs
23:44are the ones let go and or blacklisted from the industry
23:47for having their name associated with a financial failure.
23:51It's a big club and you ain't in it.
23:54As a prime example,
23:56look no further than the complete and utter disaster
23:59of both Concord and Dragon Age The Veil Guard.
24:02Both games are widely considered
24:04some of the greatest financial disasters of 2024,
24:07and yet, like rats fleeing a sinking ship,
24:10many of those in high-ranking positions
24:12manage to escape the rushing floodwaters
24:15of studio closures and layoffs
24:16and have already found new employment elsewhere.
24:19Corrine Bush,
24:20the activist director of Dragon Age The Veil Guard,
24:23who not only might have killed the Dragon Age IP permanently,
24:27but also put the final nail in the coffin
24:29for Bioware's reputation,
24:31has been hired by Wizards of the Coast
24:33to work on a new Dungeons & Dragons video game.
24:35While the writers of Veil Guard,
24:37along with their other Bioware embarrassments,
24:39Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda,
24:41have been hired as the lead writers
24:43for Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima follow-up,
24:45Ghost of Yote.
24:47Make of that what you will.
24:49Even the marketing director,
24:50among many others for Concord,
24:52have recently been hired by Microsoft
24:54to work with Halo Studios.
24:57Nepotism is clearly alive and well
25:00within the gaming industry.
25:01I will tell you the definition of insanity.
25:05Yes.
25:06Insanity is doing the exact same thing
25:13over and over again.
25:15Oh, shit.
25:16Shit to change.
25:18They say that those that can't do, teach,
25:21and it would seem that those who can't create,
25:23join video game studios.
25:25The incessant need for modern creators
25:27to see themselves within video games
25:29in order to enjoy them
25:31has had such an adverse effect on gaming
25:33that modern video games
25:35can't even be considered as art anymore.
25:38These people can't create interesting worlds
25:41or characters of their own,
25:42at least not ones that anyone would be interested in,
25:45so they instead feel the need to rewrite
25:48and desecrate beloved characters
25:50until nothing remains.
25:52Legacy Studios have become shells
25:54of their former selves
25:55and are instead
25:56the ship of Theseus personified.
25:58You are familiar with the thought experiment
26:00the ship of Theseus
26:01in the field of identity metaphysics?
26:04Naturally.
26:05For those unfamiliar,
26:06the ship of Theseus
26:07is a hypothesis
26:08over the restoration
26:09of a decaying ship.
26:11How much of a ship
26:12can you replace
26:13before it is no longer
26:14the ship it once was?
26:15Studios like Naughty Dog,
26:17CD Projekt Red,
26:18Bioware,
26:19and dozens more
26:20are no longer the same studios
26:22that created the video games we love.
26:24These developers
26:25advertising
26:26from the studio
26:27that brought you
26:28are nostalgibating
26:29as the creators
26:30who help shape
26:31and mold those games
26:32are no longer
26:33a part of the studio's
26:35creative vision.
26:36Let this be a lesson
26:37to all of us.
26:38Gatekeep your hobbies.
26:40It's not hard
26:41to look at the current situation
26:42in the gaming industry
26:43as something we ourselves
26:44as gamers
26:45are partly responsible for.
26:47For generations,
26:48gaming was shunned
26:49by the mainstream public
26:50and the constant punchy bag
26:52by out-of-touch media personalities
26:53and parents,
26:54and in our desire
26:55to be accepted,
26:56we welcomed one and all,
26:58encouraging them
26:59to find their space
27:00within our beloved hobby.
27:02And by the time
27:02we realized
27:03what we had done,
27:04it was too late
27:05and the cancer had spread.
27:07These people
27:08joined our gaming communities
27:09not for the love
27:10of the medium,
27:11but for their own
27:12selfish reasons,
27:13pushing their ideologies
27:15and opinions on gamers
27:16with the threat
27:17of retaliation
27:18as a fear tactic
27:19to get their way.
27:20Put this stuff
27:21up to your higher-ups
27:22and if they don't see
27:23the value
27:24in what you're asking for
27:25when you ask for consultants,
27:26when you ask for research,
27:27go have a coffee
27:28with your marketing team
27:29and just terrify them
27:31with the possibility
27:33of what's going to happen
27:33if they don't give you
27:34what you want.
27:35Thankfully,
27:36all is not lost,
27:37my fellow gamers,
27:39for the tides,
27:40they are a-turning.
27:41The days of hiding
27:42incompetence
27:43behind the guise
27:43of diversity
27:44have come to an end.
27:46Due to recent
27:47real-world events
27:48that have led
27:48to the complete
27:49and utter disillusion
27:50of DEI programs,
27:52means the well
27:53of endless cash
27:54for pushing specific ideologies
27:56into places
27:56they never existed,
27:58as well as the recent
27:59revelations
27:59that legacy media outlets
28:01were paid
28:01to target gamers
28:02and label them
28:03as every derogatory name
28:05in the book,
28:06has been a rallying cry
28:07for the gaming community,
28:08and they have awoken
28:09a beast from its slumber.
28:12You should have
28:14let me sleep.
28:16Gamers are once again
28:17on the defensive,
28:19and any smear tactics
28:20and harassment campaigns
28:21are being met
28:22with an unprecedented
28:24amount of pushback.
28:25People who have become
28:26accustomed to always
28:27getting their way
28:28are now screeching
28:29and having to defend
28:30their positions
28:31in a way they've never
28:32experienced before,
28:33and like a cornered animal,
28:35they're lashing out
28:36and showing
28:37their true colors.
28:38It's afraid.
28:41It's afraid!
28:43Without the additional money
28:45that DEI offered
28:46in exchange for
28:47selling their souls
28:48and turning on gamers,
28:50studios will gradually
28:51be forced to cut out
28:52the rot,
28:53but this will be far
28:54from a painless process.
28:56Most upcoming projects
28:57are too far along
28:58in development
28:59to really expect
29:00any significant change,
29:01and we likely won't
29:03see the fruits of our labors
29:04until the next generation,
29:05but know this player,
29:07we are winning.
29:08And for those of you
29:10clinging to these practices
29:11that have nearly driven
29:12the gaming industry
29:13into ruin,
29:14just know,
29:15these companies
29:15were never on your side.
29:18Never.
29:18It's just a lot.
29:20It's just a whole lot.
29:23Because now I'm in a position
29:25where I don't think
29:28Bioware is on my side.
29:30Like any major corporation,
29:32they follow the money,
29:33and there were only
29:34so many financial failures
29:36they could withstand
29:37before the pendulum
29:38would shift back
29:38in the opposite direction.
29:40You nearly destroyed
29:42an entire art form
29:43for your beliefs,
29:44and you rightfully deserve
29:46the reckoning
29:47that has befallen you.
29:48There will, of course,
29:49still be those resistant
29:50to change,
29:50and eventually
29:51they will be forced
29:52to face the backlash
29:53of their precious
29:54and almighty investors
29:55and shareholders,
29:56and if Ubisoft's
29:57current predicament
29:58is anything to go by,
29:59they will not
30:00be happy for long.
30:01So, what does this mean
30:03for the gaming industry
30:04going forward?
30:05And is it still possible
30:06to turn things around?
30:08Well, yes and no.
30:09The vast majority
30:10of studios will continue
30:12to cling to their old ways,
30:13despite the constant string
30:14of commercial failures
30:15and flops,
30:16seeking to blame
30:17everyone but themselves.
30:19EA even recently
30:20went so far
30:21as to blame
30:22the lack of live service elements
30:24as the main reason
30:25for Dragon Age
30:25The Veilguard's failure.
30:26But let me tell you
30:28something, folks.
30:30You can't fix stupid.
30:32If gamers truly
30:33want to affect change,
30:34then they need to
30:35hit them where it hurts.
30:362024 was the year
30:38when gamers
30:38made their voices heard,
30:40and nearly every major studio
30:41felt the weight
30:42of this uprising.
30:44If you want to support
30:45the games industry,
30:46don't support studios
30:47who don't support you.
30:49If game publishers
30:50want us to get used
30:51to not owning our games,
30:53then they should get used
30:54to not owning their studios.
30:55Change will happen slowly,
30:58and we must be wary
30:59of studios and developers
31:00who pretend to have
31:01players' best interests in mind.
31:03They'll promise change
31:04while also expecting gamers
31:06to just forget
31:07the last decade of harassment.
31:09Okay, I've calmed down a bit.
31:11You ready to apologize?
31:12What?
31:12Fuck you!
31:13Many will even hope
31:14to be welcomed back
31:15with open arms
31:16while manipulating
31:17dedicated fans
31:18into believing
31:19all of this was somehow
31:20our fault
31:21and none of them
31:22deserve redemption.
31:23Trust must be earned
31:25and never taken for granted.
31:27The big-name publishers
31:28and developers
31:29who want to reconnect
31:30with players
31:31first need to clean house
31:33and make it well known
31:34that they will be returning
31:35to the good old days
31:36of entertaining their audience
31:38rather than lecturing them.
31:39Even this won't be
31:41an easy feat,
31:42as many of the biggest problems
31:43within these studios
31:44are so ingrained within
31:46that nothing short
31:47of a complete layoff
31:48would be necessary.
31:49We need to cut expenditures
31:51by 32%.
31:52Let's make it an even 40%.
31:54Oh, that's not necessary.
31:56Slash it.
31:57Slash it.
31:58Thankfully,
31:59some developers
31:59have noticed this
32:01and not only left
32:02these studios in droves,
32:03but have also taken
32:04some of the best talent
32:05with them
32:06and created brand new studios
32:08with a simple mindset
32:09of creating video games
32:11people love.
32:12These smaller super studios
32:13have already put
32:14their former employers
32:15on watch.
32:16In particular,
32:17Rebel Wolves
32:18and their upcoming title
32:19The Blood of the Dawnwalker,
32:21which is being led
32:22by the creative director
32:23of The Witcher 3
32:24and numerous other big names
32:26from CD Projekt Red.
32:27Former creative leads
32:28of the Mass Effect series
32:29have announced
32:30their comeback with Exodus.
32:32And this is only a couple
32:34of the massive studios
32:35that have been established
32:36and begun work on video games
32:38that will put their
32:38former employers to shame.
32:40This is your last chance
32:42to bail, June.
32:43Do it.
32:43This focus on smaller,
32:45dedicated studios
32:46is the model
32:47which the industry
32:48needs to be shaped by.
32:49Like I said earlier,
32:51Claire Obscure Expedition 33
32:52is being developed
32:54by only 30 people.
32:56At most,
32:57these studios
32:57should be relegated
32:58to 100 to 200 devs
33:00at most,
33:01depending on the type of game.
33:03There is no point
33:04in having multiple studios
33:06across the world
33:07working on a single project
33:09and still expecting
33:10to deliver a quality product
33:12when one department
33:13doesn't know
33:14what the other is working on
33:15from one day
33:16to the next.
33:17It is evolving
33:18just backwards.
33:20The entire industry
33:21has become so overblown
33:23with staff
33:23that it's impossible
33:24to pinpoint exactly
33:26what the majority
33:27of them actually do.
33:28The vast majority
33:29of video games
33:30that have stood
33:31the test of time
33:32and are still
33:32critically regarded
33:33to this day
33:34were created
33:35by small,
33:36passionate teams.
33:37And with technology
33:38progressing to the point
33:39where small teams
33:40and even solo developers
33:41are becoming
33:41the industry leaders?
33:42What exactly
33:43is the point
33:44of having studios
33:45composed of hundreds,
33:46if not thousands,
33:47of individuals
33:48working on a single project
33:49when these teams
33:50could be splintered off
33:52and end up developing
33:53two or even three
33:54new games?
33:55The reason why
33:56this isn't a viable option
33:58is because the devs
33:59working today
33:59are so incompetent
34:01and unskilled
34:02that their work
34:03needs to be constantly
34:03carried by veterans,
34:05leading to constant oversight
34:06and the need
34:07for even more developers
34:08to pick up the slack.
34:09The era of these safe games
34:12also needs to come
34:13to an end.
34:14Player fatigue
34:14is a real thing
34:16and most gamers
34:17are tired of not only
34:18the deluge
34:19of familiar franchises,
34:20but also the overuse
34:22of specific game mechanics.
34:24Souls-like,
34:25Metroidvanias
34:26and Kitchen Sink
34:27style games
34:27that feature a little
34:28of everything
34:29the industry has to offer
34:30have diluted
34:31their respective genres
34:32in stagnated creativity.
34:34I took a lot of criticism
34:36for lambasting
34:37the overabundance
34:38of Souls-likes
34:38these days
34:39and all it took
34:40was Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
34:41for everyone else
34:42to realize
34:43there can be too much
34:44of a good thing.
34:48VINDICATION!
34:49Sony is especially guilty
34:51of playing things
34:52too safe this generation.
34:53Once heralded
34:54as an industry leader
34:55in experimental,
34:56creative,
34:57and imaginative titles,
34:58they are now instead
34:59focused on nothing more
35:01than remakes,
35:01remasters,
35:02and legacy sequels
35:03with the bulk
35:04of their catalog
35:05being carried
35:06by third-party developers.
35:07This has also led
35:09to constant restructuring
35:10at the top level
35:11with a constant rotation
35:13of CEOs
35:13attempting to undo
35:15the damage done
35:15by their predecessor.
35:17It's not just
35:18the lack of creativity
35:19the industry is dying
35:20for either.
35:20Gamers have become
35:22nothing but beta testers
35:23for buggy,
35:24broken games
35:24created by inept
35:25and inexperienced developers
35:27who spend more time
35:28attacking gamers
35:29on social media
35:30than actually working
35:31on their games.
35:32Endless amounts
35:33of pre-order bonuses
35:34won't make up
35:35for the fact
35:35we can't even play
35:36the damn thing
35:37at launch
35:37without it crashing.
35:39As the famous quote goes,
35:40Late is just for a little while,
35:42suck is forever.
35:43It's not very often
35:45a game can recover
35:46from a botched launch,
35:47No Man's Sky
35:48notwithstanding.
35:49And these days,
35:50if a game launches broken,
35:52gamers are more likely
35:53to completely write
35:54the title off entirely.
35:56Even Bethesda
35:57is learning this lesson
35:58the hard way.
35:59Whereas gamers
36:00were more accepting
36:00of a few bugs
36:01here and there,
36:02even just a couple
36:03generations ago,
36:04gamers are no longer
36:06willing to be
36:06the supposed
36:07AAA developers
36:08playtesters any longer.
36:10Well, I dare you!
36:11Look, video games
36:12are how I deal with stress.
36:14If I start playing,
36:15I'll start thinking.
36:17And if I start thinking,
36:18I will freak the...
36:20Gamers have made
36:21their voices heard
36:22loud and clear,
36:23and it's up to the publishers
36:24and developers to listen.
36:26The gaming industry
36:27became the financial juggernaut
36:28it is today
36:29without any forced diversity,
36:31live service games,
36:32or the constant threats
36:34against gamers
36:34and their beliefs.
36:36Gaming used to be
36:37a welcoming community
36:38for people from all walks of life
36:40from all over the world,
36:41and it has since mutated
36:43into an echo chamber
36:44of self-important people
36:46who punish others
36:47for a difference of opinion.
36:49We are not internet trolls,
36:51grifters,
36:51or whatever other slanderous
36:53and narcissistic title
36:54you want to award to us
36:55for daring to speak our minds
36:57about the direction
36:58of a hobby
36:59and pastime
37:00we are deeply passionate about.
37:02The days of bullying us
37:03for our love of video games
37:05have long since passed,
37:06and we are done being played.
37:09We are gamers,
37:10and just like our beloved games,
37:12we won't give up
37:13until we win.
37:14And spread managed democracy
37:16throughout the galaxy.
37:19Become a hero.
37:22Become a legend.
37:25Become a helldiver.
37:29Did you enjoy this video?
37:31Check out these other clips
37:32for Mojo Plays,
37:33and be sure to subscribe
37:34and ring the bell
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37:35about our latest videos.
37:48and be sure to subscribe
37:49See you in the next video.
37:49See you in the next video.
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