• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Producer Responds To Backlash Over Yasuke

Status
Not open for further replies.

El Muerto

Member
jkQ291b.jpeg
 

Shut0wen

Banned
I mean the guy actually existed and is pretty well documented, chances of him actually being a samurai is 0% but its a dumb fucking series about made up assassins vs templars with aliens thrown into it, musk just comes accross as a cringe fucking retard like he always does
 

KXVXII9X

Member
This is how people deal with emotions nowadays, eh?
I mean, it is a way some people self-regulate. It isn't destructive and can only take a few minutes. I don't see the issue. I'm bad at it but more power to people who take action to deal with their emotions instead of letting it fester and explode.
 
Based on the context of the story, I'm thinking it's an app you can use to say how you're feeling and maybe it "processes" those emotions somehow? Or at least just gives some boiler plate motivational bullshit about how you can "get through this", or some shit. That's what I'm assuming at least.

You know.... empty praise meant to comfort the weak mind if it finds reality too overwhelming.
That's not what mindfulness is at all... It's about living in the moment not in the past or future, and not worrying about things you can't control. The apps really encourage you to focus on nothing, for at least parts of your day. I don't use them but work with athletes who find them really helpful.
 

Shut0wen

Banned
The main problem is Ubi going hard on the "historical accuracy" angle in marketing for these games when it would benefit them more to have some creative leeway when telling an story with a unconventional character like Yasuke.

And while Naoe does thankfully exist as an option, I disagree with immediately labeling someone racist for wanting to play a certain gender as someone from the region of the game. It's not hard to imagine people equally losing their shit if a new game set in Wakanda had Letitia Wright's BP as a lead with Bucky being in the spotlight.

I'd rather focus more on what they do with the story instead of who is cast for it - that's going to matter long term far more along with any improvements on gameplay.
Assassina vs templars with alien artifacts yep its a totally historical accurate series, just like how leonardo de vinci made a tank for ezio and a native american can control birds
 

BigBeauford

Member
Mate, by and large I agree with you (on the principles) but I'm not trying to take a position on the issues here, I just don't want it to infest my gaming experience. I play games in part to escape the horrors of the real world. If a character creation screen asks me to select pronouns I just choose the traditional ones and ignore the rest.

The endless threads and outrage (on both sides) just keeps it in the spotlight and eventually it becomes self fulfilling - developers either do it to provoke discussion or because they are afraid of the woke mob (or they're just that way inclined), or don't do it to provoke discussion and prove they won't bow to the woke mob (or they're more traditionally inclined).

And you end up with two highly annoying mobs endlessly lobbing shit at each other.

To sum up, if everyone just shut the fuck up and ignored it, then it would go away quicker IMO :messenger_tears_of_joy: Group hug? (In an observable and interruptible space, where everyone is free not to actually make physical contact without fear of judgment if they so choose)
8fb53dc6-b448-485d-b9d0-73866e89969d_text.gif

They are absolutely not going to shut the fuck up about it.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
Assassina vs templars with alien artifacts yep its a totally historical accurate series, just like how leonardo de vinci made a tank for ezio and a native american can control birds
agreed that AC is not a particularly historically accurate series. So why use a "real" historical figure and then claim you are leaning into accuracy? If your series is not historically accurate you can make a fake character. It's what they have done up until now.
 

LordOfChaos

Member
Some people show their true colours and barely hide what they are as soon as a person of colour exists on screen. Was Shogun a fully accurate representation of historical John Blackthorne? Hell no. Was it amazing? Hell yes. Was there outcry? Hell no. The difference is in their skin colour. And there's sadly a fraction of gaf that's in the camp that reacts to anything where that's the case.

Most people were reacting at first with incredulity at a black person in Japan without actually knowing Yasuke, and then the arguments evolved with that knowledge.
 
Last edited:
as soon as a person of colour exists on screen.


Please take this bullshit out.

"persons of color" (a moronic expression, by the way) existed in entertainment before you were born and none had any problem with it.

Michonne from TWD is a fan favorite and nobody had a problem with her. I could mention a hundred examples but it's pointless since you are lost in straw-man arguments
 

recursive

Member
I get tired of all the anti-woke shit on here sometimes (all the time), I don't care if they have a green samurai in 17th century Wigan, England as long as the game plays well, but I made the mistake of thinking 'maybe I should check out ResetERA' the other day, as I'd heard apparently they're not as focussed on the anti-woke thing... Holy shit. Somehow it's even worse but in the other direction... If the samurai isn't defiantly thumbing their surgically constructed clitoris in a school playground, daring you to say something about it, then it's not gone far enough for them.

I dream of a forum where people are just excited about games more than pursuing an agenda. I'd rather have console wars than this woke/not woke shit, and I fucking hate console wars. There are other places you can go (that I can avoid) to pursue your MAGA, trans, right or left wing agendas...
Media is the battleground for woke ideals. Whether it be video games, movies, tv shows etc. and it won't go anywhere until Blackrock esg scores are terminated.
 

recursive

Member
Some people show their true colours and barely hide what they are as soon as a person of colour exists on screen. Was Shogun a fully accurate representation of historical John Blackthorne? Hell no. Was it amazing? Hell yes. Was there outcry? Hell no. The difference is in their skin colour. And there's sadly a fraction of gaf that's in the camp that reacts to anything where that's the case.

Most people were reacting at first with incredulity at a black person in Japan without actually knowing Yasuke, and then the arguments evolved with that knowledge.
Evolved with what knowledge? That his implementation in shadows is fan fic?
 

Shut0wen

Banned
agreed that AC is not a particularly historically accurate series. So why use a "real" historical figure and then claim you are leaning into accuracy? If your series is not historically accurate you can make a fake character. It's what they have done up until now.
They havnt given a shit about accuracy since after the 3rd game, sure they use historical figures and put them into the most ludicrous shite french plot going, i just dont get why people are mad about it
 

Gaelyon

Member
There is always a third explanation that never gets echoed because it doesn't play well with any narrative.

Could be that a lot of people are not racist but are just so tired of the matter being " forced " on every aspect of video games that they are just upset about that they know that's more than likely the ONLY reason for the decision.

I bet you anything that if they made this same game before 2020 not many people would complain about the character.


Every other modern AC game you have two equivalent male and female character To choose from. Why is this one different ? We all know why and that's why people are upset.
You do have two characters to choose from, one male and one female. This time they just made two differents gameplays tied to these two characters. I don't think it's an issue at all ?
 

Dazraell

Member
I more find it funny as I don't know what is even a purpose of having Yasuke in this game as a protagonist. He apparently can't climb, won't have eagle vision, nor hidden blade as according to various press reports these will be available only for Naoe
 

Lokaum D+

Member
Some people show their true colours and barely hide what they are as soon as a person of colour exists on screen. Was Shogun a fully accurate representation of historical John Blackthorne? Hell no. Was it amazing? Hell yes. Was there outcry? Hell no. The difference is in their skin colour. And there's sadly a fraction of gaf that's in the camp that reacts to anything where that's the case.

Most people were reacting at first with incredulity at a black person in Japan without actually knowing Yasuke, and then the arguments evolved with that knowledge.
Comment Das Schaffst Du Nie GIF by funk
 

Shut0wen

Banned
From the people that put discovery tours in the latter games? Sure.
You mean those discovery tours that explain historical characters and landmarks? What about them? By your terminology every ww2 game is historically accurate as well, fuck maybe john f kennedy and richard nixon really did fight zombies in black ops
 
You mean those discovery tours that explain historical characters and landmarks? What about them? By your terminology every ww2 game is historically accurate as well, fuck maybe john f kennedy and richard nixon really did fight zombies in black ops
Yes, those tours. The kind that emphasize some historical accuracies. The thing that they attach to their game promoting some level of historical accuracy which is exactly what we've been talking about. It's not 100%, but it's something they lean on with the previous trilogy. My point being less focus on realistic historical accuracies for more interpretive fantasy.
 

Shut0wen

Banned
Yes, those tours. The kind that emphasize some historical accuracies. The thing that they attach to their game promoting some level of historical accuracy which is exactly what we've been talking about. It's not 100%, but it's something they lean on with the previous trilogy. My point being less focus on realistic historical accuracies for more interpretive fantasy.
But the series is fantasy set in real locations with afew real characters in it, i mean this black guy actually existed, quite well documented, extremely doubt he was a samurai as they are mostly high ranking officers anyways, so why are you mad? Lack of alien artifacts or something else?
 
Last edited:
I now can't help but think of Nioh, which had an Irish protagonist, but I don't recall Nioh having this type of backlash.

I could very well be wrong with my comparison of Nioh and Assassin's creed but I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on this.
 

Audiophile

Member
All legitimate criticisms or allusions to a glaring trend will be lumped in with the 1% of people being genuinely racist or vitriolic and then he'll consider that a defence.

One of the core pillars of actual racism is generalising and yet people who cry racism to defend themselves are often damn good at generalising in an attempt to lump together a wide range of criticisms. Defection is super-easy when you get to pick out the worst response and paint everyone in contention with you with that same brush.

A sincere attempt to pose an argument involves addressing distinct points, not attacking those who argue those points and calling them names; and especially not treating all critics as if they're a monolith.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
Some people show their true colours and barely hide what they are as soon as a person of colour exists on screen. Was Shogun a fully accurate representation of historical John Blackthorne? Hell no. Was it amazing? Hell yes. Was there outcry? Hell no. The difference is in their skin colour. And there's sadly a fraction of gaf that's in the camp that reacts to anything where that's the case.

Most people were reacting at first with incredulity at a black person in Japan without actually knowing Yasuke, and then the arguments evolved with that knowledge.
John Blackthorne was not a real historical figure.

The real person he is based on, William Adams, has a great deal of documentation of his life both before and during his time in Japan. With Yasuke it is literally like, 2-3 paragraphs and anything Ubi is doing here is fictional. Normally, the amount of documentation for a person is a rough proxy for their importance.
 
Last edited:

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
In my mind this is a like The Last Samurai (Tom Cruise) movie, which was also criticised, but it seems like there's more criticism over this. The difference in reaction could be because times have changed, or for other reasons...

Historical accuracy is also irrelevant in this situation because Ubi have a track record of being loose (taking creative liberties) with historical figures in their AC titles.

PERFECT post. It's incredible how outraged everyone feels they need to be these days. The times have changed and it's insane!
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
John Blackthorne was not a real historical figure.

The real person he is based on, William Adams, has a great deal of documentation of his life both before and during his time in Japan. With Yasuke it is literally like, 2-3 paragraphs and anything Ubi is doing here is fictional. Normally, the amount of documentation for a person is a rough proxy for their importance.

There's more than 2 paragraphs written about Yasuke. Stop the lies man. Sometimes I hate when humans can't think rationally. This Assassins Creed Shadow game is one of those times.
 
Obviously they're not but it's how they market it.
Well, I would hope adults who've money to spend realise that marketing exists only to sell something - and as long as consumers aren't being completely lied to, companies can market however they like.

And for the long term AC fans, I'm pretty sure they're aware Assassins Creed titles - when it comes to story and historical accuracy - are complete nonsense.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
There's more than 2 paragraphs written about Yasuke. Stop the lies man. Sometimes I hate when humans can't think rationally. This Assassins Creed Shadow game is one of those times.
Wikipedia has the documentation on his life with the sources. They refer to it as "fragmentary" which is correct. Whether it is 2 paragraphs, or 5, it is not much and written in broad strokes. It is not like, for example, Alcibiades, of which there is enough on the record to write a character in AC Odyssey that felt, perhaps exaggerated, but authentic.
 

Life Diff

Member
"Oh no, Elon tweeted at me, I must meditate to process the emotions"
Bit insulting to people with actual mental health problems but I guess the sympathy card is too easy to play.
 

nemiroff

Gold Member
I'm afraid to ask what a mindfulness app is.
In case you don't know, mindfulness could be boiled down to a way to control the release of stress hormones. It's a fantastic technique which everyone should know about no matter if you're good, or a bad person like the douche in this story.

I've battled with serious stress most of my adult life and mindfulness is one of the things that has helped me the most in recent years to overcome it.

Anyway a mindfulness app can be a lot of things, but can often be just an app which plays audio files where someone is guiding you in the release of f.ex. tense muscles.
 

GymWolf

Member
The false pretense of this article is staggering. Not only does it try to frame people questioning the historical accuracy as being wrong ("what they saw as historical accuracy", as if one can have a wrong opinion about facts) but it also immediately lumps a lot of the backlash on the "racism" pile simply because people are upset that a black man is the protagonist in a feudal Japan game.

What they're saying is if you think Yasuke was not a samurai you are wrong, and if you don't appreciate playing as a black person in a feudal Japan game you are a racist.

I like how soy boy opened a mindfulness app because he was upset, lmao.

IF the writer of this article had balls they would've asked this guy why he thought it was necessary to play hiphop beats in the background when you play as Yasuke.
Especially when the dude is not even african american but from mozambique or something.
 

Laptop1991

Member
I saw a video earlier where hip hop music was playing in the middle of a fight, i couldn't stop laughing, i'm not sure this game is going to do high numbers in sales lol.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Perry Cox Reaction GIF

just don't come blaming the fans when it all goes down hill.
I doubt it will because AC is like COD, people just buy it and it goes over their heads.
But if it does don't go pointing fingers like others have and just accept your mistakes.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
I saw a video earlier where hip hop music was playing in the middle of a fight, i couldn't stop laughing, i'm not sure this game is going to do high numbers in sales lol.

The bolded is the one thing that makes me nervous about the game. I love hip-hop (it's my favorite genre of music), but why was it only playing during Yasuke's fights?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom