• Take-Two CEO: 'If You Don't Like GTA V... Don't Buy It'
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[quote=IGN]Speaking at a digital media conference, Take-Two's chairman and CEO, Karl Slatoff, spoke out against the two Australian retailers that pulled Grand Theft Auto V off their stores' shelves. When Slatoff was asked if digital sales spiked after GTA 5 was no longer for sale at certain brick-and-mortar stores, he decried both Australian Target and Kmart stores for taking away the customer's right to choose which entertainment to buy and enjoy. Check out the full quote below from GI.biz: [B] [I] "It's one thing for someone to not want to buy a piece of content, which is completely understandable. And that's really the solution. If you don't like it and it's offensive to you, then you don't buy it. But for a person or a group of people to try to make that decision for millions of people... We have 34 million people who bought Grand Theft Auto, and if these folks had their way, none of those people would be able to buy Grand Theft Auto. And that really just flies in the face of everything that free society is based on. It's the freedom of expression, and to try to squelch that is a dangerous and slippery slope to go down. So it's really more disappointing for us in that regard than it is in the context of our business. Our business is going to be completely unaffected by this; it doesn't make a difference to us. At the end of the day though, it's not something you want because it's a poor leadership decision."[/I][/B] Slatoff added that there are "other places" for Australians to buy Grand Theft Auto V.[/quote] [url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/12/09/take-two-ceo-if-you-dont-like-gta-v-dont-buy-it]Source[/url]. I am glad Take-Two spoke out about this, especially since certain game journalists site have chosen an anti-consumer stance over this.
[QUOTE=Fangz;46680401][URL="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/12/09/take-two-ceo-if-you-dont-like-gta-v-dont-buy-it"]Source[/URL]. I am glad Take-Two spoke out about this, especially since certain game journalists site have chosen an anti-consumer stance over this.[/QUOTE] Probably so they have the SJW moral highground on the issue.
[QUOTE=Bradyns;46680424]Probably so they have the SJW moral highground on the issue.[/QUOTE] it's basic logic don't like/want a bike? don't get it don't like/want a ford super duty? don't get it don't like/want to buy porn? don't get it don't like a hamburger don't get it
[QUOTE=Bradyns;46680424]Probably so they have the SJW moral highground on the issue.[/QUOTE] They publish GTA, numbnuts. They have the right to speak out about this stupid shit when groups are petitioning removals of their products for stupid and incorrect reasons. But those groups will just stick their thumbs in their ears and not listen anyway, and not just because T2 is responsible for publishing that which they oppose. EDIT: Unless you mean the journalists, who are probably just the gullible types who fall for anything that involves 'injustice' and thus champion them without reading into them.
[QUOTE=Fangz;46680401]I am glad Take-Two spoke out about this, especially since certain game journalists site have chosen an anti-consumer stance over this.[/QUOTE] What game sites, specifically?
[QUOTE=J!NX;46680469]really with this social justice warrior shit it's basic logic[/QUOTE] I think he was talking about the game journalists taking a hard anti-consumer stance.
Are some people actually so fucking stupid that they think they can have GTA 5 taken off shelves? [editline]10th December 2014[/editline] Oh nvm, I didn't read the article. Are you shitting me?
[QUOTE=Blue Meanie;46680636]Are some people actually so fucking stupid that they think they can have GTA 5 taken off shelves?[/QUOTE] There's no denial of stupidity, but in these select locations, they succeeded with misinformation and stores being too scared to dare 'question the customers'.
Well the same logic could be applied to the people bitching about games like Depression Quest, Fez, Gone Home, etc. If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's pretty simple. I know I'm going to get pissed on for saying this though because this is Facepunch but whatever fuck it.
[QUOTE=kaine123;46680652]Well the same logic could be applied to the people bitching about games like Depression Quest, Fez, Gone Home, etc. If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's pretty simple. I know I'm going to get pissed on for saying this though because this is Facepunch but whatever fuck it.[/QUOTE] It's the difference between criticism and censorship. Nobody's calling for Fez to get taken off marketplaces, at least not to the extent of petitioning for it (and succeeding!). There's nothing wrong with taking the piss out of a game you don't like, be it GTA, Depression Quest, whatever, but don't tell people they shouldn't be allowed to buy it because you don't like it.
[QUOTE=kaine123;46680652]Well the same logic could be applied to the people bitching about games like Depression Quest, Fez, Gone Home, etc. If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's pretty simple. I know I'm going to get pissed on for saying this though because this is Facepunch but whatever fuck it.[/QUOTE] The reason Gone Home, Fez and Depression Quest all got a lot of flak is because the games were widely praised by the gaming journalism community and their creators are often complete cunts. If they were just bad games no one would care, because yeah, just don't buy em, but they're also games that have been almost artificially pushed down the industry as stellar examples of how to make games, simply because video game journalists can't stop sucking up to manipulative developers. Also in the case of GTA V it involves active censorship or call for censorship while in the other it's just general hostility toward the developers.
[QUOTE=kaine123;46680652]I know I'm going to get pissed on for saying this though because this is Facepunch but whatever fuck it.[/QUOTE] Of course you are, Depression Quest is free :v: But no really, nobody's arguing against that point. The difference between these jackasses and us is that we didn't petition for any of those games to get taken off shelves, and in fact, most of us who didn't like the basis of those games/some of the content in them didn't buy them. We have the ability to discuss how we dislike the games and make full use of it, sure, but we aren't going "I DON'T LIKE THIS GAME REMOVE IT!!!!!" like mindless zombies. Facepunchers are generally more intelligent than your average person. Generally. There's always that occasional guy since FP isn't a hivemind.
I bet if I complained about the fact that the game encourages (it doesn't) players to light mens crotches on fire no one would give a flying fuck. Equality my ass.
[QUOTE=gk99;46680714]Facepunchers are generally more intelligent than your average person.[/QUOTE] :v:
[QUOTE=Swiket;46680522]What game sites, specifically?[/QUOTE] Gamasutra and Kotaku AU both publish articles praising the decision by Target AU.
[QUOTE=kaine123;46680652]Well the same logic could be applied to the people bitching about games like Depression Quest, Fez, Gone Home, etc. If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's pretty simple. I know I'm going to get pissed on for saying this though because this is Facepunch but whatever fuck it.[/QUOTE] The people bitching about those games are not trying to stop the sale of the games and claiming untrue things about them in the process. The people who got GTAV pulled from the shelves both stopped the sale of the game from a given outlet, and lied about the game in the process to do so.
[QUOTE=Fangz;46680790]Gamasutra and Kotaku AU both publish articles praising the decision by Target AU.[/QUOTE] I read the [url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/12/targets-grand-theft-auto-v-ban-leaves-us-with-no-one-to-blame/]Kotaku AU article[/url] and I don't see anything praising Target's decision to not sell the game. In fact, it pretty explicitly says that the petition was based on misconceptions and moral panic. [quote]Essentially, what we should be fighting against here is the mainstream belief that video games are exclusively for children. More importantly we should be fighting against the idea that interactive media has a stronger impact on players compared to movies, television or music. These are the misconceptions that inform these petitions. These are the misconceptions that are constantly re-reported in mainstream media outlets as fact. These are the misconceptions media outlets routinely exploit for traffic and manufactured outrage.[/quote] I don't know what Gamasutra article you're referring to, though. Link?
[QUOTE=Fangz;46680790]Gamasutra and Kotaku AU both publish articles praising the decision by Target AU.[/QUOTE] As well as Jim Sterling, who touts himself as a consumer advocate.
[QUOTE=Fangz;46680401] I am glad Take-Two spoke out about this, especially since certain game journalists site have chosen an anti-consumer stance over this.[/QUOTE] Who? Where?
[QUOTE=GeneralSpecific;46680899]Who? Where?[/QUOTE] Kotaku Australia agreed with Target's decision to pull GTA V
[QUOTE=DuCT;46680895]As well as Jim Sterling, who touts himself as a consumer advocate.[/QUOTE] Listening to his video, he's definitely not praising the decision, he says it [I]is[/I] a bad decision. He's disagreeing with the idea that it's actually censorship. Here's the video for those curious: [video=youtube;15zR-ZmTWE0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15zR-ZmTWE0[/video]
[QUOTE=Swiket;46680880] I don't know what Gamasutra article you're referring to, though. Link?[/QUOTE] I think this is the [url=https://archive.today/ODevx]one[/url]. [quote]The Target Australia retail chain [B]is making a show[/B] of halting sales of Grand Theft Auto V in response to customer complaints about the game's depiction of violence, especially violence against women. "We feel the decision to stop selling GTA V is in line with the majority view of our customers," stated Jim Cooper, Target General Manager Corporate Affairs, in a press release confirming the move. "We have listened to the strong feedback from customers that this is not a product they want us to sell." [B]The decision seems likely to have little impact on the strategies of Target's retail operations in other parts of the world, and Target Australia will continue to sell media with an Australian R18+ rating going forward; this is a one-off response to critical consumer feedback, including a Change.org petition that garnered over 40,000 signatures. The depiction of violence against women in games has come under greater public scrutiny in recent years, thanks in part to critical works like Anita Sarkeesian's series of videos examining Tropes vs. Women in Video Games. [/B][/quote]
[QUOTE=Fangz;46681190]I think this is the [url=https://archive.today/ODevx]one[/url].[/QUOTE] I guess I am failing to see an anti-consumer journalistic stance here?
[QUOTE=GeneralSpecific;46681210]I guess I am failing to see an anti-consumer journalistic stance here?[/QUOTE] Two things stand out at the moment for me: 1. Referring to the petition as "critical costumer feedback". The petition made outright claims that "you can kill prostitutes for heal" and other baloney like that. 2. Bringing Anita up in the article. She has nothing to do with GTA being pulled. Also, this was how it looked today, I think it might have been longer last week, and I can't find an archive from the date of the article. [QUOTE=Swiket;46680880]I read the [url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/12/targets-grand-theft-auto-v-ban-leaves-us-with-no-one-to-blame/]Kotaku AU article[/url] and I don't see anything praising Target's decision to not sell the game. In fact, it pretty explicitly says that the petition was based on misconceptions and moral panic.[/quote] From the same article: [quote][B]To begin with, we have to accept a few hard truths. Firstly, Grand Theft Auto‘s depiction of women is problematic. Put aside the fact that the video game allows players to be violent — in equal measure — to both men and women. Place that aside for a second. That’s a given. Female characters in Grand Theft Auto are poorly drawn; they’re either ‘prostitutes’ or wailing, nagging buffoons. The handful that remain inevitably become damsels in distress. There are very few women in the world of Grand Theft Auto that exist outside this spectrum. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t play Grand Theft Auto, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless as a cultural artefact — it simply means that we have to accept that the game has problems, specifically with its depiction of women. We have to accept this. Secondly, we have to accept that Target’s decision to remove the game is not censorship. Hypocrisy? Yes. Absolutely. Censorship? Not even close.[/B] Target is perfectly within its rights to sell or not sell any product it sees fit for any reason it sees fit. Target doesn’t sell a lot of things. It doesn’t sell pornography, it doesn’t sell the Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii. It doesn’t sell Irn Bru. It doesn’t sell Jenga as I recently discovered to my distaste after spending a whole day trawling through Westfield trying to find a box of the stuff.[/quote] [quote][B]But it’s of paramount importance to understand and accept that this petition was the work of women with serious, sincere concerns. Important concerns about the portrayal of women and the impact it would have on young men’s attitudes to violence against women. These are ex-sex workers who have experienced sexual violence from men. Their concerns are more than valid.[/B] And their concerns deserve to be heard. It’s important to take those concerns seriously. It’s important to take them on board. Verbally abusing or threatening these women — or any of the men and women who signed the petition — is toxic behaviour and only serves to make the situation worse. It only serves to prove their point. Above all, it’s wrong.[/quote]
[QUOTE=Fangz;46681232]Two things stand out at the moment for me: 1. Referring to the petition as "critical costumer feedback". The petition made outright claims that "you can kill prostitutes for heal" and other baloney like that. 2. Bringing Anita up in the article. She has nothing to do with GTA being pulled. Also, this was how it looked today, I think it might have been longer last week, and I can't find an archive from the date of the article. From the same article:[/QUOTE] Their use of the word problematic is fucking [b]PROBLEMATIC[/b]! I find it fucking amazing that people have to be reminded they don't have to buy shit they don't like.
[QUOTE=kaine123;46680652]Well the same logic could be applied to the people bitching about games like Depression Quest, Fez, Gone Home, etc. If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's pretty simple. I know I'm going to get pissed on for saying this though because this is Facepunch but whatever fuck it.[/QUOTE] Critisizing a game is not the same as wanting it to be removed or censored. I haven't seen anyone on Facepunch calling for the removal of Fez or any of the other games you mention. People have critisized them, talked shit about them, and laughed at the horrible people who made them. But no one said anything about wiping them from existence.
[QUOTE=sirdownloadsalot;46680772]:v:[/QUOTE] it's true though not because the average facepuncher is smart, but because the average person is fucking stupid
This literaly goes for everything thats getting the piss nowadays.
[QUOTE=Fangz;46681232]Two things stand out at the moment for me: 1. Referring to the petition as "critical costumer feedback". The petition made outright claims that "you can kill prostitutes for heal" and other baloney like that. 2. Bringing Anita up in the article. She has nothing to do with GTA being pulled.[/QUOTE] The petition claimed that you could get health back from prostitutes by fucking them for cash, then kill them to get your cash back. While not encouraged or even mentioned, the last bit is a valid way the game can be played in. And the tropes vs. feminism videos can definitely be linked to the petition, since they had some episodes featuring the same (biased and stupid) complaints about how you can kill women in GTAV.
[QUOTE=Fangz;46680790]Gamasutra and Kotaku AU both publish articles praising the decision by Target AU.[/QUOTE] Are those even considered game sites at this point
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