PlayStation released the full-length trailer for Ghost of Yotei-the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima-that will land on PS5 on October 2nd. The trailer offers gorgeous glimpses of feudal Japan with the protagonist resharpening the blade in anticipation of what seems to be a gallant journey to the ends of the earth. This moment could really get gamers worldwide hyped up…but the comment section exploded with wrath and called out for boycotts. It is sheer turmoil now.
What is the matter here are not the game directly. The backlash is against Sucker Punch Productions and Sony, their parent company. Apparently, some members of the team shared posts on social media celebrating the death of political commentator Charlie Kirk-that-the-gamers-are-not-standing-letting-it-go.
Walking through the replies to that trailer tweet is like walking through a minefield of pure rage. A Russian user named Flint quite frankly said regarding the matter, “this won’t blow over and won’t just go away.” He warned this matter would transcend the US and sales would be the metrics to showcase global anger. Another user, CrossSlashGame, called the studio a “woke studio” and demanded, “Sony, make video games great again.” This sentiment has been repeated ad nauseam: no apology, no purchase.
The matter stands very quickly from “oh cool, a new trailer” to an ethical discussion. Some comments are straight-up abrasive: one by ADB charges the devs of being “evil lunatics that hate their own customers” and that woke culture is dangerous. Another comment simply states, “Game made by sick male-haters. Thanks, but no, thanks.”
But wait, it gets complicated. There were gamers who tried to separate art from the artist. One user named Tete MANDA states in Spanish that they were fired for being happy: “They have fired the idiots who were happy about his death, if the game is good yes I will buy it.” So the divide goes this way: some can get past this controversy if the game’s good, and some just refuse to support the company.
Meanwhile, Kanezzz went on to rant that really just a very few loud minorities stand against “woke” games, and that games with feminist protagonists or diverse leads fail to make money most of the time. She cites Xbox‘s rumored Shadows as the quintessential example of this trend steering into commercial failure. Whole tea!
Meanwhile, Tox and a bunch of others say it’s on for me, totally disregarding the drama, while a slew of others call for accountability. “No apology, no purchase” is trending everywhere, becoming somewhat of a slogan.
There’s the noteworthy international angle as well; it’s not just American gamers who are ticked off. The flurry of comments comes from accounts with flags from France, Russia, and several other countries expressing obviously the same frustrations. This controversy has traveled far and wide, much to the detriment of sales.
Both Sony and Sucker Punch are holding their tongue now, which only serves to deepen their anger. Users are calling this silence “loud” and are demanding an official statement denouncing violence. This silence is being interpreted as an endorsement of the developers’ actions, whether such is a fair conclusion or not. It’s very rarely would you see the silence work for anyone in this hyper-interconnected world today.
So where does this leave Ghost of Yotei? On one hand, it’s a sequel to one of the most beloved PlayStation exclusives of all time. The original Ghost of Tsushima was a monumental hit fronting dignified depiction of Japanese culture and great satisfying combat. The sequel should, just as well, succeed… But before we speak of success, something big reeks in the air.
The date has been fixed for October 2, which gives Sony and Sucker Punch some time to try and steer this one two ways. But if they don’t, they might very well get a huge boycott landing upon them from that very loud subgroup within the gaming community. In an industry where word-of-mouth and pre-release hype can actually make or break an actual name for a game…that’s such a bad place to be.
Such a shame because the trailer itself looks so damn good. Clean visuals, promiscuous action, and a very charming setting to boot. But it is something that for many of the gamers doesn’t matter because they just don’t hold the values of the people who stand behind this product. Welcome to 2024: Games are not just things you purchase; they are cultural references, and the world watches the actions of their creators unfold alongside in real-time.
The success or failure of Ghost of Yotei will rest on what Sony does about this PR nightmare-course and entertainment business. An apology? Deny those employees? Just keep quiet and hope it goes away? Only time will tell and all I can say is this: the gaming community is watching, and they’re not pleased.
