Skullgirls got review-bombed on Steam after some art changes

You would think companies would have learned by now that trying to score points with this "social awareness" and "inclusivity" BS always backfires.

Finally, finally a delusional "go woke go broke" individual to pretend that WOKE Street Fighter 6, WOKE Guilty Gear Strive, WOKE Mario Bros. movie, WOKE The Last of Us 2 etc etc, are not all massive successes.

Thank you, I was worried I would go to sleep without seeing a comment like yours today :)

As far as hating on removal of racist imagery making you a racist? What if it is important to the story line that you are taking out a band of racists, but some sensitivity editor decides that shouldn't be in the game, and now you're just killing a bunch of random people? :P

a good example of that is the series "everybody hate criss" wich have a bunch of racist jokes that are intended to show how absurd racism is, it make fun, mock how ridiculuous racism is all the time, yet it feature racism to show that.
should it be censored too?

Blazing Saddles is a perfect example of this.

but most of the time the changes arent trying to censor something for another audience that is bothered by this type of content

The SICs always makes this claim but is there any evidence what so ever that the devs made this change for "another audience" and not just because they themselves begun to feel uncomfortable with the original design?

I think this is a new game development studio stamping their mark. Skullgirls was developed by Lab Zero until they imploded, and Hidden Variable Studios took over as stewards by the publisher. I am not sure if any of the original Skullgirls team work for Hidden Variable Studios now.

I suspect the 'other audience' are the developers themselves, who may love the concept of Skullgirls but, perhaps, did not enjoy the degree certain themes were taken.

Nothing pisses me off more than games getting changed out from under foot after purchase. You want to add new stuff? Fine... just make it optional content. (don't make me jump through new hoops and don't nerf weapons etc. years later)

Yanking stuff out that I was accustomed to? Maybe it's nothing to you, but it may be something that made me laugh and endeared me to the game. Nope... I'll be vindictively angry too if you remove something I liked.

(I don't care about this game, I'm not interested in the least and as far as Nazis go, they exist solely for me to kill in entertaining ways. It's the general principle of the matter I'm at odds with)


Last edited by Grogan on 4 Jul 2023 at 9:58 pm UTC

You would think companies would have learned by now that trying to score points with this "social awareness" and "inclusivity" BS always backfires.

Finally, finally a delusional "go woke go broke" individual to pretend that WOKE Street Fighter 6, WOKE Guilty Gear Strive, WOKE Mario Bros. movie, WOKE The Last of Us 2 etc etc, are not all massive successes.

Thank you, I was worried I would go to sleep without seeing a comment like yours today :)

Oh dear, I appear to have triggered someone.

but most of the time the changes arent trying to censor something for another audience that is bothered by this type of content

The SICs always makes this claim but is there any evidence what so ever that the devs made this change for "another audience" and not just because they themselves begun to feel uncomfortable with the original design?

I think this is a new game development studio stamping their mark. Skullgirls was developed by Lab Zero until they imploded, and Hidden Variable Studios took over as stewards by the publisher. I am not sure if any of the original Skullgirls team work for Hidden Variable Studios now.

I suspect the 'other audience' are the developers themselves, who may love the concept of Skullgirls but, perhaps, did not enjoy the degree certain themes were taken.

The way the story goes is that the game's creator, MikeZ, was accusad of sexual abuse by his team, so they all left Lab Zero and founded Future Club without him, who took over game development after Lab Zero.

AKA, it's the same people, minus that guy.

You would think companies would have learned by now that trying to score points with this "social awareness" and "inclusivity" BS always backfires.

Finally, finally a delusional "go woke go broke" individual to pretend that WOKE Street Fighter 6, WOKE Guilty Gear Strive, WOKE Mario Bros. movie, WOKE The Last of Us 2 etc etc, are not all massive successes.

Thank you, I was worried I would go to sleep without seeing a comment like yours today :)

Oh dear, I appear to have triggered someone.

^the go to response when you literally get proven wrong and has no argument to debate anything of what I said.

Feeding time is over, you can talk to my hand from now on.

You would think companies would have learned by now that trying to score points with this "social awareness" and "inclusivity" BS always backfires.

Finally, finally a delusional "go woke go broke" individual to pretend that WOKE Street Fighter 6, WOKE Guilty Gear Strive, WOKE Mario Bros. movie, WOKE The Last of Us 2 etc etc, are not all massive successes.

Thank you, I was worried I would go to sleep without seeing a comment like yours today :)

Oh dear, I appear to have triggered someone.

^the go to response when you literally get proven wrong and has no argument to debate anything of what I said.

Feeding time is over, you can talk to my hand from now on.

We're literally discussing a company that is facing extreme backlash after alienating their core audience with ill advised changes in an attempt to be more "socially aware". But, no, you go ahead and tell yourself that I've somehow been proven wrong.

but most of the time the changes arent trying to censor something for another audience that is bothered by this type of content

The SICs always makes this claim but is there any evidence what so ever that the devs made this change for "another audience" and not just because they themselves begun to feel uncomfortable with the original design?

i dont know what SIC means, but the staff changed completely afaik, the new staff have 0 respect for what came before then or the original target audience.

but most of the time the changes arent trying to censor something for another audience that is bothered by this type of content

The SICs always makes this claim but is there any evidence what so ever that the devs made this change for "another audience" and not just because they themselves begun to feel uncomfortable with the original design?

i dont know what SIC means, but the staff changed completely afaik, the new staff have 0 respect for what came before then or the original target audience.

This is the team working on Skullgirls now: https://skullgirls.fandom.com/wiki/Future_Club

Nothing pisses me off more than games getting changed out from under foot after purchase. You want to add new stuff? Fine... just make it optional content. (don't make me jump through new hoops and don't nerf weapons etc. years later)

Yanking stuff out that I was accustomed to? Maybe it's nothing to you, but it may be something that made me laugh and endeared me to the game. Nope... I'll be vindictively angry too if you remove something I liked.

(I don't care about this game, I'm not interested in the least and as far as Nazis go, they exist solely for me to kill in entertaining ways. It's the general principle of the matter I'm at odds with)

The problem is in this game the "Nazis" aren't explicitly the bad guys, and the other change was toning down a handful of panty shots of underage girls.

I don't know anything about this game, but I believe the last Mortal Kombat game they decided they wanted to make the female characters less sexualized, cover them up. Made zero sense to me. The series has always been "mature" with its finishing moves etc, why are they getting upset over a bit of extra flesh.

At least in that case they told us ahead of time and you can choose not to buy the game. If a game that you enjoy gets a "woke update" that significantly alters the game you purchased in a way you hate, then we have a problem.

I don't know anything about this game, but I believe the last Mortal Kombat game they decided they wanted to make the female characters less sexualized, cover them up. Made zero sense to me. The series has always been "mature" with its finishing moves etc, why are they getting upset over a bit of extra flesh.

At least in that case they told us ahead of time and you can choose not to buy the game. If a game that you enjoy gets a "woke update" that significantly alters the game you purchased in a way you hate, then we have a problem.

Man, it would be great to see Scorpion baring his chest, right? Maybe tone down those long, baggy trousers and get those rippling thighs into shot? Get some crotch physics on display?

Or, wait. Is it only the women we're allowed to sexualise because gaming remains a male dominant industry? And why is it male dominant?

Oh.

I don't know anything about this game, but I believe the last Mortal Kombat game they decided they wanted to make the female characters less sexualized, cover them up. Made zero sense to me. The series has always been "mature" with its finishing moves etc, why are they getting upset over a bit of extra flesh.

At least in that case they told us ahead of time and you can choose not to buy the game. If a game that you enjoy gets a "woke update" that significantly alters the game you purchased in a way you hate, then we have a problem.

The second to last, actually, MKX. And the series has always been violent, yes, but the female characters, originally, weren't any more endowed or risque than they are now, it was only in the 00's that they got bikini armor and increasely bigger T&A with each game. "Shockingly", though, I don't remember any capital G Gamer complaining about the devs altering the look of established characters back then.

Man, it would be great to see Scorpion baring his chest, right? Maybe tone down those long, baggy trousers and get those rippling thighs into shot? Get some crotch physics on display?

Speaking as a woman gamer, can we please tell Scorpion that nobody needs to see that, and can he please wear something more practical for fighting in? Thanks.

but most of the time the changes arent trying to censor something for another audience that is bothered by this type of content

The SICs always makes this claim but is there any evidence what so ever that the devs made this change for "another audience" and not just because they themselves begun to feel uncomfortable with the original design?

i dont know what SIC means, but the staff changed completely afaik, the new staff have 0 respect for what came before then or the original target audience.

Appears to be exactly the same team minus one guy that where accused of sexual abuse at the work place by the staff. Still see no evidence that they are trying to cater to "a new audience", and honestly this line of reasoning is fast becoming old, that "other audience" that SICs keep on talking about are just some small group of marginalized women with strange hair colours that have zero power and zero reach yet we are somehow to believe that they in secret are "taking away our games, movies and comics". Stop falling for SIC (Social Injustice Crusader) propaganda, that is all that it is.

Man, it would be great to see Scorpion baring his chest, right? Maybe tone down those long, baggy trousers and get those rippling thighs into shot? Get some crotch physics on display?

Speaking as a woman gamer, can we please tell Scorpion that nobody needs to see that, and can he please wear something more practical for fighting in? Thanks.

You don't want to see special dong physics?

Thanks for all the comments so far everyone, just remember to please try to keep it civil. There's never a need for name calling and people who fight will be removed. Cheers.

As far as hating on removal of racist imagery making you a racist? What if it is important to the story line that you are taking out a band of racists, but some sensitivity editor decides that shouldn't be in the game, and now you're just killing a bunch of random people? :P

a good example of that is the series "everybody hate criss" wich have a bunch of racist jokes that are intended to show how absurd racism is, it make fun, mock how ridiculuous racism is all the time, yet it feature racism to show that.
should it be censored too?

Blazing Saddles is a perfect example of this.

Blazing Saddles is a funny example indeed, too many people have always told Mel Brooks that "one could not make this movie today" so he answered "one could not make this movie back then either" :)

As far as hating on removal of racist imagery making you a racist? What if it is important to the story line that you are taking out a band of racists, but some sensitivity editor decides that shouldn't be in the game, and now you're just killing a bunch of random people? :P

a good example of that is the series "everybody hate criss" wich have a bunch of racist jokes that are intended to show how absurd racism is, it make fun, mock how ridiculuous racism is all the time, yet it feature racism to show that.
should it be censored too?

Blazing Saddles is a perfect example of this.

Blazing Saddles is a funny example indeed, too many people have always told Mel Brooks that "one could not make this movie today" so he answered "one could not make this movie back then either" :)

Pretty sure Brooks is deluding himself on that point. As someone who grew up in the 70's, the casual but prevalent racism back then took the edge off a lot of the purposefully un-casual racism in Blazing Saddles. You might still be able to make such a movie today, but it would be derided and buried under a sea of angry one-star reviews, much like toning down the panty-line in an underage female fighter in Skullgirls has had the same result.

As far as hating on removal of racist imagery making you a racist? What if it is important to the story line that you are taking out a band of racists, but some sensitivity editor decides that shouldn't be in the game, and now you're just killing a bunch of random people? :P

a good example of that is the series "everybody hate criss" wich have a bunch of racist jokes that are intended to show how absurd racism is, it make fun, mock how ridiculuous racism is all the time, yet it feature racism to show that.
should it be censored too?

Blazing Saddles is a perfect example of this.

Blazing Saddles is a funny example indeed, too many people have always told Mel Brooks that "one could not make this movie today" so he answered "one could not make this movie back then either" :)

Pretty sure Brooks is deluding himself on that point. As someone who grew up in the 70's, the casual but prevalent racism back then took the edge off a lot of the purposefully un-casual racism in Blazing Saddles. You might still be able to make such a movie today, but it would be derided and buried under a sea of angry one-star reviews, much like toning down the panty-line in an underage female fighter in Skullgirls has had the same result.

The difference between why it couldn't be made back then vs now is that back then, the racists were pissed off that they were being made fun of and it was showing them how dumb they are.

For today; the younger generation no longer have a sense of humor and don't understand satire. Life of Brian falls under that same category. Back then all the religious people were pissed off at it (without ever watching it). And These days it's the opposite side that doesn't like it / wants to censor it.

"Where are the white women at?"