The Last of Us Franchise - Because it's apparently a franchise now. This thread has been double-DMCA’d by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

[Ihavetinyweewee]

>rape culture
Fucking end me already.

I read some of the articles. It sounds really fake.

All the women are heroes, and the men villians?

Abandoning the narrative of the first game for Gay walking dead?

I don't know, sounds like bullshit. But, I could be wrong...

 

[Aqua Panda]

So I'm really starting to buy the "use the Coronavirus as an excuse to indefinitely delay" theory.

While Sony corporate is obviously not the smartest around, I do wonder if a few competent people basically warned that the blatant wokeness could blow up in their faces badly. Especially since it seems so much of the core narrative for part 2 was reportedly reworked right after the 2016 election when Trump Derangement Syndrome was at an all time high. So much of the game was conceived in the prime time woke/sjw era.

They have to have been getting feedback from testers and playgroups by now. To cancel all preorders only a month or so out just screams someone is scared and wants to rework things.

 

[QuokkaCaptain]

I read some of the articles. It sounds really fake.

All the women are heroes, and the men villians?

Abandoning the narrative of the first game for Gay walking dead?

I don't know, sounds like bullshit. But, I could be wrong...

It depends entirely on who they think their audience is- or want it to be.

There are a lot of books, games, and movies nowadays that get away with this formula because they perceive their audience as being your traditional Woke cultists who will praise (or at least ignore the lack of realism in) it. And it wouldn't be the first time a creator thumbed their nose at their actual audience in favor of pandering to The Right Kind of People for Woke points.

It would be an unbelievably stupid decision from a realistic perspective, though, because anyone with half a brain-cell that knows about The Last of Us knows that it was a very popular game that appealed to a wide variety of gamers across the spectrum of ideology and preferences. Putting in obvious, biased political ideology will alienate anyone who opposes or is moderate towards those politics; and as we already know, the Woke are never satisfied and will still find a way to find fault with the product. It'll tank if they're not careful.

So I'm really starting to buy the "use the Coronavirus as an excuse to indefinitely delay" theory.

While Sony corporate is obviously not the smartest around, I do wonder if a few competent people basically warned that the blatant wokeness could blow up in their faces badly. Especially since it seems so much of the core narrative for part 2 was reportedly reworked right after the 2016 election when Trump Derangement Syndrome was at an all time high. So much of the game was conceived in the prime time woke/sjw era.

They have to have been getting feedback from testers and playgroups by now. To cancel all preorders only a month or so out just screams someone is scared and wants to rework things.

Personally, it's all a bit funny to watch this play out. May be an unpopular opinion, but I was never invested in Ellie's character (I vastly preferred Joel, and was very interested in Tess at the beginning) and began to back away even further when they made her a lesbian in Left Behind, because even back then I could smell the upcoming identity politics shittery that would result from it a mile away. 2014 was still, relatively speaking, towards the beginning of the Woke Culture phenomenon when people were starting to figure out that you could baselessly accuse your critics of homophobia or sexism if they disliked your game/book/movie/comic.

Last of Us 2 holds zero appeal to me and as such I'm looking forward to the clusterfuck that will unquestionably result if they turn it into "The Last of Us 2: Even in An Alternate Future Where Trump Never Got Elected, Orange Man Still Bad".

 

[Trashfire Garbagefuck]

So I'm really starting to buy the "use the Coronavirus as an excuse to indefinitely delay" theory.

While Sony corporate is obviously not the smartest around, I do wonder if a few competent people basically warned that the blatant wokeness could blow up in their faces badly. Especially since it seems so much of the core narrative for part 2 was reportedly reworked right after the 2016 election when Trump Derangement Syndrome was at an all time high. So much of the game was conceived in the prime time woke/sjw era.

They have to have been getting feedback from testers and playgroups by now. To cancel all preorders only a month or so out just screams someone is scared and wants to rework things.

that might be true and I'm disappointed. I genuinely want the full-on TDS version of this game, not the inoffensive mildly woke game most games are now. the resulting drama would be monumental and all-encompassing if it's bad enough to get sony to make them tone it down.

...of course it could just be that the gameplay loop sucks and they're making it actually play well. I think I remember reading a bit of some interview where they say it's "not supposed to be fun" or something to that effect. might just mean the game is dark and you do dark shit, but that also kinda sounds like an excuse for it not playing well. I could see them focusing so much on the overall scale of the game that they ignore the nitty gritty of basic gameplay.

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

damn it girl! you gonna spread you white gens with a white man and save the human race whenever you want too or not!

 

[SteelPlatedHeart]

Plot twist: the virus only affects the damn dirty straights and gay/lesbians are immune, which is why the cult is hunting them down and killing them.

 

[Pumpkin Girl IRL]

If true, watch the writers nervously tip toe around the disproportionate amount of domestic and sexual abuse in lesbian relationahips.

 

[Marissa Moira]

View attachment 1243880

I wish this was a joke. But no it’s real. Guess 4Chan wasn’t lying about the storyline for Last of Kiks 2 after all.

Well I mean I guess getting dogpiled by zombies is a form of rape.

I'm going to say this, they offered Druckman what he always wanted to be a TV/movie Director and he gets to put all his stupid ass ideas into a TV show that will bomb. meanwhile the suits at Sony got him to OK a B team to fix the game which he's fine with them changing because now he gets to tell the TV Lifetime Movie story he always wanted without the gameplay interfering with the story.

TLOU is supposed to be the first property out of the gates and into the minefield. If it strays from the game severely and incorporates all the stupid bullshit from the DLC into it, it's going to be another Watchmen. Sony has Horizon, God of War, and Spiderman all slated to also get TV shows or other media adaptations.

 

[Love Machine]

You know, I wrote this game off from the moment it was revealed at that e3 conference. A conference that had literally 4 games shown. I forgot about it completely and was only reminded of it from news articles saying it was delayed, I'd chuckle to myself remembering Miyamoto's words of "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad". I knew that wasnt the case for this. But I didnt care, and I honestly didnt think anyone else really did either till I looked recently. But now I am excited, I desperately want to see the outcome of all this. Will it actually be good and we all win? Will it be a woke shitfest dripping with outdated political undertone? will it be a technical mess?

I am honestly looking forward to it.

 

[madethistocomment]

If they kill off Joel I'm gonna be so pissed. He was my favorite character from the first game because he felt painfully real, like someone I could run into while walking down the street, and getting him to trust and love again was so damn heartwarming. Not to mention Troy Baker absolutely killed it as him.

If he dies, they're going to end up gutting one half of the emotional heart of the story. Why bother continuing after that?

 

[QuokkaCaptain]

that might be true and I'm disappointed. I genuinely want the full-on TDS version of this game, not the inoffensive mildly woke game most games are now. the resulting drama would be monumental and all-encompassing if it's bad enough to get sony to make them tone it down.

...of course it could just be that the gameplay loop sucks and they're making it actually play well. I think I remember reading a bit of some interview where they say it's "not supposed to be fun" or something to that effect. might just mean the game is dark and you do dark shit, but that also kinda sounds like an excuse for it not playing well. I could see them focusing so much on the overall scale of the game that they ignore the nitty gritty of basic gameplay.

...They better have meant in terms of choices/narrative that it's "not supposed to be fun".

I get that a lot of developers want to make games with a decent challenge to them, but there's a balance to be had between "this is a robust challenge that I know I can eventually conquer with patience and effort" and "this is fucking ridiculous, I've been on level one for four hours and I'm about to have a rage-induced stroke, I'm done".

Being challenging does not mean that a game can't be fun, and if they are suggesting that the video game that they are trying to make isn't actually enjoyable to play on some level beyond the storyline, it's going to tank harder than any identity politics bullshit they can come up with.

 

[Love Machine]

that might be true and I'm disappointed. I genuinely want the full-on TDS version of this game, not the inoffensive mildly woke game most games are now. the resulting drama would be monumental and all-encompassing if it's bad enough to get sony to make them tone it down.

...of course it could just be that the gameplay loop sucks and they're making it actually play well. I think I remember reading a bit of some interview where they say it's "not supposed to be fun" or something to that effect. might just mean the game is dark and you do dark shit, but that also kinda sounds like an excuse for it not playing well. I could see them focusing so much on the overall scale of the game that they ignore the nitty gritty of basic gameplay.

...They better have meant in terms of choices/narrative that it's "not supposed to be fun".

I get that a lot of developers want to make games with a decent challenge to them, but there's a balance to be had between "this is a robust challenge that I know I can eventually conquer with patience and effort" and "this is fucking ridiculous, I've been on level one for four hours and I'm about to have a rage-induced stroke, I'm done".

Being challenging does not mean that a game can't be fun, and if they are suggesting that the video game that they are trying to make isn't actually enjoyable to play on some level beyond the storyline, it's going to tank harder than any identity politics bullshit they can come up with.

The whole "its not supposed to be fun" thing was more of a story and theme thing iirc. Naughty dog hasnt really done anything very impressive in terms of gameplay since....I dont know. But thats not really what the sony movie games were shooting at for a good stretch of time. But that is starting to run dry I think. Santa Monica really impressed me with God of War in how fun you can actually make a movie game. I think that if we got a TLOU for the first time now, a lot of people would be a lot less impressed. Specifically because of how unimpressive the gameplay is, and I dont have much faith at home much innovation they could have done in the time spent between TLOU and TLOU 2. Uncharted 2 was a big step up from the first one, but 3 and 4? Not so much.

 

[Kurtis Trent]

the leaks do sound like Druckmann's mediocre writing... But I'm actually glad the love interest girl dies because holy shit that hoe was annoying. I don't even like Ellie but she deserves better.

 

[Marissa Moira]

the leaks do sound like Druckmann's mediocre writing... But I'm actually glad the love interest girl dies because holy shit that hoe was annoying. I don't even like Ellie but she deserves better.

I'm not a fan of bestiality either, it's a form of animal abuse.

 

[The handsome tard]

You know, Im a huge TLOU fan (sue me, fags) and Im terrified that Part 2 is going have woke elements in it. Part of me already felt something was wrong with the DLC and the forced lesbo tones with Ellie and whatever was her name just made me cringe. Its not that its WRONG for Ellie to be a lesbo/bisexual but you would think that in the apocalipse where humanity's numbers are lowering by the day that homosexuality would be a thing of the past (I mean, only one sexual orientation actually creates the next generation, sorry for the reality check), not that there wouldnt be gay people in it but even they would understand that maybe its best to at least be bisexual so reproduction ist completely out of the window. Now Part 2 seems to be reaaaaally getting way into it, the fact we live in the post orange man bad election doesnt help either. Gameplay looks awesome but...seems like Part 2 will be a lesbo-revenge fantasy against a cult (I already can see the numerous stabs at Christianity that can arrive from this and they dont seem to be above going to the low hanging fruit).

One of the aspects that made me fall in love with TLOU was the character dynamics between Joel and Ellen...and I kind of feel like its mostly going to be Ellen with Joel only ocassionally tagging along because no way an old straight white man can help a lesbian strong wahman. My point is that I doubt that we will have much characters interacting and exchanging banter, its just going to be Ellen in her revenge porn quest. I was honestly excited as fuck for Part 2 but I guess the more and more time goes on, the more I realize that maybe I should keep my expectations nearly at zero, because its fucking current year and nothing is sacred.

Oh and the fact that the TLOU series is setting up to be a woke TWD really is an awful sign of what the Naughty Dog team is okay with...

All I want is enjoy things again, is that asking too much?!

 

[Kurtis Trent]

You know, Im a huge TLOU fan (sue me, fags) and Im terrified that Part 2 is going have woke elements in it. Part of me already felt something was wrong with the DLC and the forced lesbo tones with Ellie and whatever was her name just made me cringe. Its not that its WRONG for Ellie to be a lesbo/bisexual but you would think that in the apocalipse where humanity's numbers are lowering by the day that homosexuality would be a thing of the past (I mean, only one sexual orientation actually creates the next generation, sorry for the reality check), not that there wouldnt be gay people in it but even they would understand that maybe its best to at least be bisexual so reproduction ist completely out of the window. Now Part 2 seems to be reaaaaally getting way into it, the fact we live in the post orange man bad election doesnt help either. Gameplay looks awesome but...seems like Part 2 will be a lesbo-revenge fantasy against a cult (I already can see the numerous stabs at Christianity that can arrive from this and they dont seem to be above going to the low hanging fruit).

One of the aspects that made me fall in love with TLOU was the character dynamics between Joel and Ellen...and I kind of feel like its mostly going to be Ellen with Joel only ocassionally tagging along because no way an old straight white man can help a lesbian strong wahman. My point is that I doubt that we will have much characters interacting and exchanging banter, its just going to be Ellen in her revenge porn quest. I was honestly excited as fuck for Part 2 but I guess the more and more time goes on, the more I realize that maybe I should keep my expectations nearly at zero, because its fucking current year and nothing is sacred.

Oh and the fact that the TLOU series is setting up to be a woke TWD really is an awful sign of what the Naughty Dog team is okay with...

All I want is enjoy things again, is that asking too much?!

Oh it's too late I'm afraid, it's was already in the game's marketing. I genuinely feel sorry for naughty dog employees who had to crunch for that kind of story. And for the fans of the original game. But considering Druckmann is Anita's white knight I'm not surprised. Can't wait for the shitshow to come.

 

[Slimy Time]

Personally, it's all a bit funny to watch this play out. May be an unpopular opinion, but I was never invested in Ellie's character (I vastly preferred Joel, and was very interested in Tess at the beginning) and began to back away even further when they made her a lesbian in Left Behind, because even back then I could smell the upcoming identity politics shittery that would result from it a mile away. 2014 was still, relatively speaking, towards the beginning of the Woke Culture phenomenon when people were starting to figure out that you could baselessly accuse your critics of homophobia or sexism if they disliked your game/book/movie/comic.

Last of Us 2 holds zero appeal to me and as such I'm looking forward to the clusterfuck that will unquestionably result if they turn it into "The Last of Us 2: Even in An Alternate Future Where Trump Never Got Elected, Orange Man Still Bad".

Agree. Only played it back when it came out in 2013, but I distinctly remember having more connection to Joel. This father who lost his daughter as a result of the outbreak, ended up hardening his heart and slowly opening up because of Ellie, to the point that he would rather risk not finding a cure than killing her for one. I think the most I connected with Ellie was during the snow levels, and that was because I was playing as her. Never cared for the lesbian part and didn't play the DLC.

I don't see it holding up to the first game by the sheer length of time that has passed since then. People I think are tired of these woke stories in media, and it will end up working against it.

 

[Dom Cruise]

This is all very depressing to me because I do think the first game is a masterpiece and showed the potential western developed games could have for storytelling.

But now it seems like the western development world is going down in flames thanks to SJWs, all that potential being wasted all thanks to weirdos, there's just something about that that feels so wrong.

Well, out of curiosity, can you recall a previous moment in video gaming that the media touted as amazing, stupendous, stunning, etc. where a specific instance of a straight couple kissed? One that didn't also allow you to be gay? Bonus points for it being a game's reveal trailer.

I honestly can't think of any, and perhaps that's one of the reasons why people were annoyed; they're not looking for shallow virtue-signalling when looking at a game's preview, they wanted something similar to the original's reveal, where a zombie is stalking them through a dilapidated house, and the mere cocking of the hammer to Joel's revolver was enough to put them in extreme danger - the relentless feeling of tension - which definitely drew in some of the original players. Instead you got two lesbians snogging: hardly a pulse-pounding affair.

That first Last of Us teaser was amazing.

You know, Im a huge TLOU fan (sue me, fags) and Im terrified that Part 2 is going have woke elements in it. Part of me already felt something was wrong with the DLC and the forced lesbo tones with Ellie and whatever was her name just made me cringe. Its not that its WRONG for Ellie to be a lesbo/bisexual but you would think that in the apocalipse where humanity's numbers are lowering by the day that homosexuality would be a thing of the past (I mean, only one sexual orientation actually creates the next generation, sorry for the reality check), not that there wouldnt be gay people in it but even they would understand that maybe its best to at least be bisexual so reproduction ist completely out of the window. Now Part 2 seems to be reaaaaally getting way into it, the fact we live in the post orange man bad election doesnt help either. Gameplay looks awesome but...seems like Part 2 will be a lesbo-revenge fantasy against a cult (I already can see the numerous stabs at Christianity that can arrive from this and they dont seem to be above going to the low hanging fruit).

One of the aspects that made me fall in love with TLOU was the character dynamics between Joel and Ellen...and I kind of feel like its mostly going to be Ellen with Joel only ocassionally tagging along because no way an old straight white man can help a lesbian strong wahman. My point is that I doubt that we will have much characters interacting and exchanging banter, its just going to be Ellen in her revenge porn quest. I was honestly excited as fuck for Part 2 but I guess the more and more time goes on, the more I realize that maybe I should keep my expectations nearly at zero, because its fucking current year and nothing is sacred.

Oh and the fact that the TLOU series is setting up to be a woke TWD really is an awful sign of what the Naughty Dog team is okay with...

All I want is enjoy things again, is that asking too much?!

It's a complicated issue because on one hand I don't want to say that games can never have LGBT themes or characters, I don't really want to go that far.

But on the other hand nothing is made in a vacuum and it's just a fact that LGBT has tons and tons of political baggage, from the very moment the sister was revealed to be gay in Gone Home I just got a vibe from it that the developers were showing off, there was just something about it that didn't feel organic, I don't know if the term virtue signaling had even been coined yet in 2013 and if it was I wasn't aware of it, but I still got the vibe that that's what it was even before I knew the term.

And then the same thing happened in the Last of Us DLC when it reveals Ellie is gay, it happens near the end and up to that point I thought the DLC was pretty great, but that stood out like a sore thumb.

It's interesting to me that the Last of Us DLC released in early 2014, before Gamergate happened that year and this video game culture war really began in earnest.

 

[vertexwindi]

I like how in Fallout New Vegas there are plenty of gay people to be found but the game doesn't make a big deal out of it. Now we're expected to applaud when seeing two 19 year old girls make out, as if this wasn't totally done because someone on the dev team finds lesbians super hot. Wish we could go back.

 

[That Chris Guy]

It's a complicated issue because on one hand I don't want to say that games can never have LGBT themes or characters, I don't really want to go that far.

I don't think anyone's really saying that. There have been gay characters in RPGs long before The Last of Us was made (e.g.: Fable) where people didn't give a rats, and say what you will about TWD, but the original gay couple (Adam and whoever-it-was) weren't insufferable piles of shit that nobody can stand.

Spoiler: My Two Cents

The two main things that confound acceptance now is when the journalist/media types hold these games up as some irrefutable Holy Grail simply by the fact that some gay characters are in it, and act like this is in the aftermath of some horrific Gay Holocaust when gamers have mostly been fine with gay characters for decades.

The other reason is because post-Gamergate, "diversity" pushes are viewed with cynicism rather than optimism. For example, journalists complained that a game aimed at simulating medieval times in Europe didn't have any black people in it, yet expect their revisionism to take precedence over the purpose of the game they will never bother playing.

I've said why Ellie doesn't strike me as a good character, but if anything I hope that someone sensible in Naughty Dog ensures that a good game is created, rather than the trainwreck that rumours are implicating it to be.