Assassin’s Creed Shadow Resolves Ongoing Controversy About Cultural Sensitivity
The All-Day Patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadow will criticize how the open world RPGs have made players violently roar through religious shrines in the 1500s. After Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s recent comments on the topic, parts of a specific building will no longer be destructible, and monks inside will no longer bleed.
The controversy stems from a clip from the January virus, showing one of the two protagonists of the game, the samurai Yosuke, attacks people and breaks furniture at Itatehyōzu shrine outside the historic Himeji Castleinhyōgo prefecture. The gameplay is voluntary and not part of any pursuit, but is drawn online by some people to the evidence of the shadow of Assassin’s Creed on Japanese culture, as a result of previous complaints about other culturally sensitive estimates in the game.
Ubisoft’s company fate next year will depend on the relative success of Assassin’s Creed shadow, without seizing any opportunity and trying to address the concerns that Japanese officials posted on the day, which will prevent players from recreating the viral footage in January. The patch notes shared with IGN prior to the release on March 20 include the following:
Citizens without weapons no longer bleed during attacks, reducing unexpected blood spills in temples/shins
Now, tables and shelves in temples/shindus are indestructible (some objects, such as drums or bowls, as they are universal items around the world) (tables are still dynamic objects, so players can still move/push them).
The Shrine’s Destruction Dispute Explanation
Although it may have begun as an online debate, the controversy surrounding the ability of Japan’s sacred historical sites reached the upper echelon of the Japanese government earlier this week. Prime Minister Ishiba asked the topic at a budget meeting of House Representatives Councilman Hiroyuki Kada, which represents the area where ItateHyōzu shrine is located, according to a report from IGN.
“I’m worried that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game can encourage similar behaviors in real life,” Kada told Ispibon. “Shrine officials and local residents are worried about this. Of course, freedom of speech must be respected, but behaviors that devalue local culture should be avoided.”
The Prime Minister replied: “A filthy shrine is impossible – it is an insult to the state itself. When deploying the Self-Defense Forces to Samawa, Iraq, we make sure they studied Islamic customs in advance. Respecting a country’s culture and religion is fundamental and we must make it clear that we will not simply accept their actions.
The concern seems to be primarily about the potential of features in the game to encourage real-life imitation attacks, as politicians around the world often worry that other games (mainly theft automatically) combine surreal simulations with freedom to commit violent behavior. Another issue expressed in the meeting was that, first, the lack of clear permission for the shrine, its name and similarities.
Assassin’s Creed Shadow, which was scheduled to be launched last fall, has been delayed twice. Ubisoft developers have been working to add additional polish and fine-tuning layers to avoid any potential obstacles when launching, which could derail the early momentum of the blockbuster. After the disappointing Star Wars offender and Avatar sales: Pandora’s borders and other delays and cancellations are growing financial pressure, and reports have spinned potential sales or breakups for French publishers. Assassin’s Creed Shadow currently has 81 on Metacritic, consistent with games in previous franchises, and our own review calls it “one of the most dynamic, funniest, and most exterior-looking open worlds of the current console generation.”
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