Exposing the Grift: Go Woke Go Broke

[Nizam al-Mulk]

Link? I didn't hear or see anything about this.

Nike's New Cruelly Beautiful Direction

Yes, there's a vibe shift

www.houseofstrauss.com

 

[Madmick]

Nike's New Cruelly Beautiful Direction

Yes, there's a vibe shift

www.houseofstrauss.com

Okay. I had seen that campaign ad during the Olympics, and I loved it.

I don't disagree with the sentiment of that article, that Nike is shedding this obsession with the it's-a-small-world-after-all ethos, and accepting that sport is about competition, where the goal to dominate someone is unavoidable, since that is inherent to competition, but I think it's a stretch to assert this entails Nike is explicitly embracing "toxic masculinity", and it definitely isn't evidence of Nike distancing itself from Kaepernick.

If they're distancing themselves from Kaepernick, they're doing it by simply not bringing him up. But they aren't renouncing him. They aren't apologizing for their past relationship with him.

 

[Nizam al-Mulk]

Okay. I had seen that campaign ad during the Olympics, and I loved it.

I don't disagree with the sentiment of that article, that Nike is shedding this obsession with the it's-a-small-world-after-all ethos, and accepting that sport is about competition, where the goal to dominate someone is unavoidable, since that is inherent to competition, but I think it's a stretch to assert this entails Nike is explicitly embracing "toxic masculinity", and it definitely isn't evidence of Nike distancing itself from Kaepernick.

If they're distancing themselves from Kaepernick, they're doing it by simply not bringing him up. But they aren't renouncing him. They aren't apologizing for their past relationship with him.

I said walk back.

 

[Madmick]

I said walk back.

Yeah, and that's untenable. In what way does any of that "walk back" their pro-#BLM messaging with Kaepernick?

It doesn't. The new ad campaign is apolitical. It has nothing to do with Kaepernick, #BLM, policing, race, athlete protest support, or anything else of significance signified by Nike's embrace of Kaepernick.

 

[Nizam al-Mulk]

Yeah, and that's untenable.

Ninja walk back?

 

[Rob Battisti]

Personally i always felt its not "wokeness" itself thats the problem , its that writing usually fucking sucks on average

Like heres some succesful stuff that can be considered "woke"

Expanse was diverse as fuck with characters of every race and sex yet S1 to S4 were peak goat level scifi and show overall was good

Arcane has female lead who is a lesbian and show is one of the best in recent years.

Original alien trilogy with ripley as main lead, strong female character written well

Sarah connor in T2,once again strong female lead written well

No one would have problem with galadriel in ring of retards if it was same character as in Lotr trilogy, but writing sucks so character is a moron and whoever writes it should be thrown into fires of mount doom

People are confusing “woke” with a diverse cast. It’s okay when it makes sense, it’s not when it doesn’t.

Rings of Power is the perfect illustration. It’s a mythical world where every society looks the same and is composed of a diverse population. That — just doesn’t make sense. You can have different regions with different people and have it be diverse but when you reflect a modern message just for the sake of doing so people realize it’s stupid.

Top Gun Maverick had a very diverse cast and it was awesome!

 

[ChosenOne]

People are confusing “woke” with a diverse cast. It’s okay when it makes sense, it’s not when it doesn’t.

Rings of Power is the perfect illustration. It’s a mythical world where every society looks the same and is composed of a diverse population. That — just doesn’t make sense. You can have different regions with different people and have it be diverse but when you reflect a modern message just for the sake of doing so people realize it’s stupid.

Top Gun Maverick had a very diverse cast and it was awesome!

Woke at its core is the producers of content 'waking up to recognize the face (changing) of their audience and then tailoring content to pander to that group'.

So when you see a slew of new 'action Hero women' following in the Die Hard (Bruce Willis) or Lethal Weapon (Mel Gibson), or James Bond/Ethan Hunt/Borne mold (Salt, etc) that is the Producers recognizing women ALSO want to see other women doing the things the men doing, in the same the producers were spoon feeding, white men (all men) that manlets or even normal sized men could take on armies of giant men, hand to hand or with guns and always get the hottest girl.

Men, especially at first really struggled with it. They would say it 'took them out of the movie'. Arguments that 'women are just unbelievable beating up men', while not noticing that the men COULD NOT do those feats either, but everyone was not only ok with it but cheered it. Men taking on Aliens, etc and always finding a way to win, was pandering to our ingenuity that even advanced aliens had no real chance against it. If that does not take you out of the movie, due to lack or realism, it is because you are the mark. The one being pandered too.

We grew up being fed pandering porn, as it was woke to such a high degree, we could not even see it.

The issue is not whether the content is woke or not, as almost all is, and instead the issue is, was it well written or poorly written. Poorly written woke material, whether from the past or current will always, rightly, draw fire.

 

[Madmick]

What wokeness have they went "all in" on? Here I thought they sucked because they put out overpriced, mediocre bullshit and engage in shitty business practices. Guess I was wrong.

So like, they're putting out good games but like there's a gay person or something so no one is buying the games because of activism?

So, are these wrong?

Ubisoft annual sales 2025| Statista

In the fiscal year 2024-25, which ended in March 2025, Ubisoft generated 1.9 billion euros in sales.

www.statista.com

Ubisoft reports first-quarter 2024-25 sales

UBISOFT REPORTS FIRST-QUARTER 2024-25 SALES Solid start to the year with Q1 net bookings ahead of target Robust engagement metrics driven by our GaaS franchises Strong upcoming release slate with Star Wars Outlaws™ & Assassin’s Creed® Shadows 2024-25 targets confirmed Net bookings of €290.0...

finance.yahoo.com

Who gives a shit about raw revenues? Look at net income. Ubisoft has lost their ass the past five years:

Ubisoft net income 2024 | Statista

In the financial year 2023-24, which ended in March 2024, French video game producer Ubisoft reported a net income of 157.9 million euros, up from a net loss of close to 495 million euros in the previous year.

www.statista.com

Asmongold recently covered this in his stream. Investors are abandoning the company. Ubisoft is tanking, LOL. You thought because of that one chart they're doing well?


They've been putting out increasingly inferior games, while cranking out clones from their steadfast IPs every year with no passion or innovation, just reskinned carbon copies, for many years now. But it was only recently when they leaned into this misguided western VG industry woke nonsense that they really went off the deep end. Meanwhile, eastern companies are focused on making great games with content that hardcore gamers actually want, and surprise surprise, those games are selling phenomenally well. Their Star Wars game has been a disaster for their company stock, and all the early leaks about the the first game in the AC franchise to go to Japan instead focusing on a black samurai have been a public disaster for the company.

Every major release published by Ubisoft in the past year has received poor or mediocre reviews from users and critics alike. Woke narrative decisionmaking is only part of this problem, their issues can't be reduced to that, but it's definitely not helping things. It's only making them worse. In the past half decade, only a few of the Tom Clancy games (ex. Ghost Recon Breakpoint, The Division II) have carried a silver lining.

 

[koquerelle]

Yasuke, the black samurai in the new Assassin's Creed was a real person

But he wasn't a samurai.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

But he wasn't a samurai.

tbf in Assassin's Creed games I've had interaction with Odin so they're not always historically accurate.

 

[Madmick]

tbf in Assassin's Creed games I've had interaction with Odin so they're not always historically accurate.

You're sort of missing the point, aren't you?

From what I've read, there's are some historians who disagree, and argue he was a samurai, although it appears most opine he was more of a squire (as a European analogue) who was favored by his lord, but who cares? The point is it's the first game in the series that takes on the setting of feudal Japan, and explores Japanese culture, including the culture of the samurai. Ubisoft decides to place a black man at the center of that adventure? LOL, wut? So in the entire history of Japan, there was one black dude who was maybe a samurai, probably not, a foreigner, no less, but rather than choose someone who looks like the people responsible for the entire culture of that island, of that period, including the culture of the samurai, and who resemble the thousands of samurai that actually existed in history, they decide...yeah, black dude.

Remember when liberals were outraged by "cultural appropriation"? Remember the year they made that the centerpiece of their social justice gripe? I know, it sounds strange, maybe you didn't live through it, ancient history like the samurai and all, it was like 6 or 7 years ago.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

You're sort of missing the point, aren't you?

From what I've read, there's are some historians who disagree, and argue he was a samurai, although it appears most opine he was more of a squire (as a European analogue) who was favored by his lord, but who cares? The point is it's the first game in the series that takes on the setting of feudal Japan, and explores Japanese culture, including the culture of the samurai. Ubisoft decides to place a black man at the center of that adventure? LOL, wut? So in the entire history of Japan, there was one black dude who was maybe a samurai, probably not, a foreigner, no less, but rather than choose someone who looks like the people responsible for the entire culture of that island, of that period, including the culture of the samurai, and who resemble the thousands of samurai that actually existed in history, they decide...yeah, black dude.

Remember when liberals were outraged by "cultural appropriation"? Remember the year they made that the centerpiece of their social justice gripe? I know, it sounds strange, maybe you didn't live through it, ancient history like the samurai and all, it was like 6 or 7 years ago.

I genuinely couldn't give a fuck dude. If the games good I'll play it if it's shit I won't, I couldn't care less if my character is Asian, white, trans, gay, a furry or whatever.

 

[Madmick]

I genuinely couldn't give a fuck dude. If the games good I'll play it if it's shit I won't, I couldn't care less if my character is Asian, white, trans, gay, a furry or whatever.

Concession accepted.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Concession accepted.

I will happily concede a point if it avoids arguing about what character I get to play as and how realistic it is when my favourite game is about a dude with cat eyes who kills monsters.

 

[Nizam al-Mulk]

I genuinely couldn't give a fuck dude. If the games good I'll play it if it's shit I won't, I couldn't care less if my character is Asian, white, trans, gay, a furry or whatever.

It is not about your opinion.I would gladly make a movie about some obscure 17th century mongol warlord. If there is massive money behind a trilogy of movies it will not be abut said warlord,investors will want to be about Genghis Khan.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

It is not about your opinion.I would gladly make a movie about some obscure 17th century mongol warlord. If there is massive money behind a trilogy of movies it will not be abut said warlord,investors will want to be about Genghis Khan.

But there have been games based in time periods centred around a completely fictional character which sold fine.

 

[Nizam al-Mulk]

But there have been games based in time periods centred around a completely fictional character which sold fine.

This is not that time with a big budget game. Gambling on people caring about Yasuke even if it was libertarians making it considering the trouble Ubisoft is in is not bright.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

This is not that time with a big budget game.

If reviews for AC are good it will sell.

Personally I doubt it will be much different from the formulaic games they've been doing that are all inferior to Odyssey where the new style of AC games peaked.

 

[koquerelle]

tbf in Assassin's Creed games I've had interaction with Odin so they're not always historically accurate.

People wanted to play a samurai.

 

[Nizam al-Mulk]

If reviews for AC are good it will sell.

Personally I doubt it will be much different from the formulaic games they've been doing that are all inferior to Odyssey where the new style of AC games peaked.

You think gaming journalists are respected?

They are the least respected among all including sports journalists.