A Bad Idea With No Accountability Coming from a Company Rich in Historically QUESTIONABLE Behavior...
In quite the baffling move, Quantic Dream, the publisher behind Red Thread Games' disaster of a “game”, Dustborn, decided to go ahead and issue a 'statement of support' for its beleaguered partner, and in the end, it reflects poorly on themselves even worse, because as it turns out - they have a LOT of skeletons hidden in their closet...
But let's break down why this was a terrible idea, as it only serves to reinforce the initially horrendous take by Red Thread Games, which blamed the very community they’d hoped would be there to support them.
Using the word "hate" as a shield from legitimate criticism has become such a tired cliché - I'm legit SO over this BS... especially when it clearly comes from corporate execs desperate to avoid taking any accountability for their failures. In a display of even less accountability, they also turned off replies as well - shocker, I know.
What this all (always) boils down to is money—executives are scrambling for excuses, jumping at the opportunity to accuse the community of being "hateful" instead of owning up to their mistakes. It's a horrible approach with, you guessed it, ZERO accountability.
Are we sending a trend?
Let's not miss how they were called out by @BASEDPLAYERLLC, who comically asked:
A great question, and one that Quantic Dream would surely see as a direct, hateful attack, further proving how disconnected they are from the reality of their own failures. The gaming community is your customer. Redirecting your failures at them only serves to destroy your own brand even further.
My quote tweet to them was:
When you double down on a bad take, you're just pouring gasoline on a fire that should have never been started in the first place.
The Shadow of David Cage: Quantic Dream's Problematic Past
Adding to the irony of Quantic Dream's ‘moral posturing’ is the shadow of its president and founder, David Cage.
To say Cage was a controversial figure is an understatement…
For Beyond: Two Souls, Cage literally stole family photos of Ellen Page (now Elliot Page) to capture her likeness at a young age, showing the extent of his so-called "auteur" ambitions. Then we have the leaked nudes of Ellen Page that were never used in game, but yet still created and then leaked...
Cage’s tenure at Quantic Dream was marred by allegations of a toxic work environment and deeply troubling remarks. Reddit provided some insight on the situation:
It was alleged that he referred to all the female characters in his games as "whores" and stated that Quantic Dream "didn't make games for f@gs." Although Cage denied these allegations, they still paint a picture of a toxic culture.. and based on my research on him, the dude strikes me as a real creep - review the above image closely for more insight).
But... No... THIS is the same company now throwing stones at the gaming community at large? It seems they are desperately trying to bury their own skeletons by pointing the finger at anything else.
Quantic Dream's attempt at a complete image overhaul began in 2018, when the company was involved in a lawsuit with Le Monde and Mediapart, accusing the studio of fostering a toxic workplace.
- Guillaume de Fondaumière (CEO and Head of Publishing at Quantic Dream)
The case came after reports surfaced of an employee photoshopping offensive pictures of their colleagues. While Quantic Dream won an appeal in 2021, overturning a ruling in favor of a former employee who sued the studio, the damage to its reputation was already done…
So... it's more than a little ironic to see this company attempting to lecture the gaming community on "hate." It’s almost as if they're trying to hide their own sordid past by taking cheap shots at the very people they hope will buy their games.
Shout out to Jay Watch (@honestJay7 on X) for the heads up on this info!
Deflection at Its Finest
Ultimately, Quantic Dream's statement is nothing more than a clear attempt at deflection. The gaming community isn’t buying it (nor the game lol). The developer and publisher are clearly trying to incite the flames of a "Gamergate 2" by blaming the community for their pathetic release... But at the end of the day, Dustborn—a game many see as tax-payer-funded propaganda—falters on its own lack of merit.
It’s time for these companies to stop hiding behind accusations of "hate" and start owning up to their failures.. But based on what I've learned here, Quantic Dream has a LOT to hide themselves. The community deserves better than to be scapegoated for their poor decisions.
We aren’t falling for this again.
~ Smash