Circus pioneer PT Barnum once said “There is no bad publicity”, but he may have reconsidered that he had been alive to be a witness Cyberpunk 2077. After a grueling development compounded by accusations of sexism, transphobia, and worker exploitation, conversations about the game almost inevitably turn to its controversies.

CD Projekt RED’s dystopian RPG was infamous for the issues plaguing it at launch. However, while the issues can be fixed with updates, there is no way to correct the history. With so many reviews of the game’s content from so many different communities, it’s worth looking back as we reflect on how the game will be remembered.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077: 5 Side Quests Every Player Should Complete

PornHub leaks and sexism

Days before Cyberpunk 2077the exit is sex scenes leaked at the adult site PornHub. That such content existed was not surprising, given earlier claims from a Q&A that enough coal captured by the movement to “satisfy everyone“, but the leaks themselves were always surprising. That said, such content isn’t inherently controversial. It wasn’t the first title with sex scenes, and the game has just as much a right to explore it. privacy than any art form.

However, the theme of sex is often associated with gender, and on that front there was more to criticize. VG247’s Stacey Henley called Cyberpunk 2077, “the most aggressive male game I have ever played,” drawing attention to how women are beaten, exploited and maimed, while men are treated with much more respect. Leah J. Williams from Kotaku Australia made similar comments, condemning the game’s prominent male gaze and its disposable treatment of women.

Cyberpunk is an inherently dystopian genre, so one could argue that the commodification of human bodies is to be expected. Even so, presenting such tropes without subversion or commentary was seen as a mere indulgence. The problem was not the sexual content per se. It was the game’s usual misconception that such content equates to “maturity” taken to a degree that many just weren’t comfortable with.

Related: Fox & Hare Take Back Cyberpunk Genre With Asian Portrayal (Exclusive)

Delays, crunch and death threats

Not all controversies reflect the developers badly. Fans can be just as problematic. First announced in 2012, some players speculated Cyberpunk 2077 had been in development ever since. This was a misunderstanding, because the interviews with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier revealed that full development didn’t start until 2016, but anger grew over the game’s delays nonetheless.

Such things are sadly rare with massive RPGs, but here they opened up a particularly ugly chapter in its development history. As delays became more frequent, CD Projekt RED started using a critical schedule, seeing employees working six day weeks. Although the CDPR insisted that staff would be compensated, its earlier assertion that the practice would not be necessary left some disillusioned. Eric Kain from Forbes said further delays would be better than crunch, writing: “We should value human life rather than personal gratification or stock prices. “

However, some fans were more frustrated with the delays than concerned about workers’ rights, as demonstrated. death threats were sent to CDPR staff. Senior game designer Andrzej Zawadzki called for an end to this Twitter, revealing the shocking verbal attacks on the developers and their families. Between this supposed fan abuse and Schreier’s reports 100-hour weeks and “physically ill” staff, there is no doubt that CDPR employees were victims in their own right.

Related: Upcoming Three Indie Games For Cyberpunk Fans

Transphobic tropes

Entertainment has a long history with transphobia, often portraying trans people as objects of sexual deviance or curiosity. Video games are no different, which is why many have been disappointed with CDPR’s use of hurtful tropes. The problems started in 2018, when the game’s Twitter account responded to a fan asking “guys” to learn more about the game with it, “Did you just assume their sex?! “This meme is a far-right dog whistle designed to poke fun at trans people like overly sensitive snowflakes, and its use by the CDPR has many gamers on edge.

A month later, CDPR’s sister company GOG was slammed for hijack the hashtag of the trans unit #WontBeErased to promote its games. In 2019, the CDPR went deeper into the discourse with the now infamous “Mix it up” image: fetishistically depicting a woman with a prominent bulge. CDPR insists he didn’t mean to offend but, at this point, many weren’t willing to take the studio’s word for it. Other problems, such as a lack of trans NPCs and a character creator who assigned gender based on voice instead of choice, only made the problem worse.

While Cyberpunk 2077 included trans character Claire Russell, she wasn’t enough to dispel all the different criticisms. The CDPR may have acted out of ignorance rather than intentional malice, but that makes little difference to those who have been hurt by their earlier choices.

Related: Before Blade Runner: Black Lotus These Cyberpunk Defined By The Anime

Other controversies and lasting legacies

Among the many controversies surrounding Cyberpunk 2077, some were relatively small, such as complaints about the switch from third person to first person gameplay. Others, like accusations of racist representations, are more uncomfortable and require greater sensitivity to approach. Whatever one thinks of these issues, the fact remains that they collectively form an uncomfortable shadow that hangs over the game and the conversations about it.

It is also a great pity, because there is a lot to admire Cyberpunk 2077. It’s packed with content, its setting is incredibly unique, and its colossal script is packed with good times. Obviously, there’s a lot of fun to be had, but finding it doesn’t mean ignoring the issues people have raised. It’s important for everyone – fans and developers – to engage in honest, good faith review of the media they enjoy and create. After all, learning from history’s mistakes is the only sure-fire way to avoid a dystopian future.

Keep Reading: What Happened To The Witcher’s First Resident Evil-Inspired Game?

Venom PS5 Spider-Man 2 is already Marvel’s best on-screen symbiote – for a reason

About the Author

CHEATING, explosive dinners and epic ten-hour engagement ceremonies made Married At First Sight Australia’s must-see TV.

And the woman who “sex” the British relaunch of the Monday reality show promises the same.

3

3

Dating coach Mel Schilling, who joined MAFSA in 2016, is part of a total revamp of the UK format and moved to Brighton with her family from their home in Bali while filming the E4 show.

But finding love for herself hasn’t always been easy for Mel. She didn’t meet her husband Gareth Brisbane, from Northern Ireland, until the age of 39, and underwent IVF at the age of 42 to become a mother to daughter Madison, today six years old.

‘CHEMISTRY, SPARK, SEXUAL CALL – THIS IS WHAT I CANNOT PREDICT’

Mel, 49, who married Gareth in Bali in July 2018, says: “I was super single for a good decade and had a terrible habit of sabotaging every potential relationship I touched. If there was a commitment phobe or a male child within 100 kilometers, I would date him.

“To be honest, I wasn’t seriously interested in a relationship for most of my 30s. I was more focused on my career, my travels and my friends. It wasn’t until I was 38 or 39 that I said to myself, “What if I miss something? “

“As I approached my forties, the realization that my motherhood choices could become limited was a huge wake-up call for me. “

Mel believes that finding love later in life helps her identify with MAFS candidates, especially women in their late 30s.

She says, “I have to admit that I have a special place in my heart for women who aspire to be moms but haven’t met the right man yet.

“I started my training as a dating coach when I was still single. It was after realizing that I had done everything wrong in my love life and my light bulb moment of “Why don’t I apply everything I know about career coaching to the dating world?” “

“I became the first Australian coach to be accredited by the International Dating Coach Association and by the time I was ready to start helping clients, I had met mine.”

Mel has a few strong words of encouragement for any single person in their 30s who thinks love might be past them.

She said, “It’s not too late! I met Gareth at 39 via eHarmony and had Maddie at 42 via IVF. Science and technology are on your side. Make the most of it. “

MAFS ‘revamped UK series sees the number of couples involved drop from two to eight.

When asked if there would be arguments, scandals and even cheating, Mel replied, “All I can say is yes, to all of the above. You will be surprised.

“It changes a lot. The most important change is the group dynamic.

“It didn’t exist before and is an integral part of this experience. Different couples compare and make decisions as a team. It’s fascinating.

“There are also dinners, engagement ceremonies, home visits and they all live in the same building. There are so many different elements.

Filmed during the pandemic, the newlyweds formed a Covid-19 bubble, with regular testing, temperature checks and face masks behind the scenes.

Weddings are not legally binding, and Mel insists that couples are never paired up to deliberately compete for good television.

She says: “We are not going to put our reputation on the line by bringing together people who will not work. Our intention is to prepare people for success.

“It takes months behind the scenes before you even approach a camera. We look at their personality styles, their values ​​and preferences, their relationship history, their expectations, all of that.

“We also work with a consultant psychologist who takes care of all mental health care, making sure people have the resilience to cope with the process.

“At the start of the experiment, we were sniffing T-shirts. We did not use this approach this year. It is more focused on psychological characteristics.

“We can do whatever backdrop we like, but until you get two people together and that friction starts to build – chemistry, spark, sex appeal – that’s what I can’t predict.

“So we never really know how a couple is going to respond to each other until they’re there.” UK viewership figures for the Australian show’s recent run have approached two million, with its contestants becoming celebrities, but Mel insists they don’t want celebrity seekers.

Until you get two people together and that friction starts to build – chemistry, spark, sex appeal – that’s what I can’t predict.

Mel Schilling

She says, “We strive for authenticity and our production team is highly skilled in how to separate people who just want the glory from those who really seek love.”

Mel is joined by fellow experts Paul C Brunson, of Celebs Go Dating on E4, and Charlene Douglas, of The Sex Clinic, also on E4.

Each week, the newlyweds meet the experts at an engagement ceremony and declare, in front of the other couples, whether they wish to stay or leave the experience.

If only one partner wants to leave, they have to continue filming for an additional week. Mel says, “Commitment ceremonies can last ten hours, until the wee hours of the morning. There is no time limit, we are there as long as it takes.

“We want to share each person’s story. With some people, it takes longer.

‘IF COUPLES HAD PAIN DURING THE WEEK, I FEEL THAT’

“They are less comfortable sharing what is going on and might need encouragement. Other people spit it out and there it is.

The couples are also hosting a weekly dinner – which in previous Aussie series featured wine-fueled rows and cheating – and pundits are watching the footage.

Mel, who worked as a psychologist for 20 years, says: “It’s hard to watch the drama. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Hold me back’.

“In the engagement ceremony there are times when I really have to control myself, whether it’s because I want to hug someone or tell someone to pull their head (the Aussie to back away ).

“I am a human first and then a therapist. I have a real investment in these couples and individuals. If they have been in pain during the week, I can feel it and try to get to the bottom of it.

“I came to the UK expecting contributors to be a little more reserved, which is just a stereotype, as I was very wrong and was pleasantly surprised.

“Of course, it took them a bit longer to open up, but they were engaged in the process and passionate about finding their partner.”

• Married At First Sight UK is on E4 Mondays at 9pm.

3