> # Welcome to GameGrinOS v1.01 > # How can I help you? > # Press ` again to close
>
Hello… | Log in or sign up
Blizzard Censor Overwatch by Removing Pose Based on Player Feedback

Blizzard Censor Overwatch by Removing Pose Based on Player Feedback

With the release of Overwatch just a couple of months away, the beta test is in full swing. There's a host of keen Blizzard fans testing the game, making sure that everything works as it should, none of the characters appear without heads and checking that the game is balanced in just the right way. Blizzard actively encourage feedback from their users and has pages of such on their official forums. When one user, Fipps, gave some feedback about a character's victory pose, he could never have anticipated the intensity of response it would cause. 

Fipps' issue was with a pose in the game for the character Tracer. After a victorious fight, the characters in the game have a number of poses that they will strike to bask in the glory of a game well played. The beta tester felt that the "over the shoulder" pose which one can select for Tracer, was not befitting of her character's strong but silly demeanour.

Fipps took umbrage because the pose, in his opinion turned Tracer into "another bland female sex symbol." and this wasn't what he wanted to see. Especially as for him, this was a character that he wanted to be a good role model for his daughter, who adored her. He went on to point out that he wasn't upset about the sexualisation of characters in general, but he felt that it wasn't consistent with the character in question.

overwatch butt shot

The controversial pose.

"We aren't looking at a widowmaker pose here, this isn't a character who is in part defined by flaunting her sexuality. This pose says to the player base, oh we've got all these cool diverse characters, but at any moment we are willing to reduce them to sex symbols to help boost our investment game." (sic)

Jeff Kaplan, the game's director, responded, stating that the pose would be removed from the game:

"We'll replace the pose. We want *everyone* to feel strong and heroic in our community. The last thing we want to do is make someone feel uncomfortable, under-appreciated or misrepresented.

Apologies and we'll continue to try to do better."

So, that, we assume, should be the end of it. A user gives feedback, the developer agrees and makes a change. That's just how betas work, yes? Of course, in an ideal world that would be where it ends, but this is the internet and things just don't work out that way. Following the decision, the thread exploded into an intense debate about censorship and sexualisation in games. At the time of writing, the thread has 45 pages debating the subject, including a clarification from Kaplan himself, making it very clear that this was not a compromise in artistic integrity, but an artistic choice.

tracer overwatch

Tracer as she appears in the game's trailer.

"While I stand by my previous comment, I realize I should have been more clear. As the game director, I have final creative say over what does or does not go into the game. With this particular decision, it was an easy one to make—not just for me, but for the art team as well. We actually already have an alternate pose that we love and we feel speaks more to the character of Tracer. We weren’t entirely happy with the original pose, it was always one that we wrestled with creatively. That the pose had been called into question from an appropriateness standpoint by players in our community did help influence our decision—getting that kind of feedback is part of the reason we’re holding a closed beta test—but it wasn’t the only factor. We made the decision to go with a different pose in part because we shared some of the same concerns, but also because we wanted to create something better.

We wouldn’t do anything to sacrifice our creative vision for Overwatch, and we’re not going to remove something solely because someone may take issue with it. Our goal isn’t to water down or homogenize the world, or the diverse cast of heroes we’ve built within it. We have poured so much of our heart and souls into this game that it would be a travesty for us to do so."

 This isn't the first time that Blizzard have changed content for fans. In the past they have created items and characters as tributes, adjusted quests and game content based on player feedback, and even introduced an entire class of character based off of support for an April Fools gag. Nonetheless, Blizzard listening to their player base has caused quite a stir this time round.

With debate still raging, your viewpoint on the matter will determine if this marks either a loss for freedom of speech or a victory for player empowerment. Either way, we're just eager to get our hands on the final release of the game when it arrives on the 24th of May, whatever poses are in it.

Gary

Gary "Dombalurina" Sheppard

Staff Writer

Gary maintains his belief that the Amstrad CPC is the greatest system ever and patiently awaits the sequel to "Rockstar ate my Hamster"

Share this:

COMMENTS