Thursday, February 24, 2011

"We Dare" - Ubisoft's latest crime against humanity

hat-tip: Devin

Ugh.

Everyone knows I'm a big defender of The Wii - not just in terms of "there ARE actually good games on it" but also of so-called Wii "waggle game" titles themselves. Greater varieties of people gaming is a GOOD thing, and well-done motion-control party games are fun to play. BADLY done ones - or ones cashing in on the craze with minimal effort and a superficial "hook" on the other hand... no thanks.

With that in mind, behold "We Dare" - a "naughty adult party game" from Ubisoft...



Here's what I want to know: How did this get "ok'd" by Nintendo? Granted, the "Seal of Quality" isn't exactly what it used to be, but their still notorious for micromanaging third-parties and for guarding their family-friendly image like a Samurai Walt-Disney... so how exactly did they NOT have an issue with Ubi producing a Wii game where "shove Wii-remote down girlfriend's pants" is part of the control scheme, with an advertisement that - depending on your point of view - either looks like an Ashley Madisson spot or the lead-in to a deleted scene from "American Psycho?"

35 comments:

Alex Birch said...

That game, if it can truly be called a game, looks utterly, and completely stupid... And it further goes to prove the invalid point of gamers being immature youth... When did Nintendo enter into the soft-porn business?

MacDork said...

I don't get it. Are you afraid of cooties? Who says consoles have to be just for kids? We all know that the average age of gamers is on the increase, so what's the problem? There are far more offensive games and game ads.

It's the same old story; we love violence, but sex is a no-no.

Unknown said...

Didn't destin say that it was a European Exclusive? If that's true, then its understandable. Time and again we've seen that attitudes about sex and violence are reversed when we examine America and Europe.

MacDork said...

@dwu009 I'm mainly commenting on the vocal response of the American press and twitterverse.

HiPhish said...

I am European, an I'm still WTFing about this. It's obviouly not for childern or the whole family. So that leaves just young adults. Not sure about you guys, but if I proposed that game at a party, I'd be the creepy guy for the rest of my life.
So wh is this made for?

howard said...

Any other platform and I would have just rolled my eyes at this. But Nintendo?! Dammit.

ZAENGO said...

@MacDork really? thats what you think this is about? noones mad because its "offensive", people are mad because its the stupidest thing ever thought of. who in their right mind would want to play this? who in their right mind would create this in the first place? "we all love violence, but sex is a no-no"? what the hell are you talking about? this isnt sex. this is wierd. and not wierd in the funny way either, i mean wierd in the "if someone suggested you play this at a party you would make them leave" way. its just creepy, and the fact that its being mass produced in any way is even creepier.

plus, who wants to use a wiimote that was just stuffed down someone elses pants? you cant get that smell out.

Ezenwa Anyanwu said...

I'm glad it's an exclusive to Europe. It seems very very wrong, and I'm a Wii owner. I can't see myself playing this in a public setting..with my girlfriend...or at a party.

RockPlazaCentral said...

This is a joke, right?

Unknown said...

Granted it's probably a bad time for something like this to come out. I mean come on, we're trying to make people see that games are a valid artistic medium and companies keep coming out with games that appeal to peoples lowest standard of entertainment. That being said games like in any other medium shouldn't put under such great scrutiny. You should be able to make a game about what every you want. You ask me the fact that companies feel they can make games like this is a good thing. The fact that they're only making games like this is bad.

Dan W said...

Lets get to the main problem here, debated if its offensive, surprised because its a ubisoft title, maybe a late cash in on the party motion control games but how many of us could get women this attractive to shove Wii remotes in their pants and let us spank them? Few to none, its just going to be you and your dude friends awkwardly spanking one another.

John Wells said...

Eh, though the subject matter is a bit unusual for Nintendo, quality wise it seems about par for he course for 3rd party Wii games.

Smashmatt202 said...

This is SO beyond wrong. :(

Brett Maciech said...

In retrospect, I guess it just wasn't Bad Fur Day's... day... huh...

ScrewAttackSamus said...

well, that's freaking pathetic. How fitting Bob posts this the very same day that Daniel posts an EC about EA's juvenile marketing.

Unknown said...

A 'crime against humanity'?

First off, as I understand it, one of the biggest grevences sub-cultures (gaming, comics, sci-fi) have with the general populace, is that they judge most of our works before even trying them. Now, when an advertisement comes out for a game we don't like, we throw a fit like a five year old and judging from most of the comments here, NOT. A. SINGLE PERSON. HERE. HAS. PLAYED. THE. FUCKING. GAME. and we ask for people to try our stuff before making a call on it?

That is hypocritical, and over something like this, sad, (not that anyone who isn't a gamer is going to really read this blog) but it makes us looks like the children they call us.

Le Combo said...

A Video games as an artistic medium is odd. Not just anybody can jump on a computer and make a silent hill it takes a whole team of people working on individual components all culminating in a final product. It is similar to making a movie in that it takes copious amount of skill effort and money to produce that end product. Movies, on the other had, are for entertainment but have become so entrenched into regular society that they can be regarded as both art and entertainment. This is where we want video games to be. Unfortunately our medium has not reached this level as to be considered art. Movies are for entertainment and art and we all see that for what it is. Even though transformers three is coming out Black swan is still there. Now transformers three is going to treat you as if you have the mental faculties of a mop bucket. And so do games like this. Unfortunately most of our industry still thinks were living with our moms or give a shit what they think and as long as gamers are viewed as children it will never change.

Le Combo said...
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Jay said...

And now, they block it from us US borne to see it...

Megavolt said...

If you watch the full 1:51 version of the video, then it's obvious that the game does indeed appear to lead to sex, which means that MacDork is right. It's not the "immaturity" of spanking that has anyone upset, but what it leads to, which is not good ole American ultra violence.

If people want to play this, let them play it. Of course, it figures that us hypocritical folks in the USA would kick up a fuss about it. We like to project an image of absolute class and morality...except when we're caught sending shirtless pictures of ourselves to would-be mistresses.

Total overreaction.

Unknown said...

>are you afraid of cooties.
Congratulations, you have proven you are an example that people like the antithinker exist irl!

imsmart said...

So Chad Warden was right!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyufDxxWIsM
Seriously though, everyone knows that seal hasn't meant much for awhile, especially with Iwata in charge now and trying to re-open the door to third party developers.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

Sooo, what exactly is the difference between this and the hundreds of sex-related board games out there?

If there's an audience for those, which there obviously is, then there's an audience for this.

If anything, I'd argue this game has more of a reason for existence than the majority of Wii party games. At least it services a clearly identifiable niche (precisely the same niche adult board games inhabit) that has thus far been unaddressed.

Unknown said...

What the hell is up with this? A mult-person sex PARTY GAME? Try getting your girlfriend do do anything remotely sexual with another girl in the room. Also, why would you be wanting to get naked and fool around with your best friend?
Now I can see a 4 person orgy developing between wild swingers and I certainly have no problem with homosexuality. But if you're so pathetic that you'd need the help of PARTY GAME in the bedroom? You're not invited to any wild orgies.
This is an absolute horror that was green lighted when Miyamoto was looking the other way to make party games seem less kiddy and desperate pathetic 13 year olds get all excited.

I may never buy an Ubisoft game again.

Daniel said...

Of course i don't plan to ever touch this game, but i don't think it's fair to say games like this can't be made, when people can make pornographic movies all they want. While i am not saying to flood the market with porn games on wii, but rather, just sell them in pornographic stores, where that stuff is appropriate! Or... spencers. Don't advertise it like it's a regular family game, ubisoft; do we see commercials for porn on regular tv channels?

Unknown said...

So there is a game about indirect sexual acting, so what? There is nothing wrong with it and i played some of this game in my teenage years. Even the trailer is just funny, sexual discovery and sure a nice game with the right people.
The Wii is a family console. So why not have games for the kids and games for the adults. Isn't this what we always wanted? Part of adulthood and becoming an adult is sexual relationships and all this sexual games just trying to teach you parts of this. I'm really dont want to play the "European"- card, but seriously.

Popcorn Dave said...

I agree with djl851 and MacDork. We've had "naughty" adult toys for years, this is no different. I mean, the game looks bloody stupid but "Third party Wii game expected to be a bit shit" is hardly much of a headline is it?

The only thing I find offensive is this tedious "outrage" we have to go through every time a game like this gets released. We ALL know Ubisoft are just trying to boost sales by being "the game they tried to ban!", and that this controversy is going to make the game WAY more successful than it deserves, so why do the media keep playing into their hands?

Anonymous said...

Actually in this God of War 3 trailer, when Kratos rips the head of this one guy looked way more wrong to me than this...

Unknown said...

This game got "Ok'd" by Nintendo because Nintendo is in a weird case of zugzwang when it comes to third parties.

They basically have to rubber stamp anything they make, or they'd get no games from them at all. If they raise one word in defense of themselves, third parties will pack up and leave, not like they aren't already spending more time away.

It's like being in a girl's Friend Zone. Any move you make will jeopardize the entire setup, not that the setup is great to begin with.

inapiognda said...

No. Just no.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

I think the target audience here has to be swingers.

Super Scattman. said...
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