'Gears of War' Executive Producer "Baffled" Why Ubisoft Chose To Make 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' With Yasuke As Main Protagonist
Laura Fryer, the Executive Producer on Gears of War, revealed she was baffled why Ubisoft decided to make Assassin’s Creed Shadows with Yasuke as the main protagonist.
In a recent video upload titled “The Games Industry Elephant,” Fryer discussed how video game companies decided to hire localizers and consultants in order to mitigate risks regarding geopolitical issues.
She shared one example, “There was also that time when all the Microsoft distributors in Turkey were arrested because Encarta 95 had released with a map that included an area for Kurdistan. That one did get fixed. Of course, Microsoft was a good company they didn’t want people getting arrested and they knew they couldn’t expect game developers to be well-versed in geopolitical issues.”
“So they started hiring. They hired a group of localizers and created an entire group to help the product teams be sensitive to those issues. You couldn’t have a game developer putting the Microsoft brand at risk,” she said.
From there, Fryer transitioned to Ubisoft and Assassin’s Creed Shadows, “After having those experiences I’m baffled about some of the things I’m seeing today. Did any of the executives at Ubisoft question whether or not doing Assassin’s Creed Shadows was a good idea? I’ve been to Japan many times. I’ve worked with Namco as the producer on Revenge of Arcade and during Xbox I managed a team there. I love the people and the culture.”
“And based on that experience I would never have agreed to do this game because even if you handled it as delicately as possible it’s easy to make a mistake,” she continued. “And I think they have.”
“The game isn’t even out and it’s already mired in controversy and this isn’t what you want for your game. Maybe it’ll blow over and they’ll be able to navigate this, but if not that was a very expensive experiment,” she concluded.
It’s unlikely that Ubisoft’s own missteps will blow over and they’ll be able to navigate it. Mainly because Marc-Alexis Coté, Ubisoft’s Executive Producer on Assassin’s Creed has made it clear the company is doubling down on its DEI agenda with Shadows.
As reported by Eurogamer, during a BAFTA event in London, Coté said, “At the end of the day, Assassin’s Creed is not just a franchise, it’s a platform for entertainment, dialogue, discovery and understanding.”
He added, “Our commitment isn’t just about reflecting on the past, it’s about ensuring that the stories we tell continue to unite, inspire and challenge players, regardless of their background, and we’ll continue to stand by these values because they are central to the heart of the franchise, and I believe, to the future of storytelling itself.”
“Ultimately, we believe that the diversity and richness of the human experience is what helps Assassin’s Creed resonate with players across the globe, and we’re committed to standing firm on that foundation,” Coté asserted.
He later reiterated, “Assassin's Creed is more than just a game. It can be a platform for meaningful exploration and reflection wrapped in the excitement of unforgettable gameplay, and it is that fusion of creativity, diversity, immersion and fun that continues to define the franchise and connect it with players around the globe."
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He also said during the speech, “History is inherently diverse, and so is Assassin's Creed and the stories we tell. So to be clear, our commitment to inclusivity is grounded in historical authenticity and respect for diverse perspectives, not driven by modern agendas."
Furthermore, he blamed gamers for creating division around the game, “The current climate is tough on our creative teams. They face lies, half truths and personal attacks online. When the work they pour their hearts into is twisted into a symbol of division, it's not just disheartening, it can be devastating. What keeps me going is the resilience born out of conviction that I see in our teams every day. I am especially proud of the Shadows team for staying true to their creative vision and the core tenets of Assassin's Creed.”
He later doubled down on this as well, “The stories we tell, the characters we create and the game worlds we build are instrumentalised by those who seek to silence creativity, to stoke fear and incite hatred. I believe we are facing what [author] Fareed Zakaria calls an 'Age of Revolution', a time when the real conflict is not between the left and the right, but between societies that close themselves off and those that open themselves up to the world. Throughout history, it's the open societies that have always eventually prevailed. While there may be setbacks over years or even decades, it is openness that has continually pushed humanity forward.”
What do you make of Fryer being baffled by Ubisoft and their decision to greenlight Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Wotta numpty. We should just shut up and give them our money without thinking. In fact why expect them to provide the game we should just give our money and praise their tiny petty little egos coz they did the best thems could and deserve a trophy/
The obtuseness with which leadership of Ubisoft approaches these issues is not surprising. They are a French company which by rote have a particular left-wing agenda in an unconscious manner. It is a part of their culture, increasingly so in modern times, also by rote. The idea that Assassin's Creed is not being impacted by modern agendas is a misnomer. Regardless, I'm still going to buy it and play it because I love Assassin's Creed. If I encounter too many woke concepts, as I determine they are woke, I will make that clearly known and voice my opinion about my experience with the game. From there, I may or may not support Ubisoft moving forward.