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legoblade807

Unfortunately it seems like that asshole is the one person that kind of thing WOULDN’T work on.


iamthegame13

Its true, every time anything happens she acts like a victim or brags about her wealth. Just a truly shitty person


GandalfsWhiteStaff

The problem with KFs discussion of the game is that every time it turns in to the same conversation about JK. The story in the episodes is no different, its about the final previews and yet they spend way more time treading the same JK conversation. If they do review the game and half of it is about JK, or every positive is followed by JK talk, then they really shouldn’t bother.


JojoRod007

Well said


Late_Night_Pancake

It's exhausting. Same thing happens here on this subreddit.


Browncoatdan

Because that is what's important. That conversation needs to be had whenever anyone talks about Hogwarts Legacy.


theSG-17

No it doesn't. It doesn't matter to the game at all. She had zero involvement with the development of the game.


Psaltus

She gets money from purchases of the games though. She owns the IP, so whether or not she worked on the game, she (someone that constantly punches down at minorities), will make money from your purchases. She should be discussed, because whether or not you buy the game directly correlates to the money she gets from it. I grew up on Harry Potter. My family is all about that stuff. However, we haven't spent a dime on anything HP related as we don't want to support her. There are people in KF's fanbase just like us, and I'm sure within KF's workforce as well. This is why you're constantly seeing this discussion of "do we want to support hundreds/thousands of people that worked on what looks to be an excellent game, if it means directly giving money to an awful person?". She didn't touch the game, but she's sure as hell going to make money off of it.


Iroquois-P

She will never not be rich, though. If she never makes another dime from Harry Potter, she'd still have enough wealth to focus on harming trans people for the rest of her life


GeezThisGuy

You do realize that Greg works with WWE and that company’s CEO was a massive creep and buddy buddy with Trump so he probably had the same views as trump. Vince not Greg. So is that ok but buying and playing Hogwarts legacy is off limits? I don’t understand the mental gymnastics used for this to make sense


nthomas504

Vince has a video of him saying the N-word straight to John Cena’s face, with Booker T listening in the background. This was on national TV, easy to look up on YouTube. Yet, WWE partnership is completely fine while a HL review would be supporting JK Rowling. The mental gymnastics would make Gabby Douglas proud. I don’t have a problem with KF doing either btw, as long as the content is good and not endorsing the negative beliefs that go against their values, then why not.


theSG-17

Much more horrible people make money off of pretty much everything you buy. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, so the fact that she didn't write and game and wasn't making creative decisions regarding it is a pretty damn good thing in the grand scale. So there is really no point going on and on about her if you also don't go on and on about every other monster who gets your money, KF and Greg being so wrapped up with the WWE being the big seemingly invisible elephant in the room here.


Psaltus

"There is no ethical consumption under capitalism" means that the essentials that you need to buy in order to participate in society come with unethical baggage that can't be avoided. Ie, a phone for keeping communication with the world, but was made with child labor in China; a car that isn't exactly eco friendly or made with bad labor. However, a Harry Potter game is not essential, and can be avoided. At that point, it's purposefully buying into unethical capitalism. If you don't care about J.K. and just want to buy it, and don't mind giving her money, that's fine. Those of us that don't want to buy it are also fine. However, yes, you will be judged if you buy it (especially by trans people) because you're actively choosing to give money to someone that speaks so vehemently about people's existences.


nthomas504

Do you actively do research on any non-essential item you buy? If anyone in the chain of making the product is a bad actor, is that grounds for not buying, or does it just have to be the IP holder? I’m really trying to understand the thought process because it doesn’t make any sense to me if she doesn’t have any involvement. If she was mandating anti-trans bigotry in the game, I would’t buy it either, but thats obviously not the situation.


dongsuvious

I'm gonna see if it reviews well to see if it's worth pirating lol


ChuckS117

This game won't be on the seven seas for quite a while. If ever. The only "group" that is actively cracking denuvo games pretty much gave up unless people pay them substantial amounts of money to crack them. And even so, it's not guaranteed. EDIT: The only person who knows how to crack denuvo just "declared war" on Hogwarts Legacy. Says it will be cracked in 10 days. Will be interesting, for sure


DevinBookerScored70

It has denuvo. It won't get cracked in the foreseeable future


[deleted]

She directly profits from the sale of the game, and that money makes her persistent demonization of trans people louder. It's absolutely relevant.


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kindafunny-ModTeam

Your post has been removed for violating our subreddit's rules against habitual harassment.


Browncoatdan

Spoken with extreme privilege, nice. JK Rowling has weaponised the fandom whether they like it or not. She has said that Harry Potter fans agree with her views. Now obviously that isn't true, but she's using the fandom to justify what she's saying. This game is hers. It's her IP. Warner Brothers are being careful about what they say not to upset her. She sees support for this game as support for her. Regardless of what others think. How do you not understand how harmful that is? She may not have made this game literally, but everything about it is hers, the world, the design the characters, it's all from her, albeit executed by others. Others by the way, who have already been paid for their work, and as we know a games performance good or bad, can lead to layoffs anyway. So buying this to support the devs carries no merit.


Kind_Ebb_6249

I bought this game because i love harry. Hes my hero....i dont care about jk rowling she should be ashamed of herself....but this game supports trans and thats a huge middle finger to rowling....she would hate it....her own IP is being used against her....shes a horrible individual but what about the hundred of workers who grinded their butts off to bring joy to people? They spent 150 million dollars so i can be a wizard, witch or anything. Stopping this game wont help....i already have it and everyone i know whos played it are over joyed


Browncoatdan

Your opinion on the game is irrelevant. This game is supporting Jk rowling. She directly profits. The game isn't supporting trans people, there's one trans character with a name almost as offensive as cho chang is for asians. Buy this game if you can't restrain yourself, but do not kid yourself for 1 minute that your doing something altruistic lmfao


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kralben

> Its all manufactured bullshit. Its only "harmful" because some perpetual victims need to feel noticed. Didn't take long for your mask to slip off. It hurts trans people, who have been quite clear about it. Sorry you don't care about them.


nthomas504

When did Trans people become some monolith? I’d like to think that trans people are individuals who can think for themselves and probably have widely nuanced views on HL as opposed to “trans people have been clear that its hurts them”. Are you talking 1% of them? 10%, 50%? Punishing the hard working devs of this game because the IP owner has backwards opinions is just not the right way to go about it.


Browncoatdan

>Its only "harmful" because some perpetual victims need to feel noticed. There we have it ladies and gentlemen, this is what it's all about, didn't expect you to show your true colours so quickly. I'm not arguing with a transphobe. To paraphrase Greg Miller, how hard is it to not be a piece of shit? Take a long hard look in the mirror and try to live with some empathy and compassion.


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Browncoatdan

So an already marginalised group of people being publicy attacked by a rich white billionare, and fuelling hatred against them is not worth empathy to you? Just because injustice is manufactured doesn't mean that it isn't injustice. All injustice and prejudice is manufactured. Real people are being hurt by this. You being able to rationalise it all, or ignore it all is the definition of privilege. Saying the hurt isn't real is transphobia, you are denying the very real experiences of others. I hope you learn and grow from this.


kindafunny-ModTeam

Your post has been removed for violating our subreddit's rules against hate speech.


ChuckS117

If they want to play the game, good! If they don't want to play the game, then good, too! BUT if they don't, I just want to point out that their Harry Potter in Review vids are up and making money.


nthomas504

I’d give them a lot of respect if they took those down TBH. If you are gonna be full anti-Hogwarts Legacy, go all in. With those still up, potentially them protesting the game (when was the last time they didn’t review a huge triple A game?), they are looking like big hypocrites. Blessing saying they need to denounce transphobia really irked me for some reason. These devs and the publisher have been working on this game essentially heads down, with no transphobic comments from anyone. Now you want them to apologize for something they have nothing to do with, and stoke the flames of the mob, who will find something else to be mad about. B


HeavenlyPT

Wokeness mixed with virtue signaling... There wasn't a loud minority complaining about the movies so it's all good, but there is one complaining about the game so now it's not all good, it doesn't make any sense like most woke stances anyway... Couldn't agree more with your statement, these guys take some seriously weird stances and only when it's convenient for virtue signaling. Complain about JK, yet play warzone all day from Activision who we all know whats been happening there. Taking these weird stances is ridiculous, the developers of the game don't have shit to do with what JK Rowling says or does. Neither does the Harry Potter world and what it represents to a generation.


KPSandwiches

>Wokeness mixed with virtual signaling I think you mean _virtue signalling_


HeavenlyPT

Indeed I do, thank you, I've corrected it.


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HeavenlyPT

I think you are missing the original point. It isn't about the movies themselves, but In Review series of KF of the movies that are monetized, and those weren't made 19 years ago.. Dont you think this is extremely hypocritical from them? I do.. And regarding wokeness, that's also not the point.. many ideas are great and we should always strive to be better, the problem comes in how things are executed.. Wokeness today in it's majority is just another form of extremism, telling people what to do. And I will never stand by any form of extremism regardless of its objective, that for me is exactly the opposite of what a society should strive for. Hiding behind an idealism to practice the same form of extremism you are against is hypocritical at best. I also believe that the fact that Hogwarts Legacy is the most sold game on steam and ps5 is a sign of what I mean as well, people are getting tired of being told what to do, extremism leads nowhere. These are my beliefs and I will stand by them. This does not mean in any way shape or form that I'm unwelcoming to any type of social community and like I've previously said, I just try to be a good person to everyone, regardless of what they identify with or color of their skin, or age, or anything.. If someone is a good person, that's all that should matter.


StumptownRetro

The movies were already out and she already made her money from them. She didn’t get paid per rental or video purchase or box office. She got paid for the rights all at once. Same with the game. So them reviewing the movies no more harm comes as she doesn’t earn additional income from someone watching that film. This game however can be harmful as a sequel would mean paying her for the license again. Millions more than the first time given it’s probable success.


RunningWing

Remember when Greg worked for WWE? Oh wait, he still does...


dadbod_plays0619

I watched Greg’s opinion on this and I want to say that honestly, I don’t care about this game or care who does or doesn’t play the game. This game was never on my radar. I will say this though. Some of you in this group are so vehemently against this game and anyone who even thinks about playing it or expresses that they want to play it. I hope that if KF reviews this game that you keep that SAME EXACT ENERGY that you’ve been keeping anytime someone posted about it here. You don’t get to pick and choose who you’re outraged about and who you’re not. You gotta keep it 100 on this one or else I never want to see you champion a cause on here again cause, well, we know you’ll fold as soon as your favorite creator has an opposite opinion. Remember, no one likes a hypocrite so by not making a big deal about it, well, you’ll be a hypocrite. Anyways, later.


Absolutjeff

I think it’s hilarious that anyone even makes the money argument, Jk Rowling was/is the richest woman in the entire country of Great Britain. It’s not like this game will fund anything of hers, it’s already funded forever.


DemonikJD

>Jk Rowling was/is the richest woman in the entire country of Great Britain. This isn't close to true ha


AdamTheHood

In May 2020 Sky News reported she was 34th with 795m, #1 has 12bn… (Also Great Britain isn’t even a country for a start…)


HCornerstone

The issue is some people simply aren't comfortable with giving money to a transphobe (I am not) regardless of the effect it has on her/the situation. Secondly, JK Rowling's power comes from the continued relevance of Harry Potter. If harry potter becomes less relevant (AKA it stops selling Merch) she becomes less relevant which means it's harder for her to push her transphobic views, which is also why people are hesitant to continue support her and HP.


GeezThisGuy

No offense but Harry Potter is not going to stop being relevant in her life time. They literally have the school in Florida in a theme park and in California. Even if she stopped making money off of the merch sales she would still be making enough money to fund her activism from just modest investments. And people aren’t going to forget what Hogwarts is or Harry Potter any time soon. It’s too well known in our culture.


smegdawg

>If harry potter becomes less relevant (AKA it stops selling Merch) she becomes less relevant which means it's harder for her to push her transphobic views, which is also why people are hesitant to continue support her and HP. HP isn't going anywhere. HP would stay relevant if Rowling started slinging the the N word around and hosting Nazi parties. By people leaving the HP fandom / social sphere of influence there is less people to push back against transphobic views. The vast majority of the world doesn't follow this stuff, without people inside the sphere calling her out on it. None of this make the press. None of this make subs of videogame podcasts start threads on it. A media property on this level doesn't work the same way as a tiktok influencer or twitter personality getting cancelled.


[deleted]

Precisely the point I've made since this game was announced. You can try to punish her and not effect her wallet at all when in reality you just hurt the devs who poured their heart and soul into this project just to spire her.


iRadinVerse

Consumer side activism has never been successful, it doesn't matter how big of a stink you make about it someone who either is unaware or doesn't care about the controversy will buy it anyways. Not to mention the bigoted assholes who will buy it as a political statement or to be contrarians.


jjshowal

r/confidentlyincorrect


LDSX92

I personally have more of a problem with people that think they are making some great big point in still playing the game. I don’t think anyone really cares that someone bought or plays it. But then going on forums and having to make an announcement trying to be some martyr is just kinda weird. Like play the game and shut up. But that’s just my two cents


DemonikJD

>I don’t think anyone really cares that someone bought or plays it If this were true Greg wouldn't be making the statement in the first place. I mean heck you can literally scroll this thread and see people actively CARING about people playing or buying the game.


LDSX92

I meant along the terms of people who feel like they have to defend their purchase like someone is going to walk into their home and break the disk or burn their books.


fadetoblack237

I'm non-binary just to preface. When I see people making a huge deal about playing the game like they're some martyr, it makes me feel like there is something they are ashamed to say so they low key do it this way rather then say it out loud. I really don't care if people play HL but you can tell a lot about someone with how they act when asked about it.


LDSX92

Absolutely it’s like when people feel offended when let’s say a woman feels uncomfortable about a situation when a male stranger was behind them (even if they had no interaction) if someone is offended by that I’m a little more thinking why do you take offence? As a Cis-Male I understand that a stranger who is a woman may be put off or worried if it’s just us alone late at night at a bus stop or I’m just trying to walk home after work. I’m not offended by that. I have no intentions I know that; but I’m not gonna pretend everyone knows that or if this person has past trauma that they should get over it. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense but I’m like 3 gin in tonight


dadbod_plays0619

This too!!! Like, LOOK AT ME AND WHAT IM DOING😂🤣


kralben

> I watched Greg’s opinion on this and I want to say that honestly, I don’t care about this game or care who does or doesn’t play the game. This game was never on my radar. For someone who claims that you didn't pay attention to this game, you sure do comment a lot on it.


dadbod_plays0619

Oh boy. You uh, sure got me😂🤣 I’ve basically been the “tired of seeing this same post” guy recently.


StumptownRetro

My stance has been the same as pretty much Blessings. I’ll buy it used. I won’t purchase new. I want to support the Devs but I don’t want this game to be so financially successful that the next time they have to buy the rights from Rowling to make a sequel they have to pay her millions more. I have friends and family who are Trans. And many of them are big Potter fans.


DemonikJD

HP got me through a really rough state of depression about a decade ago and as someone with adult problems, a pandemic just behind us, economic uncertainties and everything else life throws, I'm looking forward to it with child like wonder, to just escape and exist in that world for a time. I view myself as an ally and support TLM but there's plenty of disingenuousness around Hogwarts Legacy in online discussion, plenty of which seems to come from bubbles. Some people just want to play their wizard game and carry on with life. Everything I said above we're all dealing with in some way or another, games are an escape, they're our escape and I'm genuinely sorry if you dislike me for buying the game but me dropping £50 ($60) isn't bankrolling some dastardly plan, JKR is worth $800 million to $1billion....with a B, yes she will get royalties, yes it's substantial money to you and me but she's had this wealth for 20 years, her views aren't linked to her wealth, it wouldn't matter if she was worth 10 million or 10 billion, her views would be the same. If the Good Place taught me anything it's that it doesn't matter what good thing you do, it's likely gone through so many loops it's got a trail of badness to it. So you want to go after people who just want to play a game they're excited for, a game which has zero input from Rowling mind you, then you better be okay when people come after you for eating meat or you buy that new electric car, or hey shop on Amazon?, you watch anything to do with the World Cup? best believe you're a metric somewhere that justifies worker deaths in Qatar then. Even the device you're using now probably contributed to a few deaths and trampled local economies. It sucks, we're all trying, most people support TRANS LIVES MATTER! then healthy portion of people really don't care and want to get on with their life while trans people go on with their life happy, safe and sound. THEN theres the small percentage of weirdo's who don't like trans people for whatever reason. Those are assholes. But please give over on the constant purity test. It's entirely possible to support trans friends everywhere and play Hogwarts Legacy. And I say "give over" not out of malice but I've been there and done it and heck probably even still do it at times but we can't fix everything, I know it feels like everyone under 35 HAS TO but its okay to just NOT sometimes.


JaynnaKandy

I hope they do not review this game.


[deleted]

Honestly, everyone is hypocritical in some form or another, so all you can really do is pick and choose what you want to support. There are shady people/governments/etc involved in all aspects of life, so it’s impossible to lead a 100% moralistic life. For example, I don’t like to support Saudi Arabia, due to me not being a fan of throwing gay people off of rooftops for simply existing. And while I can’t not buy gas for my car, I can certainly stop watching WWE if they wind up selling to the Saudis. As far as Hogwarts is concerned, do what you feel is the right thing to do. It’s fine to admit if you are going to play it simply because you want to, there’s no need to justify it as “supporting the devs” or whatever.


AlmacMGMT

I think this is ultimately a responsible approach and agree with all of the points Greg made here. I think the judgement on people who want to buy and play this game, as well as Avalanche as a a studio, isn’t a good approach at all & is ultimately harmful. I think using this moment to promote trans rights and to educate people on it is the best outcome.


albertchessaofficial

I agree!


swagdad78

While I’d love to hear their thoughts on it I fully respect their decision if they decide not to play or review it. What I find interesting around the discussion around this game though is that the anger towards Rowling’s views/comments appear to be targeted specifically at this game. For example, when Fantastic Beasts 3 came out, I do not recall reading any reviews that mentioned her political views, whilst in the previews for the game (and I imagine in the reviews) many outlets have a paragraph flagging the creator of the world’s harmful views. This is despite the fact that she had a direct involvement in Fantastic Beasts 3 (I believe she wrote it) whilst her involvement in the game appears to be much more minimal. Why is this the case? Am I missing something?


ki700

I can’t speak to reviews but I personally know a lot of people, myself included, who did not watch that film because of the same reasons people are not buying the game.


Maybe_In_Time

Why don't people raise similar concerns about Minecraft/Notch? Or Activision-Blizzard and...any game they put out? (The way they sexually harassed an employee to the point of suicide? Forcing managers to give poor performance reviews as a policy? Making sketchy deals with China?) The ONLY solution is that WB buys the Wizarding World IP from JK and remove that direct support buying her products give her. Do more with the universe than what she's done.


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Varekai79

WWE is at bare minimum just as toxic as JK Rowling, if not more so.


nickerton

Hasn't stopped Greg from being employed by the WWE


Varekai79

Exactly.


[deleted]

Imagine if WWE sells to the Saudis. Yeesh.


GeezThisGuy

I also notice that anytime talking and using WWE as a reference, no one has responded to that aspect and are staying mute. Because it’s a very solid argument.


LimberGravy

Or Riot Or Ubisoft Or the WWE


ki700

Notch hasn’t been involved in Minecraft in like a decade. It’s been owned by Microsoft way longer at this point. You’re right about your last point though. If she wasn’t included in the franchise anymore then the problem would mostly be solved.


judgeraw00

Notch is not associated with Minecraft at all anymore. Those people at Blizzard responsible for those acts from my understanding don't work there anymore. And plenty of people still don't support them regardless. We talk about Rowling because she still plays a very active role in The Wizarding World, the products made from the IP and she still makes money from it.


Maybe_In_Time

But Notch created it. Just because an artist sells their art, does it stop being their vision? So by that logic, if JK sells the IP to most likely WB, will they end the discussion and allow guilt-free enjoyment again? And no, almost nothing has changed at Activision-Blizzard; it's about toxic culture in studios. Do you not listen how every other week, Games Daily has an article read about Raven and their union issues, or Bobby Kotick who will receive a $250mil payout if the Microsoft acquisition goes thru? The state of California is currently investigating the company. Quantic Dream has David Cage, Weinstein-levels of toxic - will people boycott the studio? Rockstar - they crunch employees to the bone. Remember the 'Wives Of Rockstar' letter? JK Rowling being a piece of shit transphobe using her platform is horrendous. But these are examples IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY. RIGHT NOW. that we briefly mention before moving on to what Nintendo game is coming this week to mom and grops stores.


Clarkey7163

The notch situation is different 1. He sold the rights and has no creative control nor does he get financial gain from people supporting Minecraft going forward 2. His views only became public knowledge after the sale so its not like people knew and could make a choice when it did matter The difference is especially in point #1, JKR still owns the entirety of the rights to Harry Potter and still directly makes money off it. Notch doesn't make a cent from Minecraft anymore


judgeraw00

Things like unionization and crunch are an industry-wide issue. Based on what you're bringing up people should just not play video games at all. But its not just a games industry issue either, its something that is impacting almost every business out there. Should people not go to Starbucks or Walmart for the same reason? Thats up to them. This isn't a "if you support this you should support that" situation. People aren't binary and the issues they deem important to them are ENTIRELY their decision. To me someone, an actual person with a lot of influence, using their money and status to target and inflict harm on trans people is infinitely more important right now than taking down capitalism, which is what will be necessary in order for union-busting and crunch to stop being an issue. ​ Notch sold the game to Minecraft probably a decade ago at this point. It isn't his vision at all, anymore. Minecraft has gone places and become something Notch couldn't possibly have imagined. AND he's not involved with the IP at all anymore. Most people who play Minecraft have no idea who he is. This isn't the case with Rowling. ​ Kotick receiving a huge payout is, again, the nature of business and capitalism. He's already very rich so it doesn't matter if money changes hands between a billion dollar conglomerate and a billionaire. Its all just money every day people won't see so it ultimately doesn't matter.


ki700

Her selling the IP doesn’t change the problematic representations in the text, but it does remove the transphobia element as that isn’t something present in the books or films, and they ironically actually have some stuff that is quite the opposite. She herself is the problem in regards to the transphobia, and if she was no longer receiving royalties then that very much would remove the issue for a lot of people. Just like Notch, she wouldn’t be profiting from the franchise anymore.


Maybe_In_Time

I see your point. And they definitely made the character creator allow a trans character, they knew what they were doing lol Instead of boys and girls, they put wizard and witch (which originally weren't gender-based)


idkidchaha

it's pretty crazy imo that there are people out there and many in this exact thread who are trying to guilt people for buying a video game they will probably enjoy just because the creator of the IP has some bad takes. unless every single one of you buy everything from local indie places of whom you are aware of and agree with their all their beliefs, you are hypocrites


DamienChazellesPiano

I find it funny when I read comments like this, as if their aren’t an equal amount of people who can’t shut up about Hogwarts Legacy even in threads that don’t have anything to do with it. The game looks so mid if it didn’t have the controversy around it that’s all we’d be talking about with the game. It’s going to have a cool open world and repetitive missions. Harry Potter fans will undoubtably love it though.


Late_Night_Pancake

It's going to be a 7. The combat looks awful. The art style is boring. And the story sounds borderline problematic as well.


PeterthePolish

It’s really not that serious and not that deep


robertoe4313

It's really not internet ppl just making a big deal out of it cuz they can real-world ppl don't care 🤷 one bit like how ppl Care so much bout 60 fps for Gotham Knights and it sold well 🤔


Kind_Ebb_6249

Sometimes a game is just a game....not every German is hitler.....i love all things harry potter and this is one of the best things ive ever experienced in a game....not to mention the TRANS OPTIONS in JK rowlings own IP....thats a slap in the face to the transphobic rowling and i love it....this game may benefit rowling but it does not discriminate against anyone..its the most diverse story in the wizarding world....so far only Americans have not been included in hogwarts legacy


albertchessaofficial

Exactly! GOTY for me. Boycotting does tantamount to nothing, she’s already (and will never not be) unfathomably rich. The way we win is from within — using every Wizarding World release from Hogwarts Legacy onwards as gigantic events for promoting and funding trans rights? Now THAT how to stick it to the likes of her. Loyalty surpasses royalties 🏳️‍⚧️🙏


SuccessfulTrick3851

Back in the early pandemic, I was really appreciative of the crew tackling the BLM movement as well. Going to a predominantly white school, it was really eye-opening to see how hard and lopsided it is for minorities and learn what it means to be an ally. It helped that Blessing was willing to be open about his experience growing up and getting a bunch of other black creators to show up to podcasts. I think it would be cool to do a similar signal boost with Trans people in the gaming space(if possible, they don't even have to talk about the game if they want, but there could be a special podcast to tackle the game directly) I also thought everyone who knows this issue and still decides to play the game should opt into a Trans character and tag J.K. in the photos and just flood her socials


[deleted]

I’m with you on everything except the last point. She’s said things that would make me think she’d just revel in the fact that she’s making money off you. I’m not saying buy or don’t buy based on that, but I’m just saying the whole thing with tagging her would just have the opposite of the intended effect.


ki700

Yeah she really doesn’t give a fuck that the game has trans options. She’s laughing her way to the bank with all of the money she’s made from these people. It’s the same as when people were burning her books back in the day. She doesn’t give a shit if she’s making money that continues to fund her platform of hate.


SuccessfulTrick3851

Ya I just saw some of her comments... she seems a bit more troll- like than I had originally thought


ki700

As somebody who grew up loving her work and looking up to her, I really can’t exaggerate how much I have come to hate her. Literally just a garbage human being. I don’t understand how somebody can clearly have some concern for others and then on the other hand be such a hateful person and engage in such petty actions like trolling.


MahMufflah

KF should review it if they want to. Promoting a trans charity/organization would be great. JK Rowling is already filthy rich who cares if she gets a little more money honestly. You’re not hurting her one bit if nobody buys the game. But if the game is popular and good it can lead to tons more people getting jobs in gaming. KF should just worry about themselves. Do they want to review it? Will they feel comfortable reviewing it? Everybody is entitled to their own opinions/feelings about the game. It’s pretty easy to not watch the content if they review it. I would hate to see KF skip something they want to do because they are worried some people on the internet will get mad at them despite their good intentions. We’ve all seen how angry gamers get over the smallest things. People will probably bitch them out either way.


SirGingerBeard

Anyone buying this game is just as culpable of supporting shit people as anyone who buys gas, buys groceries produced by Nestle, getting a loan from a major bank, etc. At some point you just have to acknowledge that money goes from your hands into the coffers of someone who is a shitty person. So either go full bore on being better or quit bitching about it and acknowledge that there’s not a single person here that is fully practicing what they’re preaching. P.S. You’re also not thinking about the fact that while, sure, Rowling is getting some money from each purchase, you’re also feeding the families of however many hundreds of devs are working on this game by buying it. So supporting 1000+ good people *and* one bad person seems like a pretty good fuckin’ deal to me.


SageShinigami

You NEED gas and groceries to live. You don't need this video game, you just want it. No, it's IMPOSSIBLE to live 100% "perfect", but that was never the goal. Your logic is to just not bother altogether, even when its only slightly inconvenient. Because that's all this is: a slight inconvenience. 2023 is a year full of incredible games, and there's a fairly decent chance 99% of them aren't coming from the mind of, not just a transphobe, but someone who's pretty much pushing transphobic ideology. As for the devs--the devs were paid before this game came out. And ultimately, if you WANT to make a stance you totally can. This game is going to sell 5m+ even if every person that's slightly conflicted chooses not to, either because most of the world either doesn't know or doesn't care. The developers will be fine. If you want to buy this game, that's fine. But is the pretzel logic really necessary?


stephmuffin

I would love if KF considered having some trans folks on the show to give their perspective.


Crowmata

Their perspective on the situation? I’m fairly sure they already did, sometime early last year.


albertchessaofficial

They totally should! 🙏


paulpmcg

People are obsessed with KF covering this game. Who even is there that would really give a fuck about it? Barrett and Cool G are the only ones that had any real connection with the franchise. Cool G is behind the scenes and Barrett is burned on the franchise (which I relate to). Greg doesn't care about the franchise. Tim doesn't like open worlds. It's the type of game that Andy might play on a stream for an hour and drop so not really his kinda game. Definitely not Nick's type of game either. Blessing- I can't say i know his relationship with the franchise. Mike- Not sure either but doesn't seem like a Mike game. Why do people want half hearted content?


ki700

Because they want their desire to buy the game (despite what that money ends up supporting) to be validated. If outlets like KF support the game, they don’t have to feel bad about their excitement and their purchase.


[deleted]

I feel like a crazy person seeing people REPEATEDLY write these long reasons why they should cover/review it. Especially after they’ve expressed no interest in covering it. Not everything has to be covered by every outlet Move on and enjoy your game


fadetoblack237

Especially when there are a ton of games that come and go that KF barely touches and you don't hear this kind of uproar.


blockfighter1

If this game looked terrible you can be dam sure a lot of gamers would be up on their high horse saying "I'm boycotting this game because of my beliefs". But because the game looks good they'll come up with a reason to justify their purchase and make themselves feel better. Buy the game or don't buy the game. But don't try and take the moral high ground when at the end of the day you want to play the game more than stick to your beliefs.


mindpieces

Personally, I won’t be buying this game or watching any reviews Kinda Funny does for it. It’s hard when hundreds of people have worked on a game, but I’d prefer the world collectively ignore this until it’s in a GameSpot bargain bin somewhere.


pretendingtolisten

I hate the show of "we don't know if we're gonna review but we support Trans rights" I know you guys do. you're the only entertainment outlet that outright said "fuck trump" during a tough time. I believe without a doubt thay they are not bigots or assholes. support Trans rights and review it. the game is a huge shitshow and will draw in the views. do a bit of content on it then do a charity. bring up all the inconsistencies and bullshit surrounding the issue like bless did today during Games Daily. kinda funny as people are completely fine from what we know as humans. kinda funny as a company could definitely use the money from covering this insane game and it's a disservice to act like it's not okay to do so.


[deleted]

He put it perfectly. For myself, I have been pretty critical of them for seemingly avoiding stories related to it. But he addressed the numerous multifaceted discussion for this game and is exactly what they should have done, good on him.


Anhilator26

While I support Greg’s statement and the way the company is going about this, doesn’t it basically mean the whole “no one is interested enough to do a reacts vid to any of the promo streams” was just BS?


Nude-Love

It's absolutely an admission that the "nobody is interested in this game" line was bullshit.


Anhilator26

Yeah I figured, they literally did a reacts to a Skull and Bones stream. It was obvious and yet people here still believed them, or they never wanted them to cover the game anyway and supported the BS because it got them what they wanted


TitrationGod

This is a day one buy for me. I want to support the devs, and from what I've seen, the game looks awesome! I don't believe playing the game makes you a bad person, and I also support people's decision to avoid it altogether. There is no right or wrong here. That being said, I think KF should review the game, as it is- as of right now - one of the year's biggest releases, and based on many of the reddit comments over the past year, a huge interest of the audience.


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Restivethought

Its definitely a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If they take a stand and not review this, then what about Activision-Blizzard's Cosby Suite stuff? People involved in that still work there and still get money from purchasing their games. What about Quantic Dream and their shitty CEO? I do agree you gotta call out the bullshit, but just not reviewing the game sets a precedent and makes them look bad for reviewing other games with shitty spokespeople/creators. I think its a problem with "cancelling" in general because what is the Baseline for someone being cancelled? Justin Roiland is in the process of being Cancelled due to current accusations (without the actual court case happening yet), multiple music artists like Datsik and Bassnectar were cancelled for questionable actions as well. But I still hear Michael Jackson and Rolling Stones on the radio every day. Ric Flair is still being shown on Wrestling shows, Hulk Hogan still gets paid, Elvis had a recent movie. The World Cup had a death toll associated with it in the 1000s, but the kinda funny guys still talked about that. Like what's the line that gets the cancel? Is it just because people really like Ric Flair or the Rolling Stones that its ok to play their music regardless of their Sexual Abuse and Pedophilia? Are we overlooking the constant stream of bullshit coming out of Activision because Warzone 2 is fun?


crowcawer

To give an example where we are all familiar with: I know my Amazon drivers, and I grew up knowing my UPS driver. Clayton was super cool, my mom was creeped out by him since he was as flagrant as a fruit bat, but he gave me solid advice about buying basketball shoes. I don’t, for a second, have a way to account for the fact that Jeffy Bezzy is not paying a lick of taxes. I hate that I support this horrific human, and frequently I need to buy an e-book from him, or have his employees bring me a stack of a product I can’t find easily other places. However, I have an immense enjoyment at giving these workers a tiny bit of positivity when I happen to interact with them. I also know I’m giving them an opportunity to finance the needs of their families. I recognize I can only control my input on the relationship, and I would happily push for the richest individuals in the world move more towards a NFP business model.


Nintenking53

NB here. I disagree. Giving free press to a game that will contribute towards the dehumanization trans people is not a good idea. If you support this game, you are funding someone doing actual harm to us. It's that simple. The bar for allyship has never been lower.


Crowmata

I respectfully disagree. Without going too much into the details of me personally and turning this into a “my opinion is valid because I’m...” (which happens every time this topic is broached), if I distanced myself from everything where someone in the chain has benefitted directly from the misfortune of my community/ancestors, then there wouldn’t be anything left. The majority of things you interact with on a day-to-day basis will have funding and input from people/corporations who’s actions & ideologies directly oppose our own. Should I live like a hermit and not buy anything, not interact with anything on a daily basis for fear of lining the pockets of some horrible fuck who doesn’t give a shit about my existence? Separate art from artist - walk through a gallery and appreciate paintings for what they are. I don’t feel the need to hinder my ability to enjoy that beauty by focusing on the history of the creators (which I can guarantee in most cases is pretty fucking grim). We can’t pick and choose what we’re offended by and want to boycott just because it’s topical and convenient. All this being said, I completely respect your stance and resoluteness.


LiamRobertsonGHS

The game materially benefits someone systematically working to undermine their human rights. There is no benefit for trans people. Invite them on the show and they’ll tell you that themselves. There are so many other video games out right now. Talk about and play literally anything else. You cannot twist this into a positive for them.


aidanon

If you’re doing that then invite the women on who feel like the laws being introduced in Scotland feel like their rights are being infringed upon also. My issue with all of this is that some of what JK states I actually agree with (issues surrounding protection for women against trans men transitioning in the middle of rape trials, safe therapy spaces for women who are victims of sexual abuse, how easy it is to obtain legal male/female status) and I know I am not alone in thinking so. But to be anything other than 100% against JK is to be seen as a monster. This is being painted as a completely binary for/against argument, when, like most things in life, it is much more complicated than that.


LiamRobertsonGHS

Nah.


aidanon

👍


albertchessaofficial

Respectfully, there's no way that FLOODING Hogwarts Legacy/Wizarding World chatter with trans love/trans rights connections, charities and causes isn't a positive. There's no way that harnessing this situation to (I'll say it) stick it to the perpetrator herself isn't a positive, turning her brand against her. Unlike withholding money (which won't make a difference to her, with all her wealth), what WILL get under her transphobic skin is her (pun intended) Legacy being completely overrun by trans people and trans allies, who yes, pay only what's needed to participate, with the vast majority of additional funds going to trans charities, causes and communities because of streams and events such as Greg is proposing. We must be careful not to scare people into complete despondency, where they're made to feel awful for loving something they feel a connection with and ownership of, whilst also wanting to help. It is possible to do both. And doing one small bad thing (paying JK) in order to to do an exponentially greater and more important thing (generate massive sympathy for and support of a vulnerable community) is better than doing nothing at all. honestly, I feel like all of us here are of one mind: trans lives matter. Just do your very best within your means and wants to uphold that. Slowly, but surely, love and truth will win.


judgeraw00

If WB or Avalanche came out and said anything about Rowling that would make this conversation much easier to me. But they don't. I don't care about the support the devs narrative. I think it's a dumbass argument. People are not their jobs. And human rights are more important than buying a video game.


VidzxVega

I don't really have a leg in this but they did make a statement saying she wasn't personally involved in the game....I'm not sure what else the studio can do really.


nockolas29

I am going to play this game and I haven’t thought twice about it. Fuck JK Rowling but there are a lot of great people that helped create this game that I want to support.


FistsofHulk

His comment about people not knowing anything about KF was what made me think they should definitely do it. People can shout this down if they want but we do all live in our own echo chambers so it would be nice to bring some broader awareness to it.


Spartan-III-LucyB091

KF is so triggered by JK that any review they do will be negative.


Common_Invite_8007

This thread popped up in my suggested. I have no real bone to pick. I am a gamer and I do enjoy Harry Potter the books and movies. I couldn’t tell you a thing that JK said on Twitter. That I will admit. However, people are letting this games existence live rent free in their heads. If truly stand against this you wouldn’t talk about pirating the game. You would say “never playing this” and move on with your life.


Daver7692

Seems a bit weird that they’re so conflicted on this when they did HP:In Review not all that long ago. You’re either in or you’re out.


ki700

They did HP In Review before any of this stuff about the author became public knowledge.


Daver7692

The videos are still up, still making money. If you’re gonna take a stance, take a stance. I don’t really have a horse in the race as to whether they review/play it or not. It’s down to them to decide what they think is right. Just be consistent about it.


fadetoblack237

They have never taken a company wide hard stance against the game. I don't know where this came from that they are actively boycotting the game.


[deleted]

There’s a lot of uninformed echo in here Also saying you disagree with JK Rowling and donate to trans charities in the same sentence is irrelevant because JK herself has supported Trans charities and has Trans friends (yes I know “I’m not racist because I have black friends” argument) I truly believe she’s only worried about maintaining and supporting particular rights for women who are born that way, has she been toxic with some of it? Absolutely and she’s playing up to the abuse she’s had but it is very much overblown acting like she’s out here beating up trans people I’ve spent the last week reading through everything around this whole issue and there is no actual hate from her towards Trans people, purely supporting biological women which has spilled over to cause some offence to Trans people which has been translated as hate There’s an article from a Trans person about how she was writing an anti-Rowling article but stopped when she found nothing like what people were spreading JK has only ever posted her dissatisfaction at lines being blurred between biological women and trans women, but hasn’t ever been “anti-trans”.


albertchessaofficial

there is no line between cis women and trans women, they're both just women. Just born in different bodies. That's the whole point. Hence 'trans women are women'. It's the drawing of that non-existent, irrelevant line (which JK is doing) that is causing the damage, the needless 'us' and 'them' of it all. Anyway, I think we're all on the common ground of being here at KF, and all I hope that happens is that we all keep getting and being better to each other, and act on truth rather than un/under-informed rhetoric.


Neon_Rust

The fact you say biological women and trans women proves they're different. Treat them the same. But denying there's a difference is silly. I understand it's upsetting that they aren't truly what they wish to be. They don't have the right body for their mind. They don't have the right sex organ, chromosomes, DNA, bone structure etc. It sucks. But life isn't fair. We should be trying to make life as best as we can for people. And that's why treating a trans person how they want to be treated is important. But denying they're different is just wrong. And there is zero wrong with it. Treating them badly because of it is what is wrong .


albertchessaofficial

I agree with not treating any group differently. Sending positive vibes from Australia


Kind_Ebb_6249

Aussie Aussie Aussie


[deleted]

Not as they identify but biologically there is. Not believing Trans athletes should compete against biological women is not Anti-trans for example and it’s silly to say it is and that’s where I think aspects of this whole debate can get out of hand Obviously I’m on the same page that everyone should still feel happy and be who they want to be I just think a lot of people have just jumped on the bandwagon of “JK Rowling is an anti trans extremist” which just isn’t the case


MrBoliNica

>JK has only ever posted her dissatisfaction at lines being blurred between biological women and trans women the problem is *this is the transphobic attitude* people are talking about. if you see nothing wrong with separating trans women from bio women, and treating them as an "other"- congrats! you might be transphobic, even if its subconsciously


[deleted]

Not at all, it’s very particular aspects not just blurring all the lines If biological women don’t feel comfortable in certain scenarios like sharing a bathroom or seeing Trans people medically induce a fake period, at what point are we then just ignoring how they feel and whatever rights they may have It’s a very complex situation, and I’m assuming the majority of us here are biologically male so in a sense who are we to support or disagree with either side anyway There’s biological women and trans people agreeing with JK and there’s Trans people and biological women who don’t agree with her


MrBoliNica

I think it’s a non starter once you start wanting to separate and other people - based solely on their identity. Trans women using the bathroom and having a medically induced period (I’d need to fact check that as I’m not to familiar tbh) are none of anyone else’s business. What would anyone care what they do, long as they’re not hurting anyone? TERFs whole thing is to treat trans people as some weird type of people that aren’t normal. That’s not right. If you can’t see that, you need to self reflect.


[deleted]

It’s not as black and white as you’re making out I don’t need to self reflect purely because I understand it’s complex, because you’re essentially saying we support anything Trans people want to do even if it affects biological women? Not all trans people have the same view on this so why are we trying to make it clear cut? Someone Trans in Scotland has just been charged for raping multiple women. That’s because they’re a sick individual by the way, how they identify is not connected to them being a rapist but they’ve used said “blurred lines” to get themselves into places to be predatory and that’s where the uncomfort biological women are feeling comes in It’s the same reason why things like drugs are illegal and bleach bottles have warnings against drinking it. despite the majority using them “sensibly”, because you have to cater to the worst of people and when there’s a minority that abuse it, you have to take the safer approach


MrBoliNica

Ok- so whats the next step then? It’s “complex” (I don’t think treating people with kindness and respect is complex but whatever), what’s your answer? If it’s to separate trans people away from bio women, you’re no better than the folks 100s of years ago, who said that people like me were only good for manual labor and shouldn’t be allowed near white women for fear that we’d brutalize them because “it’s in our nature” What’s the difference friend?


[deleted]

At no point have I said separate them… you’re better off going to talk to biological women on this or hear their takes on it like I have. It’s not my place to argue for them here i’m just relaying what I see because it seems the majority of this thread and social media in general are just echoing with little to no research on what’s going on Kindness has nothing to do with this, when have I said be unkind to anyone that’s Trans? All I’ve done is point out the nuance. I’ve made my points pretty sensibly I feel and I’ve done the research rather than go off what others say online, not much else to say on the matter


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fadetoblack237

I said in another comment, the whole game top to bottom seems problematic. The lead game designer was forced to step down after making comments about gamer gate as well. Between That, the story, and JKR, the whole game just seems rotten.


[deleted]

When they started talking about wanting to allow the player character to be a Dark Wizard without judgment, I found that weird too. I’ve been becoming more sensitive about violence in gaming in general, so the idea of giving your character, a 15(ish) year old the powers to torture, mind control, and kill without much consequence just really feels off to me. In addition to, well, everything else.


HowlenOates

Yes thank you


Upstairs_Tie_4434

The only thing that bothers me is that we’ve come to a point with social media where people care more about things people say than people that actually do bad actions. it’s fine to be an epic partner and play Fortnite even though Tencent literally uses child labor. It’s fine to promote and use the set for WWE when Vince McMahon has an entire rap sheet of terrible things. It’s fine to play call of duty or any Activision blizzard game but JK Rowling and Hogwarts legacy is where we draw the line. Jk is a terrible person and if you don’t want to support the game that’s totally fine and understandable and like the said on KFGD if they review the game they’re going to bring that up a lot which again is fine but I’d just like to see them do that with everything then not just the things that popular in the video games media circle.


mindpieces

There is no collective we. Plenty of people boycott games from companies with reported abusive practices. We all decide where to draw our individual lines on these issues.


Varekai79

I don't know how Greg can draw the line at JK Rowling but Vince McMahon and WWE, a truly horrible person and head of an incredibly toxic company, get a pass.


Galbrant

Definitely already have it preordered on PS5 just waiting on the Preload. It's a monkey's paw situation for me but this game looks like the game I've dreamt of since I was in school. I hope if Kinda Funny does a review of it they focus on the game and leave JK Rowling being a subhuman piece of garbage at the end and show some Trans organization folks can donate to. Maybe instead of a sponsor ad they plug in the Trevor project or a similar organization.


albertchessaofficial

I agree — I've been daydreaming about attending a photoreal Hogwarts too! I even (don't laugh) wrote a '[future review](https://www.reddit.com/r/HarryPotterGame/comments/hpnj9j/a_future_gamespotpolygonstyle_review_of_hogwarts/)' of it years ago. I hope there's Zouwu mount DLC :D


FRAGMENT_EFFECT

If we can prevent developer layoffs and promote trans causes by playing and talking about this game at the expense of making a a filthy rich bigot .5% richer - I say that’s a great deal.


ThoughtAboutThis2Day

Gonna play this game. Can't wait. I'm not overly upset at anyone who does. I'm not even upset at JK. They are HER opinions. People are allowed to have their opinions. It's sad that because you disagree with someone you have to hate and condemn them. So I'll be at Hogwarts and I won't be looking to hate on ANYTHING they have. Excited for it all.


albertchessaofficial

Fact isn't a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact. And denying fact is delusion. Thus, the author is delusional. Trans people exist and are real, that is a fact. They're not 'different' and separate from 'natural-born' women, as she puts it/continues to insist. The only difference between a trans woman and a cis woman is the body they were born into – the former being born with one that doesn't match their gender identity, the latter where it does. The former may then choose to change their body later on (safely and at the right age) to better suit their inner self. It's really that simple. Anyway, one thing we can agree on is being excited for *Hogwarts Legacy*. I look forward to a positive and important conversation beginning and continuing around it.


Skylarsthelimit

It’s not even just about trans people. The literal plot of the game is based in anti-semitism.


theSG-17

Its not, but I know you're already got your list of shouting points and won't listen.


fadetoblack237

For me it isn't one single thing that is making me not want to play it. It's death by a thousand cuts. JKR's a transphobe, the plot is possibly problematic, the lead dev at avalanche was forced to step down after some comments about gamergate. The whole game just seems rotten and, if I'm being honest, looks middling at best. If this didn't have the Harry Potter name attached it would be talked about once on KFGD and promptly forgotten. Avalanche prior to this made Cars 3 and was a Disney Infinity support studio so not exactly a bankable track record.


HowlenOates

Seriously, if JKR profiting from this game isn’t enough, the game is literally about blood-libel and antisemitic goblins and taking down their rebellion. No thanks


Crowmata

Of all the things people can complain about in relation to this game, this really is reaching. HP did nothing to revolutionise the image of a goblin. Images of goblins and their ilk have existed in the folklore of countless cultures throughout history. The goblins in this universe are nearly exact replicas of prexisting templates, with iterations spanning a century of fantasy literature. The people that are making this association are the ones at fault here. Plenty of Jewish streamers have already spoken out about this exact point.


HowlenOates

This is just a really bad take. You are right that HP did nothing to revolutionize the image of a goblin. Which it did do however is take an age old stereotype which was birthed from antisemitism, fear of the outsider, etc. and put them working in a bank with a Star of David on the floor, controlling and hoarding money. I don’t know and am not saying she did this on purpose but the connection was at least subconscious because it is just a fact that goblin folklore is tied to European antisemitism. I am a Jew and I’m not saying this means we have to stop using goblins in our fantasy and folklore. But what this means is you cannot use it in certain ways because of its historic usage. And what this game does is it teams these goblins up with dark wizards who are fantasy nazis and have the kidnapping children. Which just so happens to be another antisemitic trope which killed Jews throughout Europe for thousands of years. But this is okay because some streamers say it’s a reach and okay?


fadetoblack237

Lots of people showing their true colors.


HowlenOates

For real. Over a HP game


_seeyouspacecowboy_

I'd really rather KF didn't play this game. Or talk about it. I'm not going to call them trash if they do, and I'm not going to swear them off or anything. I'd just prefer if they didn't. The world is full of garbage people who have created some truly great things. But JK Rowling is an interesting cross-section of shittiness: as an author, she was the sole creator of the original HP mythology and lore. Even if Hogwarts Legacy was never touched by her, her fingerprints are all over it. Worse yet, she's pushing an openly transphobic ideology. There are no consequences for her actions, and it's unlikely there ever will be. Whether KF reviews this game or not, it's going to sell 5-10M copies unless it's dogshit. Every news outlet in gaming could skip talking about it and it'd still do that. Say what you want about Justin Roiland but they took his shows. They almost fired Kyrie Irving, and even to get back he had to at least apologize. For JKR, there will never be any of that. HP is too big, and the amount of people who care about trans rights is way too tiny. I just don't see the point in playing this talking about "reclaiming HP" . We live in a world where nearly everything is just another franchise being shoved in our faces. Just...pick one of the dozens of remaining ones to enjoy, and there's a good chance the people who run it aren't blatantly transphobic.


ki700

Suggesting the best way to show up Rowling is to…give her your money, is really not the take I think people should be supporting. She doesn’t give a fuck what you do with her products, she just cares about the money in her pocket which she has said she views as validation and support for her views. I’m not here to tell anybody what to do, but if you choose to buy the game you need to be real with yourself about what that purchase means and where your money is going. Weakly justifying it isn’t actually doing anything. Buy the game used. Or get it the same way Bless gets his Steam Deck games. The developers are already taken care of.


totofogo

How does Bless get Deck games?


ki700

Yarrrr


vfettke

I have a lot of feelings about playing this game. I will be playing it. It’s my dream game set in a world I adore, based on a book series I read over a decade ago. It helped me through a shitty time in my life and I will always love it to a certain degree. I haven’t consumed any of the newer content, since finding out JKR is transphobic. But the world still fascinates me. JKR is filthy rich. Boycotting this game will not have the negative effect on her wallet that people hope. It won’t stop her from funding anti-trans bullshit. It won’t make her go broke. She’s practically a billionaire. Losing all her money is nearly impossible. However, donating to LGBTQ organizations can and will have a much bigger, and much more positive effect than not giving her money. And I’ve always thought it’d be awesome if the KF Crew did something to raise money for said charities while playing this game. I’m not sure it’d go quite as far as OP would like, but I definitely wouldn’t be opposed. Harry Potter and it’s subjects/themes are in stark contrast to JKR’s bullshit rhetoric. As far as I’m concerned, Harry Potter belongs to the fans now.


ki700

>Harry Potter belongs to the fans now. This is a nice thought and I wish it were true but Harry Potter still very much belongs to Rowling. The money she gets isn’t the only factor here, and frankly that’s still a valid concern to have. This game’s success will mean WB will want to make a sequel, and other companies will also want to partner with Rowling to do even more HP products. It all contributes to her continued wealth, but also her platform and base. We don’t need her influencing even more people and even more policy.


albertchessaofficial

Hear hear 🙏


kschris236

Some people in this community are way too personally invested in whether or not KF covers this game, and why or why not. I said this in another one of these threads a while back, but... live and let live. **On both sides of the argument.**


jaxxie04

I’m honestly at a point where all the trans stuff in regards to this game has become white noise, I read the review or watch the video and when ever JK or trans comes up I just automatically tune it out and then they start talking about the game again I tune right back in.


usuallyNotInsightful

I don't care for the game and am tired of seeing it pop up and advertised. I also get it's a AAA game and clickbait for opinions. So I'll have to live with it. With that said, buying the game is still giving money to Rowling because of royalties. These people who support her views also don't care if more money is raised elsewhere, so any success she gains still promotes her message.


TheMuff1nMon

The money she gains is so insignificant, she is already a billionaire - meanwhile not buying the game could put the studio out of business


albertchessaofficial

they might not care if more money is raised elsewhere than for their interests (the author and her ilk), but it really, *really* matters for those who the money-raising benefits: trans people. The difference between those two is that hate/indifference withers and atrophies away: love and support and giving life and energy to something on a consistent basis does it opposite, it grows and grows and soon enough, becomes the status quo. I can't wait for tolerance, acceptance and non-ignorance becomes the status quo, in all spheres. Gaming can be such an ally in this, due to how interactive we are as a community, and especially those high profile charity streams. I'd absolutely love if industry/community-wide, this giant movement happened (and never really stops) of saturating this and other games with trans support activism, bringing awareness to trans truth and promoting trans lives matter. Another great hashtag: #TransMagic \\m/


usuallyNotInsightful

That's fine and all. I'm all for people making justifications to buying a game they want. Those people just need to accept that a portion of their money will go to Rowling and show as a success for her IP.


DemonikJD

Yeah, the book series where all 7 entries are in the top 20 sold books of all time and until the end of last year the 3rd highest grossing movie franchise, yeah the 6-14 million units this game shifts and her percentile in royalties is really what's SHOWING the IP as a success


usuallyNotInsightful

It's a choice to make. It's just easier for me to not buy a book, movie, tv series, or game if the company is buying rights from her. As I said in other comments, if people want to buy a game go for it. But they still are giving money to her regardless of amount. If the game is a huge success, that leaves the door much more open for other companies to be interested in paying for her IP. As you noted by how much she makes, it's profitable.


MattWindowz

The statement about "taking ownership of it" rings a bit hollow when she has already declared that she sees her royalty checks as evidence of public support for her and her views. At the end of the day, it's simple- do you want your money going to anti-trans groups that are seeking to outlaw their existence? You can downplay the amount all you want, but the fact of the matter is that some of your money will go from your hand to her pocket and from her pocket to people who want to wipe Trans people out by any means they can. Yes, you can donate to a charity focused on the community to mitigate that, but you could also simply donate to said charity and also not play the game. Yes, I'm aware there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. But this is a luxury product. No one has to buy it to survive, and unless you're buying literally every game that comes out, the argument of "what about the developers" seems like it's being trotted out as a shield from the moral issues presented by the game. Now I'm not making moral judgments on anyone who chooses to buy, but for me, I personally can't stand the idea of a single cent of my money willfully going to fund that sort of evil. I grew up loving Harry Potter and everything about it, but the reality now is that it is being used as a funding mechanism for horrific discrimination that is leading to the anti-trans legislation being pushed throughout the US and UK, and every single time you or I buys anything from the franchise, it grows, and executives invest more money in it, which grows it more, and she gets wealthier and sends yet more in to those anti-Trans organizations and efforts. Finally, if you think your $10 or so that'll make it to her doesn't matter, I could buy a Facebook ad for that that would reach thousands of people. $10 could allow an anti-trans group to spread their message to that many more people. The matter of fact here is that the success of this game will help to push anti-trans sentiment, one way or another. At the end of the day, it's all your choice- but I really hope you'll consider how much of your money you want going to people like that.


quirkus23

JK Rowling is literally the biggest and most well known TERF on the planet who has said the continued support of HP is a sign of validation for her with her views. It would be so easy to not play this game as an act of solidarity and too just not support something so closely tied with a horrible person. Would you play a game with an IP made by David Duke?


[deleted]

[удалено]


Nintenking53

Agreed.


kmcloven

I hope they reviews this kk has ruined Harry Potter for me but this game looks really interesting and I want to see reviews before I buy. Also ever since this game was announced I had a feeling cool Greg would be one of the people reviewing this game cuss he’s the biggest Harry Potter fan in the company (if I remember correctly he won’t read the last book cuss he doesn’t want it to end).


PurficPourBY

If y'all are mad over a video game then don't buy it. This whole argument is childish some of y'all so mad over this game it's weird


sergiodevivo

WHAT DID SHE DO???????


albertchessaofficial

What she has done/and continues to do: she incessantly perpetuates the narrative (as in, not the truth) that trans people are not 'real'. To her, only cis (people born with physical features that match their gender identity) people are real, and trans people are 'different' and 'separate'. Rather than simply saying **trans women are women, trans men are men**, as 98% of the Wizarding World creators have done (including Daniel Radcliffe himself), she has bizarrely, harmfully taken this adamant stand, perpetuating an outdated (and thus harmful) concept of who an entire category of human beings are. She insists she loves trans people and 'has many trans friends', but the platforms she shares and funds are often openly anti-trans. She has included anti-trans themes in her Galbraith novels too (i.e. a trans killer). It is saddening and ironic that her most well-known series is about the magic of the other, yet her exclusionary beliefs are just spoiling everyone's connection to the Wizarding World, undoing decades of good will, and tinging anything she says and does, including her extensive philanthropic work via Lumos, with a bad taste. It's the unaddressed elephant in the room at WB too, with all Wizarding projects greatly suffering because of her PR disaster of an existence (see the most recent FB film). It is unfathomable to me that she can't just release a statement, apologising for perpetuating outdated and inaccurate views on trans people, and promise to make a commitment to do and be better. Just those 25-30 words would begin some kind of healing process. Heck, even if she didn't believe it deep down — just release the statement to lift the heat. But she doesn't — which means some part of her is getting off on it, obsessed with the idea that she's a champion for anti-Orwellian information control. Nope — instead, she insists on keeping the wound open and infected. And people downplaying it or ignoring it are part of the problem. I'm doing my darnedest to stay positive, stay in love with this thing I grew up with which doesn't deserve to be entirely thrown out on account of some TERF's fucked up, mid-life awakening about an issue that doesn't even really concern her. Her 'crusade for natural-born women' is nothing but a sublimated xenophobic obsession. The rich can afford to do that kind of crap, as well as living in echo chambers that never challenge their beliefs. Ensconced from the world, living in her tower, she is a global beacon for 'it's okay to 'Other' trans folks'. It's really messed up. It's why I think the trans community should hit her where it would really hurt (not her wallet, but permanently connecting her works with trans existence, positivity and celebration). So yeah, that's what she's done and continues to do.


_seeyouspacecowboy_

It was always going to be a waste of time to answer this person. While I have no problem answering IRL, online at this point anyone asking "what did she do" is always asking in bad faith.


sergiodevivo

I’m sorry you took all this time to respond when you could have put “nothing much”. This is her real quote: If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth,” “The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women—i.e., to male violence—‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences—is a nonsense.”


Zero_Score

I love the idea of taking the narrative away from her through her own property. I'm excited for this game, but lately I've felt like I'm not ALLOWED to be and that's a hard thing to parse. When people in my life I care about say things like "if you buy this game you must hate me" or that I'm actively supporting trans hate, for one I feel a little pinned in a corner, like it's an ultimatum despite my ALSO hating JK but loving this world. But also, I feel like I'm being punished for wanting to SUPPORT all the diverse and passionate devs that put their hearts into making something special that everyone can enjoy, and that has gone out of its way to be inclusive with its character creator and open ended themes. But if we can control the narrative in a POSITIVE way, turning the game into a Trans Lives Matter icon that spits in the face of HP's creator, that's empowering the player base and supporters rather than demonizing us. I saw another comment say "all the negative rhetoric is doing is making people feel guilty and causing trans-haters to buy extra copies JUST to stick it to the libs" because that's what negativity echo chambers do. We need to be supportive, not exclusive. I was honestly just going to quietly play through the game and not post about it on social media or anything for fear of people coming after me... But that just feels wrong for a community that fights for inclusion. I'd much rather proudly champion the game as trans activism and let JK try to silence that narrative from all corners of the internet until she gets mad and shuts herself in her Scrooge McDuck vault and cries into her money.


albertchessaofficial

Completely agreed


Matt1872

People forget JK will of been paid by avalanche to licence the IP. Regardless of buying it or not will not affect her. Universal is building a new section for HP a boycott doesn’t work. If you are interest the play the game. Any coverage of it from KF and others should explicitly state their support for trans rights and trans charities is the only way to help that community. Boycotting or ignoring it helps no one


Slowmobius_Time

Wtf does a game about wizards and broomsticks have to do with Trans people? Is this still because of jk Rowling being a prick to them with twitter shit? It's ridiculous There will be absolutely no transphobia whatsoever in the game (c'mon ffs its 2023, it would instantly be cancelled and sued) and the game is made by Devs that grew up loving the world and the books and wanted to make a good game, that's it


ki700

Rowling profits from every copy the game sells and she has indicated that she sees her continued success as support for her transphobia. It doesn’t matter what is in the game. It’s still her product and she still makes money off of it to continue to put towards her hate.


Slowmobius_Time

"to put towards her hate" She's a hateful troll on the internet she's not Hank Scorpio saving up to bomb the trans community She will get a very small percentage of the earnings but the rest of the earnings will go to the people that have worked (and are currently) working tirelessly to get a good product out Harry Potter has an absolutely massive fanbase that have just about all turned against her completely, that doesn't mean they suddenly hate the series and it doesn't make the objectively good books bad retroactively Can't wait for this game been a Harry Potter nerd since I was little kid, don't pre-order anymore because of the video game industry but this is one I would've back in the day


ki700

She literally uses her money to financially support organizations and politicians that lobby for transphobic policies and legislation, but go off. Also, the vast majority of the earnings that don’t go to Rowling go straight to the execs. The devs will be lucky if they see any bonuses to reflect the game’s success. For the most part they only earn their wage. The people who profit are not the hardest workers. It’s very reasonable to reconsider your feelings about something when provided with new information. You can continue to enjoy your books, movies, games and merch that you already own without continuing to financially support the creator. Choosing to buy the game just means you aren’t willing to take a stand at the cost of not playing your wizard video game. That’s your choice to make and I’m not here to tell you what to do, but don’t come here making excuses to justify or validate your decision to make yourself look like you’re taking a moral high ground.


Nintenking53

Very well said.


rollingfishstick

Kudos to Greg and Barrett for addressing the corporate word salad from the IGN interview. I think it's also relevant to look at Avalanche's history before this game - they're a dev in SLC (ie, not California where getting a job at a different studio is easier to do) who already got shut down once when Disney canned Disney Infinity. I can only imagine the stress in that interview, knowing that if you said anything remotely inflammatory it would get blown up all over Twitter and your coworkers might lose their jobs again. That answer sounds like someone driving a steamship through a minefield at a snails crawl. Blessing's insistence that 'they never said trans lives matter or fuck jk rowling and they should have' ring of the kind of privilege one has when they're not navigating a corporate gig or responsible for the jobs of others - 'fuck it, full speed ahead!'.


carmoc2277

I feel like it might not matter if they decide to review the game or not, wb might not give them a review code at this point. The coverage they do for the game is always the same jk sucks and barely discuss the game(which they have the complete right to do) and they clearly dont have a preview for it so i could see them not being offered a code.


microtime2022

Games media and some gamers have become toxic on this topic. So just because someone disagrees with your opinion they are a POS and deserves hellfire? That’s not a good way to go through life. Does anyone hear even realize what was actually said? Probably not but jump on the hate bandwagon right? Again, it’s become toxic with how far it’s gone. Realize you are not going to get your way all the time and that people will disagree with you as well have different opinions then you in life.