Hogfarts Legacy: Harry Potter and the $60 Shovelware

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Hogfarts Legacy: Harry Potter and the $60 Shovelware

fridge corn: Apr 2, 2003; NO MERCY, ONLY PAIN

This is the Hogwarts legacy thread. All discussion about Hogwarts legacy goes here.

TheDarkFlame posted:

Here's the problem I have with applying the "no ethical consumption under capitalism argument", which is normally valid, to this specific situation. It's normally meant to kind of be acceptance for the unavoidable injustices in the society we live in, understanding that it's inherently part of participating in capitalism, by choice or otherwise. And you can't be held personally responsible for what happens three or four links down the chain of events that led to you, whether it's getting your clothes made by Indonesian children or your food farmed by workers struggling to get by in abhorrent conditions or whatever else produced and shipped to wherever else by whatever means. The abused labour, the dangerous raw materials, the ecological damage, these things are so far above you that you can't really be held responsible. You just have to make the best of whatever bad choices your personal standards of living allow.

So obviously you are not, directly, yourself, causing harm to trans people by buying a video game. But not this video game, because this one in particular comes with some pretty heavy caveats. Regardless of what you think of her, or her work, Rowling is an extremely vocal and adamant anti-trans activist, and directly dedicates her own money to this cause, specifically in regards to the proceeds of her royalties. Moreso than that though, being such a public figure she really actively represents the hateful anti-trans movement, and believes her franchise does too. Believe in Death of the Author as much as you like, but when someone makes their entire deal about this kind of direct spreading of bigotry, and tells you that their work represents their values just as much as they do, and actively puts the proceeds of that work towards these causes, that's not something you can ignore. That starts being, whether you believe it to be or not, much more direct. Your support for the game is implicitly being taken to support anti-trans causes.

And for what, a video game? It's much harder to go "Well I had to consume, do you expect me to do it ethically?" when your purchase contributes directly to supporting the abuse, and even more so when it's something as frivolous as entertainment. I don't care if it's Elden Ring II: Bigger Longer And With More Nudity, it's a video game and if you were honest with yourself you would pass up on it. Sure, our digital experiences are shorter-lived than they used to be, with everything being online-integrated and dependent on servers and services to run, but if it's worth playing it'll probably still be supported for years, and maybe be worth playing in a year or two when it's fallen into the 3 For 2 bin at your local game reseller. People will be buying it, finishing it, and passing it on just like every other game, and maybe then you can go "Sure it's a good game, shame about the author being an utterly atrocious human being" without putting your money where her mouth is.

I know I'm just another face in this thread so nobody really cares what I think, but I can't overstate enough how demonstrably venomous and destructive the whole anti-trans movement is. This stuff really gets me down not because I grew up reading HP books (I made my peace with that a long time ago), but because it causes real harm to real people in ways that ought to be transparent but the demonisation of trans people works so incredibly well in our hosed-up societies. It's the bathroom bill poo poo again, writ larger and pointed at a less culturally understood target. It's dehumanising people, writing them off as suspect and counterfiet for just trying to exist as who they are, assuming the worst by default, making accusations about predators and by consequence making it easier for actual abuse to occur because they don't care about any victims, they just want to stomp on someone and be celebrated for doing so.

I'm sorry, this post got away from me a bit. But I hate seeing this being marked down as on the level of "just your opinion, bro" when this is a huge banner for these loving atrocious people, you don't need to get behind them, buy another game if you must.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 12:52

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# ? May 9, 2024 13:59

Escobarbarian: Jun 18, 2004; Grimey Drawer

Transgender resources and support in the US: https://www.glaad.org/transgender/resources

Transgender resources and support in the UK: https://www.tht.org.uk/hiv-and-sexual-health/sexual-health/trans-people/resources

Please post others if you know them

# ? Feb 7, 2023 12:54

fridge corn: Apr 2, 2003; NO MERCY, ONLY PAIN

Thank you esco

And thank you TheDarkFlame for writing such an amazing post

fridge corn fucked around with this message at 16:15 on Feb 7, 2023

# ? Feb 7, 2023 12:55

Sakurazuka: Jan 24, 2004; NANI?

Bogfarts Poogacy

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:06

verbal enema: May 23, 2009; onlymarfans.com

*casts AIDS*

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:07

Chillgamesh: Jul 29, 2014

this game is pogwarts

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:07

Assepoester: Jul 18, 2004; Can't post for 10 years!; Melman v2

My favorite part of the game is where you get to cozy up to the "Voldemort had some good ideas" guy and then praise the dementors because they bombed a children's hospital

https://twitter.com/katamaridumassy/status/1546409336607481856
https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1621258923314655233

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:13

armpit_enjoyer: Jan 25, 2023; my god. it's full of posts

If you have hogwarts please consult a medical professional immediately

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:13

armpit_enjoyer: Jan 25, 2023; my god. it's full of posts

on a more serious note, I'm feeling slightly skeeved out by people buying the game and then immediately donating to trans charities.

It smells of indulgences. That's how you get protestantism.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:24

frajaq: Jan 30, 2009; #acolyte GM of 2014

Game is looking a bit too much like those ubisoft games with collectibles vomited all over the map

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:35

sure okay: Apr 7, 2006

armpit_enjoyer posted:

on a more serious note, I'm feeling slightly skeeved out by people buying the game and then immediately donating to trans charities.

It smells of indulgences. That's how you get protestantism.

Yeah but that's the thing with capitalism - it's moral relativism gets skewed with the economies of scale.

What if I donated 1:1 the dollar amount of the game? What if I donated 10:1? 100:1? 1,000,000:1? What number, donated to a good cause, makes it okay to buy the game (assuming no donation for no buying)?

(I have not bought this game nor donated to any cause - the most moral choice so far I guess)

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:40

TheWorldsaStage: Sep 10, 2020

https://twitter.com/nelson_jimmie/status/1622618292165943297?t=HqRsFH9GpHag4vzarkJ3Dg&s=19

The devs seem happy with the response so far

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:43

Rarity: Oct 21, 2010; ~*4 LIFE*~

How do I learn the spell to make my poo poo disappear?

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:44

HopperUK: Apr 29, 2007; Why would an ambulance be leaving the hospital?

Seesm to me you could donate to those charities and *not* play the game, too, so it doesn't get you any credit in my opinion. Play the game if you're gonna but don't try to make it better.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:44

Rarity: Oct 21, 2010; ~*4 LIFE*~

HopperUK posted:

Seesm to me you could donate to those charities and *not* play the game, too, so it doesn't get you any credit in my opinion. Play the game if you're gonna but don't try to make it better.

Personally I'd rather trans charities get some money than no money. I'd prefer JKR getting no money but it's better than nothing

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:47

tao of lmao: Oct 9, 2005

I love bideogames!

# ? Feb 7, 2023 13:57

CBD Corndog: Jun 21, 2009

verbal enema posted:

*casts AIDS*

oh no now I�m a werewolf

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:05

grieving for Gandalf: Apr 22, 2008

do not buy this video game, show some restraint in your consumerism for once in your lives

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:08

Feels Villeneuve: Oct 7, 2007; Setter is Better.

verbal enema posted:

*casts AIDS*

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:10

Feels Villeneuve: Oct 7, 2007; Setter is Better.

sure okay posted:

Yeah but that's the thing with capitalism - it's moral relativism gets skewed with the economies of scale.

What if I donated 1:1 the dollar amount of the game? What if I donated 10:1? 100:1? 1,000,000:1? What number, donated to a good cause, makes it okay to buy the game (assuming no donation for no buying)?

(I have not bought this game nor donated to any cause - the most moral choice so far I guess)

I don't think that's what capitalism is OP. That actually seems like some weird personal poo poo

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:11

sure okay: Apr 7, 2006

I was watching this on Twitch last night and it really does look like Ubisoft collect-em-all garbage, with some God of War knockoff systems like their inventory and gating puzzles, complete with Souls style roll mashing every combat.

Harry was a big roller, you know. His rolling teachers all loved him.

https://twitter.com/nelson_jimmie/status/1622618292165943297?t=HqRsFH9GpHag4vzarkJ3Dg&s=19

This makes me sad because I don't think it would hit nearly those numbers if it wasn't for the IP. People really love the magical boarding school vibes they read all about growing up, and any halfway decent content that puts them back there seems to get a huge leg up in reception. A lot of what's in this game feels like Valhalla 2.0, which itself already felt derivative and tired because of Odyssey and the others before. Different studio I know but man does this game seem so similar in loop to what we already have a billion hours of (talk to guy in stilted systemic cutscene, do thing for guy, go back to guy, get a quip and a reward)

Sure whatever, but is watching on Twitch also bad? A view nets ad revenue for the streamer, who is then motivated to play more, which gives the game more exposure, which might entice a different viewer to buy it, etc. etc.

sure okay fucked around with this message at 14:20 on Feb 7, 2023

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:14

Bumhead: Sep 26, 2022

Shoving JK Rowling off the side of a cliff for a minute and forgetting she exists - if only - I absolutely cannot believe that this game has got a positive critical reception so far.

I mean like really.. I don't believe it. I'm really not one for the review score conspiracy game, primarily because I just don't give a poo poo, but that list of 9/10's is one of the most egregious games journalism things I've seen for a minute or two.

People just loving love their walking around a semi-convincing world watching plastic looking faces deliver stilted dialogue before a non-threatning, single button action sequence.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:18

worms butthole guy: Jan 29, 2021; by Fluffdaddy

Bumhead posted:

Shoving JK Rowling off the side of a cliff for a minute and forgetting she exists - if only - I absolutely cannot believe that this game has got a positive critical reception so far.

I mean like really.. I don't believe it. I'm really not one for the review score conspiracy game, primarily because I just don't give a poo poo, but that list of 9/10's is one of the most egregious games journalism things I've seen for a minute or two.

People just loving love their walking around a semi-convincing world watching plastic looking faces deliver stilted dialogue before a non-threatning, single button action sequence.

If you look back what, 10 15 years ago when this all started, it makes sense considering that the people who are ~20 or ~25 would be nostalgic for that.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:19

Assepoester: Jul 18, 2004; Can't post for 10 years!; Melman v2

https://twitter.com/GamesHubDotCom/status/1622550682363363335

Bumhead posted:

Shoving JK Rowling off the side of a cliff for a minute and forgetting she exists - if only - I absolutely cannot believe that this game has got a positive critical reception so far.

I mean like really.. I don't believe it. I'm really not one for the review score conspiracy game, primarily because I just don't give a poo poo, but that list of 9/10's is one of the most egregious games journalism things I've seen for a minute or two.

People just loving love their walking around a semi-convincing world watching plastic looking faces deliver stilted dialogue before a non-threatning, single button action sequence.

worms butthole guy posted:

If you look back what, 10 15 years ago when this all started, it makes sense considering that the people who are ~20 or ~25 would be nostalgic for that.

That and they're contractually obligated to give it a certain score because WB is buying so many ads, Kane & Lynch style.
https://twitter.com/TheGemAgenda/status/1622591615905792000
https://twitter.com/epistemophagy/status/1622592606915170305
https://twitter.com/epistemophagy/status/1622917707552419840

TheWorldsaStage posted:

https://twitter.com/nelson_jimmie/status/1622618292165943297?t=HqRsFH9GpHag4vzarkJ3Dg&s=19

The devs seem happy with the response so far

Congrats on that 86 metacritic average, that means they might not get screwed out of bonuses like Obsidian was for Fallout New Vegas getting an 84 average instead of 85 but uh why are "Carole Quintaine", "MeuPlayStation", "IGN Portugal", "Glitched Africa", "PSU", and "TierraGamer" all center stage? What's going on here? 🤔

armpit_enjoyer posted:

on a more serious note, I'm feeling slightly skeeved out by people buying the game and then immediately donating to trans charities.

It smells of indulgences. That's how you get protestantism.

It's all indulgences.

The devs are really proud of how they put the first trans character in Harry Potter into the game, and hooray for them and all, but unfortunately while they were developing the game for the past 6 years the whole issue shifted from "JK Rowling is getting kinda TERFY and her latest book seems to make a big deal out of a serial killer who dresses as a woman" to "JK Rowling is promoting fascists who incite terrorist violence against doctors and hospitals and is bankrolling the UK anti trans movement to the tune of millions of dollars"

Assepoester fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Feb 7, 2023

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:22

Bumhead: Sep 26, 2022

worms butthole guy posted:

If you look back what, 10 15 years ago when this all started, it makes sense considering that the people who are ~20 or ~25 would be nostalgic for that.

Sure, but nostalgia isn't new. I spent much of my youth convincing myself that generations worth of Star Wars games weren't hokey rear end poo poo, but that's on me. They weren't given a free critical pass for nostalgia reasons.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:28

Cactus: Jun 24, 2006

What about pirating the game so that JKR doesn't get royalties? What's peoples' stance on that?

Not advocating piracy in general, just suggesting a lesser evil in this particular case for a game that is going to be ludicrously successful no matter what anyone does or doesn't do.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:36

JBP: Feb 16, 2017; You've got to know, to understand,
Baby, take me by my hand,
I'll lead you to the promised land.

Are you allowed to play the game if you orchestrate the untimely demise of JK Rowling first

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:39

Feels Villeneuve: Oct 7, 2007; Setter is Better.

JBP posted:

Are you allowed to play the game if you orchestrate the untimely demise of JK Rowling first

Yes, OP.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:39

Starks: Sep 24, 2006

grieving for Gandalf posted:

do not buy this video game, show some restraint in your consumerism for once in your lives

Trying to appeal to gamers that love Harry Potter to not buy this game for moral reasons is like telling a crackhead to get sober because cartels are evil. It�s a fundamental misunderstanding of what�s going on in their brain.

(Note: this is not in defense of people who buy it)

Starks fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Feb 7, 2023

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:39

Infinity Gaia: Feb 27, 2011; a storm is coming...

I won't be buying this, but not for any moral or ethical positioning but simply because I'm broke and it looks like it runs like poo poo on PC anyways. Can I pretend I did it for a good reason to get brownie points though?

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:42

worms butthole guy: Jan 29, 2021; by Fluffdaddy

considering consoles are made with slave labor (nintendo, sony and microsoft) I think its pretty hollow to boycot HL and still play console games :shrug:

if you're going full on moral boycotting you might as well go the whole way

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:44

Feels Villeneuve: Oct 7, 2007; Setter is Better.

Infinity Gaia posted:

I won't be buying this, but not for any moral or ethical positioning but simply because I'm broke and it looks like it runs like poo poo on PC anyways. Can I pretend I did it for a good reason to get brownie points though?

As a queer person, yes, OP. Congratulations

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:44

Dawgstar: Jul 15, 2017

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:44

Assepoester: Jul 18, 2004; Can't post for 10 years!; Melman v2

Bumhead posted:

Sure, but nostalgia isn't new. I spent much of my youth convincing myself that generations worth of Star Wars games weren't hokey rear end poo poo, but that's on me. They weren't given a free critical pass for nostalgia reasons.

I think there's a certain soft bigotry of low expectations that cuts against licensed games in general but can actually help licensed games that do one or two things really well.

For example the Super Star Wars games were and are often given quite the critical pass and are generally well remembered even though as action platformers go they aren't that good. But they had good graphics, great Star Wars music, faux 3D technical wizardry, and lightsabers, so that was enough for the time. The Jedi Knight games have some terrible levels and the most player unfriendly design ever seen in the Quake 3 era of shooters, but you could turn on g_saberrealisticcombat and go to town cutting up stormtroopers, so they get a lot of love.

Seems a similar thing is going on here where we haven't gotten an "open world" hogwarts for several generations so this is the first game to let you explore the harry potter world with next gen (or at least last gen) graphics, and even if the rest of it is just an average slightly buggy standard AAA open world experience, the world is enough to give it a positive impression.

Oh and the WB payola. Can't forget that.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:49

MorningMoon: Dec 29, 2013; He's been tapping into Aunt May's bank account!
Didn't I kill him with a HELICOPTER?

The reviews really are "it's a 6, but holy poo poo you can do the thing from the book i read when my parents weren't divorced, so 9.5"

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:50

frajaq: Jan 30, 2009; #acolyte GM of 2014

worms butthole guy posted:

considering consoles are made with slave labor (nintendo, sony and microsoft) I think its pretty hollow to boycot HL and still play console games if you're going full on moral boycotting you might as well go the whole way

I like to be very specific with my outrage, thank you!

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:51

Necrothatcher: Mar 26, 2005

I got sent a free copy and so far it's alright I guess.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:53

Rynoto: Apr 27, 2009; It doesn't help that I'm fat as fuck, so my face shouldn't be shown off in the first place.

MorningMoon posted:

The reviews really are "it's a 6, but holy poo poo you can do the thing from the book i read when my parents weren't divorced, so 9.5"

jfc this is so true it hurts.

Game looks like garbage anyways. Last good HP games I can think of were the Lego ones which is mostly because of them being lego games.

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:53

Feels Villeneuve: Oct 7, 2007; Setter is Better.

thank you for those long rear end posts guy who used to be The United States

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:54

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# ? May 9, 2024 13:59

grieving for Gandalf: Apr 22, 2008

https://twitter.com/MNateShyamalan/status/1622729948963151872?t=51ckblBGLPUhX0Bc-IRz4w&s=19

# ? Feb 7, 2023 14:54

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