Some Exposition On Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream, the studio behind the newly announced game Star Wars: Eclipse, has a questionable reputation among gamers. For those who are not in the know Quantic Dream is a French video game development studio that has a troubling history under it’s very controversial CEO, David Cage. Cage has been accused of fostering a toxic work culture at the studio by former game developers for quite a while now. Back in May of this year Cage and his co-ceo, Guillaume de Fondaumière, appeared in a Paris court to address what they allegedly believed to be defamation about their studio’s work culture. As reported by Fanbyte:
“Cage was allegedly stamping around in tears, exclaiming, “you are interfering in my business” and “this case touches my honor” before leaving the court, fleeing the pleas of defense lawyers. This came across as ironic to those present, given that he has allegedly publicly stated sentences like, “in my games, all women are whores” and “at Quantic Dream, we do not make games for fags.”
At the same court trial Guillaume de Fondaumière “…reportedly looked at the judges and asked, “But I’m not under oath, so can I lie?” as reported by Kotaku. Not exactly a great look for the heads of QD.
The infamous man of the hour. Image from Op Attack.
All of this pales in comparison to the almost-legal-trouble the studio avoided under Cage. Back in 2014 it was discovered in the programing code of Beyond: Two Souls, a game that featured the voice talent and likeness of Elliot Page, that there existed an in-game nude character model of Page. While it’s not accessible through normal means, it is found in the game’s data. Page briefly considered legal action but chose not to follow through. This is all to say that Cage’s name carries a lot of baggage in many gamers’ eyes.
The Reaction To Star Wars Eclipse’s Reveal
Since the reveal of Eclipse last week the internet has had time to discuss and form opinions about the game’s developer, and it’s not all great. the hashtag “#BlackoutStarWarsEclipse” has been making the rounds on Twitter and has been steadily growing. Here’s a tweet that blasts LucasFilm Ltd. (LFL) for working with QD.
It's very disheartening to see LFL only pay lip service to representation through cynical-corporate ways and relegate it to publishing
For mass-media (video games, shows, and movies) LFL chooses to muffle, silence, or straight-up ignore minority voices#BlackoutStarWarsEclipse https://t.co/QQsbtk877S
— Triad Of The Force: A Star Wars+ Podcast 🎄🎅 (@TriadOfTheForce) December 14, 2021
This is only just but one example of the tweets associated with the hashtag, with many quite upset about Quantic Dream being associated in any way with the “Galaxy, Far, Far Away”. The bulk of the ire seems to be aimed at David Cage’s alleged homophobic views. With other tweets saying things like:
“It’s about not letting bigotry, misogyny and homophobic behavior go unchallenged. Its about calling for studios to do better in collaborating with companies with standards of inclusivity(sic). Its about standing together. #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse” – Roberto Venegas
“The droids stand by the LGBTQUIA+ community and support #blackoutstarwarseclipse . We all want more Star Wars stories, but not from creators who exhibit misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, or any other kind of hate.” – @droidspods
We often hear about there is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism, but it seems like that isn’t stopping a few Star Wars fans from exercising their purchasing power.
Closing Thoughts
Sagely advice.
It is quite difficult being an ethical consumer these days. Seems like everyday there is some report about popular franchises being tied to controversial personalities such as the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter game and J.K. Rowling. Ultimately is up to you to decide what is and isn’t a moral imperative for you. In the words of old wise Obi-Wan Kenobi “You must do what you feel is right, of course.”
For more news, reviews, opinion pieces, and general geeky coverage (like my breakdown of Eclipse’s trailer here) keep it here on GeekNewsNow! Be sure to follow GeekNewsNow on all our socials such as our Facebook page here and our Twitter here! Also be sure to check out the first episode of my new bi-monthly Star Wars podcast/show that I co-host with my friend Abram right over here! Stay Geeky!
