‘Women don’t sell’
New report on toxic culture at Ubisoft suggests 2018 open-world adventure Assassin’s Creed Odyssey It was initially designed with only one protagonist in mind: the Spartan mercenary Kassandra. However, editorial executives demanded that the sequel include an alternate male lead, who reportedly told the team that “Women don’t sell.”
This latest revelation is part of an investigative report by Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, which reveals that the Assassin’s Creed The team has faced a persistent uphill battle when it comes to highlighting female characters. The report suggests that Assassin’s Creed SyndicateEvie had his role significantly reduced during development, while an initial plan for 2017 Assassin’s Creed Origins Originally it included a stage in which the protagonist Bayek’s wife, Aya, would put on the famous gauntlet.
It should be noted that, to the extent that Odyssey You are concerned, our own user survey shows that most of our readers preferred to play Kassandra over their male counterpart Alexios. And ultimately, Creative Director Jonathan Dumont stated in a Reddit AMA 2018 that Kassandra’s story should be considered the canonical story of the Greek epic.
The Bloomberg report cites that the pressure to refrain from leading women in the multi-million dollar franchise generally came from both Ubisoft’s marketing department and its former creative director Serge Hascoët, previously described by Schreier as “the most powerful creative force in the world.” company”. “who could give the green light or cancel a project” with one word “.
Hascoët is one of the many high-ranking officials who recently left – or were fired of – Ubisoft amidst a storm of horrific allegations of sexual abuse and toxicity towards women within the company. Speaking to Eurogamer last week, Ubisoft stated that it had “fallen short” in its efforts to provide a safe and inclusive environment for its staff, and that it had launched an investigation into the recent allegations using “specialized outside consultants”.
Furthermore, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the French union Solidaires Informatique has announced the establishment of a class action lawsuit against Ubisoft, making an open call to the editorial staff for accusers and witnesses.
Ubisoft is preparing for the launch of the new entry in the Assassin’s Creed Serie, Valhalla, which once again features dual protagonists – although players will be able to select between a male and female protagonist at will throughout the game. Still, the latest trailer for the sequel specifically focused on the male variant of Eivor, which is currently much more prominent in ValhallaMarketing materials.
There is still work to be done before the outdated attitude towards women in the leading roles dissipates in some of Ubisoft’s biggest brands. Perhaps the company would do well to take the initiative Rainbow Six Siege, a title featuring a wide selection of female characters, from various nationalities and backgrounds, proudly displayed throughout the history of the franchise, artwork, trailers, and marketing campaigns. Perhaps you will get a marketing pass if you carry weapons and grenades.
Far most important Ubisoft – as with all companies – it must eradicate and eradicate misogyny, abuse and toxic behavior embedded in its infrastructure, from its front door to the core of its executive levels. Hopefully, this will result in creating a safer, healthier and more inclusive environment for all of your employees.
And as far as it says “Women don’t sell” … I think nobody said tomb Raideror The last of usor Uncharted: The Lost Legacyor Resident Evil 3or Bayonettaor Controlor Horizon: Zero Dawnor …
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