Dragon Age: The Veilguard Post-Mortem and the "Woke" Debate
This article discusses a recent post-mortem written by Jason Schreier about the failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It explores the various perspectives on why the game failed, including the impact of social messaging and online reactions.
Jason Schreier's Article and Initial Defense
Jason Schreier wrote an article analyzing the reasons behind the Dragon Age: The Veilguard's poor performance and its negative impact on BioWare. Initially, Schreier seemed to defend the game and dismiss criticism, particularly regarding its social messaging. He even mocked those who disliked it. However, the game's commercial failure led to the post-mortem article, prompting a re-evaluation of the contributing factors.
The "Woke" Debate and its Impact
A key point of contention is whether the game's perceived "wokeness" and social messaging contributed to its failure. The argument presented is that Schreier downplays the significance of these factors, despite widespread criticism and negative reactions from the fanbase. The article suggests that ignoring this "elephant in the room" is misleading and fails to accurately represent the reasons behind the game's negative reception.
The Role of Influencers and Online Sentiment
The article emphasizes the influence of content creators, particularly those with large audiences, like Asmongold, in shaping public opinion. It argues that negative sentiment expressed by these influencers, combined with a negative reaction to marketing materials, significantly impacted the game's success. The "written like HR is in the room" quote, popularized by Skill Up, is mentioned as an example of how negative perception can define a game's image.
Challenging the "Negativity Bias" Argument
The article challenges the claim that negative content inherently attracts more viewers. It argues that while negativity bias might exist to some degree, it's not the primary driver of content consumption. Examples like Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate 3, and Expedition 33 are cited, where overwhelmingly positive content resonated more strongly with audiences than negative reviews.
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Elden Ring: Positive content was vastly more popular.
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Baldur's Gate 3: Similar positive reception and content.
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Expedition 33: Generally positive reviews and high view counts on positive content.
The core argument is that people primarily consume content that reinforces their existing beliefs.
Confirmation Bias vs. Observing Trends
The piece also addresses the idea of confirmation bias. The speaker denies pushing confirmation bias, instead framing their actions as observing trends and reporting them, rather than attempting to influence opinion directly. The point is that recognizing a negative trend does not necessarily equate to actively promoting negativity.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the article suggests that ignoring the impact of social messaging and widespread negative online sentiment is a misrepresentation of the factors contributing to Dragon Age: The Veilguard's failure. The speaker believes that content consumption reflects existing beliefs, and the game's negative reception stemmed from its failure to resonate with a significant portion of its target audience due to its design choices and marketing.
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