Top 10 Video Game Controversies of 2019
Some companies just can't stay out of the news. For this list, we're leaving no stone unturned, be it causing an international incident with China or President Trump annoying gamers everywhere, if it got people talking in the last 12 months. It'll be here. What story annoyed YOU the most? Let us know down below.
Top 10 Video Game Controversies of 2019
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Some companies just can’t stay out of the news. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 video game controversies of 2019. For this list, we’re looking at all the controversies and scandals that have plagued the gaming industry in the last 12 months.
#10: “Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled” Post-Launch Microtransactions
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The remake of the “Crash Team Racing” was met with praise from classic fans and new gamers when it launched. But some gamers, including our own reviewer Ty Richardson, noticed that the amount of Wumpa Coins you could earn per race, was peanuts compared to the prices within the in-game store. Leading to speculation Activision may add them post launch. Those fears were confirmed in August 2019 when the option to purchase Wumpa Coins through microtransactions was added 2 months after the game launched. Not surprisingly fans were outraged, especially seeing as all the reviews for the game had already come and gone.
#9: Dexit
The excitement leading up to the launch of “Pokémon Sword” and “Shield” for the Switch was palpable, but hardcore fans have been left in the dust by the decision not to have a complete Pokédex in the game of every Pokémon. While this is understandable since there are now over 800 Pokémon in the game, the backlash about the title not having the National Dex caused the Hashtag #BringBackNationalDex to gain momentum fast. This is also understandable, considering the bond many players have made with certain Pokemon over the years, but some fans took things way too far, including harassing the game’s Producer Junichi Masuda over him congratulating someone else’s wedding on Twitter. Though by far the worst incident; was one fan who falsely accused Masuda of rape on a fake Twitter account. Still, Gamefreak hold firm, and have stated that they will not be adding any Dexit Pokemon in future content updates.
#8: Google Stadia’s 4K MIA
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As to be expected from any new platform’s launch, Game streaming service Google Stadia didn’t stick it’s landing quite right. There were many issues that sprung up, from early adopters not receiving their invite codes in time for launch, to Chromecast Ultra’s not being able to handle the streaming platform. However the most controversial issue of all; was that two of their premiere titles “Red Dead Redemption 2” & “Destiny 2” failed to launch with native 4K resolution. Something that Google not only promised would be available for all titles; but could only be accessed through a $10 monthly subscription. Google’s response to these accusations; was to shift the blame to the developers. Class Act guys.
#7: Randy Pitchford
If there was one man that seemed to be a magnet for controversy this year it was Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, with the leadup to Borderlands 3’s launch. For starters; Claptrap voice actor David Eddings revealed that he wouldn’t be reprising his role as the fan-favorite robot for Borderlands 3 instalment. Citing unpaid royalties for his previous performances, as well as alleging that Pitchford physically assaulted him. This coming of a lawsuit from 2018, where former Gearbox lawyer Wade Callender accused Pitchford of pocketing a $12 million bonus for himself, as well as claims he had misplaced a USB drive containing sensitive studio information, as well as “questionable” pornography. This lawsuit though, ended up being settled out of court in October this year, but the damage was done.
#6: The Epic Games Store
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For many years, the PC gaming market has been ruled almost entirely by Steam, with its frequent sales, huge library, and user-friendly interface. But all that began to change in 2019 when we finally found out what Epic Games were going to do with all their “Fortnite” money: make a store of their own. One where they offered a greater cut in revenue over Steam. But then they started to sweep up timed exclusive deals on upcoming games, including “Metro: Exodus,” “Control,” “The Outer Worlds” and the list goes on. PC gamers were enraged about having to download a new app, with some claiming that Epic was strong-arming studios into giving them exclusive rights, but also because the Epic Store has almost no features compared to Steam.
#5: President Trump Condemns Violent Video Games… Again
Once again, US President Donald Trump and other US politicians quickly blamed video games being the cause of mass shootings, following a shooting at a Walmart in El Paso Texas. This coming despite all the extensive research from years past; showing that violent media does not make someone more likely to commit a violent crime. But as quick as Trump was to blame video gams, days later he has immediately moved on. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because this is exactly what the Trump Administration did in 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas School Shooting in Parkland, Flordia. And that time he invited representatives from the Video Game Industry to a meeting at the White House, and … just like what happened this year; nothing happened.
#4: ESA Private Information Leak
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Just a few weeks after E3 2019 wrapped up, a huge data breach came to light. It turned out that the Entertainment Software Association had grossly mismanaged the private details of all the Journalists who had attended E3, resulting in over 2000 individuals having their phone numbers and addresses leaked to the public, which could potentially put them in danger. The ESA responded with what was essentially “Oops Sorry”, though some games journalists have reportedly looked into seeking legal action, we haven’t seen any lawsuit announced … yet. It’ll be interesting to see what happens at E3 2020.
#3: The Activision 800
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It’s not just fans who have been upset by game publishers this year, their employees have been getting a pretty raw deal as well. Despite Activision-Blizzard boasting “record profits” for the financial year prior, the company laid off 8% of its workforce – almost 800 employees during the exact same conference. This coming off news in January; when the new CFO Dennis Durkin received a $15 million bonus just for taking the job. Activsion-Blizzard wasn’t the only company to do this; EA also laid off 350 employees despite a 10% yearly increase in profits. All these stories combined prompted calls for unionization in the video game industry.
#2: “Anthem” (2019)
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Bioware’s reputation hit rock bottom this year following the release of “Anthem”. Which ended up being what most people suspected it would be: a glitchy, live service game, that skimped on story in favor of a flashy traversal mechanic that quickly lost all its charm. Not to mention reports that the game could cause consoles and PC’s to shut down. Things got even worse following an investigative report from Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, highlighting a series of mismanagement issues within Bioware, from rushed deadlines, overworked employees and repeated interference from parent company EA. So what’s Bioware doing now? Well it’s giving the whole game an overhaul a la “Final Fantasy XIV. Good Luck Bioware, you’re going to need it. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions: Sony Censoring M-Rated Video Games Sonic the Hedgehog’s Movie Design “DOOM” Switch DRM “Death Stranding/The Game Awards Conflict of Interest Concerns “Ion Fury’s” Homophobic Easter Eggs
#1: Blitzchung vs. Blizzard
By far the biggest blunder of the year was so big, that it became an international incident. In a post-game interview during a Grandmasters “Hearthstone” tournament, professional player Blitzchung made the claim to “liberate Hong Kong.” As a result; Blizzard gave him year-long ban, as well as having his prize money confiscated. And the backlash was huge, as many saw this as Blizzard appeasing the Chinese Government. There were calls to Boycott Blizzard, with fans started deleting their Battlenet accounts, and turning Overwatch character Mei into a symbol of Hong Kong’s democracy movement. Even Politicians got involved, with Bi-partisan calls for Blizzard to reconsider their position. Blizzard’s President J. Allen Brack eventually responded, and later apologized at Blizzcon, but few people bought it.
