Amazon has stopped the Russian localization of New World in response to Ukraine invasion

[midian182]

In brief: Amazon has become the latest company to respond to the Ukraine invasion through the medium of video games by halting the Russian localization of its New World MMORPG.

Vice President of Amazon Games, Christoph Hartmann, confirmed the move to TechRadar Gaming. “We were looking into localizing New World for Russia, and we stopped that,” he said.

New World saw just over 28,000 peak concurrent Steam players over the last 24 hours. At it's all-time peak, that number stood at over 913,000.

Companies across the world have been reacting to the invasion of Ukraine in different ways. EA Sports this week said it would be removing all Russian international teams and clubs from NHL 22 and FIFA 22.

Additionally, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister who is also the minister of digital transformation, has urged Microsoft and Sony to temporarily pull out of Russian markets and block Russian accounts. “If you support human values, you should [leave] the Russian market,” he said.

@Xbox @PlayStation

You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now. Russia declare war not for Ukraine but for all civilized world. If you support human values, you should live the Russian market! pic.twitter.com/tnQr13BsSv

— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 2, 2022

Fedorov suggested that the gaming giants turning their backs on Russia would “motivate the citizens of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.”

Yesterday brought news that Doom co-creator John Romero had created his first level for Doom 2 since the game launched almost 30 years ago as a way of raising funds to help the people of Ukraine. You can buy it for five euros, and all proceeds go to humanitarian causes.

The tech industry is also seeing a major backlash against the invading country. Intel and AMD have both now officially confirmed they are suspending all shipments to Russia and Belarus, and Apple has stopped its product sales and limited its services. We've also heard that Airbnb is suspending its operations in Russia and Belarus.

Russia, meanwhile, has said it will stop selling rocket engines to the US.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/93645-amazon-has-stopped-russian-localization-new-world-response.html

 

[captaincranky]

Additionally, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister who is also the minister of digital transformation, has urged Microsoft and Sony to temporarily pull out of Russian markets and block Russian accounts. “If you support human values, you should [leave] the Russian market,” he said.

From the Tweet:
"You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now. Russia declare war not for Ukraine but for all civilized world. If you support human values, you should live the Russian market"!

"Leave" isn't exactly what was said. I'm going to assume this is a phonetic error, based on a presumed phonetic pronunciation of "leave", with a Russian English accent.

 

[Dunkerton]

Nobody plays new world anyway. end game content is totally absent so a lot of player quit.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

This is what virtue signaling looks like in Geopolitics.
Everyone is lined up to prove they too can "sanction" Russia.

Here's the reality:

Russia will continue to flatten Ukraine as they take it over and in the end, they'll have their buffer zone and that's when the de-escalation begins. They aren't going to allow NATO to encroach on them.

 

[Dimitriid]

You know I keep seeing so many of these pop up and to me they're 100% performative gestures cynically done for free publicity

Let's say you're a game company for example. You used to sell games on the Russian market. Unless your company specifically has a Russian division with headquarters inside Russia guess what? By blocking almost all bank transactions you literally can't get money from those customers legally anyway unless you're willing to risk losing almost all of your margins by switching to Crypto for example and even then if enough companies like your do that guess what? You're making it that much more likely Crypto exchanges get kicked off SWIFT exchange too.

So what exactly is the reason to say "We're canceling/halting sales of X" at this point? That's what the overall sanctions are doing anyway. What did you expect us to assume you were going to give away your property for free or just have all the money stay perpetually on a currency blocked off from you ever touching it and likely to get so devaluated your game will be literally not affordably for all of the Russian market or you will make as close to 0% if things ever normalize and a highly devaluated ruble can finally be brought into a currency your business can use?

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

I don’t understand how throwing away perfectly good Vodka that you’ve already bought, or removing Russian teams from FIFA 22 hurts the Russians.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I don’t understand how throwing away perfectly good Vodka that you’ve already bought, or removing Russian teams from FIFA 22 hurts the Russians.

It doesn't. Nor does it stop the takeover of Ukraine.

 

[Xex360]

Next USA, Israel, China and other terrorist states.

 

[dirtyferret]

Here's the reality:

Russia will continue to flatten Ukraine as they take it over and in the end, they'll have their buffer zone and that's when the de-escalation begins. They aren't going to allow NATO to encroach on them.

I agree 100%, similar to how the Soviets flattened Afghanistan or the US flattened North Vietnam and both countries immediately de-escalated...

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

I mean I stopped playing New World 2 months into it after capping out. The game had a great opportunity and they just messed it up completely. In better news... Gran Turismo baby!

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

I don’t understand how throwing away perfectly good Vodka that you’ve already bought, or removing Russian teams from FIFA 22 hurts the Russians.

Right? LOL throwing away vodka which was already bought and paid to Russia for... and on top of that some were Titos Vodka which isn't even Russian LMAO

 

[Sausagemeat]

They should also be withdrawing from the Ukraine. Both Russian and the Ukrainian administrations are disgusting.

 

[UltraModernGuy]

I don’t understand how throwing away perfectly good Vodka that you’ve already bought, or removing Russian teams from FIFA 22 hurts the Russians.

It's the same stupid mentality that caused people to burn their Nike shoes and change French Fries to Freedom Fries.

 

[dirtyferret]

It's the same stupid mentality that caused people to burn their Nike shoes and change French Fries to Freedom Fries.

Freedom Fries & Liberty Cabbage taste ten times better than french fries & Sauerkraut! Now if only the Canucks would start eating their delicious" lumberjack cheese fries with gravy" instead of that disgusting dish they named after Putin!

 

[Beerfloat]

This is what virtue signaling looks like in Geopolitics.
Everyone is lined up to prove they too can "sanction" Russia.

Here's the reality:

Russia will continue to flatten Ukraine as they take it over and in the end, they'll have their buffer zone and that's when the de-escalation begins. They aren't going to allow NATO to encroach on them.

Cool story, airmchair analyst. At least you're comfy at home, yeah?

 

[dangh]

This is what virtue signaling looks like in Geopolitics.
Everyone is lined up to prove they too can "sanction" Russia.

Here's the reality:

Russia will continue to flatten Ukraine as they take it over and in the end, they'll have their buffer zone and that's when the de-escalation begins. They aren't going to allow NATO to encroach on them.

They will, but they will be dealt heavy economic damage and long lasting limitations reducing their economy to peanuts. Nord stream is done, europe got new focus on integration and cooperation, russia is not a partner anyumore for manybusinesses. Sure, there is China, which will be very happy to buy cheaply whatever russia will produce. And in addition we were able to see how shitty russian military really is.
Unfortunatelly many ukraininas will lose life, and all of them, who will stay in country, freedom and chance of making any decissions. They will be exploited, many imprisoned, killed, and as we know how red army behaves, women will get maybe even harder time. Thanks to a guy, who is so affraid of his life that he sits on table which are 20 meters long, so noone gets close to them. But Stalin had similar paranoia, so it is 'in blood'.

 

[Nobina]

I don’t understand how throwing away perfectly good Vodka that you’ve already bought, or removing Russian teams from FIFA 22 hurts the Russians.

That's how the West operates, making it seem like they're doing something when in reality they haven't done anything. Very deceptive.

 

[FaTaL]

Who cares. game is a total piece of sh!t that will be shut down soon. last I checked its averaging less than 20k players world wide

 

[kiwigraeme]

There's hope in the world - note all the people down rabbit holes buying kool-aid - middle age white woman with little education spouting their research.
Most of the gullible are old easily manipulated and salesmen dreams .
Young people get so much stuff thrown at them - they are much more savvy.

I think these people buy this propaganda - don't have the ability to transfer lessons from other areas of their life - if they ever learnt

Salesman - you are so special , disconcerting. not like the average grind - you deserve the best a great deal .- oh gee wow I really am - can I upsize that?

You wouldn't think someone trying to get you to "invest" picking you up in limo - flying you to Hawaii wouldn't work - but it works real well.

We have anti-Ukraine here - pretending they have great inside knowledge - yet in the whole history of techspot they have never had one insightful geopolitical discussion - more about flex and how to get to Best Buy .

NATO is a defense umbrella - why because Russia is a killer - look at YT of Grozny etc - this happened not long ago . Estonia know you can never trust a Russia leader . We wouldn't need NATO as much if Russia was such a backward country

It's so obvious Russia is now over as is - these sanctions will go to as long as necessary . Belarus and Chechnya have a good chance to throw out their Russian puppets .

To think this nonsense is coming from Americans who poison and killed Asians - who maybe support GQP to stop protection of sexual diseases in Africa as it hurts their religious interpretations .
Who have installed so many puppet govts , supported so many dictators - so they can exploit countries with impunity - yet somehow they equate a few strongly anti- Rus Ukrainians with the devil incarnate .
The young are smarter and less gullible than your older mostly American - who knows so little about the world .
Remember when Trump supporters started screaming about communism when someone started quoting the constitution .
TBF their are a lot of Americans who have a love of learning beyond big trucks - they understand their are many world views .
We watch American elections and seem disappointed at how unsophisticated most are . Most people realise that appeals to patriotism is such a red flag - yes it works in my country - thanks its only a small minority than think their problems are caused by bean pickers and foreign factory workers ( actually main thing is house prices here - ignoring overt racists ).
The hypocrisy - coming from a Texan - Who act like an own nation - want to deprive people that same right - to promote the Indiscriminate Russian war machine - Don't you get it -Russian (Leaders) do not care about their young dying , they don't care about children , women dying - Even Trump now calls it a holocaust

 

[QuantumPhysics]

They will, but they will be dealt heavy economic damage and long lasting limitations reducing their economy to peanuts. Nord stream is done, europe got new focus on integration and cooperation, russia is not a partner anyumore for manybusinesses. Sure, there is China, which will be very happy to buy cheaply whatever russia will produce. And in addition we were able to see how shitty russian military really is.
Unfortunatelly many ukraininas will lose life, and all of them, who will stay in country, freedom and chance of making any decissions. They will be exploited, many imprisoned, killed, and as we know how red army behaves, women will get maybe even harder time. Thanks to a guy, who is so affraid of his life that he sits on table which are 20 meters long, so noone gets close to them. But Stalin had similar paranoia, so it is 'in blood'.

That was almost poetic what you typed - but I actually blame NATO for this.

 

[kiwigraeme]

That was almost poetic what you typed - but I actually blame NATO for this.

Ahh yes classic victim blaming . If Ukraine didn't wear lipstick. If she just allowed Russia easy penetration to instill their puppets .

You know absolutely nothing . Countries have the right to protect themselves . NATO does not have to court these countries - They deliberately go to and asked for membership - if is not easily given either - same as joining the E.U - you must comply with the E.U rules .
Moldova , Finland , Sweden are now all thinking about joining NATO . Sweden probably won't .- Georgia is probably considering it as well - so how is that working out for you and Putin
You are in an alliance with NZ and Australia - that help stops PRC expansion plans - does that bother you as well?- we badly treated Chinese gold miners 120 years ago . The USA did the same - probably worse - Does not give China any rights .
Nobody knows for sure have many people haven been murdered by Russians ( including Russians murdered ) - but the number dwarves what Hitler has done .
Putin is a bully - he will kill as he desires - He won't stop at Ukraine - Belarus, Chechnya - Do you think Georgia was too blame as well when they invaded them, USSR is a modern invention - yes Russian people have existed for a long time - but not as say England has .
Victim blaming and vague talking points - shows your limited understanding . The fact you are breaking it down to NATO bad Russia good - black and white shows you know nothing - Palestine/Israel is not black and white - these things are contextual with history , culture , religion , politics , economics and 101 other things - The plains from France/Germany/Poland/Russia etc have been fluid for 100s of years .
At least learn when Russia as a united concept came into being - instead of feudal states and lawless areas .
Focus on getting as much money out of Washington to fix the crap in Texas - the pitiful electricity infrastructure - but woeful water tables that are sinking and contaminated . The pathetic protection from more frequent hurricane storm damage . Yes these things are known world wide how poorly Texas looks after itself - My time in Texas was lots of friendly people except one deranged border guard - raving on to me after I left Big Bend NP - how he could hold me for days as I could be smuggling illegals and/or drugs . Plus another cop in Houston ordering me to stand still in the road with traffic flowing - telling me he was going to book me for a moving violation on a bike - BS him my docs back at my accommodation - was too lazy to go there - so still don't know what he was raving about my infringement was - cycling down a one way street maybe on wrong side of road ??.
Put up - your assertions - just because you read some rando on the internet does not make you an expert .
Very anti-Texan to blow hard - with nothing to back it up - If I go to Abilene and ask about Texan values - someone would kindly explain it to me - decency, family, honour, hospitality, respect , god etc

 

[sorten]

I guess Russia doesn't need any help in failing, given their bumbling in Ukraine. These are early days when a "superpower" is supposed to look invincible, with their powerful military rolling to what appears to be an easy victory (ex: United States in the early days of its last two wars). They haven't even reached the long grind where the occupied country resorts to guerilla warfare and starts to pick apart the occupying force.

Regarding this gesture from Amazon, I'm guessing they're jumping on the bandwagon and cutting costs for a struggling game.