Deus Ex: Mankind Divided executive says "Black Lives Matter" similarities are coincidence

[midian182]

The upcoming Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one of this year’s most anticipated games, but it’s run into a wall of controversy less than a month before its release. The issue stems from a piece of promotional art (above) that shows a banner reading “Aug Lives Matters,” which some say is too close for comfort to the real-life "Black Lives Matter" activist movement.

Andre Vu, Deus Ex’s executive brand director, insists the game’s use of the phrase is just an “unfortunate coincidence.”

Augs refers to the minority of humans in the Deus Ex universe with cybernetic implants who are discriminated against and oppressed by police and society. Vu insists that the company came up with the slogan five years ago – two years before the activist movement became widespread – but the similarities are pretty clear.

The most vocal criticism has come from BioWare designer Manveer Heir, who identifies as a “visible minority.”

"Someone in marketing should have noticed the image could easily be confused as criticism of Black Lives Matter and not used it to market the game, since there is no way to provide full context from just a handful of concept art," Heir said in an email to Polygon.

"I accept Mr. Vu's assertion that it was coincidental, but that doesn't negate my criticism. It is bad optics and marketing departments, of all departments, should understand optics and how to react to the current state of the actual world."

@GeneralVu The fact that you went forward with posting the image & not realizing the optics/meaning of that image to people is incompetent

— Manveer Heir (@manveerheir) August 3, 2016

Coincidence or not, many people are angry at how the game seemingly compares the fictional oppression of augmented humans, who willingly chose their cybernetic implants, with the real-world murders of black people at the hands of law enforcement.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution faced similar criticism last year for its use of the term “Mechanical Apartheid.” Speaking about the phrase back in June, an Eidos Montreal representative said: “we are trying to be as truthful and honest to the world we're creating as we possibly can. We're not trying to be preachy here, just holding up the mirror."

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/65850-deus-ex-executive-black-lives-matter-similarities-coincidence.html

 

[davislane1]

Their relentless complaining and victimhood has rendered this particular wing of the social justice movement more annoying than a pack of deranged flies. Manveer can go find a bug zapper...and fly into it.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Life imitating art...seen it before...will see it again.

 

[robb213]

Their relentless complaining and victimhood has rendered this particular wing of the social justice movement more annoying than a pack of deranged flies. Manveer can go find a bug zapper...and fly into it.

And there will just be 100 more to take his place and make it the issue of the century. Ignorance/hypocrisy of SJWs has no limits.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Andre Vu is an *****. Good to know.

 

[davislane1]

And there will just be 100 more to take his place and make it the issue of the century. Ignorance/hypocrisy of SJWs has no limits.

That's fine. I have a lot of batteries.

 

[captaincranky]

Some human lives matter. That's about the extent of it.

 

[BSim500]

"but it’s run into a wall of controversy less than a month before its release"

So is there actually a serious issue this time, or is it yet another case of the usual hyper-reactionary attention seekers being "triggered" by waking up in the morning?...

"An hour-long speech delivered by Manveer Heir, a veteran of the Mass Effect series laid out in stark relief the social injustices present in games..." (from 2014 Polygon's usual 'everything's an outrage' clickbait)

^ That (along with his "perma-rage" snarky tweets) certainly explains a lot about the "quality" of ME3...

 

[RustyTech]

Their relentless complaining and victimhood has rendered this particular wing of the social justice movement more annoying than a pack of deranged flies. Manveer can go find a bug zapper...and fly into it.

+ infinity

 

[davislane1]

Some human lives matter. That's about the extent of it.

This is very hashable.

#SomeLivesMatter

 

[QILCTK]

Their relentless complaining and victimhood has rendered this particular wing of the social justice movement more annoying than a pack of deranged flies. Manveer can go find a bug zapper...and fly into it.

There would be nothing to complain about if there was nothing wrong. Since you have likely not experienced any unjust targeting, it is easy for you to say it is annoying to hear about it happening to others. There are unfortunately many others who are similarly lacking in empathy. If it doesn't affect you, you don;t want to hear about it. Classic "head buried in the sand" mentality.

 

[stewi0001]

Ugh.... someone just has to drop a drama bomb...

 

[davislane1]

There would be nothing to complain about if there was nothing wrong. Since you have likely not experienced any unjust targeting, it is easy for you to say it is annoying to hear about it happening to others. There are unfortunately many others who are similarly lacking in empathy. If it doesn't affect you, you don;t want to hear about it. Classic "head buried in the sand" mentality.

There isn't anything wrong. That's why people are fed up with SJWs like Manveer. They keep causing trouble because they refuse to leave fantasy land and insist--under threat of financial and physical harm--that the rest of us play along.

It is difficult to find empathy for people who are both liars and thugs.

 

[captaincranky]

There would be nothing to complain about if there was nothing wrong. Since you have likely not experienced any unjust targeting, it is easy for you to say it is annoying to hear about it happening to others. There are unfortunately many others who are similarly lacking in empathy. If it doesn't affect you, you don;t want to hear about it. Classic "head buried in the sand" mentality.

Did you join to talk about YOUR unjust targeting, the unjust targeting of people you don't actually know, or actually care about, or just to bring you message of the meddling SJW to people who patently don't give a damn what you think?

It has been my experience that many of the "poor souls", who are being "targeted by the police unjustly", have very often dropped a bag of smack in a bush someplace, but didn't have time to get rid of the pistol.

Plus, humans, like every other animal, (Homo sapiens "sapiens"), often show their intent with posture, gesture, and sounds. Now, if that gets misread once in awhile, that's pretty much "tough sh!t". Since after all, that's pretty much what what growing up in the "hood" is all about, learning how to display menace and cause fear in others, most effectively!

Anyway, last very night, I was treated to an extremely entertaining evening of "minority roughhouse theater", complete with tasers, foul language, (racial slurs, which I am not allowed to repeat), and blatant disregard for the property of others. Actually this was quite a relief, as pretty much every other, "perennial minority victim", had to take some time off from victimizing others buy selling addictive narcotics..(Obviously, for fear the police might arrive and, "shoot someone for no reason").

So, there are acceptable losses in all other facets of human life, and, "the war on the streets", is no exception.

Take heart though, there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. For every "poor soul" the police kill, the minority community(ies), will work their hardest <(pun intended), to have a dozen more bouncing baby future hoodlums to replace that individual by next summer. That gives a dozen young men the opportunity to become, "baby daddies", who may not have had that opportunity and "honor" before.

 

[Randomthom]

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
- Pastor Martin Niemoller, 1946

Just because an issue doesn't affect you doesn't mean that you should let it pass you by.

 

[captaincranky]

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
- Pastor Martin Niemoller, 1946

Just because an issue doesn't affect you doesn't mean that you should let it pass you by.

I couldn't help but notice you're still here and running your mouth.

And by the way, was the good pastor's spiel given before or after the collection plate came after the congregation?

 

[davislane1]

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.

- Socrates

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
- Pastor Martin Niemoller, 1946

Just because an issue doesn't affect you doesn't mean that you should let it pass you by.

You are extremely wise.

 

[captaincranky]

You are extremely wise.

@davislane1 Since when does hindsight pass itself off as "wisdom". Adapting someone else's direct quote relating an entirely different topic and adapting it to your own alleged / supposed "cause" or "issue", to me at least, would be better described as "plagiary"

But more importantly, nobody "came for the communists". They're still running Russia, China, and North Korea, all the while passing themselves off as "socialists".

Like the typical SJW, Pastor Martin Niemoller came out from under his bed, after the shooting was over. The passage being quoted, is obviously referencing WW2. To the best of my recollection, everybody DID get into that "issue" at considerable loss of life, fortune, and personal hardship.

So, why bring religious dogma into a secular issue? Well, if its referencing the "teachings", of "the reverends", Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Louis Farrakon, it's to get your name in the news. None of those "activists" ever met a news camera they didn't like.

So, for every "black life that mattered", which was wrongly ended, a thousand more lives which really don't matter, will continue to sell drugs, carry unlicensed, illegal weapons, and have other people's children caught in the crossfire of their petty rage and territorial disputes.

But gosh, we're all equal, right? So that means we shouldn't subject those, "poor souls" to the "embarrassment" of "unreasonable search and seizure". Basically, what happens in this social dynamic is one preacher runs his (1) mouth, railing at a mistakenly identified, "injustice", and thousands of people who do need to be searched, have their drugs and weapons seized, game the system by coat-tailing the, "poor oppressed us" crap, being handed down by preachers looking to increase the size of their congregations.

(1) Incidentally, did the Catholic Church ever get those child molestation, no women allowed to be priests, criminal and "diversity" issues worked out?

 

[davislane1]

@davislane1 Since when does hindsight pass itself off as "wisdom". Adapting someone else's direct quote relating an entirely different topic and adapting it to your own alleged / supposed "cause" or "issue", to me at least, would be better described as "plagiary"

That whole post was sarcastic in nature. Dude randomly pulled a quote off of Google (maybe he memorized it?) and tried to make a point of it. I merely did the same. Works with every post in this thread:

Andre Vu is an *****. Good to know.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles." - Sun Tzu

There would be nothing to complain about if there was nothing wrong. Since you have likely not experienced any unjust targeting, it is easy for you to say it is annoying to hear about it happening to others. There are unfortunately many others who are similarly lacking in empathy. If it doesn't affect you, you don;t want to hear about it. Classic "head buried in the sand" mentality.

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
- Pastor Martin Niemoller, 1946

Just because an issue doesn't affect you doesn't mean that you should let it pass you by.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat" - Jaws (1975)

 

[captaincranky]

That whole post was sarcastic in nature. Dude randomly pulled a quote off of Google (maybe he memorized it?) and tried to make a point of it. I merely did the same. Works with every post in this thread:...[ ]....

I suspected as much.

However, I simply couldn't squander such a golden opportunity to segue into a massive reality based rebuttal, while simultaneously completely discrediting what that OP, thinks, feels, or pretends to believe in.

BTW, thanks for opening the door for me!

 

[AriGoldStein]

Andre Vu is an *****. Good to know.

I think Manveer Heir is the ***** here.

 

[AriGoldStein]

Their relentless complaining and victimhood has rendered this particular wing of the social justice movement more annoying than a pack of deranged flies. Manveer can go find a bug zapper...and fly into it.

There would be nothing to complain about if there was nothing wrong. Since you have likely not experienced any unjust targeting, it is easy for you to say it is annoying to hear about it happening to others. There are unfortunately many others who are similarly lacking in empathy. If it doesn't affect you, you don;t want to hear about it. Classic "head buried in the sand" mentality.

There is nothing to complain. Blacklivesmatter is based on a lie. There is no "oppression" of blacks. It's a self created delusion and defending dead criminals that were justly killed by the police isn't going to change that. BLM is noting but the klan with a tan. It makes me happy to see more and more people see them as ridiculous.

 

[BSim500]

There would be nothing to complain about if there was nothing wrong. Since you have likely not experienced any unjust targeting, it is easy for you to say it is annoying to hear about it happening to others. There are unfortunately many others who are similarly lacking in empathy. If it doesn't affect you, you don;t want to hear about it. Classic "head buried in the sand" mentality.

Just because an issue doesn't affect you doesn't mean that you should let it pass you by.

Some people literally make a career out of complaining no matter what. It wouldn't be so bad if the complainers & victims were the same. Or if the complaint in question was actually the same as whatever shared group identity the complainers have (skin color based segregation). Instead it's more of the same old "professional victim" grievance industry stuff where people try and "adopt" then extend others historical victim-ness as part of an Internet forum "compassion p*ssing contest", and where the so called complaint (a game which has zero to do with skin color) is targeted purely on linguistic trivialities or imaginary "symbolism" as if from 2014 onwards, only black people are allowed to "culturally own" any work of fiction where social disenfranchisement is part of the plot.

Then you have the fake "boycotters" who loudly declare they aren't buying X game because of whatever new "group-think" social grievance to earn social brownie points & forum upvotes from peers, then when you dig deeper turns out had zero intention of buying it anyway and are predominantly non-gamers who hang round troll sites like Polygon seeking out the next manufactured outrage clickbait... And then there's those who get a "high" for being seen to be powerful enough to 'influence' works of art demanding X be changed / removed from game Y, then start pushing to do it all the time to force everything, everywhere to fit their tunnel vision politics. These are the same control freaks who try and force politics into everything then get angry and shriek 'hater' when ordinary people say "Dude, I play games / listen to music to relax and don't want every form of entertainment or sport to become a screeching political forum".

The civil rights movement used to mean something serious and was (rightfully) widely respected, but the modern Internet grievance industry has degenerated into a laughing stock and ironically, has done the most of all to devalue genuine social problems by demanding extreme Pavlovian knee-jerk perma-rage responses over every fictional triviality then gets angry when people stop listening due to "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" effect (playing the same fake "hater" card so often it loses its effectiveness even the few occasions where it's genuinely appropriate).

That's what the "lacking in empathy" someone above commented on really is for most people - "Outrage Fatigue". Most ordinary people generally do care about genuine real-life racism, bullying, etc, they've just wisened up to not being "played" by a few race baiting trolls pulling the same worn out 'manufactured offence' card and demanding superficial witch-hunts every 5 minutes...

 

[hahahanoobs]

I think Manveer Heir is the ***** here.

Good for you.

 

[davislane1]

@BSim500 Outstanding response.