The Shadow Complex

The last few days saw the release of the game Shadow Complex, by developer Chair Entertainment and Epic, and published by Microsoft. I played the demo, and it seemed great to me. In fact, I thought it was awesome. But it is close to Batman Arkham Asylum, which is a game I am getting, so I decided against purchasing Shadow Complex for now (even though it is a considerably cheaper game, costing $15). However, the release of Shadow Complex also saw the spark of a controversy regarding the involvement of writer Orson Scott Card in the development of the game.

The thing is that Orson Card is an activist against gay marriage and gay civil rights. So, a lot of people with a strong view on the subject, obviously opposed to Card's, started calling for a boycott of the game. This of course sparked a reaction for those who like the game. And so you have one side arguing that they don't want to give money to Card, and the other saying that Card's political views have nothing to do with the game, and the developers should not be punished.

I am going to be honest here: I don't have a strong stance in this subject (gay marriage). To put it blunt, I don't really care much. I do think gay civil rights should be respected, just as I think anyone else's civil rights should, but beyond that, I don't have a strong position in the subject. I do, however, have a strong position on the subject of free speech. Which is why I don't think a boycott is a good idea here. See, if you say it is not about punishing the developers, but to make a point agains Orson Card, then you are being a little naïve. I respect your right to do whatever you want, but... you have to accept the full responsibilities for your actions too. Because the truth is, you ARE punishing the developers. The developers here are a casualty of your decision, and this is something you have to consider. In fact, they are probably the only casualty, because say, in a scenario where this boycott actually worked and stifled the game's sales, it would probably affect Orson Card only marginally.... the one taking the hit would be the development house.

The scenario depicted above is what makes me hope that boycott doesn't work, because no matter how I think about it, the world I wake up in the day after this happens is not a pretty one. See, maybe you don't see it, but this is the type of actions people like Orson Card would usually call for. A book comes out that was written by a person who is gay, and the immediate call is 'BOYCOTT!!!'... now imagine if they succeeded... that would be a world in which writers would probably hide their sexual preference from the public just to survive...

The world in which this boycott works is one in which, now, development companies take the hint, and they start screening the people they hire for their political views. But not just Orson Card's views necessarily, but any that would be a 'problem'. This is a discriminating world, where censorship goes rampant. Where maybe you couldn't get a job with a developer because you're gay, or because you were pro-life, or because you were a libertarian... a world where free speech was in danger. Because, see, free speech goes both ways.

I was not going to purchase this game. I think it is a great game, but there are other full retail games coming out that I was going to use the money for. But I am going to buy it now, because I feel I must act on my convictions. Because that world scares the hell out of me, and I don't want to wake up on it. So I am buying this game not because I condone Orson Card's views... I am defending his right, and my right,,, and yours, to say and expose your ideas. To be able to say whatever the hell you want to say.