wow Steve Danuser on Why Blizzard Removed the Insult from the Garrosh-Sylvanas Dialogue

[Stan 5,240]

Lead Narrative Designer Steve Danuser explains why Blizzard removed the insult from the Garrosh-Sylvanas dialogue after 10 years.

Blizzard has removed the word b*tch from the dialogue between Garrosh Hellscream and Sylvanas Windrunner, even though WoW's rated for teens, which means some swear words are acceptable.

Quote

Rating Summary

This is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing game set in the imaginary world of Azeroth. Players complete quests in order to "level up" their characters, while gaining powers and better weapons/armor/accessories along the way. Quest objectives sometimes involve using magic and hand-to-hand combat to defeat various creatures, enemy soldiers, and occasionally other characters such as innocent villagers. Some attacks can result in splashes of red blood or small bursts of flesh and bone falling to the ground. Certain quests require the player to drink alcohol, resulting in the character's impaired vision (blurry screen, pink elephants) and movement. Players can interact with scantily clad characters, listen to provocative dialogue (e.g., "Is that a mana wyrm in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"), or view sexually suggestive dance routines performed by elves and other player-characters. One quest requires players to search for specific creatures among a landscape covered with piles of brown feces. The words "a*s," "*filtered*," and "b*tch" can be heard in the dialogue.

A team member sent feedback that he enjoyed playing the game with his kid, but the line stuck out from other language in the game, and so Blizzard ended up removing it, Steve clarified.

Placeholder for tweet 1299483999341953024

He also added that there was no sinister motivation behind the change the memorable line, and at the end of the day, they gained more from removing it than from keeping it.

Placeholder for tweet 1299484166682107904

Placeholder for tweet 1299484252850081794

[Halock 156]

That comes across much nicer than the tweet in the earlier news post. It has always stuck out. 

Also, goodness, Cataclysm was ten years ago?

[Dejo93 1,023]

Ah yes, the "Won't somebody please think of the children" line

You're not convincing anyone, Sylvanas simp

[Skayan 52]

About making the game better for future generations, someone tell them that we already have in lore:
- using souls to fuel portals or cast spells (sounds kinda cruel to me)
- rape
- dropping bombs to kill villagers / citizens
- burning down a tree with only thousands of elves
- child labour
- Horde had that cool option to kill night elves in their sleep /shrug
- slavery
the list could go on and on, there's just so much "terrible" things that happens in WoW. Yes, removing one word from 10 yo quest is definitely making the game better. The fact is, strong language really fits to Garrosh Hellscream and especially at that moment.
Well, guess it's time to execute some trolls or ask DI Dwarves to summon me a fire elemental so i can burn 200 goblins for a World Quest.

[darkgreenwax 412]

I'm just gonna re-post my message as it's better read here given the context of their "reasoning" for removing the line.

IIRC WoW is rated T for teen, so if the parent is letting their child play the game, that's on them, not the game.

Sad they're doing this to Garrosh, he can't catch a break even in death.

 

 

[ignringerfinger 11]

Hell, if we're going that route, cover all the women and men in bags too. 

Edited August 29, 2020 by ignringerfinger

[ORCSMASH 29]

B-b-but players can make their characters literally next-to-naked now and somehow that's ok for children? All the hateful, misogynistic, and racist speech made by players in world chat channels is fine for the kiddos?

I understand that change and their rationale for it, but given that there's much, much worse in WoW (as others have pointed out), this comes off as pretty lame and a mis-ordering of priorities. I can't say I agree with this change when I can report someone for calling me a slur and see them in-game still an hour later. Frankly, as @TyZone pointed out, the game is rated T for Teen. If you're letting your kid under 13 play it, don't ask the devs to change the game. If your kid over 13 can't handle hearing a swear, then they *definitely* can't handle the rest of the game.

[Alastor7783 11]

I bet that guy's favorite game is The Last of Us II. Such obvious and blatant pandering to the politically correct crowd is one thing, but at least be upfront about it instead of lying like a filthy weasel ?

[Brutalis 165]

Steve the simp.

[Teufel 331]

Player characters being easily responsible for homicide and being cheered on and revered as "heroes and champions", but a known hothead Garrosh swearing at an *appropriate* occasion? PROTECT THE KIDS!!!!

Part of me wishes he went with "insulting women" explanation only to drown in the fact the modern orcish culture does not discriminate women (though, admittedly, it does have a non-gender discrimination here and there), but this kind of failure is enjoyable to watch too.

[RetroCryptid 0]

Quote

he enjoyed playing the game with his kid

this game isn't rated E for Everyone. it's rated T. "May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling and/or infrequent use of strong language." "Strong language" is considered explicit and/or frequent use of profanity. unlike PG-13 films, T games can't get away with F-bombs, but they can drop s**t as often as they want to. then there's the whole "ESRB doesn't rate online interactions" thing because you can't censor players from saying things. I could go stand next to Garrosh at that spot from now until they kill the servers, and just say the word "b**ch" after he says his line, and no one can do anything about it. if that guy wants a nice wholesome game to play with his child who, per US COPPA laws, should not be playing WoW in the first place, Minecraft exists.

I'm not fully convinced it wasn't changed because Steve the Simp was pressed that big mean Garrosh called his waifu a bad name.

[multiboxing 71]

omg anything for attention!   its like When George Lucas re edited the scene with Han shooting Greedo

[13584 1]

Essentially, a guy on the team liked it better without the slightly rough language, and he had enough pull that it was removed.  Ten thousand WoW players suddenly learned they didn't have enough pull to keep it in, got triggered like the snowflakes they are, and started whining that it should TOTALLY be in there because WoW is EDGY and COOL and {now they're crying so hard I can't understand what they're saying).

Seriously, complaining about this is pathetic.

[MyMichelle 0]

oh please...name a 13 year old that doesnt know and use that word on a regular basis....

[durdyenglish 298]

Honesty, this overwhelmingly vile response to such an insignificant change is disgusting. The term "simp" (which from my estimation is any man who treats women with respect) is getting thrown around a lot and it's pretty telling as to what camps these folks hang out in.

Seriously guys, let's focus on actual issues that actually matter - even in the context of WoW. This is such a stupid nothingburger, it's embarrassing that there's such a divide in the community over it.

 

[Sap 0]

On 8/30/2020 at 6:45 AM, durdyenglish said:

Honesty, this overwhelmingly vile response to such an insignificant change is disgusting. The term "simp" (which from my estimation is any man who treats women with respect) is getting thrown around a lot and it's pretty telling as to what camps these folks hang out in.

Seriously guys, let's focus on actual issues that actually matter - even in the context of WoW. This is such a stupid nothingburger, it's embarrassing that there's such a divide in the community over it.

 

that's not what simp means but okay.