Nowadays, many companies try to target other population segments, such as minorities. They often try challenging themselves by creating characters relatable to other audiences and others just to make marketing more effective and increase sales. Some companies refuse to participate in this trend for different reasons. However, CI Games has its own reasons for avoiding any social or political agenda because they are a ‘high risk’ for business.
CI Games is the company behind the development of Sniper Ghost Warrior, but it is also well-known as the publisher of Lords of the Fallen. In a recent interview translated by WCCFTech, the marketing director of CI Games, Ryan Hill, said CI Games would not include DEI elements (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in its games. Ryan Hill mentioned that its focal point is to create games for core audiences.
Our games will always be developed to maximize player enjoyment and commercial success, and as such, we will not be integrating any social or political agencies into these experiences going forward having observed the high risk this can present.
Ryan Hill via CI Games
That is to say, CI Game will opt for its games to connect with the company’s style of games and characters. Hill also talks about how many other companies outside of CI Games that add a social or political agenda are not the most successful.
Many gamers appreciate the visibility of certain minorities or segments, but in many cases, the inclusion backfires. Not all players appreciate DEI elements, as happened with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which is still not available, and many people complained about Yasuke, even though he is a real character. Dragon Edge: The Veilguard was another case last year that also had a lot of controversy and was not very well received by most people. For now, inclusion, agendas, and how companies handle it is still a two-edged sword. Hopefully, there will be a balance in the future, and we will forget about all the hate within many fan communities that causes as much harassment for companies as it does for workers and audiences.
