Subverse (Kickstarter game crosses a million pounds)
polycounter
Check out this kickstarter for a AAA quality erotic game with RPG elements that crossed 1 million pounds and interestingly has had little to no initial press coverage.
I believe they weren't allowed to present at GDC.
Despite smashing its funding goal (excuse the pun) it isn't even a kickstarter "project we love."
And it continues to grow and endure.
The artist is pretty well known in our circles for his work and art tools/plugins.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/990500595/subverse
(company site is totally NSFW, think lara croft with horse)
Very commendable out of the box approach to game development in my perspective, and I felt it needed some coverage here.
I believe they weren't allowed to present at GDC.
Despite smashing its funding goal (excuse the pun) it isn't even a kickstarter "project we love."
And it continues to grow and endure.
The artist is pretty well known in our circles for his work and art tools/plugins.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/990500595/subverse
(company site is totally NSFW, think lara croft with horse)
Very commendable out of the box approach to game development in my perspective, and I felt it needed some coverage here.
Replies
Kinda hypocritical if you ask me.
Like Dragon Age Inquisition isn't outright porn but you do get to do it with a Minotaur I think, and the witcher is full of it.
Heck Mass Effect which this game rubs after has the player character romancing several alien species, they just don't take it that one step further.
Its bizarre really.
I mean I get why larger AAA companies can't cross that line but is it right to be judgemental about the ones that do?
Hence I reckon, not really difficult to reason why an industry radio silence, which given over recent years the push for increased female participation across the board would I think be quite obvious!?
Money well spent.
The reason being that in Montreal its difficult to get work if you don't know french for some jobs and skill levels which is a problem many immigrants face on arrival.
Many of these women have familes to go back to, and their job involves effectively watching porn as QA testers, sometimes horrifying violent and illegal porn. (since they have to filter that stuff out)
I mean he eventually left since he couldn't take it anymore and doesn't mention the stint on his linkedin, but they're still there.
Many of them for years now, since it pays the bills.
Like I doubt any of them enjoy the job so much that they want to do TED talks about it, and MindGeek does have some pretty good reviews on glassdoor regardless of the job duties but this kind of throws that logic on its head.
Like officially it sure looks good to say that, even though many games border on it, maybe they're more afraid of lawsuits and the associated costs of litigation should someone take offence.
That also makes me wonder, does working on something like subverse as an artist affect your employment at other companies that have a problem with their um content.
I've heard that in Europe the attitudes to nudity (not explicit pornography) are much more forgiving than in the USA. So maybe its just an issue in some countries.
Still found it interesting that mindgeek has so many women working for them given their content while game companies justify not having that content for the exact same reason.
And for the women and others working at Mindgeek, some of the stuff they have to filter out is PTSD inducing, really commendable for having thicker skin to see through that for the sake of the job, regardless of what people might feel about the content in general.
Like if there was none of that would be great for everyone, but someone needs to do the job.
Wouldn't necessarily say that every venture like this would be successful.
While I'm not sure why the team is describing it self like their potential sex offenders, they have been careful about the wording of the campaign, making it seem like a parody in general which is something to take away from making a kickstarter for this sort of content.
That said I've seen pornographic games made in game maker that use stock content and focus mainly on the narrative (which is bad mind you) Basically you play it until you get a dirty picture usually a nude daz model in a pose.
And these games make thousands of $ a month on patreon.
About whether artists who work on this would lose out on other opportunities, I'm not sure. The artist on this game has worked for AAA clients and is not using his psuedonym, so not sure if he's aware of the risk, or if there is even a risk to begin with.
Like while companies do vet potential employees, I doubt they would go so far as criminal background checks and medical exams for STD's. That would be crazy.
There are usually enough safeguards in place during the probationary period to ensure a new employee isn't a liability to the company or a danger to themselves and other employees.
He and his team have done a lot for the community and the industry and it would be cruel to blacklist them for this.
That said its a strange world, a lot of this is speculation.
Most people (women included) in the games industry just want to do their job and go home to their families or cats or chickens if their into that.
Also depends on the market where the studio is located, like I was in Toronto 5 years and the way people there operate there is totally different from how things are in Montreal where I am currently.
Like a friend at a top studio in Toronto couldn't even dream of pulling up a nude reference that may suggest a pornographic intent which he could easily do in the same studios branch in Montreal. There are some subjects you can never discuss and you have to be incredibly careful of your conduct by comparison especially when dealing with topics deemed too sensitive by Toronto standards.
Its probably why Mindgeek is located in Montreal instead of Toronto besides the tax benefits.
And how do you eat a porcupine? Taking off all the spines must be crazy.
I would like to experience that lifestyle atleast once.
Of course comments on topic are welcome.
If I just cared about making money, id definitely do that.
I think its a not-so-secret secret tip.
Very true. These people really seem to be enjoying working on it though.
Its still a legitimate business for the most part.
- What do you tell your friends and family when they ask you what do you do, or want to see your work?
- What happens when you're not in the mood? (You might think you'll be able to consistently put out work, but I suspect this theme gets old quick.)
- What do you do if your approach to sexuality is too "normie" / not obscene enough for the demand you'll have?
- You'll have literally nothing to show (portfolio wise) for all the time you spent making this art, unless you work double to make some SFW / unreleased art that nobody is going to recognize.
I know the artist is on polycount and I wonder if I should tag them.
Personally I have nothing against artists working on such content, like its still art in a manner of speak, just has a very controversial market.
Maybe many artists have no choice in the end but to be a part of this.
I definitely think its less controversial than actual pornographic video content. Though some do border on down right illegal, well actually not border more like embrace with tentacles.
Like I know of this popular SFM series based on characters of Ellie from last of us and that little girl from Resident evil, with some supermutants thrown in for good measure. (to give an idea of the level of depravity)
I've heard that those artists have day jobs in popular AAA companies but would dare not let their real identities become public.
Its in interesting lifestyle definitely living on the edge.