Playtonic Made The Right Decision At The Wrong Time Regarding Jontron

ScreenCritics Shaun believes that Playtonic's slow reaction to the Jontron situation was naive and awkward - if ultimately correct.

[-Foxtrot]

They got a Youtuber to voice a character?

Why? I mean what makes him so special over a professional voice artist looking for work.

[darthv72]

I get what you are saying but in all fairness, professionals tend to want more $$ for their work and new voice actors are cheap. not saying that is the case here but every pro starts out a newb at some point. Does it really matter where they came from?

I seem to recall conan and andy were extras in the halo 3 game. They aren't professional voice actors, professional actors maybe but they were asked if they wanted to be in it and they said sure. On that note, I don't follow this jontron so I have no idea what was so controversial.

something about his political views I guess (from what i just read in the link). Politics and religion are two very hot topics and there is no right or wrong side. People can have different views and that is just human nature.

[-Foxtrot]

Okay so how about new up coming voice actors

[Nu]

This https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[Segata]

Really popular Youtuber who's fave game is Banjo so I guess they were just being nice to make a fan of their past work happy.

[rocketpanda]

They asked him, he didn't approach them. They reached out to a fan with a big audience.

The studio knew he is a massive Banjo fan, so they approached him. Even Jim Sterling and Totalbiscuit have done small voice work when asked. In world of YouTube, they are special and have massive influence. Why do you think publishers offer YouTubers deals to play certain games to drive up hype? Ubi done just that with For Honor.

YouTubers tend to lend their voices to small roles and sometimes for free, they are hardly taking jobs always from the professionals.

[NecoTehSergal]

Jon's got an awesome voice, and a great singing voice - so, why not?

Alternatively, youtubers are 'Known', have 'Fame' and don't cost as much as 'Professional voices/actors'. Obviously...?

Lastly, Gamegrumps is probably the reason for Jons involvement, since Egoraptor and Jontron back in the day played Banjo Kazooie, poorly, with Grant Kirkhope.

[CrimsonWing69]

Maybe the devs were freaking fans of his show and him being a huge fan of Banjo and Kazooie was their way of doing something nice for him. What makes a professional YouTuber have less of a right to be a Voice Actor then anyone else be it professional or not?

[_-EDMIX-_]

They're also a relatively small team

I think it was a smart decision to team up with such a personality but clearly they did not know about the hate that was in his heart and I believe they made the correct decision but I agree that this should have been more quick about it.

[Muadiib]

It was the wrong decision at the wrong time. It was cowardly and I'm glad it backfired.

[bluefox755]

You'd think people would learn by now? The media tried it with Pewdiepie, it backfired. SJWs tried it with Colin Moriarty, it backfired. Now they're trying it again with Jontron, and surprise...it's backfiring again. These regressive, internet bullies are finally losing their power, people are starting to see that you can stand up to them.

[ShadowWolf712]

The difference is Jon actually kinda DID say some questionable stuff.

[ameliabaz]

Ah, the good old "let's blame the SJWs" defence. Seriously, are people this dense? Playtonic is a developer with a child-friendly image who are releasing their very first game. Can people really not see why they might not want a racist's voice in their game? JonTron can say whatever the hell he wants on his Twitter or on his YouTube channel, but that doesn't mean a business can't respond by saying "hey, we don't really want to be associated with this guy." Any business would do same. It has nothing to do with "SJWs". They're just making a sound marketing decision.

[bluefox755]

@ShadowWolf712 Questionable? To who? He holds some opinions that are unpopular with certain political groups. That's not questionable, lol. Not to me. If it's questionable to you, fine, call him out, tell him your opinion instead.

@Edit - Also, to reply to your comment further down. Racism is a belief in racial supremacy. I have no confusion. Racism is quite literally hinged on the belief in racial supremacy. There are plenty of ideologues who would like to broaden that definition to mean "anyone who disagrees with them politically", but we don't get to change language to suit our own ideological needs.

[ShadowWolf712]

Uh, no. Racism is the belief that one race is inherently x, y, or z by nature of their genetics and skin tone. Racism is at the core of supremacy, but racism is not supremacy. I know many racists who have no problem with, say, Asians and black folks, but hate Latinos with a passion, say they're "dirty criminals", and so on. They don't believe their own race to be superior, simply that race to be undesirable.

And Jon's comments tread rather close to that.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Nobody tried anything with Colin Moriarty

I actually firmly believe that he purposely made those statements to get the attention so he could promote his new Endeavor. after hearing about what he wanted to do and hearing how they already made plans to leave kinda funny games it started to make a lot more sense that this wasn't just some slipup or accident it was literally purposely sending out the tweets to get attention so that way he could use it to try to use it as his reasoning when in reality a lot of the stuff he had was already set in motion so I have a hard time believing it was simply happene chance.

If he was looking to promote his new project I actually think it was a good idea but I actually have a very very very hard time believing that it was just coincidence that he was already setting up it completely different channel in project while all that was happening

he sent those tweets to make the announcement.

Also please stop trying to blame a group of people on other people's actions at the end of the day if you're going to stay these statements you need to accept the consequences that actually come from stating them publicly.

If you have a specific belief or idea stand behind that belief or idea and make it openly knows that this is the idea and believe you actually have.

You could criticize social justice Warriors all you want but for god sakes at least they let it be known who they are and what they believe in , you're free to dislike them and not work with them just as much as they're free to not work with people like Colin Moriarty or JonTron or anybody else I'm actually surprised most users are so slow they're still not catching up to this

Do u honestly not understand it's a two-way street?

If somebody wants to have extremist ideas other media Outlets are just as free to have their own extremist ideas just as much.

You're basically wiping your tears and crying that these media Outlets have blasted these people.....

So have you not figured out that the same free speech that allowed those YouTubers to speak out is also the same free speech that is allowing those Outlets to speak against them?

😂😂😂&# 128514;😂😂

So are we kids not getting it yet?

Is the craziest thing it's almost as if other people are also allowed to have different views 🤔🤔🤔
29300;🤔

[Princess_Pilfer]

It's not cowardly to professional ties with people who you don't want to be associated with. *Especially* when "anti SJWs" and flat out bigots (not necessarily the same groups of people) are going to dogpile you for doing it and everybody who pays any attention at all knows that.

These are the types of people who mass boycott Target for saying that transgender people can use the bathroom of their gender identity (god I hate that term) and who mass boycott starbucks for not having snowflake cups. Why would a game company escape the same backlash?

[Noskypeno]

I dont like when companies pander to SJWs like Target, but I do massively prefer going to Target over Walmart when money is not an issue, its much more peaceful since ive never seen anybody fighting or yelling like at walmart since its more upscale and out of their price range. I dont think any of these companies really care about what they believe in, they just care about investors and defending a "racist" white person still being close to the top is seen as cowardly to anyone who is in charge of them,like how Mel Gibson went from the top to only getting jobs by being his own boss, I just wish we had the same standards for the black racists who are seen as cool and hip to bash and threaten the whites like so many black celebs and those faux whites usually the ones that have the last name ending in berg or stein( even tho some traditional Germans have those last names as well) that purposely try to degrade the whites or even asians in almost every movie and tv show, making them seen as weak or less romantic.

[freshslicepizza]

Jim always brings common sense because let's face it, common sense really isn't all that common.

http://www.thejimquisition....

[ZombieGamerMan]

I watch Jim and sometimes he's on the money and sometimes it is mad ramblings. Jon did not wrong, he said nothing racially wrong. He was invited to have a political conversation with someone with an opposing view and they discussed it in a conversation that was just two people calling each other the worst of their respective sides.

Jim is very, very, very wrong on this one

[Muadiib]

I think I'll give it a miss considering I know Jim to be on the far left.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Thank you moldy!!!! that was an absolutely amazing read.

"there’s no real context that justifies some of the shit I’d heard with my own two ears. They weren’t jokes, they were beliefs. And yes, he absolutely has a right to those beliefs, just as much as anybody else has a right to find those beliefs vile and disconcerting"

This seems to be the problem that most people are not fully understanding all of these people have all their rights to have those believes just as much as all those media Outlets have the right to their own beliefs about what was stated was hateful and vile.

@zomb-buddy you could believe in whatever you want and that's completely fine but if you believe he didn't say anything offensive I'm not really sure why you're having a hard time believing that somebody else might find it offensive.

Look at me, I'm able to understand that you don't think it was offensive and that's completely fine, but I'm just not completely oblivious to that somebody might have a different opinion than you.

you almost seem to be out of reality to the point where you're not really understanding that someone thinks differently than you

Mind you there is no right or wrong regarding this there's just different views Jim Sterling shares a different view than JonTron

I'm seriously not really understanding how you fail to recognize this , you're just salty that he's getting this negative backlash because not all people are clearly not accepting such a view.

Sorry but people are going to disagree with you just like people will disagree with me.

That is reality except some of us are actually able to accept that more than others.

[CrimsonWing69]

You do realize that nobody did anything wrong here, right? Jon had his right to freeeom of speech to express political views that offended some. Playtonic probably had people who were offended by his expressions and exercised their rights to take his work off their project.

If I was working for you and expressed my freedom of speech to tell you how I think your mom looks like a sea cow that's been run over by every boat imagined and you fired me for it, I don't think I'd call it cowardly. You have your rights to do that just as Playtonic does.

[Muadiib]

They could've just said his views don't necessarily coincide with their own and been done with it, they have escalated a minor thing and made a mountain out of a mole hill. Surely we should judge people by their fruit and not on their words alone, it's what you do that defines you.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@Mua-"They could've just said "

And he could have also not made those statements at all.

Sooooo

You may not see it as a big deal but it is a big deal to them I don't understand how they are people that are so disrespectful that they want someone to see one Viewpoint that they completely ignore people have different beliefs in viewpoints.

I understand that you may not think it's a big deal but why exactly are you completely oblivious to reality that other people may not agree with this?

I don't know if you realize this but what you say defines you just as much as what you do and at the end of the day he made those statements and the company made those actions in response.

[00]

with all the people demanding refunds looks like they made a bad call one would think.

[Razzer]

Who the hell is jontron?

[TheColbertinator]

My thoughts exactly🤔

[MatrixxGT]

Lol IKR.

[fenome]

I've never even heard of him before this.

[rocketpanda]

It doesn't matter if you know him or not. That's not the point.

And if you read the article you would at least know who he is to some degree.

[Razzer]

I was making my own point.

[Phil32]

I think Playtonic can feel good about people who side with a racist (it's in JonTron's tweets, it's in his discussion with Destiny-- his words are blatantly there) not buying their game. The youth of the world go against racism, but many gamers don't or don't give a damn at all, instead calling people "SJWs" for having the gall to not like it when someone says a race of people dilute the gene pool. Funny how much of a deplorable community this hobby has.

EDIT: Also, to clarify for some people before "free speech" is brought up. Free speech is protected by the first amendment in America, and only protects citizens' speech when it concerns the government, and even then there are limits (like not being able to yell fire in a movie theater). Saying something like "my boss is a giant #^$head" in front of your boss will get you fired from your job, and saying "but free speech" doesn't work.

[bluefox755]

I watched the debate. No where did he say that he believes any race is superior or inferior. So your accusations of racism are nothing more than speculation on your part.

[Phil32]

Speculation? What is this, then? Were these made up to hurt poor JonTron? http://www.teen.com/2017/03...

[bluefox755]

@Phil32 Who said they were made up? I just went through and read every tweet, I must have missed the one where he said any race was superior or inferior. I'm not sure you know what racism means. It doesn't mean holding an unpopular opinion...

Edit- It is the only definition. Just because people like you want to broaden it and dilute it to use against your ideological opponents, doesn't change reality.

[Phil32]

You can stop with the "one race is superior over another" thing. If you think that's the only definition of racism, then you're not very bright. If that is your only definition, then no wonder you don't get it. >_<

[ShadowWolf712]

You're confusing racism with supremacy.

[_-EDMIX-_]

He didn't really need to

he made enough statements to kind of confirm that. Did you seriously think that's simply not saying a exact racist statement did not lead to the Assumption of? 😂😂😂
28514;.

Okay folks he didn't say an exact specific thing therefore he can't possibly be a racist. /s

[00]

Jon tron quoted this Washington post article https://www.washingtonpost....

you lefties need to realize your name-calling buzzwords are not working anymore. and these SJW's have diluted all meaning from their words my not knowing how to properly communicate with out calling other people Nazi's

[Phil32]

Are you someone's grandpa thinking you're posting on a Rachel Maddow Show Facebook comment section? You sound just like one there with your "you lefties" nonsense. Well, except the "SJW" part. No one but alt-right losers do that. Then again, what's so wrong about wanting inclusion in our hobby? I'm sorry that we're not all anti-social losers who use sites this as a safe space to spew our bs and get hot and bothered whenever
Oh, and can you please tell me the part of my post where I called anyone a Nazi? Thanks. I'd appreciate it. I remember calling some gamers anti-social losers, but not Nazis. Though if you're a racist apologist, then you're not much better.

[bluefox755]

Also, free speech as an idea is more than just the first amendment. The first amendment and free speech are not the same thing. The answer to bad ideas is good ideas and more discussion, not mob silencing tactics, and threatening one's livelihood. No one is saying any law was broken, we're just saying it's wrong.

[Phil32]

No one is trying to silence JonTron, though. Nor is anyone threatening his livelihood. Actually, it's the "snowflakes" (that's the language you guys use, right?) that are trying to ruin Playtonic's livelihood by saying they're cancelling their pre-orders (or whatever lame thing that won't hurt the company in the long run). JonTron was simply called out for saying stupid racist $#$%. He has the right to his opinion, no matter how bigoted, and everyone else has the right to react to that opinion whether by trying to say "hey, racism is fine" or calling him a POS for it.

[bluefox755]

@Phil32 You keep putting words in my mouth and grouping me in with groups that you don't like. You don't know anything about me. Once again, you don't seem to understand what racism is...

Edit- Read it all. And that IS the definition of racism. Sorry if that's inconvenient for you, but the facts don't care about your feelings. Let me reiterate: Someone having an opinion that makes you uncomfortable or runs counter to your ideology DOES NOT make them racist. You don't get to twist language to suit your agenda.

[Phil32]

Aren't you the one that thinks the only type of racism is "one race is superior over another?" Guess what? It's not. Read the f--king Twitter conversation and stop being so damn purposefully obtuse.

[Phil32]

@bluefox755 Um, JonTron being on record as saying non-Whites are diluting the gene pool is textbook racism. That is a fact. It also so happens to counter to my ideology, because I'm not a racist ass. If you're fine with that comment, then that says more about you as a person than anything else (and that's not a good thing). So it does both, AND it makes you wrong. So take your condescension and desire to hand wave JonTron's comments away and shove them.

[bluefox755]

@Phil32 No! It isn't! It's quite literally a true statement. If he said miscegenation is bad for white people because other races are lesser beings, then you would have a point. But he didn't. He just made a factually accurate statement that you ran with and are more than happy to remove from the context of the debate. I'm wrong? How? Prove me wrong instead of shouting me down.

There you go again, calling me "alt-right", I'm not, and you know nothing about me. Why resort to throwing out labels about someone you don't know? Do you do that everytime someone says something that makes you slightly uncomfortable or runs against your political narrative? Do you just fill in the blanks according to what you believe your political opponents are, facts be damned? Who said anything about "cuck", "snowflake", or "triggered"? Not I. As far as I can tell, you're the only one using those words. And you then proceed to call me a hypocrite based on your actions. So bizarre.

[_-EDMIX-_]

So who exactly is silencing him?

I'm sorry buddy but you're just salty that other people are expressing their own rights just as much as he is expressing his.

[00]

opps did I trigger you? seems like you had that list of hollow buzzwords ready on stand by. and nowhere did I say you called anyone a Nazi but the left do like to use that word on their opponents. and I'm simply stating a fact people are getting sick and tired of the lefts pretentious identity politics.

[Phil32]

@00 Hmm. You alt-right losers have your own buzzwords like "cuck" "snowflake" "trigger" and yet you're very bothered (triggered) by JonTron (who wished Playtonic the best regardless) no longer having a part in Playtonic's game. Why is that? Why are you so quick to defend his comments? Do you agree with them? It's just easier to call you a hypocrite with no morals instead.

[CoDsuperstar]

the youth are actually becoming more racially aware you idiot.

[Kabaneri]

Some of his views are entirely justified.
The top U.S. military commander in Europe said Thursday at a Senate hearing that the terrorist threat is higher in Europe than anywhere on the globe, with the exception of current war zones.
“The number of threat streams that we have of this type within Europe, it’s probably higher in Europe than in any other part of the globe with the exception of the places where we’re actually physically fighting in, like Syria and Afghanistan and Iraq,” said U.S. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti.
Think of European immigration as a cushy comfortable glove, and think of "Terror streams" as the fingers of radical Islam in that glove around the throat of western civilization.

[Hugodastrevas]

All this controversy was created by Destiny setting up JonTron in a youtube debate. I'm glad Sargon utterly destroyed destiny afterwards and i'm glad this decision is hurting Playtonic. Grow a thicker skin people.

[bluefox755]

That was fun to watch Sargon put him in his place, Destiny was getting so flustered, lol.

[Hugodastrevas]

Yeah, when he (Destiny) defended that basically enslaving the middle class for cheaper iphones was a good thing I laughed out loud 😂

[ameliabaz]

Seriously? You're GLAD this is hurting Playtonic?

I will never understand gamers. I see so many gamers want to tear down companies and game developers, and I just don't get it. Playtonic is a brand new company who are about to release their first game. They made this game as a love-letter to all the gamers who miss the old Rareware platformers they played as children, and now those same gamers are spitting in their face because Playtonic DARED to say "hey, this guy's opinions don't reflect well upon our child-friendly image. We don't really want his voice in our game." I guess freedom of speech only applies to Jontron, but not Playtonic.

[ZombieGamerMan]

@ ameliabez Well I am not buying their game because of this incident with Jon, not because I am a fan of his but because I do not agree with this practice. I don't wish them to fail but I know I will not support this because I have gone through the stream with Destiny and while I strongly believe Jon was not very good in his debate and that some of what he says might be lacking in proof. He however did not say anything that was actually offensive, he stated how their is an actual problem currently in any predominantly white countries where white citizens are expected to be in silence otherwise they would be branded a racist. For example the rapes that happened in Colon a couple years back was being kept under wraps by the German government because they feared being called racists for accurately pointing out that the rapist were non white refugees.

He factually stated how you have people from countries with a lot of social & cultural problems that are toxic for any western country coming into those societies to not only bleed it dry economically but also brings the undesirable elements from their country to Western countries. Not only that but that we also can't take care of the world's problems and that any countries duties are to it's own citizens rather than those from other worse of nations.

Is what he says uncomfortable subject matters? Yes but they are our reality and we need to open up the dialog for that and to punish him for trying to have that dialog is just wrong.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Buddy you're talking about a simple-minded group of Gamers that always happens believe that they don't want social justice Warriors destroying their games all while also saying they won't support a game for not supporting a racist.

...

Literally we're having some of the same people that are on this article have made comments about not wanting specific political things being involved inside of their games but they're also making a decision to not purchase a game based on a political believe it's a literally some of the stupidest crap I've ever read

the hypocrisy. is just hilarious

Put it this way if somebody made statements that I didn't feel were offensive and were booted from a game that I was going to buy it would actually never change whether or not I was going to buy that game

for any idiots to make their decision on a game based on the company's actual believe I find it's quite stupid but at the end of the day it does happen in there are people that are slow enough to do such things.

[Hugodastrevas]

@Amelia JonTron was free to say whatever he wanted to say, Playtonic was free to get rid of him and the backers are free to ask for refunds because they didn't want to Playtonic to politicize the game and take sides.

@EDMIX Loving the essays buddy, keep writing huge walls of text!

[ShadowWolf712]

Yes, he totally forced Jon to say those words. Jon is completely innocent in the matter.

Completely. -_-

[_-EDMIX-_]

No it wasn't

at the end of the day Jon had all of his opportunity to use his own damn common sense to decline or keep those beliefs to himself if he believed it would hurt him financially in the future or currently.

I find it ironic that a person telling people to grow thicker skin is also complaining about said controversy being started by someone else 😂😂😂

What you're basically trying to say is ignore hateful comments and don't express your own free speech simply just accept everyone else's.

[S-Word]

I'm glad I didn't back this game. Hope the company fails.

[Derceto]

Who? Oh, that walking s**t stain. Ya, nothing of value was lost.

[Rangerman1208]

Atleast he is better than Pewdipie.

[ZombieGamerMan]

I kind of like to point it out here after doing some reading. In states like New York, California, Colorado, North Dakota and Louisiana it is prohibited to fire employees for lawful off duty political activities. Now while he might not have fired in the traditional sense it is however where Jon lives (New York) prohibited to fire him for his political views.

[opinionated]

> Hired a YouTube personality
> Fired for showing personality on YouTube

Ooooooookay. Yeah, ultimately the right decision....

[areyouhavinalaff]

I'm happy they did this to, saving me my $100 pledge since I've just gone through with the chargeback.

[KwokXi]

I am going to do the same, seems more effective than trying to get my pledge refunded. Thanks for the heads up.

[Ogygian]

They wouldn't be saying that if an SJW who was sacked for ranting about social justice. Also, his views are the norm here in Europe - not controversial at all.

[medman]

It's never the "wrong time" to make the "right decision".

[joethetimelord]

https://heatst.com/gaming/y...

Karma's a bitch, eh?

[Enigma_2099]

This is as bad as a political cesspit.