Really the concern shouldn't be for Cuff, but for Frey herself. The development team previously raised eyebrows when Frey was described as having a "hip-hoppy kind of walk". And it must be noted that the writing team is entirely white, which brings the authenticity of Black lead Frey into question.
"Frey was the first character that we designed and we started from the inside out," said Mitsuno. "We said this is the type of character we want, this is Frey's personality, these are her character traits, this is her core, this is how she talks.
"As we established those elements and the things that make up Frey, we went to the casting process and Ella Balinska just ticked all those boxes: she has the sense of humour, she has the determination, she also has that soft, vulnerable side that we weren't afraid to have. So all the complex details that we wanted Frey to convey, Ella just was able to knock all of those things out.
"And she herself really was drawn to the character and she connected to the themes and what Frey stood for. And that's when we decided to model the character after her as well to really create that authentic character that she's going to portray. She gave a lot of input into 'this is how I would speak if I was Frey, this is how I would think if I were Frey'.
"In that sense, we've created the character that is active and portrayed by Balinska and is also modelled after her. In that sense, we've created this realistic character that everyone can relate to."
In practice, though, there are some awkward decisions. The first time Frey meets another human in Athia, she's handcuffed and accused of being a monster by a crowd of predominantly white NPCs, which felt particularly jarring. Her criminal record is also included as a readable document in the game's journal.
Her dialogue, too, lacks authenticity. She refers to her trainers as her kicks; she constantly swears; and she's quick to anger. This all plays into the anachronistic outsider quality of the character and Balinska's performance is likeable, but stereotypes in the script bely an overeagerness to be cool and edgy. The poncy British accent of Cuff is a clear foil.
"Writing team crackas don't know shit about nibbas, nevermind that that they took the lead from the black actress probably knows black people?!
But I, the progressive white twink journo, know better about black people authenticity"
In a sea of mediocre (and guess what, white) gamejournos, this token fag manages to consistently deliver retard takes. Easily the worst journo that has ever been on that site, but gets a pass likely because "muh representation".
More sad than hilarious, really
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
Kotaku editor-in-chief Jen Glennon has exited her role reportedly due to a new editorial direction from G/O media, according to Aftermath.
Per Glennon's letter of resignation, the parent company, G/O Media, mandated that the game's publication focus on game guides and deprioritize news.
"I firmly believe that the decision to 'invert' Kotaku's editorial strategy to deprioritize news in favor of guides is fundamentally misguided given the current infrastructure of the site," Glennon said in the letter.
"[This decision is] directly contradicted by months of traffic data, and shows an astonishing disregard for the livelihoods of the remaining writers and editors who work here."
According to a source familiar with the matter, Kotaku staffers are expected to create 50 guides in total a week.
Aftermath notes that the site's landing page area, a space typically home for major stories and breaking news, has been replaced by tips and guides.
Glennon was hired back in October 2023, and with her exit, Kotaku lost another editor-in-chief in under a year.
Back in August 2023, Patricia Hernandez was reportedly fired following a personnel disagreement.
GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to G/O media for comment.
Ohhhhhh noooooooooo!
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
Could it be they rubbed two brain cells together and realized maaaaaaaaybe people game for the escapism of it and not to eat propaganda shit? They can write about that shit on their blogspot or something.
"I firmly believe that the decision to 'invert' Kotaku's editorial strategy to deprioritize news in favor of guides is fundamentally misguided given the current infrastructure of the site," Glennon said in the letter.
Like every other decision made in the past 10 years has been amazing...
I wonder where all of the nut jobs will go when these mouth pieces for their lunacy disappear
Polygon, an outlet that has been around since 2012, has been purchased and many of its staff have been let go in a wave of layoffs.
First reported by Kotaku, Polygon has been sold by Vox Media to Valnet. Valnet is the same parent company of other outlets such as TheGamer and GameRant.
Shortly after the report went live, many staff members of Polygon took to social media to announce that they were no longer with the company.
“I’ll say more later, but I no longer have a job,” senior reporter Nicole Carpenter said. “I’m looking for work, as are *so* many of my amazing colleagues. I have lots of ideas and things I’d like to write. I’m really in shock.”
Also let go from the outlet was co-founder and editor-in-chief Chris Plante.
“I’m no longer with Polygon,” he wrote. “If you’re hiring, please consider the many talented writers and editors now on the market.”
It’s currently unknown exactly how many people were let go as part of the layoffs at Polygon. New owner Valnet has yet to put out any sort of public statement regarding the acquisition or the decision to let go a number of staff.
While this news is settling in for many, it’s important to note that while we may be “competing” outlets, these are still colleagues and, in some cases, friends that are being impacted by what has happened today. We wish them nothing but the best and hope every single one of those let go land on their feet soon enough.
Let us know your thoughts on this sale of Polygon and the layoffs at the outlet in the official Insider Gaming forums.
...and stay (poly)gone
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
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