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The developer behind Yooka-Laylee, a Kickstarter-funded spiritual successor to the beloved Banjo-Kazooie series plans to remove the Youtuber Jontron (Jon Jafari) from the game's cast of voice actors via a Day 1 update after his recent series controversial tweets regarding ethnic minorities in America. Jontron was always a big, vocal fan of the series and was invited to collaborate on the project back in February 2015. Many might say that he was pivotal in reviving the interest in Banjo-Kazooie through his content, both on Game Grumps and his own Youtube channel. Playtonic explained their position in an interview with Gameindustry.biz:

"We recently became aware of comments made by voice artist JonTron after development on Yooka-Laylee had been completed (...) JonTron is a talented video presenter who we were initially, two years ago, happy to include as a voice contributor in our game. However, in light of his recent personal viewpoints we have made the decision to remove JonTron's inclusion in the game via a forthcoming content update. We would like to make absolutely clear that we do not endorse or support JonTron's personal viewpoints and that, as an external fan contributor, he does not represent Playtonic in any capacity. Playtonic is a studio that celebrates diversity in all forms and strives to make games that everyone can enjoy. As such, we deeply regret any implied association that could make players feel anything but 100% comfortable in our game worlds, or distract from the incredible goodwill and love shown by our fans and Kickstarter backers."

This recent development in the Jontron controversy raises an important question regarding Free Speech. I can fully understand Playtonic's position - they're distancing themselves from Jontron in order to prevent any damage to their brand. On the other hand, one could argue that Jontron is free to voice his views on his own platform and shouldn't be penalised for them elsewhere.

Naturally this is a very controversial issue, so I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the matter. What's your opinion? Tell us in comments below!

Update: Jontron acknowledged the decision via his Twitter and although he finds it unfortunate, he understands it and wishes the developers a successful launch.

"Unfortunate to see Playtonic remove me from Yooka Laylee, but I understand their decision. I wish them the best with their launch!"

~https://www.twitter.com/JonTronShow/status/845038284967493638

Source (Gameindustry.biz)

 

[TobiasAmaranth]

Nazi is the new Commie, that's just the way it is. Society has invented a new bogeyman because it's safer than ever and feels the collective need to mobilise against a common enemy. In the past it was the Soviets and the Red Scare, yesterday it was terrorists, tomorrow it'll be somebody new. It's just the wheels of history turning, you can't stop that.

This is why I, again, bring up the strange timing of this incident as it relates to 2 Ranting Griffon:

 

[jimbo13]

.
That guy didn't cite any statiostics. And the 'science' you're citong is a science pulled off in 19th century to justify racist behaviors and even slavery. I am not even speaking about social studies, but about GENETICS. And did you know there was more genetical difference between two neighbor African tribes than between a Caucasian and an Asian? A race is a racist word. Period. Race don't exist, that has been proven.

Because they are both anthropological Caucasoids.

Race is the classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, ancestry, genetics or social relations, or the relations between them.

Scientists do not have a problem with this and still use it as a taxon, Sociologists dislike it. Not scientists.

Your shit is sociology, not Science.

 

[TobiasAmaranth]

What ties a nation is culture. When there are actually several separate cultures in a country, we have a broken nation - many groups of people whose interests collide instead of being overall about the nation's best interest. It's natural to care about one's or one's group's well-being first and foremost, but the very goal behind forming a nation of people is to have big interests that people in it share.

Now, if by multiculturalism you don't actually mean multiple cultures, but a single culture that's a mish-mash of many various cultural influences from around the world, that's a different story. That's basically what every culture is already, in fact, especially in America. However, the problem is a lot of people nowadays think multiculturalism is a goal in and of itself and a goal we should all actively and irresponsibly strive towards - it's not. Why should it be? Why should we abandon some of our roots and the meaning behind them and replace them with something from elsewhere that we share no deeper connection with? If we're bored with our ancestry, our holidays, our cultural heritage, our shared, deeply rooted values - the problem aren't those things, but the boredom itself. Bringing stuff from elsewhere just because it's new and different won't change the fact that we're getting shallow about our values.

Our culture is now contrarianism.

 

[Greymane]

Not at all. It's really about letting people do their own thing, celebrate in their own culture while simultaneously celebrating in your culture. You don't have to abandon your own culture in order to let other people celebrate theirs. And if you want to share your culture with another person then go ahead, and if they want to share their culture to you then they should go ahead and do it. If you don't want to share your culture then that's okay too, and if they don't want to share their culture with you then that's okay too. It takes very little effort to mind you own business and let other people express who they are.

Then what if there expression of there value's and culture goes against law/taboo?
(Taboo)No matter how much one would try to share in such a situations, the other party might not except it or even punish them for it, and if they where to try to except it they might be punished.
(Law)And depending on in which country you are simply stating a value/culture could see you tried by law or people abusing laws to punish you.

 

[jimbo13]

Then what if there expression of there value's and culture goes against law/taboo?
(Taboo)No matter how much one would try to share in such a situations, the other party might not except it or even punish them for it, and if they where to try to except it they might be punished.
(Law)And depending on in which country you are simply stating a value/culture could see you tried by law or people abusing laws to punish you.

Then who ever was there first and has more people is an evil racist oppressor expected to give up their customs, but in Liberal minded racial utopia the concept that cultures might have incompatible traditions/customs and need their own space is racist. Cuz science

 

[Eddypikachu]

Then what if there expression of there value's and culture goes against law/taboo?
(Taboo)No matter how much one would try to share in such a situations, the other party might not except it or even punish them for it, and if they where to try to except it they might be punished.
(Law)And depending on in which country you are simply stating a value/culture could see you tried by law or people abusing laws to punish you.

If you think something is taboo then just don't do it yourself and let other people do it. Accepting that other people are different is a good thing. You don't have to suddenly conform to another culture that you're introduced to, just accept that other people might do things differently to you and that's okay to see these differences. Also which laws are you referring to?

 

[Flame]

Nazi white supremacist Xenophobic bigots like him don't deserve anything.

Good.

 

[jimbo13]

People do accept they are different, especially when they have their space and we have ours. The hate doesn't start until they are moved in next door and have a holiday and being a nuisance when it is a work day for everyone else.

Multiculturalism is not necessary, has not shown itself to be a benefit anywhere and the whole of the world does not need it imposed on them.

 

[Skelletonike]

I am sick and tired of all this SJW pandering.
SJW's are one of the biggest cancers in the entertainment industry.

At first, I barely paid attention to all this crap, they could complain about all they wanted as long as it did not hurt anyone. However, they do hurt people nowadays, perhaps not physically, but they have become one of the biggest cyber-bullies out there.

As someone who loves games, I am sick and tired of this shit (and yes, I'm repeating myself).

-It's okay to make fun of religious views (mostly Christian's);
-It's okay to make fun of all the 'rednecks' (I may not like them, but they're people too);
-It's okay to vandalize public spaces and hate white people just because (BLM);
-It's okay for a white character to become black, if the opposite happens, all hell breaks lose;
-It's okay to insult anyone who disagrees with your SJW nonsense;
...And the list goes on.

How the hell did things get so messed up?

Soon people won't be able to voice their opinions, Jon wasn't even a PR guy for the game, he was just a guest star, he is free to say whatever he wants. He did not commit any crime or say anything that extreme which warranted such an action like completely removing something he had already done.

This 'inclusion' thing is a bunch of bull.
I didn't even know the guy that well before this, but I will withhold from purchasing this game now. The biggest hypocrisy in all of this, is that they are now blocking everyone who asks for a refund, be it on steam or on their very own official forums.

Playtonic shot themselves in the foot with this shitty PR move. In order to please a minority (yes, because SJW's are the minority), they just lost a lot of future costumers, not to mention all the people they are consistently censoring, just because they disagree with this move and are asking for the money back.




(I apologise for the rant, but I've been seeing mindsets like this the whole day today, and it's really getting on my nerves).

 

[StarTrekVoyager]

Sorry then, but in French the word "race" has a xenophobic meaning. Not in English appearently.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Playtonic shot themselves in the foot with this shitty PR move. In order to please a minority (yes, because SJW's are the minority), they just lost a lot of future costumers, not to mention all the people they are consistently censoring, just because they disagree with this move and are asking for the money back.

I don't think SJWs were the only one who didn't like JonTron's comments.

 

[Greymane]

If you think something is taboo then just don't do it yourself and let other people do it. Accepting that other people are different is a good thing. You don't have to suddenly conform to another culture that you're introduced to, just accept that other people might do things differently to you and that's okay to see these differences. Also which laws are you referring to?

Practices such as FGM and child brides which would be against the law in the "west".
questioning religious figures(priests,prophets,god) and practices which would be against laws in a great deal of the middle east.

 

[Skelletonike]

Sorry then, but in French the word "race" has a xenophobic meaning. Not in English appearently.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


I don't think SJWs were the only one who didn't like JonTron's comments.

Probably, yes. The issue here is that most people wouldn't really care about the opinion of just one person related to the game. He wasn't a dev or anything like that, just a guest, with a very minor part.
SJW's however, make a shitstorm about everything and anything.

 

[StarTrekVoyager]

Practices such as FGM and child brides which would be against the law in the "west".
questioning religious figures(priests,prophets,god) and practices which would be against laws in a great deal of the middle east.

FGM is only a thing in Indonesia, and still have been illegal during 10 years. The law was abrogated because no one respected it, but that's another problem. And no immigrants are doing this type of things.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Probably, yes. The issue here is that most people wouldn't really care about the opinion of just one person related to the game. He wasn't a dev or anything like that, just a guest, with a very minor part.
SJW's however, make a shitstorm about everything and anything.

I think Playtronic just wanted to avoid trouble. The most ironic is that now they get trouble from the other people who weren't offended by this. They had to make a choice, appearently they would've had started drama anyways.

 

[Greymane]

FGM is only a thing in Indonesia, and still have been illegal during 10 years. The law was abrogated because no one respected it, but that's another problem. And no immigrants are doing this type of things.

FGM is also practiced by a few tribes in Afrika , from what i can remember

 

[StarTrekVoyager]

FGM is also practiced by a few tribes in Afrika , from what i can remember

Yeah, but still, I don't think that's a good example. A small minority of people do this. Generally, people who decide to migrate to another part of the world aren't the ones with questionable/illegal traditions.

 

[jimbo13]

So what happens when they have a Demographic majority in London-stan because a majority of those polled in the affirmative also said the punishment should be death?

You going to be okay with them hanging them off Big ben like they do off cranes in Saudi Arabia?

"Dear God Nelson, that dead homosexual hanging above the lorrie leaked in my tea."

 

[Skelletonike]

FGM is only a thing in Indonesia, and still have been illegal during 10 years. The law was abrogated because no one respected it, but that's another problem. And no immigrants are doing this type of things.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


I think Playtronic just wanted to avoid trouble. The most ironic is that now they get trouble from the other people who weren't offended by this. They had to make a choice, appearently they would've had started drama anyways.

Yeah, if they hadn't said anything at all, and just remained out of sight, none of this wouldn't be an issue.
Doesn't help much that their employees and literally insulting and making fun of their own clients. That's plain stupid, and those do deserve to be fired.

 

[Eddypikachu]

I am sick and tired of all this SJW pandering.
SJW's are one of the biggest cancers in the entertainment industry.

At first, I barely paid attention to all this crap, they could complain about all they wanted as long as it did not hurt anyone. However, they do hurt people nowadays, perhaps not physically, but they have become one of the biggest cyber-bullies out there.

As someone who loves games, I am sick and tired of this shit (and yes, I'm repeating myself).

-It's okay to make fun of religious views (mostly Christian's);
-It's okay to make fun of all the 'rednecks' (I may not like them, but they're people too);
-It's okay to vandalize public spaces and hate white people just because (BLM);
-It's okay for a white character to become black, if the opposite happens, all hell breaks lose;
-It's okay to insult anyone who disagrees with your SJW nonsense;
...And the list goes on.

How the hell did things get so messed up?

Soon people won't be able to voice their opinions, Jon wasn't even a PR guy for the game, he was just a guest star, he is free to say whatever he wants. He did not commit any crime or say anything that extreme which warranted such an action like completely removing something he had already done.

This 'inclusion' thing is a bunch of bull.
I didn't even know the guy that well before this, but I will withhold from purchasing this game now. The biggest hypocrisy in all of this, is that they are now blocking everyone who asks for a refund, be it on steam or on their very own official forums.

Playtonic shot themselves in the foot with this shitty PR move. In order to please a minority (yes, because SJW's are the minority), they just lost a lot of future costumers, not to mention all the people they are consistently censoring, just because they disagree with this move and are asking for the money back.




(I apologise for the rant, but I've been seeing mindsets like this the whole day today, and it's really getting on my nerves).

First of all there's on such thing as a SJW, just people who use the term to distract from their reactionary politics

"It's okay to vandalize public spaces and hate white people just because (BLM);" So it's okay for you to acknowledge that unarmed black people are getting murdered by police but GOD FORBID they destroy a window in protest because they're fed up with being murdered?
"It's okay for a white character to become black, if the opposite happens, all hell breaks lose;" There's literally billions of white representation in the media, taking away one representation of a white person for a black person, who currently has so little representation, isn't bad. Black people have little representation in the media and to take away even more from that tiny representation in favor for a group that already has billions of representation is pretty absurd.

"Soon people won't be able to voice their opinions" People are able to voice their opinions and people are able to voice their opinion on how they disagree with your opinions. Free speech isn't being able to say whatever you want without repercussions, it's being able to say whatever you want and also accepting that other people will challenge your idea with their own opinions. Which is what we say happened. Jontron voiced his opinion, and Playtonic voiced their opinion on how they disagree with Jontron's views. People have a right to broadcast their opinions but they seem to forget that every action has consequences, if you spout hateful rhetoric you're going to upset people and they won't want to be affiliated with you. Simple as that.

"In order to please a minority (yes, because SJW's are the minority), they just lost a lot of future costumers" Like I said SJWs dont exist and are just used by people like you in order to spout your reactionary politics, and even if they were real you don't have to be a SJW to be against racism and white supremacy, dude ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Flame]

So what happens when they have a Demographic majority in London-stan because a majority of those polled in the affirmative also said the punishment should be death?

You going to be okay with them hanging them off Big ben like they do off cranes in Saudi Arabia?

"Dear God Nelson, that dead homosexual hanging above the lorrie leaked in my tea."

i dont know where to begin...

such great image. doesnt even show the full thing
CNN
comparing London to Saudi Arabia, lol
in rest of the world it is 100% so almost 50/50 is much better


do you believe everything that CNN and Fox tells you?

what if i told you that rest of the world think USA is going to cause nuclear war and doom us all?

 

[Eddypikachu]

So what happens when they have a Demographic majority in London-stan because a majority of those polled in the affirmative also said the punishment should be death?

You going to be okay with them hanging them off Big ben like they do off cranes in Saudi Arabia?

"Dear God Nelson, that dead homosexual hanging above the lorrie leaked in my tea."

Religion should never have an influence in laws in the first place so jot that down. Homosexuals really don't do anything to you other than existing so there's really no reason for why they should be illegal.