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Devotion (Taiwan horror game) removed from Steam [Update: Coming Back after Q&A Check]

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Kalor

Kalor

Resettlement Advisor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,629
This is still developing but any searches on Steam for the game only bring up the soundtrack, with the actual game being gone. There's been no official comment yet about the game being removed.

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A brief summary for people not following the game is that the game came out last week and was really well received. Then an easter egg was found that referred to Winnie the Pooh and Xi Jinping which then prompted a backlash from the Chinese side of the community. It was then reviewbombed by people in China and the controversy over the game has grown so much that the Vice Premier of Taiwan streamed himself playing the game earlier in support of the developers (Red Candle Games).

Update: A statement from Red Candle Games

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Hektor

Hektor

Community Resettler
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,884
Deutschland
A big, big shame.
I hope the devs will be able to relaunch the game soon, but i worry they really screwed over their future.
They're very talented, but a lot of chinese companies might be unwilling to work together with them going forward.
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,792
Oman
Is this game self published or is there a specific publisher for the game? I was under the impression it was the latter.
 
Evilmaus

Evilmaus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
635
I was literally just trying to buy this. The deluxe edition is still there for me (UK), but I can't purchase it.

What the actual fuck?
 
Sign My Guestbook!

Sign My Guestbook!

Member
May 26, 2018
24,021
I knew China had a shit load of leverage on this. Fuck... fuck!

edit: after review, just to clarify, I'm sure they still hold leverage, but they apparently haven't exercised it in regards to Valve and Steam. The developers no longer have publishers (the publishers were Chinese and are now under investigation) so the devs have to work that out before putting the game back on the store.
 
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Samaritan

Samaritan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,697
Tacoma, Washington
Always love it when Western companies help enforce Chinese censorship, it's super cool.

But I do get a kick out of how big of a baby Xi Jinping is about the Winnie the Pooh meme. I guess he hasn't heard of the Streisand Effect.
 
Sabretooth

Sabretooth

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,067
India
Tizoc said:
Is this game self published or is there a specific publisher for the game? I was under the impression it was the latter.
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They had two publishers, one for China and one presumably for the rest of the world. They were listed on Steam as Indievent and Winking Skywalker. I know that the China publisher severed all ties as soon as this controversy came to light.

When I last checked today, the publisher field said RedCandleGames again, so both publishers have pulled support. That essentially makes the game self-published now.
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,792
Oman
Sabretooth said:
They had two publishers, one for China and one presumably for the rest of the world. They were listed on Steam as Indievent and Winking Skywalker. I know that the China publisher severed all ties as soon as this controversy came to light.

When I last checked today, the publisher field said RedCandleGames again, so both publishers have pulled support. That essentially makes the game self-published now.
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Thanks, your first paragraph is what I was curious about.
 
Hella

Hella

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,406
Is there any indication whether it was Valve or the devs (or someone else I guess) that pulled it? Really messed up either way.
 
Heon

Heon

Member
Oct 25, 2017
135
Also:

"Red Candle Games says its relationship with its publishers Indievent and Winking Skywalker has been terminated and the studio is on the hook for "relevant loss" based on the terms of their contract. The studio has seen its account on the major Chinese social media site Weibo shut down as well."​

Source
 
Hektor

Hektor

Community Resettler
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,884
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Ionic

Ionic

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
2,735
Sign My Guestbook! said:
Either Steam bans Devotion or Steam gets banned from China.

But I suppose there's an alternate lesson to be learned there.
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There are tons, absolute tons of games that wouldn't get past China's censors. I'm not sure why it's possible to use Steam in China right now, but I imagine that thought is why Valve are developing a Steam for China that will probably have fewer games and community features. It would be terrible if those censors started to affect the content on the world wide store too.
 
ProstatePuncher

ProstatePuncher

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
5,800
This is the most wack shit in the Universe. Fuck anyone sucking off the Chinese government and ruining the chances of a dev over this.
 
DJ_Lae

DJ_Lae

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,870
Edmonton
Having a Taiwanese official streaming himself playing the game is hilarious.

I also love how sore a spot the Winnie the Pooh thing is. It's so thin-skinned and dumb.

I hope the game goes back up.
 
Nashira

Nashira

Alt Account
Banned
Feb 21, 2019
207
Isn't Steam still hosting that fascist Brazilian game despite all the criticisms?
 
TheAuldTriangle

TheAuldTriangle

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,249
Im subbed to a vlogger who lives in China (Shenzhen) and he mentioned how China is going backwards under the new leadership. Old cold war propaganda is being propped up again and the likes.

Not surprised at this. Plus those ultra jingoist Chinese are a disease.
 
Dest

Dest

Has seen more 10s than EA ever will
Coward
Jun 4, 2018
14,057
Work
Seriously? For fucks sake. Depending on what that means with their publisher, I hope this doesn't close the door on Red Candle.
 
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