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You are the CEO of a major AAA publisher. Your game(s) offend dictatorships that represent a big market share. Do you apologize?

Your game(s) offend dictatorships that represent a big market share. Do you apologize?

  • I don't change anything, as long as no jobs are threatened by benefits loss

    Votes: 134 22.3%

  • I don't change anything, no matter the consequences

    Votes: 116 19.3%

  • I censor/edit the game and apologiz, I am here for business and I can't risk upsetting shareholders.

    Votes: 169 28.1%

  • Not only do I leave those games intact, I make even more games like these.

    Votes: 162 26.9%

  • Other

    Votes: 21 3.5%
  • Total voters
    602

Deleted member 13645

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
6,052
I mean, if i'm the CEO i'm pretty sure I gotta go with the 3rd option or risk upsetting a ton of shareholders and not being CEO much longer. I'd pay lip service to the apology and then, assuming i'm making a CEO salary, donate a good amount of money to organizations that will matter more than me not apologizing would. I could do more good for the world with the money i'd be earning by staying as a CEO than refusing to apologize and then just getting replaced and having the next CEO apologize.

vestan said:
Side-eyeing anyone that picks the third option. If I wanted to run a financially successful video game publishing business, I'd pick the third option without a doubt, but this is a question about morals and I couldn't in good conscience do that.

If I was the CEO of a major AAA publisher, it wouldn't be public so I'm not at the whims of dumbfuck shareholders.
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If the actions of businesses have taught me anything, just because you apologize doesn't mean you have to mean it at all. You could even just give a fake apology to appease them for the sake of the business, but then spend a nice chunk of that CEO salary on activism and charities that directly oppose that dictatorship. That would end up going way further than being headstrong about making a statement and then losing your job, then the next CEO apologizes and nothing came from it. Staying as CEO so you can turn around and do good with that money seems worth a fake or forced apology.
 
Last edited:
mutantmagnet

mutantmagnet

Member
Oct 28, 2017
12,401
You are the CEO
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People really don't understand what a CEO is. CEO's have bosses. You know that phrase the CEO must build value for their shareholders?

It's a euphemism for the CEO must build value for their board members.

If the board wants the company to bend the knee to fascism then as the CEO you are putting your job on the line defying them.


Frankly regardless of my position in the company I would be critical of dictatorships and if I was in a leadership capacity would advocate increasing levels of mindfulness dependent on high up the corporate chain I was.
 

Deleted member 10612

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,774
If it was North Korea I would tell them to fuck of and eat the loss in sales, if it was the US I would bow down. It's not the job of a game publisher to do geo politics, you want to sell games.
 
Continental 0p

Continental 0p

Member
Oct 27, 2017
778
GA, USA
Not only would I double down, I would use my vast fortunes to stage a revolution.
Since this is hypothetical, I can pretend there's a chance we don't lose.
 

Ghostwalker

Member
Oct 30, 2017
582
It depends how much of the company do you own.

If you won 51% or more of the company your pretty much free to do as you want.

If the Shareholders own over 51% then you work for them and you do as they say or they find sombody else that can.
 
Devilgunman

Devilgunman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,453
If you're a CEO and you don't choose #3, you will most likely be fired and the board will find another CEO who would choose #3 to replace you.


I'll choose #3 easily. Moral don't feed my family.
 
Servbot24

Servbot24

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
43,109
I'd do whatever is best for my employees, which would most likely be censoring the game. Hopefully it's possible to only censor the game in certain regions.
 
huH1678

huH1678

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,029
If I owned majority of the company I'd do what I want. If it was owned mainly by shareholders I would just pay lip service and support causes that fight against the dictatorship.
 
bulletyen

bulletyen

Member
Nov 12, 2017
1,309
If I were a CEO of my own startup, I do what I want according to my own personal beliefs and values. But title specifies "major AAA" publisher, so is anyone who is in that position really gonna do anything that doesn't benefit their company's bottom line?
 

Deleted member 48897

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 22, 2018
13,623
I voted the option where I don't change the game and also I ask for the Pooh license from Disney for my next game
 
Ploid 6.0

Ploid 6.0

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,440
Trick question, a dictator would immediately bann my games henceforth. I go the "The Interview" route, push it to the max. Free publicity, my company is already banned. Then I get a Pooh Bear game made.
 
Chaos2Frozen

Chaos2Frozen

Member
Nov 3, 2017
28,041
First things first, I want a report from sales and marketing to know which group makes me more money.

Tough luck to the losers though, you don't pay my sub.
 
RestEerie

RestEerie

Banned
Aug 20, 2018
13,618
The CEO's main job is to answer to shareholders aka ensure profit margins...

Any CEO that stuck to their 'principles' at the expense of profit may be a "better" person but a bad CEO....

Know your role and what you are hired for.
 
kirby_fox

kirby_fox

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,733
Midwest USA
If I'm running a big publishing company it's for profit. Not every region is the same and censoring some things may just be part of it. As CEO I wouldn't be part of the art or creation of these titles anyway. They wouldn't need an apology, it wouldn't get out to the market to matter.

If I'm a small time guy who made it myself or with a smaller team? Screw 'em.
 
Chaos2Frozen

Chaos2Frozen

Member
Nov 3, 2017
28,041
RestEerie said:
The CEO's main job is to answer to shareholders aka ensure profit margins...

Any CEO that stuck to their 'principles' at the expense of profit may be a "better" person but a bad CEO....

Know your role and what you are hired for.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Depends, maybe going woke makes more money.

We should set up a committee to carry out a study first before we make any statement

I foresee months of fruitful labor
 

Deleted member 5725

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,115
Since the publisher is public, I'd censor the game for that market and apologize, and then...

200.gif
 
TheThreadsThatBindUs

TheThreadsThatBindUs

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,151
United Kingdom
It depends entirely on why my game offended said parties.

If it was because I included some risque lines, or a dirty joke that failed to land, or my writers included something that was genuinely offensive, why should I stick to my guns pretending that I have the moral high ground?
 
Kasai

Kasai

Member
Jan 24, 2018
4,283
I'd make a Winnie the Pooh RPG where you have to take down The Bear after he took over 100 Acre Wood.
 
MysticGon

MysticGon

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 31, 2017
7,285
Yeah I'd censor it. It'd suck if the fans of said game couldn't play it at all without importing. For me bringing a game to market is about bringing as much joy to as many people as possible. If a few cheap edits is all that stood in the way of that yeah, of course I'd change it.
 
Reinhard

Reinhard

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,601
Don't be publicly traded, then you aren't beholden to shareholders who don't care that corporations are destroying the world (and potentially the longevity of the company) just to maximize short term quarterly profits.
 
M1chl

M1chl

Banned
Nov 20, 2017
2,054
Czech Republic
Like a armchair CEO I want to believe that I would not do that, but as a person from post-communistic country, answer is absolutely fucking yes, because you fucking never know what could they do to you or your family.

But at the same time, you wouldn't exactly be CEO in the communist state, so I could probably handle "my game" being banned somewhere.
 
Cantaim

Cantaim

Member
Oct 25, 2017
33,343
The Stussining
I would apologize if peoples jobs were on the line. I would happily fuck over myself in a heartbeat. But potentially fuck over even 1 persons job? Nah I can't do that I'd genuinely lose sleep over that if I knew I had the power to stop that.
 
Vimto

Vimto

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,714
duh.. and if I find out some employee intentionally caused this shit, then hoo boy..
 
Ashlette

Ashlette

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,254
I'm disappointed by the poll results.

What if the dictatorship was offended because they saw a trans person in your game and wanted you to remove them? Would you seriously follow through with their request?
 
Version 3.0

Version 3.0

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,172
I'd like to think that, were I in charge, I'd have foreseen this and made this decision in the early stages of creating the game. Either don't make a potentially controversial game, or do it and stick to your guns. Both are potentially profitable. Offending one group often brings another rushing to your defense.
 
Rad

Rad

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,068
Heavily depends on what the issue is. I might edit the game in some situations. I mean in the end it's a business.
 
Boiled Goose

Boiled Goose

Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,999
Companies should have ethical as well as fiduciary responsibilities .

If you disagree, you're part of the world's problems
 
Zojirushi

Zojirushi

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,297
I'd maybe try one of those "sorry you're offended" non apologies you hear from shitheads these days.
 

Lishi

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,284
Your job is to steer the company and protect the worker and/or shareholder investment . If you can't stomach it leave. It will probably better for everyone.

It don't even need o be a dictatorship.
 

Lishi

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,284
Ghostwalker said:
It depends how much of the company do you own.

If you won 51% or more of the company your pretty much free to do as you want.

If the Shareholders own over 51% then you work for them and you do as they say or they find sombody else that can.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
the ceo owner of the company is a rarity. Most of them are hired from outside.


RestEerie said:
The CEO's main job is to answer to shareholders aka ensure profit margins...

Any CEO that stuck to their 'principles' at the expense of profit may be a "better" person but a bad CEO....

Know your role and what you are hired for.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The ceo no matter what will land on his feet even if its fired.

The one would not land on their feet are the workers that might lose the job.

So if you choose anything over 3(number one is not likely to happen).

You are not only a terrible ceo but also someone who put their principle before the well being of their dependent.
 
Jenea

Jenea

Banned
Mar 14, 2018
1,568
If you are the CEO you'll have to apologize and censor it, otherwise you won't keep your job position for long.
 
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