Whenever you lose out on a significant award after getting nominated, it’s customary to carry a set smile, warmly applaud your profitable rival, and by no means converse of it once more. However no one instructed Feng Ji, CEO of Chinese language developer Recreation Science and producer of its hit recreation Black Fantasy: Wukong, which was defeated by Astro Bot within the Recreation of the 12 months class at The Recreation Awards on Thursday.
Feng posted a protracted reflection about Black Fantasy’s night time at The Recreation Awards on Weibo, the place he goes by Yocar. He acknowledged the sport’s wins within the Finest Motion Recreation and Gamers’ Voice classes, however expressed disappointment and confusion on the GOTY loss, and admitted to writing an acceptance speech two years in the past.
“The 4 nominations (Finest Motion Recreation, Finest Artwork Route, Finest Recreation Route, and Recreation of the 12 months) had been a primary for a Chinese language recreation,” Feng famous with justified delight (by way of machine translation). “But, I need to admit, there’s a way of loss and remorse. Greater than something, although, there’s a letting go of illusions.
“The video games nominated this yr had been all distinctive, however actually, I nonetheless can’t work out what the standards had been for Recreation of the 12 months,” Feng continued. “I really feel like I got here all the best way right here for nothing!”
It may be argued that Feng and the Recreation Science workforce should have had a reasonably good grasp of the standards for Recreation of the 12 months to succeed in the ultimate six nominees. Black Fantasy: Wukong is notable as the primary Western-style, AAA console recreation manufacturing to emerge from China, and if success at The Recreation Awards was a part of the plan, then it appears to have hit the bullseye. However Feng was sincere about craving — and even anticipating — the highest prize.
“Since final night time, I’ve seen loads of robust dissatisfaction and frustration in gamers’ feedback — typically expressed humorously or mockingly, which made me chortle,” he stated.
“I utterly perceive these emotions and share the frustration, as a result of behind these feelings lies not ache or malice, however dignity and confidence,” Feng added. “Whenever you’re so assured and but don’t obtain the popularity you anticipated, it’s pure to really feel upset. […] In actual fact, I wrote my Recreation of the 12 months acceptance speech two years in the past—solely to by no means get the possibility to ship it!”
Salty! It’s true that the tone of Feng’s feedback could have been misplaced in translation. (gamerlifemedia cross-referenced two machine translations, from ChatGPT and Google Translate.) You will discover some feedback on-line saying that Feng’s authentic Mandarin submit comes throughout as humorously self-mocking — and others saying it sounds smug and bitter.
Feng’s unfiltered posting has gotten him in sizzling water earlier than. Final yr, IGN reported on an obvious tradition of sexism surrounding Black Fantasy: Wukong, and famous the crude, sexist language that the CEO utilized in a few of his social media posts.
However a passionate outspokenness is a part of Feng’s on-line persona, and a part of what excites Black Fantasy’s legion of followers. His submit would possibly seem to be uncouth bitter grapes and a breach of leisure business etiquette — however there’s a risk that that’s precisely the purpose, and the specified impact.
