Once you lose out on a serious 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 sport 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 an extended reflection about Black Fantasy’s evening at The Recreation Awards on Weibo, the place he goes by Yocar. He acknowledged the sport’s wins within the Greatest 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 (Greatest Motion Recreation, Greatest Artwork Path, Greatest Recreation Path, and Recreation of the 12 months) have been a primary for a Chinese language sport,” Feng famous with justified delight (by way of machine translation). “But, I have 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 have been all distinctive, however actually, I nonetheless can’t work out what the standards have been for Recreation of the 12 months,” Feng continued. “I really feel like I got here all the way in which right here for nothing!”
It may be argued that Feng and the Recreation Science workforce will need to have had a fairly good grasp of the standards for Recreation of the 12 months to achieve the ultimate six nominees. Black Fantasy: Wukong is notable as the primary Western-style, AAA console sport 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 trustworthy about craving — and even anticipating — the highest prize.
“Since final evening, I’ve seen a variety of sturdy dissatisfaction and frustration in gamers’ feedback — typically expressed humorously or satirically, which made me snicker,” he stated.
“I fully 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. “Once you’re so assured and but don’t obtain the popularity you anticipated, it’s pure to really feel upset. […] In truth, I wrote my Recreation of the 12 months acceptance speech two years in the past—solely to by no means get the prospect to ship it!”
Salty! It’s true that the tone of Feng’s feedback might have been misplaced in translation. (epicgamejourney cross-referenced two machine translations, from ChatGPT and Google Translate.) You’ll find some feedback on-line saying that Feng’s authentic Mandarin publish comes throughout as humorously self-mocking — and others saying it sounds conceited and bitter.
Feng’s unfiltered posting has gotten him in scorching 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 publish may look like uncouth bitter grapes and a breach of leisure trade etiquette — however there’s a risk that that’s precisely the purpose, and the specified impact.
