Bring Cranker
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Posted - 2005.11.10 00:54:00 -
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Afaik the connection between 4S corp and the serbian term labelled likewise, is and has been acknowledged.
So all the posters trying to say its not, for whatever reason, should perhaps stop.
With that established what remains is to debate whether that slogan/symbol(a slogan can more or less be a symbol too, to a group) could be considered offensive enough to another group of people. Of course the EULA is not specific on this point. Specifics creates loopholes that needs to be covered - where people would also throw their arms in the air. And it cannot realisticly be expected to cover all situations.
So CCP are left with decision making. In this case they are - after over two years - confronted with the fact that the name of one corporation might represent offend a group of players of certain origins. Stuff they could not have been expected to realise, unless pointed out to them, if one is just a tuny bit fair.
So CCP decides that the name - relating to a slogan and symbol that they find to referenced in several war tribunal documents and the likes as being a significant symbol - to be overtly harmful/offensive to another group of players. The amount of affected players, the intent and seriousness of the offense perceived to be taken and a deliberation over how close this hits home in said players must of course have gone into the decision. Point to a similar croation issue, polish issue or danish issue for that matter - and I am sure the decision would have been the same.
What it means to the serbian player group is basically the lesser concern here. No matter how proud they may be of it, and how much the right to be so is acknowledged. The ferocity with which it is fought for here, could also be an indicator of that that it IS a subject to important to be brought into a game.
CCP came to the conclusion that it could be a reminder to many people of things they did not want to be reminded of in game. And SHOULD not be reminded of in a game. And given the documents presented by several players, I tend to agree that this might be very possible.
People are saying that this is a game and therefore people should relax - its just a name. I feel that a lot of players are basically saying "crybabies" to a group of players for whom this could very well be reminder of gruesome events and experiences. We are not talking about wedgies in highschool here, people.
But thats just it - for some people it is apparently not a name. See, just by telling them they cant use it in game, the corp members bring out words as racists and others like it. But in order for people to relax and enjoy the game, it is perhaps EXACLTY important that serious real life issues are kept out of it. The limits of speech and actions HAS to be narrower in the game - to make sure that the game can be enjoyed by all(given the established game mechanics :-) and not be filled with the political/ethnic/nationalistic debates based on real life issues. It is not a platform for all sides of your personality and opinions.
I am sure that CCP is not aiming for the lowest common denominator here. The easy way out here is to say it does not matter. Maybe the atrocities of the Yugoslavian civil war IS to close to heart for many slightly older Europeans, for them to have a complete unbiased, objective look at it. But I am sure that it is not a croatian or a serbian bias, that CCP have exacted in that case.
But a bias towards humanity.
I am sure they have done what they have done out of what they believe to be kindness and compassion to their fellow man, and chosen what they believed to be the lesser of two evils.
Then you can call that misguided political correctness - but that would emply they have no empathy with the parts - but only took the decision based on their expectations of the impression on the surroundings(ie. entities not involved in the game). Which I hardly think they care much for.
Show them some love people.
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