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Playtonic removes controversial YouTuber JonTron from Yooka-Laylee

“We do not endorse or support JonTron's personal viewpoints”

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majiebeast2189d ago

Yeah wouldn't want those 10 people to boycot your game...

pasta_spice2189d ago

Lol at the people boycotting the game because they won't get to hear Jontron make a single 'boop' noise on the menu screen. Who cares?

If I said the shit Jontron was saying, I'd be fired from my company on the spot. And yet people are surprised and shocked that Jontron is no longer in the game because it's "only his personal opinions". Pfft. These people obviously aren't old enough to have a job or represent a company. You can be fired for having shitty opinions on your facebook page nowadays, especially if your have the company you work for on your page too.

_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

Agreed

if you work for a company you also publicly represent them to a degree.

bluefox7552189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

Depends on your job, he didn't say anything controversial unless you're on the far left and intolerant to other views.

andrewsquall2189d ago

@_-EDMIX-_ But that isn't the same thing at all. You are saying that as if Jon works at Playtonic. He doesn't.

Its more like he showed up for the day and fixed their plumbing and left his patented shine on the bathroom facilities. Now that he said that stuff, they are unfortunately going to get the pipes done by somebody else, when really who the hell cares.
So a plumber's opinion can publicly represent a companies views lol???

Kabaneri2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

You would be fired for having the same views that the President (and half of America) has? Thats absolute insanity.
You leftists are the ones who are truly intolerant, destroying people's careers because youre too emotional and arrogant to hear out other people's views without calling them racist, white supremacist, nazi, etc.
"The fascists of the future will be the anti-fascists" - Winston Churchill

davand1142189d ago

@andrewsquall
Actually if you are contracted to do voice acting for a company as long as that project is in the works, you do work for them and you should act in a professional manner.

game4funz2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

Who cares? It is not about what he does in the game.
Its the fact that if they dont agree with your viewpoints they are willing and able to discriminate against you based on personal views.

That is the problem.

This is a huge issue. How long before they start asking personal view points in interviews and people are forced to lie in order to land a job.

Companies should have goals...not views as a whole. They should not get involved in social and political correctness crap. Unless of course the company's goal is just that.

Christopher2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

***Companies should have goals...not views as a whole. They should not get involved in social and political correctness crap. Unless of course the company's goal is just that.***

That's not how life works. People have the right to spend or not spend their money, and for some that is based on political and social reasoning.

***he didn't say anything controversial unless you're on the far left and intolerant to other views.***

Sorry, but his wealthy black Americans comment is extremely controversial. As well as getting rid of discrimination in the West.

It's also perfectly fine to be critical of views when they are wrong or harmful. I'm critical of the viewpoint that the world is flat, for example, which people actually believe.

Gheritt_White2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

@Kabaneri FYI, Churchill never said that (ridiculous) quote you posted. Source: http://bit.ly/2odOhyu

Ogygian2189d ago

In the UK (where Playtonic is based), if you fire someone for their political beliefs, you can be sued for unfair dismissal. HOWEVER, this only applies to employees, and it seems that JonTron was almost certainly a contractor, so he's not protected.

But if one of their employees said this, they would be breaking the law by firing them.

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_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

What does a boycott have to do with this? The reality is the developer may not want such views to be misconstrued with their own.

davand1142189d ago

Like you said Playtonic does not want the public to view Jontrons opinion as there own. They have right to drop a contracted worker if they do or say something controversial that doesn't match their views as a company.

2189d ago
desertpunk862189d ago

are you saying that only whites will play yooka laylee!?!?RACIST!

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2189d ago
CrimsonWing692189d ago

I mean, Jon, bro I love you n' all but you kinda said things that put you in this position. While i respect you for having your beliefs and stances I have to say I don't blame these people for not agreeing with you and wanting to distance themselves. It might not even be because of consumers boycotting the game, it might be actual devs or business executives that didn't agree with you. That's how the cookie crumbles.

KrystofKage12189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

Video game devs and voice artists are constantly being assholes. Manveer was a racist and Bioware praised the guy, even when he was insulting white employees.

This is just bullshit. Another company pandering to SJW's because of their loud screeching. Thankfully most companies have realized they have more to lose by doing so. This will only hurt Yooka Laylee, not help it.

InMyOpinion2189d ago Show
_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

How do you know they're pandering?

How would this hurt the game? People are not purchasing the game for any political beliefs so why would they decide to not purchase it because of some sort of political belief? I think you've greatly confused why people play games buddy.

pasta_spice2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

I love how people always blame the SJWs for things like this, instead of realizing that this is a fairly standard business decision. Playtonic are a private business who makes family-friendly games. So they generally don't want to be associated with people who spout racist crap on a public forum and proudly proclaim they are a white supremacist. It has nothing to do with "pandering to SJWs" and everything to do with avoiding a PR disaster and trying to keep that family-friendly image. Especially considering this is their first ever game. They want to release it as smoothly as possible.

bluefox7552189d ago

That's ok though, because he's a liberal.

davand1142189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

This isn't pandering to sjw at all what are you talking about? Just because Bioware tolerated racist bullshit Playtonic should too? That makes no sense. Also most companies would have done the same thing. Bringing a negative light on a company through your own actions will get you fired 99% of the time. Hell you could be the president of the company and if you come out saying some dumb shit the board of directors will vote you out.

xwabbit2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

@InMyOpinion
Anyone who isn't liberal is called racist these days so that word and Nazi really hold no weight, I got called a Nazi for saying all lives matter, thats how disabled those people are.

PlayableGamez-2189d ago

pasta_spice
Please cite your source that Jon proudly admits to being a white supremacist?

TWB2189d ago

It doesnt have to be a clear stance on either side. Jon fked up. Instead of thinking what he said, he rambled. I recognize the points he was trying to say (at least most of them), but incoherently he always framed the issues in a way that they sounded racial.

Its hard to defend someone, when you are not even exactly sure what he's saying.

This is not pandering to the SJW's. This is just them trying to distance themselves from Jon and his mess.

For the record, Im not burnt by Jon, but goddamned does he have to refine his thoughts better before he digs the hole any deeper. First the outrage was just funny, but the Destiny vs Jon debate was a fking disaster.

SpinalRemains1382189d ago

It's not pandering. It's a business distancing itself from a lightning rod. Pandering is putting transexual characters into games due to pressure.

Christopher2189d ago

***I got called a Nazi for saying all lives matter, thats how disabled those people are.***

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you likely get called things because you refer to them as disabled. It's like people are confused when other people don't respond calmly when you call them cucks.

cberg252189d ago

I guarantee associating their game with an alt-right figurehead would have done more damage than benefit.

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jrshankill2189d ago

meh. Jon is rolling in ad money anyway. I'm sure he cares very little.

Put it this way, I'm sure it wasn't Jontron who approached Playtonic.

silvacrest2189d ago

Weird comment, do you actually care about this guys personal fortune over his racist remarks?

Even if you are a fan of his (i'm assuming)

TheDivine2189d ago

Their statement said they fired him for his personal beliefs. Sounds like discrimination and a lawsuit. Hope he wins.

Retroman2189d ago

Amen, bro. if you Can't stand up for your personal belief what you got left? MK Ultra mind control telling you to lie to gamers to buy any games with Glitches . is that fair guys? this apply to disagreeers as well . im talking about ALL of us as a whole.

IanTH2189d ago

But...isn't Playtonic telling Jon that they no longer want his services because they don't believe what he believes in standing up for their personal beliefs?

If Jon was offered a job and then said, no sir, I don't agree with your views so I refuse to work with you...that'd be applauded I'm gathering. But Playtonic saying no sir, I don't agree with your views so I refuse to work with you...that's discrimination? Where is the line drawn?

joethetimelord2188d ago

@instantstupor
The problem isn't in the reactions themselves, but how the reactions were carried out. Jontron respected Playtonic's views even though he didn't agree with them. He tolerated their politics in a professional environment, and did his part in that environment. The second he began stating his own views, and not directly to Playtonic, mind, Playtonic fired him. They were intolerant of his politics in a professional environment, which is not a good thing.

Even now that the deed is done, he's not decrying them for political reasons. In fact he still wishes them well. That's a measure of maturity and professionalism that Playtonic has proven they do not have.

pasta_spice2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

That's not how the law or discrimination works at all. Playtonic is a private business that has the right to express itself as they see fit. If they do not wish to include voice work by a controversial figure in their video game that is well within their right. Jon’s free speech was not violated in any way because Playtonic is not the government and they have to right to do whatever they want with the content he contributed to their game.

In this particular case, JonTron has almost certainly already been paid for his contributions (that’s kind of how VO work functions), and the company is removing his content from the game to avoid the appearance of having an association with him; they are absolutely within their right to do so—just as JonTron was within his rights to express his view in a public forum. He decided to say what he said, and he’s now reaping the whirlwind he unleashed. .

That is exactly how professional associations work.

Jontron expressed his free speech by saying the things he said on youtube. Playtonic are expressing their free speech by removing him from their content. Free speech works both ways.

SenorFartCushion2189d ago

Why would they know? They're just teens lol

Enigma_20992189d ago

@pasta_spice

...aaaaaaand BOOM! Mic drop!

AnotherProGamer2189d ago

yet people go crazy and protest down the street when a store won't sell gay people a cake LOL

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_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

I don't think you understand how the law works.

The company is not stopping him from having that believe they're making clear that they're not going to employ him because of it but no where are they forcing him to believe something else nothing has technically been violated.

You cannot work for Walmart or any major corporation and then go on Facebook and YouTube and Sprout racist garbage and not expect to be fired.

Again I don't think you fully understand illegally how that actually works it's not saying that you could say whatever you want and remain employed , it's simply saying you're free to believe and say whatever you feel like it but if the company does not agree with you they're going to fire you to protect their image or because they have their own personal beliefs that technically conflict with your own.

Again that's not forcing anyone to not have that believe, it's simply saying you're free to believe in that but clearly not with our company.

I'm pretty positive when JonTron signed up for this he also made it clear that he would have to abide by specific policies in images that the company has set forth.

When you decided to go on his racist rant he kind of made his own grave.

It's not saying he's not free to make those statements it's simply saying his choice to make those statements is no different than the choice of the company to fire him they both fitted of their own free will and own volition so you're blaming a company for the actions of someone else?

I mean ironically have you not slowly realized that JonTron is as free as to make those statements as the damn company is free to fire him?

LMFAO!!!

Did you seriously think he had a right to that job?

LAWSON722189d ago

Only job you could not be fired for something like that is probably a government job. Your freedoms only go so far when you depend on employment.

That is why people tell you to be careful with what you say on a site like facebook. HR is not going to interview a racist, sexist, and overall very negative/nasty person.

davand1142189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

He can't actually sue. He got fired because he said some racist, xenophobic shit on a public forum. Playtonic as a private company have the right to part ways with a contracted worker if their actions negatively effect them, or are not aligned with their beliefs, or their code of conduct.

rocketpanda2189d ago

He is allowed the have his personal belief. You think if a personal view isn't extreme that there won't be a reaction, especially in business and when money is involved.

Funny that you think it is discriminatory for a dev to drop him when he made massive sweeping racial statements with no information to back it up whilst laughing about saying "look it up!" If he made credible arguments and cold back them up rather than ask to google it he would be in this situation with egg on his face.

There will be no lawsuit and he won't win anything. He should of gone the TB route and realized that voicing political issues doesn't go down well with your viewers who don't care about your immigration or political stances and would rather have you keep it to yourself, in which TB later acknowledged. JonTron just kept digging himself deeper and deeper during that Destiny video interview.

People get upset if a YouTuber gives a game a score they don't agree with, what do you think the reaction is when they start saying borderline racial slurs?

admiralvic2189d ago

I'm surprised how many people commented without mentioning what exactly discrimination is. Technically, regardless of where he worked, this isn't discrimination. For it to be discrimination, it has to be something that is completely unjust, like firing over age, race, gender, disability and so forth. He can't win and odds are the contract he signed said something about not ruining the companies image or something else where this would come into play.

Now, he could sue, but there is a 99.99 percent chance he would lose.

roarmonster2189d ago

Racism isn't a personal belief, it's a mental illness

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ZombieGamerMan2189d ago

Well I now know I won't be purchasing this game, I'm sorry but this is bullshit. Agree or disagree with personal views all you want but you can not remove him from it based on what he believes in. It's not right.

Pandamobile2189d ago

"Rich blacks commit more crime than poor whites, look it up".

I can't imagine why a company selling a product would want to distance themselves from that.

ZombieGamerMan2189d ago

He said stupid shit who cares, why does that warrant removing him from the game. Shouldn't a simple "We do not agree with his views" be enough because who is going to play the game with Jon in it and be like "I am extremely uncomfortable with the voice of someone who's view points I don't agree on being in this game, I feel sick" Who is going to be like that and if you are why?

InMyOpinion2189d ago

@ZombieGamerMan - By not taking a stand against racism and racist remarks you send a signal that it's ok. It didn't work that well in Europe during the 30's and now it's brought us a lunatic in the white house. There should be zero tolerance against this kind of stupidity, cause that's essentially what racism is about.

_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

@zomb- "He said stupid shit who cares, why does that warrant removing him from the game"

clearly the damn company making this game actually cares they don't want their game associated with a outspoken racist especially if the owners of that company do not share that belief.

He is free to have those views and he is free to take those actions in regards to expressing them JUST like that damn company is free to express their own views by actually firing him.

What you're basically saying it's JonTron should be free to express and do whatever he feels like it but the company should not be free to express their own views.

Completely ignoring that they own the company. It's going to seem very hypocritical and questionable of any companies character to say they don't agree with someone specific views yet continue to hire them in the first place.

It's actually going to sound like their integrity is for sale and that for any price they'll bend to any will.

I'm sorry buddy but he has his beliefs but so does that companies.

He made his choice they made theirs I'm not sure why you're telling a company the not Express their own views with the actions of firing him yet you're asking them to ignore Jon.

The hypocrisy is literally hilarious.

Angerfist2189d ago

So? Are you afraid of Reality cause it destroys your Dream World? Dropped some #PrayforLondon Tweets?

Facts are out there. Jontron drops redpills and you guys are up in arms cause it might hurt a grown criminal mans feelings

bluefox7552189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

Yes, he cited a Washington Post article that says the very same thing. Yet Washington Post still has advertisers? Like how you conveniently leave that part out. https://www.washingtonpost....

Gh05t2189d ago

If only this type of thing was applied equally across the spectrum.

ZombieGamerMan2189d ago

@ InMyOpinion Ok where is this perceived racism that we should be speaking out against and towards who is it being done to? And how has not talking a stand against your perceived racism gotten Donald Trump the presidency?

@ _-EDMIX-_ I have seen the stream Jontron was in and unless you believe he is an outspoken racist because the streamer called him that is moronic, now some of the things he has said are very dumb like more rich black people commit crimes than poor whites. I have no idea where he pulled that from and he clearly can't put up a good debate but then again the other guy was really bad too in trying to just ignore any points he had and call him a flat out racist. He expressed a view that it is not right that in countries where the majority of it's people are white find themselves being called racist because they point out social issues that need to be addressed because the other person might be a person of color. Which guess what he is not wrong just look at the 2016 presidential election and how Hilary supporters and the news media would call any Donald Trump supporters racist, white nationalist, sexist every buzzword in the book simply because Donald Trump spoke to their needs.

Now I am not being hypocritical when I say what the developers here did was wrong because Jontron did not go to promote the game, this wasn't some panel on the game where he started ranting and started spewing racial slurs. It was a "debate" between two people with different view points and because his view points are not very liberal or PC or progressive he is dubbed a racist and is removed from a game because the people making the game don't like what he thinks. As I said the company doesn't have to agree with what Jon believes in his private time or when he has political discussions with people and a simple "We do not share the same beliefs as Jontron" would have been enough. Sadly that is not the case and they are removing him because Jontron has a different opinion, this is the same as if he just said he was Republican and he got fired for it because the developers vote Democrat. It's mental and for anyone to be fine with it is just as mental.

Realms2189d ago

@ZombieGamerMan

It's really simple they don't want to be associated with Jon Tron and his controversial beliefs. They did not fire him they are just choosing to distance themselves from him and they have every right to do so. Just like you have a right not to buy the game if what they did really bothers you.

ZombieGamerMan2189d ago

@ realms but is it an actual right? Like if I'm a registered Republican for example and I worked for Naughty Dog and I was talking to my coworker that I thought Donald Trump has a valid point about illegal immigration and my boss heard it and he is a Democrat who voted Hilary should he be able to fire me because of my opinion? If the answer is yes then we live in a frightening world where people can't express themselves out of fear that I will lose my job.

This is what happened with Jon, people can cal his views racist but when he sit down and listen to what was being said you will see that what he is saying isn't discriminating anyone, he is pointing out the double standards of the left and how the people of any given country should primarily serving their own interest. And as I have been saying this was not Jon going out on the company's behalf talking about his views, this wasn't him going to fan Q&A's and using racial slurs to people, this was him as himself having a political discussion and that he is somehow being punished for this is disturbing to me.

_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

@Zombie- Buddy...you have a very, very hard time understanding how the law works.

" but is it an actual right? Like if I'm a registered Republican for example and I worked for Naughty Dog and I was talking to my coworker that I thought Donald Trump has a valid point about illegal immigration and my boss heard it and he is a Democrat who voted Hilary should he be able to fire me because of my opinion?"

Zombie....that answer was yes right when you stated "worked for Naughty Dog" Not Post office, not Police Officer, not Public School teacher etc. Mind you, even those governement jobs can and will fire you for expressing such things at the work place because you are free to believe what you want, but you are NOT free to do so under their employment IN THE WORK PLACE. You are still not getting.

You can say it......

Not working at Sony in their offices or online or facebook etc. lol

So what rights did they take away? How can you sue a company that is telling you pretty much upfront that those views are not to be expressed in the work place?

"we live in a frightening world where people can't express themselves"

You can't? Really? You are right now Zombie...who is putting duck tape on your mouth? Your upset and emotionally because you'd be fired over such a view, but your not understanding you can't have both. Sorry but companies don't want to be around such concepts and they are free to fire you for misrepresenting them.

JUST like you are free to make that view and expess it freely. Again....how "can't" you express yourself? You and I are posting right not right? I mean...you can make any damn post you feel like it on Facebook, just don't expect to keep your job when or if they find out.

So sure, your free to do it. No one is stopping you. Define "can't"? LMFAO! You don't understand it do you?

You are mad that someone else RIGHTS to fire you can be expressed on a COMPANY THEY OWN

Yet you also want to express ideas of hate and don't want those companies to express their own rights of firing you despite them owning said business? O_o? WTF?

LMFAO! Help me understand this friend, as it sounds like you want to offend and have the right to do so, but you also DON'T want companies have the right to fire you based on said beliefs....of companies they OWN...

ChickeyCantor2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

That's rather disingenuous. He didn't just randomly say that. He used STATISTICS. Whether he interpreted them wrong or not he wasn't being racist about that at all.

And this is the problem with that whole debate, no one considers the CONTEXT in which Jon spoke. Jon isn't racist and for anyone saying he is doesn't know how to follow a debate.

jrshankill2189d ago

He is right though. Truth hurts it seems.

Sono4212189d ago

He stated facts, I don't care if facts hurt someones feelings. Idiotic. This sjw bs needs to die already.

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pasta_spice2189d ago

That's....how businesses work though. If you say shitty things while representing a company, damn right you'd be fired for those "personal views". I'm more shocked that people are shocked by this.

jaymacx2189d ago

freedom of speech covers you for legal stuff, but freedom of speech doesn't apply to your job.You can't talk crap and expect to retain your job. It could be something silly even.

_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

@jay-agreed with both of you

people need to understand companies are seen no different than actual people. They are free to hire or fire whoever they feel just based on such things. JonTron also have the choice of not participating with a project of people that did not share his racist beliefs.

He chose to participate in such a project while with holding these beliefs.

davand1142189d ago

People don't seem to understand what freedom of speech actually is.

ZombieGamerMan2189d ago

@ pasta_spice and all of his repliers He went on a live stream as an individual he did not go to promote the game, he was not there as a representative of this company, he went there as just Jon Jaffari to have a political discussion. it was not him going on a promotional tour for the game, this was not him at some Q&A where he blurted out some racially charged slur.

He has a political belief that is closer to conservatism rather than liberalism and was invited by someone who is liberal to share with each other their political stance & view points and he shared those view points and at the worst he said some uninformed bull among some very real points that the other person and no one here has refuted. So how does that warrant him being removed from the game. You all like to repeat that freedom of speech isn't freedom of consequence or that the company has every right to fire him because of his racist views yet you don't point out what he said that is racist or why it's okay for him to removed.

Would any of you be okay if you got fired from your job because you voted Hilary Clinton and your boss is a Trump supporter? Are you okay then, are you okay if you said you think Hilary would have been a better president or if you had a vote Hilary sticker on your car and your boss saw it and said "You're fired" Are you going to say that's okay because you can fire me for whatever reason you want.

PlayableGamez-2189d ago

You need to get off the internet and go outside more.

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gangsta_red2189d ago

You say stupid shit, you pay the price, plain and simple.

It's also this company's right to remove him if they don't agree with his views.

ZombieGamerMan2189d ago

Are you okay if you were fired because you have a different opinion to your boss? Would you defend his right to fire you for that reason?

Pookandpie2189d ago (Edited 2189d ago )

@Zombie- This isn't a matter of having an opinion different to your boss. This is a matter of you, by being employed at your boss's company, are thereby representing his business. So when you say stupid shit on a public forum such as, "Rich blacks commit more crimes than poor whites, look it up" (which, there are no reputable numbers that back this claim), you are representing your boss's business poorly.

The business has a right to eliminate contact with you immediately. Hell, this is why employment in all US states but Montana is considered, "At-will." Meaning, the business can terminate your employment immediately for any reason. A business doesn't *have* to do anything- least of all if something you say could potentially make them look bad for having done business with you.

_-EDMIX-_2189d ago

They're free to remove him as they see fit because it's their company , so what you're telling me is he's free to have offensive beliefs but the company is not free to fire him from a company that they own?

LMFAO!!!

davand1142189d ago

They think that freedom of speech means you can say whatever the fuck you want whenever you want without consequence.