Trivia Browser
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In 2019, amid a rise in popularity for anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and psuedoscience, a petition was started for Plague Inc. to implement anti-vaccine advocates, or "anti-vaxxers", as a situation that would buff your disease. Ndemic Creations, while noting that anti-vaxxers do technically exist as a smaller part of the "Science Denial" scenario along with flat Earth theorists and climate change deniers, agreed to include the movement as a solo buff for the disease, but did not have an idea for how they would work in gameplay at the time. Anti-vaxxers have not yet been added to the game, but a second buff partially referencing anti-vaxxers, "Fake News", would be added.
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The Chinese Version of Fate/Grand Order, published by video sharing website bilibili, features several changes and censored elements compared to the original Japanese release. These were all likely done as to comply with Chinese law. Some examples of changes are as follows:
• Boudica: Attire altered to reduce cleavage and panties were changed into shorts. She and Mata Hari also temporarily had their portrait artwork removed before being put back in place
• Shuten-Doji: Ascensions were altered to reduce visible skin throughout.
• Mata Hari: Bikini top was made larger to reduce cleavage. She and Boudica also temporarily had their portrait artwork removed before being put back in place
• Cú Chulainn: Second Ascension was altered to cover his chest.
• Minamoto-no-Raikou: The cloth covering her breasts in her first ascension is retained in her second and third.
• Hassan of the Cursed Arm: Second Ascension adds a cloth obscuring his face and chest.
• Yu-Mei-Ren (Assassin): Name was temporarily changed to Assassin 230, then later 雏罂. Reduced the size of her cleavage window and added fabric to hide skin showing in her second and third ascensions. Her bust size is also notably smaller in the Chinese version.
• Yu-Mei-Ren (Lancer): Swimsuit was adjusted to be less revealing.
• Gorgon: Attire adjusted to cover chest more.
• Wu Zetian (Assassin): Name was temporarily changed to Assassin 170, then later 周照. All appearances of the character were scrubbed, as well as any mentions of her by name, replacing her with the default Assassin Card. Spoiler:This affects the story of Agartha as she is the true identity of Assassin of the Nightless City, one of the story's antagonist. Was later given fabric covering her stomach on her second, third, and final ascensions.
• Xuanzang Sanzang: Cleavage is covered. Artwork was temporarily disabled until adjusted artwork was provided. Was renamed "Pilgrim To The West" (西行者) to comply with Chinese depiction laws.
• Yang Guifei: Second ascension adds frills to her attire's lower body, while her third and final cover up her chest. She also had some of her ascensions disabled until new artwork was added.
• Orion (Artemis): Removed cleavage from first ascension artwork and icon.
• Carmilla (Assassin): Added clothing to areas otherwise not covered in the original version.
• Ushiwakamaru: Was given skintight clothing covering her torso. Coincidentally, this resembles her design in Melty Blood: Type Lumina, which was also censored in a similar fashion.
• Tamamo Cat: Reduced cleavage and bust size.
• Fergus Mac Róich: Added bandages covering his chest.
• Phantom of the Opera: Blood was removed from his second ascension's knives.
• Giles De Rais (Saber): Blood stain removed from his second ascension.
• Scáthach (Lancer): Skin Tight suit made less see through.
• Darius III: Body paint was removed and his expression was changed to be less angry.
In addtion, several other Chinese-originating Servants had their names changed to their Class, followed by their Servant ID. Other Servants also had their names changed. Jack The Ripper, for example, was changed to "Abandoned Son of the Mist." Similar changes were also made to various Craft Essences, similarly removing revealing clothing and references to blood.
• Boudica: Attire altered to reduce cleavage and panties were changed into shorts. She and Mata Hari also temporarily had their portrait artwork removed before being put back in place
• Shuten-Doji: Ascensions were altered to reduce visible skin throughout.
• Mata Hari: Bikini top was made larger to reduce cleavage. She and Boudica also temporarily had their portrait artwork removed before being put back in place
• Cú Chulainn: Second Ascension was altered to cover his chest.
• Minamoto-no-Raikou: The cloth covering her breasts in her first ascension is retained in her second and third.
• Hassan of the Cursed Arm: Second Ascension adds a cloth obscuring his face and chest.
• Yu-Mei-Ren (Assassin): Name was temporarily changed to Assassin 230, then later 雏罂. Reduced the size of her cleavage window and added fabric to hide skin showing in her second and third ascensions. Her bust size is also notably smaller in the Chinese version.
• Yu-Mei-Ren (Lancer): Swimsuit was adjusted to be less revealing.
• Gorgon: Attire adjusted to cover chest more.
• Wu Zetian (Assassin): Name was temporarily changed to Assassin 170, then later 周照. All appearances of the character were scrubbed, as well as any mentions of her by name, replacing her with the default Assassin Card. Spoiler:This affects the story of Agartha as she is the true identity of Assassin of the Nightless City, one of the story's antagonist. Was later given fabric covering her stomach on her second, third, and final ascensions.
• Xuanzang Sanzang: Cleavage is covered. Artwork was temporarily disabled until adjusted artwork was provided. Was renamed "Pilgrim To The West" (西行者) to comply with Chinese depiction laws.
• Yang Guifei: Second ascension adds frills to her attire's lower body, while her third and final cover up her chest. She also had some of her ascensions disabled until new artwork was added.
• Orion (Artemis): Removed cleavage from first ascension artwork and icon.
• Carmilla (Assassin): Added clothing to areas otherwise not covered in the original version.
• Ushiwakamaru: Was given skintight clothing covering her torso. Coincidentally, this resembles her design in Melty Blood: Type Lumina, which was also censored in a similar fashion.
• Tamamo Cat: Reduced cleavage and bust size.
• Fergus Mac Róich: Added bandages covering his chest.
• Phantom of the Opera: Blood was removed from his second ascension's knives.
• Giles De Rais (Saber): Blood stain removed from his second ascension.
• Scáthach (Lancer): Skin Tight suit made less see through.
• Darius III: Body paint was removed and his expression was changed to be less angry.
In addtion, several other Chinese-originating Servants had their names changed to their Class, followed by their Servant ID. Other Servants also had their names changed. Jack The Ripper, for example, was changed to "Abandoned Son of the Mist." Similar changes were also made to various Craft Essences, similarly removing revealing clothing and references to blood.
Article on Servant Name Changes:
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-09-16/bilibili-removes-art-data-for-chinese-servants-in-chinese-version-of-fate-grand-order-game/.177428
Comparisons of artwork between Chinese and Japanese versions:
https://www.fgo.wiki/w/国服与日服的资源差异#玄奘三藏
Earliest known Chinese Censorship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhJB_Rq1P1M
YouTube Video on 2021 censorship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvqCu_HzLFM
Source of name changes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBHMn12MaWw#t=289
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-09-16/bilibili-removes-art-data-for-chinese-servants-in-chinese-version-of-fate-grand-order-game/.177428
Comparisons of artwork between Chinese and Japanese versions:
https://www.fgo.wiki/w/国服与日服的资源差异#玄奘三藏
Earliest known Chinese Censorship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhJB_Rq1P1M
YouTube Video on 2021 censorship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvqCu_HzLFM
Source of name changes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBHMn12MaWw#t=289
subdirectory_arrow_right Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Game)
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Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe redesigns Wing Kirby's costume, changing the pattern on the headband to a series of straight lines, adding a red jewel on the front (similar to the kind seen on other Copy Ability hats), and replacing the rows of feathers on the back with arrangements that more closely resemble a bird's wings. As the original design was based on a Native American warbonnet, the redesign was likely to avoid cultural appropriation, as real-life warbonnets are regarded as sacred in tribal cultures and consequently can only be worn by those who have earned the right to do so.
YouTube video highlighting various changes made in the Nintendo Switch remake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiLRSBsOiFA
Indian Country Today article on cultural appropriation of warbonnets:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170706114746/https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/sports/houska-i-didnt-know-doesnt-cut-it-anymore/
Native Appropriations article on why wearing warbonnets as generic headgear is considered offensive among Native Americans:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160513074733/http://nativeappropriations.com/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-a-hipster-headdress.html
Texas Law Review paper on Native American perspectives on cultural appropriation:
https://texaslawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RileyCarpenter.FinalPDF.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiLRSBsOiFA
Indian Country Today article on cultural appropriation of warbonnets:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170706114746/https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/sports/houska-i-didnt-know-doesnt-cut-it-anymore/
Native Appropriations article on why wearing warbonnets as generic headgear is considered offensive among Native Americans:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160513074733/http://nativeappropriations.com/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-a-hipster-headdress.html
Texas Law Review paper on Native American perspectives on cultural appropriation:
https://texaslawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RileyCarpenter.FinalPDF.pdf
Platform: ZX Spectrum
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Warajevo was a ZX Spectrum emulator made in 1993 during the Bosnian War by Samir Ribic and Zeljko Juric. It was created in an attempt to provide nostalgia and escapism from the horrific circumstances they were surrounded by after the duo were disappointed by the Roman ZX emulator. The developers only had 2 to 3 hours a night to work on their emulator due to a low energy supply. Zeljko worked on the emulator at home, while Ribic worked on it at an army camp using a computer connected to a car battery - the latter computer would turn off whenever someone used the coffee machine, which eventually lead to its hard disc being destroyed. At one point Ribic risked his life walking through a river bed while dodging bullets to find the last Spectrum pirate in his town, who lived in one of the most dangerous areas. The first version of the emulator would be released in 1994, one year before the war ended. Juric and Ribic would survive the war, and continue working on Warajevo after peace.
Story of Warajevo:
https://worldofspectrum.net/warajevo/Story.html
Roman ZX:
http://spectrum-zx.chat.ru/faq/emu_pc.html#ROMANZX
https://worldofspectrum.net/warajevo/Story.html
Roman ZX:
http://spectrum-zx.chat.ru/faq/emu_pc.html#ROMANZX
subdirectory_arrow_right Ace Attorney (Franchise)
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According to series creator Shu Takumi in a 2017 interview, Capcom executives issued two mandates affecting the writing of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. The first mandate was that the game had to include Phoenix Wright in the story, which went against Takumi's original idea for a reset of the series. The second mandate was to incorporate the Lay Judge system, a real-life judicial system, into the story, resulting in the creation of Spoiler:the MASON System game program and the trial run of a new Jurist System in the game's last case "Turnabout Succession". The Ace Attorney series began as a critique of how Japan's legal system handles criminal offenses, but around this time, that system was changing. While Japan previously suspended an older jurist system in 1943, their legislative body, the National Diet, gradually implemented a new lay judge system (裁判員, or "Saiban-in") from 2004 to 2009. This system, resembling more democratic systems in North American and European countries, calls upon six random common citizens to serve in serious criminal trials as inquisitorial judges sitting alongside three professional judges. Together they make up the judicial panel and actively analyze and investigate evidence presented to them throughout the trial before ruling on guilt and sentencing. Reflecting this, Spoiler:the Jurist System seen at the end of Turnabout Succession is made up of six random jurors guided by Phoenix Wright, where the player from the sixth juror's perspective has to rule the defendant Guilty or Not Guilty.
Takumi revealed that as part of the game’s promotion, Capcom collaborated with the Japanese Ministry of Justice and even gave a presentation of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney at the ministry's head office, implying that the system's mandated inclusion in the game was political propaganda. Despite Capcom cooperating in the Japanese government's push for this new system and despite participation experiences being reported as positive and easy to understand, the reception to other aspects of the system were largely negative. Complaints included gradually more severe sentencing since its implementation, the risk of criminal penalties for lay judges publicly discussing confidential deliberation room details after trials come to an end, and most starkly, calling upon Japanese citizens to put aside time to participate in the system, who have been increasingly unwilling to do so. This decline in interest has been largely attributed to the length of lay judge trials and even the length of pre-trial proceedings increasing significantly over the next decade, and due to aging populations and people simply not being able to make these commitments, more citizens refused to serve or even show up to be vetted for serving in the first place, making it harder to fill out the jury.
As a result of this reception, the Ace Attorney series has not used Spoiler:the MASON System and the Jurist System since, sticking with the series' traditional Initial Trial system in future games.
Takumi revealed that as part of the game’s promotion, Capcom collaborated with the Japanese Ministry of Justice and even gave a presentation of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney at the ministry's head office, implying that the system's mandated inclusion in the game was political propaganda. Despite Capcom cooperating in the Japanese government's push for this new system and despite participation experiences being reported as positive and easy to understand, the reception to other aspects of the system were largely negative. Complaints included gradually more severe sentencing since its implementation, the risk of criminal penalties for lay judges publicly discussing confidential deliberation room details after trials come to an end, and most starkly, calling upon Japanese citizens to put aside time to participate in the system, who have been increasingly unwilling to do so. This decline in interest has been largely attributed to the length of lay judge trials and even the length of pre-trial proceedings increasing significantly over the next decade, and due to aging populations and people simply not being able to make these commitments, more citizens refused to serve or even show up to be vetted for serving in the first place, making it harder to fill out the jury.
As a result of this reception, the Ace Attorney series has not used Spoiler:the MASON System and the Jurist System since, sticking with the series' traditional Initial Trial system in future games.
Apollo Justice dev team 2007 interview:
https://gyakutensaibanlibrary.blogspot.com/2016/09/4-isnt-change-from-old-to-new-but.html?m=1
Shu Takumi 2017 interview:
https://news.capcomusa.com/2017/11/18/the-making-of-apollo-justice-ace-attorney-feat-shu-takumi/
Articles explaining the lay judge system and first case under it:
https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/japans-new-jury-system-evaulated
https://web.archive.org/web/20160611021725/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2009/12/08/issues/ichihashi-trial-key-test-of-legal-reforms/#.V1t0vCXP1S8
Articles featuring criticisms of the lay judge system:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/08/03/japans-new-unpopular-jury-system/
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00468/japan-marks-10-years-since-start-of-lay-judge-system.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20190508022405/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/05/05/editorials/evaluating-lay-judge-system-10-years/
https://apjjf.org/-Mark-Levin/3141/article.html
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Sexual-Violence-in-Japan%3A-Implications-of-the-Lay-Suzuki/67b28807c51160297bb80bdb3b7fdcda95f50a74?p2df
https://gyakutensaibanlibrary.blogspot.com/2016/09/4-isnt-change-from-old-to-new-but.html?m=1
Shu Takumi 2017 interview:
https://news.capcomusa.com/2017/11/18/the-making-of-apollo-justice-ace-attorney-feat-shu-takumi/
Articles explaining the lay judge system and first case under it:
https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/japans-new-jury-system-evaulated
https://web.archive.org/web/20160611021725/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2009/12/08/issues/ichihashi-trial-key-test-of-legal-reforms/#.V1t0vCXP1S8
Articles featuring criticisms of the lay judge system:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/08/03/japans-new-unpopular-jury-system/
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00468/japan-marks-10-years-since-start-of-lay-judge-system.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20190508022405/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/05/05/editorials/evaluating-lay-judge-system-10-years/
https://apjjf.org/-Mark-Levin/3141/article.html
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Sexual-Violence-in-Japan%3A-Implications-of-the-Lay-Suzuki/67b28807c51160297bb80bdb3b7fdcda95f50a74?p2df
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When he was first released as DLC, General Winter's All-Star move effects had communist motifs. However, following complaints from the Russian populace about the portrayal of the USSR military as under-equipped in his source game Company of Heroes 2, and a voluntary recall of said game from Sega in that region, an update in 2013 would replace the hammer & sickle with a generic red star in all regions.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed change:
https://tcrf.net/Sonic_%26_All-Stars_Racing_Transformed_(Wii_U,_Xbox_360,_PlayStation_3,_Windows)
Recall in Russia:
https://www.engadget.com/2013-08-05-company-of-heroes-2-sales-halted-in-russia.html
https://tcrf.net/Sonic_%26_All-Stars_Racing_Transformed_(Wii_U,_Xbox_360,_PlayStation_3,_Windows)
Recall in Russia:
https://www.engadget.com/2013-08-05-company-of-heroes-2-sales-halted-in-russia.html
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Super Mario Maker 2 is the first Mario game to be released during the Reiwa era – the reign of Naruhito as Emperor of Japan – following the abdication of Akihito on April 30, 2019. To commemorate this, Nintendo of Japan's Instagram account posted a video concurrently with Naruhito's ascension on May 1 where Mario travels through each of Japan's imperial eras since the franchise's inception, with each one being represented by a different style in Super Mario Maker 2. The Super Mario Bros. style represents the Shōwa era (Hirohito's reign), the Super Mario World style represents the Heisei era (Akihito's reign), and the Super Mario 3D World style represents the Reiwa era. Coincidentally, although Super Mario 3D World was released during the Heisei era, it would later be ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2021, two years after the Reiwa era's onset.
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"Sweet Baby Inc detected" Steam Curator list:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44858017-Sweet-Baby-Inc-detected/?appid=1934570
Sweet Baby Inc. front page:
https://sweetbabyinc.com/
General info:
https://kotaku.com/sweet-baby-inc-consulting-games-alan-wake-2-dei-1851312428
Article about the group (note the article is in German):
https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/sweet-baby-inc-detected-steam-kurator-hasskampagne,3409770.html
Accusation of "woke agenda":
https://www.eurogamer.net/spider-man-alan-wake-ridiculous-fishing-devs-speak-up-in-support-of-consultancy-studio-sweet-baby-inc
Employee statement:
https://dotesports.com/general/news/sweet-baby-inc-detected-drama-explained
Steam follower number:
https://www.themarysue.com/sweet-baby-inc-controversy-explained/
Kyle Rowley statement:
https://www.thegamer.com/going-after-alan-wake-2-for-being-woke-really-gives-the-game-away/
Kyle Rowley tweet:
https://twitter.com/TimePirateNinja/status/1764697135344202183
Stacey Henley quote:
https://www.thegamer.com/diversity-consultants-sweet-baby-inc-gaming-worse-live-service/
Curator statement about list purpose:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/sweetbabyinc-detected/discussions/0/4302697419069965949/
Employee complaints:
https://thatparkplace.com/sweet-baby-inc-employee-begs-followers-to-report-steam-curator-that-tracks-sweet-baby-inc-s-involvement-in-video-games/
Zoë Quinn and Maya Felix Kramer DDoS tweets that were mentioned in the above article but not actually linked:
https://twitter.com/legobutts/status/439565200576892928
https://twitter.com/UnburntWitch/status/439565409780383744
https://twitter.com/UnburntWitch/status/439565723996655616
Steam Curator About page:
https://store.steampowered.com/about/curators/
Chris Kindred account limit and archived reaction:
https://thatparkplace.com/sweet-baby-inc-employee-who-tried-to-cancel-gamer-over-boycott-list-gets-x-account-limited/
Curator Steam Support tweet:
https://twitter.com/kabrutusrambo/status/1765907696887173127
Curator Steam Support community post:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/sweetbabyinc-detected/announcements/detail/4128183566040620693
Article about claims of Sweet Baby's extent of their involvement:
https://thatparkplace.com/sweet-baby-inc-misinformation-campaign-about-how-much-influence-the-company-has-quickly-gets-exposed/
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League end credits with Sweet Baby section:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxWTfD9CHtQ#t=4475
Alan Wake II Game Developer article:
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/why-remedy-entertainment-went-all-in-on-saga-anderson-in-i-alan-wake-2-i-
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44858017-Sweet-Baby-Inc-detected/?appid=1934570
Sweet Baby Inc. front page:
https://sweetbabyinc.com/
General info:
https://kotaku.com/sweet-baby-inc-consulting-games-alan-wake-2-dei-1851312428
Article about the group (note the article is in German):
https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/sweet-baby-inc-detected-steam-kurator-hasskampagne,3409770.html
Accusation of "woke agenda":
https://www.eurogamer.net/spider-man-alan-wake-ridiculous-fishing-devs-speak-up-in-support-of-consultancy-studio-sweet-baby-inc
Employee statement:
https://dotesports.com/general/news/sweet-baby-inc-detected-drama-explained
Steam follower number:
https://www.themarysue.com/sweet-baby-inc-controversy-explained/
Kyle Rowley statement:
https://www.thegamer.com/going-after-alan-wake-2-for-being-woke-really-gives-the-game-away/
Kyle Rowley tweet:
https://twitter.com/TimePirateNinja/status/1764697135344202183
Stacey Henley quote:
https://www.thegamer.com/diversity-consultants-sweet-baby-inc-gaming-worse-live-service/
Curator statement about list purpose:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/sweetbabyinc-detected/discussions/0/4302697419069965949/
Employee complaints:
https://thatparkplace.com/sweet-baby-inc-employee-begs-followers-to-report-steam-curator-that-tracks-sweet-baby-inc-s-involvement-in-video-games/
Zoë Quinn and Maya Felix Kramer DDoS tweets that were mentioned in the above article but not actually linked:
https://twitter.com/legobutts/status/439565200576892928
https://twitter.com/UnburntWitch/status/439565409780383744
https://twitter.com/UnburntWitch/status/439565723996655616
Steam Curator About page:
https://store.steampowered.com/about/curators/
Chris Kindred account limit and archived reaction:
https://thatparkplace.com/sweet-baby-inc-employee-who-tried-to-cancel-gamer-over-boycott-list-gets-x-account-limited/
Curator Steam Support tweet:
https://twitter.com/kabrutusrambo/status/1765907696887173127
Curator Steam Support community post:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/sweetbabyinc-detected/announcements/detail/4128183566040620693
Article about claims of Sweet Baby's extent of their involvement:
https://thatparkplace.com/sweet-baby-inc-misinformation-campaign-about-how-much-influence-the-company-has-quickly-gets-exposed/
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League end credits with Sweet Baby section:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxWTfD9CHtQ#t=4475
Alan Wake II Game Developer article:
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/why-remedy-entertainment-went-all-in-on-saga-anderson-in-i-alan-wake-2-i-
Franchise: Angry Birds
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During development of "The Angry Birds Movie 2", it was decided to break away from the original source material by having the birds and the pigs end their conflict and team up against a greater threat. This was done both in an effort to surprise audiences with a new experience involving the same characters, and as part of an attempt to outdo what was done in the first film thanks to the unprecedented level of freedom that the change made available to them. According to actor Josh Gad, the production team went forward with it not only because they thought the idea was "ingenious", but also because it would be most appropriate given the increasingly polarized political climate at the time, stating:
While not explicitly stated, it's speculated that this change in the story may have also been made in response to theories that its preceding film, "The Angry Birds Movie", contained thinly-veiled political and anti-immigration undertones as an allegory on the European refugee crisis, most notably with the portrayal of the pigs being unintentionally similar to Arab and Muslim terrorist stereotypes. However, it is not likely this was intended by the film's producers as the pigs were actually inspired by the 2009 swine flu epidemic during the original game's development, on top of there being antagonistic, invasive, and explosives-based elements in the pigs and their weaponry dating back to the first game that are crucial to the series' gameplay and story concept, albeit in a less developed state than they are shown in the film.
"The movie has some amazing messaging in it, not the least of which is overcoming differences with people you disagree with in order to find a common ground, which I think speaks to a lot of issues we’re dealing with right now."
While not explicitly stated, it's speculated that this change in the story may have also been made in response to theories that its preceding film, "The Angry Birds Movie", contained thinly-veiled political and anti-immigration undertones as an allegory on the European refugee crisis, most notably with the portrayal of the pigs being unintentionally similar to Arab and Muslim terrorist stereotypes. However, it is not likely this was intended by the film's producers as the pigs were actually inspired by the 2009 swine flu epidemic during the original game's development, on top of there being antagonistic, invasive, and explosives-based elements in the pigs and their weaponry dating back to the first game that are crucial to the series' gameplay and story concept, albeit in a less developed state than they are shown in the film.
General info:
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/interview-angry-birds-2-director-and-producer-on-defying-the-franchises-video-game-origins-178262.html
Josh Gad statement:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/josh-gad-new-cast-additions-political-messages-angry-birds-movie-2-1230727
2010 Ville Heijari interview with pig origin:
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Various/Angry+Birds/news.asp?c=24243
Film trailer review highlighting various political undertone theories:
https://www.vulture.com/2016/05/angry-birds-about-trump-probably-not.html
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/interview-angry-birds-2-director-and-producer-on-defying-the-franchises-video-game-origins-178262.html
Josh Gad statement:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/josh-gad-new-cast-additions-political-messages-angry-birds-movie-2-1230727
2010 Ville Heijari interview with pig origin:
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Various/Angry+Birds/news.asp?c=24243
Film trailer review highlighting various political undertone theories:
https://www.vulture.com/2016/05/angry-birds-about-trump-probably-not.html
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Shortly after the game's release in 2020, the government of China ordered gray market online storefronts to stop selling the game. While no official reason was given for the ban, fans and analysts speculated that it was due to players in Hong Kong using the game's customization features and online connectivity to broadcast messages in support of protests that were occurring at the time against changes to the region's extradition laws. Around the same time, the game was also used by Joe Biden's campaign team to advertise his candidacy in the 2020 United States presidential election by creating a dedicated island and customizable items.16 days after the election in November, Nintendo updated the game's Usage Guidelines for Businesses and Organizations, significantly narrowing how they could use the game for advertising. This included a rule requesting that offensive content be refrained from being created in-game, along with a statement asking to "refrain from bringing politics into the Game." However, this rule does not clarify what "politics" specifically Nintendo wanted to keep out of the game, and it appears to be in effect for any content created after the update, as it seems that none of the Hong Kong protest content or the Biden campaign's promotional content were taken down.
Game Rant article about Hong Kong protesters' use of the game:
https://web.archive.org/web/20201210204024/https://gamerant.com/animal-crossing-new-horizons-hong-kong-protests/
Articles about the game's ban in China:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200410104013/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nintendo-china-animalcrossing/nintendo-game-pulled-from-chinese-platforms-after-hong-kong-protest-idUSKCN21S11F
https://web.archive.org/web/20200416110238/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52269671
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/04/china_bans_sales_of_animal_crossing_new_horizons_in_suspected_censorship_scuffle
Articles about the Biden campaign's use of the game:
https://web.archive.org/web/20210125204030/https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/1/21409727/biden-harris-animal-crossing-campaign-new-horizons-yard-signs-election
https://web.archive.org/web/20201206183737/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/514585-biden-campaign-releases-animal-crossing-yard-signs
Usage Guidelines update and articles:
https://web.archive.org/web/20201120084649/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/animalcrossing_announcement/en/index.html/
https://web.archive.org/web/20201119171601/https://gamerant.com/animal-crossing-new-horizons-politics-nintendo/
https://web.archive.org/web/20201119085654/https://gamerant.com/animal-crossing-content-creator-rules-change/
https://web.archive.org/web/20201210204024/https://gamerant.com/animal-crossing-new-horizons-hong-kong-protests/
Articles about the game's ban in China:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200410104013/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nintendo-china-animalcrossing/nintendo-game-pulled-from-chinese-platforms-after-hong-kong-protest-idUSKCN21S11F
https://web.archive.org/web/20200416110238/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52269671
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/04/china_bans_sales_of_animal_crossing_new_horizons_in_suspected_censorship_scuffle
Articles about the Biden campaign's use of the game:
https://web.archive.org/web/20210125204030/https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/1/21409727/biden-harris-animal-crossing-campaign-new-horizons-yard-signs-election
https://web.archive.org/web/20201206183737/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/514585-biden-campaign-releases-animal-crossing-yard-signs
Usage Guidelines update and articles:
https://web.archive.org/web/20201120084649/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/animalcrossing_announcement/en/index.html/
https://web.archive.org/web/20201119171601/https://gamerant.com/animal-crossing-new-horizons-politics-nintendo/
https://web.archive.org/web/20201119085654/https://gamerant.com/animal-crossing-content-creator-rules-change/
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