"I remember a time when game companies THRIVED even strove for controversy"

they still do faggot, Rockstar is a prime example. no one is going to take our precious Cammy booty away from us.

I like your avatar.

spoiler if you havent finished the campaign

Too bad the epilogue was rushed as fuck.
Tassadar was a fucking illusion by a giant squid monster, talk about a slap in the face. they could have easily left that entire part out and make a more thought-out part IV.

Not to mention, despite doing nothing to warrant it beforehand, Kerrigan literally became Space Jesus.

but it is kinda cool that raynor gets to bang god herself and make "Life mysteriously flourish on planets"

Using controversy to push sales must be a foreign concept to Japanese game publishers.

Violence has become much more accepted, even glorified, in the west. Yet we still have an ancient attitude towards sexuality.

Or like when EA hired people to protest Dante's Inferno just for publicity.

wow dude thanks for spoiling old yeller for me

Probably because DOOM was more of a student buddies basement project than a multi-million dollar company thriving for profit and globalization.

They still do. The entire DoA thing was a huge publicity boost for the game.

Violence is not the issue, you can make any kind of violent game or even gore games but ... slightly sexual? No no no no... That's insane

You gotta point. It does look pretty ruff

For some people it is reassuring to know that their hardships are not just the random results of an uncaring universe, that ultimately all of their hard work will pay off and that they are being watched by a loving entity that cares for them. Some people simply need this, some sort of parent figure I suppose. And the general idea that you become nothing once you're dead can, why some consider it to be freeing, also be a bit scary. After all, do you remember for example the names of your great-great-grandparents? The concept of ones deeds ultimately vanishing, ones achievements becoming nothing and ones ceasing to exist, which all culminates in an entire life ebing for nothing whatsoever, can be a bit disheartening. The idea that all of the shit you put with in life at long last pays off and you finally get to be in a place where you are free of all hardships is for the common believer probably the same saturday is for the ordinary worker after a shitty week at their job. And while it is true that I do not need a religion to be a good person, and that technically seen the ten commandments are nothing more than basic human decency and common sense, some peopl simply lack the strength of character to pull through with this their entire life unless somebody stands behind them with the beating stick ready to punish them. Others find proper guidelines in these commandments whenever they encounter moraly ambigious situations, where others might fail to find an "appropriate sollution".
Though all in all I agree with what you said, technically seen almost all religious institution are corrupt to a certain degree, this always happens when an organisation acquires too much money and power, as sad is it may be.

Eh, can't really argue with that I suppose. I still try to see them not in an entirely bad light I admit that's getting pretty difficult , after all religions can also be a source of hope, for a better tomorrow, that one does not merely cease to exist once they die and that we are not completely alone in this universe. I'm well aware that these are pretty weak points for religion and apply more on an individiual level for the respective believer, but I think this tiny saving grace shouldn't be entirely forgotten nonetheless.

There are good things in most religious text don't get me wrong, but it is of moot point when they aren't followed. Look at the pope, I don't care much for the idea of the pope, but he is likable on the idea that he is turning people back to the more helpful mentality, helping the poor, living a life of piety, and all the other things the bible says priests/bishops/men of the cloth should do. He took care of the so called bishop of bling and supposedly took the home and used for soup kitchens. There in lies another problem the churches take advantage of the kindness of people, by some estimates there are 1.60 billion or so christians, if they all donate even 5 dollars each sunday thats 8billion each sunday ( I know not all christains can donate or a lot of that number is couples and they donate together but they often donate much higher than 5 so it kinda balances out) now assuming that stays that way for every sunday that works out to 416billion a year (52 weeks in a year, 52 sundays) and say you take out 15% (roughly 62.4b) for overhead type shit that leaves you with some 358.6 billion, where the hell is all that money going if its supposed to be for charity, why are people still starving across the world. The truth is the Churches, more so those running them, take a huge portion of the money.

That all aside with the whole not ceasing to exist, if people stopped living for the after life they might start living for life itself. And for hope, well you don't need god for that, hope is what you make it. The other argument i hear a lot is "well without god how do you do have morals" or something to that extent, this this I would simply ask, 'so basically the only thing stopping you from murdering a bunch of people is the law?'

For some people it is reassuring to know that their hardships are not just the random results of an uncaring universe, that ultimately all of their hard work will pay off and that they are being watched by a loving entity that cares for them. Some people simply need this, some sort of parent figure I suppose. And the general idea that you become nothing once you're dead can, why some consider it to be freeing, also be a bit scary. After all, do you remember for example the names of your great-great-grandparents? The concept of ones deeds ultimately vanishing, ones achievements becoming nothing and ones ceasing to exist, which all culminates in an entire life ebing for nothing whatsoever, can be a bit disheartening. The idea that all of the shit you put with in life at long last pays off and you finally get to be in a place where you are free of all hardships is for the common believer probably the same saturday is for the ordinary worker after a shitty week at their job. And while it is true that I do not need a religion to be a good person, and that technically seen the ten commandments are nothing more than basic human decency and common sense, some peopl simply lack the strength of character to pull through with this their entire life unless somebody stands behind them with the beating stick ready to punish them. Others find proper guidelines in these commandments whenever they encounter moraly ambigious situations, where others might fail to find an "appropriate sollution".
Though all in all I agree with what you said, technically seen almost all religious institution are corrupt to a certain degree, this always happens when an organisation acquires too much money and power, as sad is it may be.

stalin.

Stalin killed people in the name of communism, not in the name of athiesm. Put that comparison to bed pls.

Yeah because like you said, the religion was getting in the way of COMMUNISM. Also keep in mind that religion was allowed back in later because it helped keep the working class in line.

I'd say those are still the acts of the respective individuals, not the religion itself. Religions are not living entities, therefore they themselves can do no harm, merely the people who misinterprate them and abuse them for their purposes. Don't forget: technically seen pretty much every religion at least as far as I know makes a big deal out the whole "don't kill eachother business".

Yes and always (as far as I know, maybe not with the torah, its the only I really haven't read to any extent but it has bad shit in it i know that.) the religious text turn around and say all these reasons TO kill people (usually with stoning), glaring contradiction.

Its a tried and tired old argument, claiming you can not claim the religion is bad because of the actions of a few, problem is there are a lot of those people who are following the text in regards to a certain subject. The reality is that everything about religion primes people to be open to violence, either because the text says to be given X reason, or through the whole sinister brain washing thing of 'do X or be exiled/excommunicated/go to hell/executed, or Deus Vult (god wills it)' and the other one that is far more insidious " all your answers are in this book/text, as long as you have it, you need not know anything else". As a whole religion primes people to NOT think, only to do as told.

If you need any more evidence of the 'evils' of the bible merely look at the stories, the Canaanites god wiped them all out every man woman and child for not believing in him, The whole shit with Moses god kills the first born of ALL those who did not mark their homes, even people not involved, simply because of the leader's choices.

Even without the people, the bible and the koran are filled with stories that might as well make the books ooze blood. I can't say the same about the Torah because I haven't read much of it but what I have read of it basically says shit about the jews enslaving anyone that is not a jew.

Eh, can't really argue with that I suppose. I still try to see them not in an entirely bad light I admit that's getting pretty difficult , after all religions can also be a source of hope, for a better tomorrow, that one does not merely cease to exist once they die and that we are not completely alone in this universe. I'm well aware that these are pretty weak points for religion and apply more on an individiual level for the respective believer, but I think this tiny saving grace shouldn't be entirely forgotten nonetheless.

There are good things in most religious text don't get me wrong, but it is of moot point when they aren't followed. Look at the pope, I don't care much for the idea of the pope, but he is likable on the idea that he is turning people back to the more helpful mentality, helping the poor, living a life of piety, and all the other things the bible says priests/bishops/men of the cloth should do. He took care of the so called bishop of bling and supposedly took the home and used for soup kitchens. There in lies another problem the churches take advantage of the kindness of people, by some estimates there are 1.60 billion or so christians, if they all donate even 5 dollars each sunday thats 8billion each sunday ( I know not all christains can donate or a lot of that number is couples and they donate together but they often donate much higher than 5 so it kinda balances out) now assuming that stays that way for every sunday that works out to 416billion a year (52 weeks in a year, 52 sundays) and say you take out 15% (roughly 62.4b) for overhead type shit that leaves you with some 358.6 billion, where the hell is all that money going if its supposed to be for charity, why are people still starving across the world. The truth is the Churches, more so those running them, take a huge portion of the money.

That all aside with the whole not ceasing to exist, if people stopped living for the after life they might start living for life itself. And for hope, well you don't need god for that, hope is what you make it. The other argument i hear a lot is "well without god how do you do have morals" or something to that extent, this this I would simply ask, 'so basically the only thing stopping you from murdering a bunch of people is the law?'

For some people it is reassuring to know that their hardships are not just the random results of an uncaring universe, that ultimately all of their hard work will pay off and that they are being watched by a loving entity that cares for them. Some people simply need this, some sort of parent figure I suppose. And the general idea that you become nothing once you're dead can, why some consider it to be freeing, also be a bit scary. After all, do you remember for example the names of your great-great-grandparents? The concept of ones deeds ultimately vanishing, ones achievements becoming nothing and ones ceasing to exist, which all culminates in an entire life ebing for nothing whatsoever, can be a bit disheartening. The idea that all of the shit you put with in life at long last pays off and you finally get to be in a place where you are free of all hardships is for the common believer probably the same saturday is for the ordinary worker after a shitty week at their job. And while it is true that I do not need a religion to be a good person, and that technically seen the ten commandments are nothing more than basic human decency and common sense, some peopl simply lack the strength of character to pull through with this their entire life unless somebody stands behind them with the beating stick ready to punish them. Others find proper guidelines in these commandments whenever they encounter moraly ambigious situations, where others might fail to find an "appropriate sollution".
Though all in all I agree with what you said, technically seen almost all religious institution are corrupt to a certain degree, this always happens when an organisation acquires too much money and power, as sad is it may be.

Far more blood has been shed in the name of simple political power, control of territory, and natural resources than in holy wars. People simply like to cast a critical eye to them because they're easy to attack from a soapbox and don't require much thinking.

Do not forget that for a long time religion controlled political institutions or out right where the political institution, hell even to this day religion plays a huge part in political choice making, and I'm not just talking about a huge part like Bush claimed shit was for god or w/e but more how people are sent to jail in for speaking out against religious figures and it is upheld by the politicians of that nation, and thats a gentler scenario, there are worse examples.

stalin.

Stalin killed people in the name of communism, not in the name of athiesm. Put that comparison to bed pls.

Yeah because like you said, the religion was getting in the way of COMMUNISM. Also keep in mind that religion was allowed back in later because it helped keep the working class in line.

i dont care if they say Merry Christmas, but I do care when they say, "Homosexuality is evil because the bible"

Offended no, a bit annoyed when people try and tell me it is/was a CHRISTIAN holiday for jesus's birthday, of which it is neither as biblical scholars have noted from things said in the bible, jesus birthday was likely around April, also before it was called christimas it was an entirely different holiday celebrated by 'pegans' to worship the winter solstice or some such, existing some 2000 years before christ was suppose to have been born and the date was taken by religious people so as to devalue its meaning as a 'pegan' holiday

As for the whole forcing their beliefs on other people, what would you call it when people actively try to 'save you from yourself' or try to 'convince' people that their beliefs are the only way to salvation. I suppose you could call it a form of social engineering, repeat the narrative enough times and the people will believe it, but it certainly seems like shoving it down someones throat to me.

"does this unit have a soul?"