Deus Ex: Mankind Divided caused a storm in a teacup controversy during Square’s E3 presentation, when Eidos Montreal used the term “mechanical Apartheid”” to promote the game. “Apartheid” is such a charged term that it was bound to cause some modicum of outrage and furore. People all over the internet have been up in arms about the use of the word, which we here in South Africa obviously know quite a bit about. Deus Ex was accused of being a “white game” and its developers accused of being insensitive.
Trying to stem the controversy tide, two of the game’s developers – and the two who coined the phrase used in the promotion – took to Reddit to clear things up.
Here’s a trimmed excerpt of what he wrote on the pro-gamergate side of Reddit (via GameRanx), with the typos, grammar issues et al intact
“I am Gilles Matouba and there is a thin chance of you knowing me. Still, I am a veteran french game developer with 15 years of experience in the industry. Mostly at Ubisoft and Eidos Montreal.
Until september 2014 I was the Game Director of DXMD at Eidos Montreal.
3 years ago Andre Vu, the Brand Director of the DX franchise, and I coined the term ‘Mechanical Apartheid’.
Thing is… I am Black (& French…). And Andre is Asian (& French).
When we decided to go all-in on delivering the experience to play as Adam Jensen, an Augmented, in a world agressively segragating his own kind, we actually wanted to offer to our audience something unique. Something that was close and very personal to us: The experience of being torn between 2 worlds and 2 identities. Augs calling you the ‘uncle Tom’ of the non-augs, non-augs always insecure when you’re around, always deeply being scared or appaled by your mechanical body.
Somehow, it was our own individual stories… We wanted to share a little part of our own life experience (on a super dramatized degree, of course) as visible minorities in a world of prejudices sometimes not well tailored for us.
We also used the reference of south africa, israel, even brasil, french and american ghettos and any country ressorting to walls in order to segratgate a part of their own population. We meant it. This was important to us to not half-ass these analogies. BECAUSE THIS IS DEUS EX.
Deus Ex is a very mature and thoughtful franchise that wants to hook gamers on essential questions and considerations: power, control, species, science, sociology, singularity, etc.
Racism is a ey dark part of our human nature and we wanted to treat this subject. It was especially important for ME to treat this.
So it makes me sad and angry that these ignorant people just ASSUME that everyone behind this game is ill-spirited, stupid, and more importantly for me, that they that they are all WHITE. (For them devs==white, gamers==white)
What these bloggers and tweeters did to me here is beyond mere insults: They have degraded me and have literally erased my identity as a black developer and as a black creator that just wanted to share a piece of himself with this game.
I wish that they will feel bad about it. I wish they will have the decency to apologize of their gross false assumptions and accusations. To apologize to all the people back in Quebec that have been working hard FOR YEARS to make this game to happen. But since they have no spine, no shame and no self respect they will simply ignore this post (once again denying me voice, legitimacy and identity) and will at best move on another AAA target to toss their freshly defecated shit at.
They don’t deserve anyone’s attention. They don’t deserve our industry, our games and the dedication we put into them. They disgust me.”
Executive Narrative Director at Eidos Montreal Mary DeMerle, speaking to Destructoid, also tried to put things in to perspective:
“And what we are also trying to do with Deus Ex is look at the world, and trying not to judge the world but to present it in a very – we like to talk about shades of grey. So we like to present the issues to the best of our abilities without judging you or your actions, so that you can make up your own mind about it. It’s one of the things I’m constantly telling the writers on the team is that you can’t write dialogues that are judging, you can’t come up with choices where you’re slapping people in the face for their moral decisions.
You have to present them in as neutral of a way as possible to enable players to feel that and interpret it in their own way. Obviously, there will be people who are super sensitive to those sorts of things, and we recognize that, and we feel bad when we offend someone but we are trying to be as truthful and as honest as we possibly can.
“We’re not trying to be preachy here, just holding up the mirror. And that’s one of the things about science fiction: it embraces concepts that are hard for society to see.”
Personally? I think that yes, the term is loaded and charged, and criticism of its use is warranted – but attacking people without knowing the story, reasoning or context behind things isn’t cool. Questioning things? Yes. Attacking people? Not so cool. On the other side of it, I think the term is close to perfect for describing what goes on in Deus Ex’s world – where people are segregated in to those who have augmentations, and those who don’t. The term is warranted – but so is criticism of its use. Remember, criticism of the media you enjoy is not criticism of you.
Still, I think games should deal with the grey political bits of human nature – as long as its done respectfully. Deus Ex: Human Revolution famously wasn’t so respectful: If you’ll recall Letetia, the garbage lady, who was one stereotype on top of another, on top of another.
Hopefully, Eidos has learnt its lessons.
Last Updated: June 18, 2015
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 10:52
???
These sexist and racist rants from the armchair brigade just go right over my head. I will never understand what gamer gate was all about no matter ho many times its explained me. I just play games.
Also, a film like District 9 was all about Apartheid and went right over the heads of the American Audience. It received great reviews in America for being on par with Transformers lol
Its all Bollocks, just enjoy the artists fully realised vision even if Human races are not considered AKA TW3.
Rock789
June 18, 2015 at 11:06
^This!! Well said.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:08
Brilliant comment! Could not have put it better myself!
Kohd
June 18, 2015 at 13:30
As long as you grasp that it is those opposed to GamerGate accusing everything and everyone of being sexist, racist, etc, then you’re good to go.
The Deus Ex developer posted his letter to a pro-GamerGate reddit (KiA) to request help in boosting his voice and combat the ridiculous accusations of racism being thrown at him.
Do not confuse GamerGate with the censorship/outrage brigade that has been so vocal these past several months (i.e. Doom is too violent, ban GTA 5, Witcher 3 is misogynist, etc). That is part of what GG fights against so we *can* continue to enjoy our games.
And if you’re ever curious about a gaming website’s ethics or that of their writers, check out http://deepfreeze.it/index.php
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 10:55
I agree with this man completely. The industry (and many of the consumers of the industry) is making your race something that needs to be pointed out, which shouldn’t matter in any way. Not from the perspective of the consumer or the developer in question.
Being a white/black/asian developer means nothing compared to simply being a good developer.
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:02
Have you done Battle of Kaer Morhen yet? FCUK ME 🙂
If you are worried about starting The Isle of Mists because its the start of the end game dont worry. It does 2 FANTASTIC chapters that level you up 6 levels in 2 hours then you are giving free roaming again. Just make sure you do all The bRothers in Arms quest before The Isle of Mists.
After you finish the battle you will be like, “why did I like The Game of Thrones?”
Its something that Dragon Age just could not do, and turn the sound up, the sound effects are fucking great.
Dam the game blew my mind last night.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 11:05
Haha. Not yet, actually. Been trying to rid Skellige of monsters. You know, doing my WITCHER duty 😉
I had to go visit the in-laws last night, so missed out on the Witcher and had to deal with different kinds of monsters ;P
>>>>>>>>>>POTENTIAL SPOILER for those not far in yet<<<<<<<<<<<<<
I did do the Yen quest in the garden with the big tree the other night though. That necromancy/corpse revival sh!t was messed up.
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:09
lol Spoiler, She breaks the spell that binds you two together then she told me she still loves me…
I told her I dont 🙁 my heart is with Triss. She is a total bitch to me now. Even threw the oak bed out. “YOU SHAGGED MY BEST FRIEND FOR 2 YEARS!!!” Then she teleports me into the middle of a lake. Gerald goes, “Ya, she is pissed” Bwhahahaha
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:14
Just a tip, if you can, try and get the mastercrafted witcher gear… three slots for sign enhancements on the armour and added slots for the other pieces of gear, with additional boosts…. Once you have those, you really feel like a badass… Especially looking at the Ursine set…
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 11:23
I’m actually busy with my ursine set at the moment. By far the nicest looking imo.
Thanks for the tip. 😀
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:25
Oh yeah…. I love the look of the ursine set…. and it gets even better…
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:32
Where do you get the Ursine set? I only have Griffin, Cat and Bear.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 11:35
All over the place. Some in Velen, some in Skellige. It’s actually more difficult to find than the griffin stuff, but in my opinion easier than the cat stuff. I barely have any cat diagrams.
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:40
because normally you just buy the maps for the witcher gear from random blacksmiths. I did notice an Ursine schematic in my inventory but I had no idea it was dope.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:44
Well, the sets are scattered all over the place, trying not to spoil it, but the feline mastercrafted set has you facing a lvl 30 Cyclops…. in Skellige, I stumbled across the bear/ursine set by accident somewhere and only later realised how powerful the set is, I do think you can get a mapped location, without going into too much spoilers…I’d recommend scanning some of the walkthroughs
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:50
Cool, slowing the pace down again to get the most out of it. I will continue the story again 3 weeks from now. SICK GAME 🙂
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:45
The feline sets’ last location was damn difficult, I ran past and just looted everything I could find, dodging as much as I could…
Ir0nseraph
June 18, 2015 at 11:08
I am about to enter the isle of mists, and was worried about my witcher level , so this is good news.
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:13
It says level 22, but I entered at level 24, 2-3hours later I went up to level 30. Its a good Idea to make the higher Witcher gear and leave it in you inventory because you cant teleport until the chapter is finished.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:15
Yes! And try to keep all three sets if you want different approaches to different situations…
Hammersteyn
June 18, 2015 at 11:17
I never do, because it takes up storage and I loot everything!
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:23
That is my biggest issue!! I was tossing away rakes and bloody bear skins all over the map, because: “Don’t you dare pick up that iron ore!” I love looting everything, but I hate not being able to carry everything…
Hammersteyn
June 18, 2015 at 11:32
Or at least store it some place!
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:39
Exactly! What happened to all the inkeeps!?
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 11:33
I was overburdened the other night and I INSISTED on getting back to town with everything. Managed to get myself to a boat at a very slow pace and then raced to the closest town to empty my inventory. 😀
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 12:21
Its cool how all the items sold stay with the merchant throughout the game, also, I backtracked about 4kms to the spot where I cleaned out a monster hive and the loot drops were still there. How tha fcuk do they do that? and, clearing out chests and sacks in random buildings do not re-spawn even 200hours later.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 12:32
Fiend decoction, ups your inventory weight limit. NOOB! 😛
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 12:33
I play the game, I don’t read about it to sound clever 😉
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 12:34
So you just use potions & oils without reading about their effects & hope for the best? ;P
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 12:38
Works with medication. 😀
Ir0nseraph
June 18, 2015 at 11:19
Thanks just hit level 24 , so I will enter the isle this weekend so that i can do it in a single sitting.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:10
I finished the game over the weekend… Good Lord… Simply put, one of the best games and best closing chapters on a series I’ve ever seen, something that every game developer could learn from….
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:10
sweeeeet
Those cut scenes tho… the clash of swords and slow mo 🙂
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 11:23
Oh FFS! Collapse spoiler thread! COLLAPSE SPOILER THREAD!
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:38
oops
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:47
Lazy Gamer need to do SPOILER threads for Massive just released AAA games. We wait 3 years yet we can never converse in our local community because there is never enough attention focused on the game. Zoe was doing some good article fan threads for Inquisition. But I suppose a game that takes 300hours will be hard for the LG crew to bite into thanks to their busy schedule.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 11:50
No GTAV spoilers either, now that you mention it. 😀
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:53
I dont think 90% of GTAV owners have even bothered with the story lol
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 11:55
Anyway speaking of W3, did you ever find the vampire in the sarcophagus? The lulz.
Trevor Matrix
June 18, 2015 at 17:17
Trevor kills a lot of people!
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 20:49
Not personally. I have… people… for that.
Trevor Matrix
June 19, 2015 at 09:07
Not you, you alien Moron! Trevor Philips! GTA V??? Hellooooo????
Guess who’s back from two weeks leave! And only one day in traffic needed to bring the raving lunatic back!
Hellteddy
June 18, 2015 at 11:06
The extreme left is just, if not more, crazy than the extreme right.
Case in point.
Hammersteyn
June 18, 2015 at 11:11
It’s like a gaming critic said. Games have become a thing where a title rakes in a ton of cash, two middle class groups have something to annoy each other about and the world gives less of a toss than a quadriplegic shot putter.
Can I just play my game without someone being offended? Please?
Squirly
June 18, 2015 at 14:34
Yahtzee nails it again.
Hammersteyn
June 18, 2015 at 16:49
Bonus points to you XD. watched so many vids I totally forgot who it was. Thanks for the reminder!
Squirly
June 18, 2015 at 18:55
He’s one of the few personalities in the gaming sphere who doesn’t just shut up and censor himself. He says what he thinks and if you don’t like it, tough. I dig his “let’s drown out” series on youtube for that reason.
Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)
June 18, 2015 at 11:11
Good.
People/devs are getting tired of these militant SJW shitheads who cry foul over every little thing from their computers.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 11:15
Well they better deliver if they’re throwing out such a provocative, loaded term. Apartheid means many different things to people who’ve experienced it compared to people who’ve only heard about it. So it’s not surprising there are people who aren’t impressed by the use of it.
If games are art, which I think they are, then they’re not immune to criticism around the stories they tell & what they portray – end of story. You can’t really give constructive criticism on a piece of art without seeing it first though. For all we know it could be something deep & meaningful or it could be shallow nonsense, I hope for the former.
But anyway, let the knee-jerking from all sides commence! Nuance is for the weak! Fight!
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:35
lol before reading the article I thought the premise of the game was keeping natural humans and bionic humans apart from each other.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 11:51
So did I, more or less.
Brady miaau
June 18, 2015 at 12:05
But who is complaining the most here? People that have and or (Isreal and Brazil, real examples RIGHT NOW) experiencing it or people that have not? I would wager most of the complaints came from people that have not directly experienced, nor do they know someone who is / has.
I abhour Apartheid in any form and I especially abhour poorly formed references to it. This, however, described a game set in the future, with future events dictating it. And I find it apt and a realistic future event.
Unsafe Ideas
June 18, 2015 at 13:21
The complains are not coming from South Africa, they are coming from whites in America – most of them young. So no, this is not about people who lived through apartheid complaining. Complains are coming from people who only heard about it and do not want to hear more.
VampyreSquirrel
June 18, 2015 at 11:21
I don’t have to say anything, it’s all been said already.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 11:21
You will always, in every single encounter in your life find that someone somewhere is pulling things out of context. This game aims to create an apartheid esque context, meaning, they want you to experience the other side of the fence. Assuming that the game is written by an isolated racial group is simply put, idi-f@cking-otic….
Rock789
June 18, 2015 at 11:30
“Storm in a teacup” – couldn’t have said it better myself. Honestly speaking, anything you say will always offend someone out there… Now that our comments are online and there for all the world to see, they will sadly come under intense scrutiny. Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes that’s a bad thing… Coz there will always be someone who overreacts…
Take bunnies, for example. If I said I like happy bunnies, I guarantee that somewhere, out there, someone will get upset because they despise all bunnies! And thus the next World War will begin… Over bunnies…
oVg Battle of Kaer Morhen
June 18, 2015 at 11:54
A Chinese tea cup 😉
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 12:04
Hopefully they don’t have that bunny from Monty Python on their side. Then we’re screwed.
Rock789
June 18, 2015 at 12:23
I was hoping, coz I’m the one that likes bunnies, that bunny would fight for me! 😉 Just send him out quietly and they’d be like, “Oh look… A cute little OH MY WORD IT’S GOT ME BY THE THROAT!”
Jonah Cash
June 18, 2015 at 11:59
My advice to this developer: Don’t let the minority’s opinion overpower the majority just because the majority don’t like to scream and shout about stupid things…. Us the majority are waiting for your game, and we will enjoy it. Just don’t expect us to climb onto a mountain and scream it…
Brady miaau
June 18, 2015 at 12:00
“Personally? I think that yes, the term is loaded and charged, and criticism of its use is warranted”
I do not agree with you. Is that allowed? 🙂
It is loaded and charged, yes. Does it brilliantly describe a very real and possible future scenario, for a gritty, realistic game? Yes.
I think the response from the developers was brilliant and that Eidos has no lessons to learn. I think the rest of the gaming industry can instead learn from Eidos, that a reasoned and measured response.
Geoffrey Tim
June 18, 2015 at 12:08
I agree with you.
“On the other side of it, I think the term is close to perfect for describing what goes on in Deus Ex’s world – where people are segregated in to those who have augmentations, and those who don’t. The term is warranted – but so is criticism of its use. ”
Where Eidos needs to learn from, is its mistakes past – not in its response to this situation.
Brady miaau
June 18, 2015 at 12:11
fair enough, they have been a bit sloppy in the “stereotype” department.
Kromas,powered by windows 10.
June 18, 2015 at 12:05
Apartheid is and has always been a term used for the white black segregation that happened within South Africa.
Adding mechanical does not change that fact.
The actual term they should have used is segregation.
Then again I don’t really care either way.
Unsafe Ideas
June 18, 2015 at 13:16
Why is criticism of the term apartheid warranted? I do not understand the need to strike away words from dictionary. How exactly are we supposed to make mature stories about things like apartheid and segregation and racism without using those words?
How is apartheid more loaded word then war, genocide, slavery or other words that mean bad things? We need to use those words when we want to talk about those things. And stopping to talk about them is worst thing we can do.
Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost
June 18, 2015 at 13:27
I saw the word “Apartheid” and immediately decided I needed to read this article.
I can honestly say that I feel that “Mechanical Apartheid” is accurate enough to describe what is happening and, based on the reaction, the connotations behind Apartheid know internationally enough to easily let the advertising tell potential buyers about the world they will be interacting with.
Frankly I hope that they include a Nelson Mandela-esque ending.
DINOSAURSBlue
June 30, 2015 at 00:35
I think the term is used respectfully from the sound of it. It’s not a hate word, and unless the game is using the context to push a pro-racist agenda I find it hard to get agitated over.
This idea of ‘charged’ language is too vague. I can understand avoiding ‘hate’ language (words designed to inflict pain) but artists should be able to confront us with difficult and uncomfortable topics.