Tales Of Kenzera: ZAU
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Surgent Studios
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Release date April 23, 2024
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Abubakar Salim, the game's director and founder of Surgent Studios, claims he faced targeted harassment, which he attributes to some gamers' negative reactions to diversity in games. In response, he lowered the game's price on the Switch to make a statement against this backlash and to make the game more accessible. His claims make no sense however since this is literally a African story based on a black African. The only reason I even heard about the game was from its association with Sweet Baby Inc. This falls back to the theory that when things fail just cry victim and blame the gamers. With a player count that topped off the Steam charts at 287, it did not sell well.
The game has received a mix of praise for its narrative and criticism, some of which is ideologically charged. Comments on social media reflect a divide, with some players appreciating the game's cultural representation and emotional impact, while others criticize it, often linking the game's struggles to involvement with diversity-focused consultancy groups like Sweet Baby Inc.
Despite positive reviews for its storytelling and emotional depth, there are indications that the game did not meet sales expectations, leading to Surgent Studios putting its team on notice for redundancy and essentially halting its games division. The layoffs at Surgent Studios indicate financial or strategic challenges following the game's release, despite public statements about the game's sales being satisfactory.
This situation underscores broader gaming industry debates about diversity, the financial viability of narrative-driven games from smaller studios, and how controversies can both bring attention to and negatively impact game developers.
My personal opinion, while I have not played it, is that a this small independent developer may have needed some guidance. Using SBI likely cost them sales but they are an innocent casualty of a culture war. I do not, however, feel that blaming the Gaming Community for this is justified ever. We are the customers. When you forget that and attack us. Well.. then don't blame us for poor sales as you could have addressed it differently and got a different result.
Updated - 11/18/2024
Hypnotic played the entire game, and it’s an excellent choice for fans of side-scrollers. Adding to the experience, Abubakar Salim, the game’s creator, joined the live streams and participated in the fun. Abubakar Salim impressed everyone as a genuinely honorable individual focused on building bridges rather than fueling division.
His openness and effort to engage with differing perspectives have won over skeptics and earned him a great deal of respect. I deeply admire his willingness to listen, understand, and connect with others, even those with opposing views.
This is the start of Hypnotics play sessions of the game:
Hypnotics Sweet Baby Inc RUINED Tales Of Kenzera Zau | Griftcast
Hypnotic played the entire game, and it’s an excellent choice for fans of side-scrollers. Adding to the experience, Abubakar Salim, the game’s creator, joined the live streams and participated in the fun. Abubakar Salim impressed everyone as a genuinely honorable individual focused on building bridges rather than fueling division.
His openness and effort to engage with differing perspectives have won over skeptics and earned him a great deal of respect. I deeply admire his willingness to listen, understand, and connect with others, even those with opposing views.
This is the start of Hypnotics play sessions of the game:
Hypnotics Sweet Baby Inc RUINED Tales Of Kenzera Zau | Griftcast
