these symbols seem to render very differently on different devices. i got a wheel of hatchets, an eight-pointed star, and two futhark runes on desktop.
…which is why it’s at the very least irresponsible for them to send something like this. if there is actually intent here that only makes it worse.
Their “apology” actually admitted that they knew about the potential for rendering differences. They say they knew that certain symbols could render as Nazi icons, which is why they specifically excluded those symbols from the email they sent to German accounts.
But if we extend that same “we didn’t send it to Germany” thing to the logical conclusion, it means they intentionally sent it to everyone else even when knowing the potential for issues.
I made a complaint last year about one of their emails having a giant banner saying “MAKE GAMING GREAT AGAIN!” they made mildly appropriate noises. Seemed like the person on the other end really just wanted me to fuck entirely off asap.
they specifically excluded those symbols from the email they sent to German accounts
And even that they fucked up, because it seems like they just removed them from the German language version of the email. German accounts set to English (like mine) got the symbols like everyone else.
This is a protocol, you can’t memorize the reason behind every protocol you can only incorporate it into routine otherwise you would have to memorize a set of encyclopedias that shifts like aand on a desert.
if you’re doing the “i’m pretending to be stupid” thing, referring to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion or whatever that bullshit was called, we don’t have to cede all of language to nazis just because they speak.
My favorite part was that GoG was told they cannot send this email in Germany because it would break the Nazi rule so they purposely get blocked their emails to getting to Germany.
Developers: you can’t use unused Unicode to represent photos, such a simple string of Data could be interpreted an infinite different ways If there isn’t unity.
Marketing team: bah humbug, what’s the worst thing that could happen…
The devs of the games included in that email signed off on it before it went out. The version the devs were shown had no “runes” included.
GOG has acknowledged that those runes can display on some devices distinctly as the symbol for the SS, so they did not send this email to subscribers subscribed in the German language. Instead of just using a different fucking symbol, or not using it twice in a row.
As far as I understand it, those are pretty random runes, not specifically Slavic at all.
Taken as a whole, it shows that they had some idea of how this would appear, and they went through with it anyway, for no obvious benefit.
The devs covered that, they were not aware of any dogwhistles with the symbols they used during development, and once they were made aware of said dogwhistles, they spent the time to remove them from the game as thoroughly as possible
Notice there is no double sig in there. Also note that Rodnovery is a neopagan religion, associated with nationalism. It’s the Slavic equivalent the Norse pantheon fetishism you see in the West in the form of Odinism.
They’re not emojis, at all. Emojis are pictures with a very specific and limited set. They’re ascii characters.
You calling them emojis is “grandma calling your Xbox a “Nintendo Station”” level dumb.
these symbols seem to render very differently on different devices. i got a wheel of hatchets, an eight-pointed star, and two futhark runes on desktop.
…which is why it’s at the very least irresponsible for them to send something like this. if there is actually intent here that only makes it worse.
Their “apology” actually admitted that they knew about the potential for rendering differences. They say they knew that certain symbols could render as Nazi icons, which is why they specifically excluded those symbols from the email they sent to German accounts.
But if we extend that same “we didn’t send it to Germany” thing to the logical conclusion, it means they intentionally sent it to everyone else even when knowing the potential for issues.
I made a complaint last year about one of their emails having a giant banner saying “MAKE GAMING GREAT AGAIN!” they made mildly appropriate noises. Seemed like the person on the other end really just wanted me to fuck entirely off asap.
And even that they fucked up, because it seems like they just removed them from the German language version of the email. German accounts set to English (like mine) got the symbols like everyone else.
This is a protocol, you can’t memorize the reason behind every protocol you can only incorporate it into routine otherwise you would have to memorize a set of encyclopedias that shifts like aand on a desert.
What do you mean by protocol? I mean I understand your analogy, but not what protocol is an analogy for.
not OP, but i hear people using “playbook” in similar situations (if I’m understanding stupidcasey right)
Thanks, but I still don’t get it
protocol isn’t an analogy. it’s jargon.
if you’re doing the “i’m pretending to be stupid” thing, referring to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion or whatever that bullshit was called, we don’t have to cede all of language to nazis just because they speak.
My favorite part was that GoG was told they cannot send this email in Germany because it would break the Nazi rule so they purposely get blocked their emails to getting to Germany.
In other words, they knew.
They adapted the runes für the German newsletter. Aside from that you are correct: they knew what they were doing.
Developers: you can’t use unused Unicode to represent photos, such a simple string of Data could be interpreted an infinite different ways If there isn’t unity.
Marketing team: bah humbug, what’s the worst thing that could happen…
Do you happen to have your GOG account in Germany or in German language?
no, because then i apparently wouldn’t have gotten the email at all!
Living in Germany woth German account but somehow English newsletters I also got the email.
Sure there’s intent. Obviously!
You forgot to hide your name.
The screenshot is from the PCGamer article
MFW
I don’t have the email but I would assume those emojis in this case are Slavic neopaganist symbols, also known as rodnovery.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Rodnover_symbols
Yes, but. Big but.
The devs of the games included in that email signed off on it before it went out. The version the devs were shown had no “runes” included.
GOG has acknowledged that those runes can display on some devices distinctly as the symbol for the SS, so they did not send this email to subscribers subscribed in the German language. Instead of just using a different fucking symbol, or not using it twice in a row.
As far as I understand it, those are pretty random runes, not specifically Slavic at all.
Taken as a whole, it shows that they had some idea of how this would appear, and they went through with it anyway, for no obvious benefit.
Not a good look.
Yeah thinking about it using the lightning rune twice is really sus. Very hard to defend that.
Viewing this runes as they are, it comes to my mind the Black Sun symbol as 1st thought.
Edit: shit the game is called End of the Sun.
The devs covered that, they were not aware of any dogwhistles with the symbols they used during development, and once they were made aware of said dogwhistles, they spent the time to remove them from the game as thoroughly as possible
So GOG has a Nazi employee or it uses AI for newsletters.
Not like specifically Slavic runes exist anyway.
It’s so crazy that the dev team even went into damage control to point out that it was not them.
That Slavic team probably feeling like crap today because of something GoG did.
Notice there is no double sig in there. Also note that Rodnovery is a neopagan religion, associated with nationalism. It’s the Slavic equivalent the Norse pantheon fetishism you see in the West in the form of Odinism.
You should assume they’re Nazi symbols because they are, even if Nazis stole a lot of symbols from everyone else. The sig was first adapted into the double sig in 1929 to be used as the Schutzstaffel logo
“those emojis”
They’re not emojis, at all. Emojis are pictures with a very specific and limited set. They’re ascii characters.
You calling them emojis is “grandma calling your Xbox a “Nintendo Station”” level dumb.
Those aren’t standard ASCII characters. They are Unicode. They are closer to emojis than anything else.
Before you try to lecture anyone you might want to spend more than 10 seconds on wikipedia next time.
There’s a multitude of ways to correct someone without coming off as a pedantic prick in the process
It does make it less funny when someone tries to politely correct and is wrong vs belligerently doing so with inaccurate information though.
You really didn’t have to add dumb at the end there. We all make mistakes, and emoji can also be interpreted and implemented in pretty different ways
Thats it?