Ex-Sony boss tells Ghost of Yotei critics, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t buy it'
Former SIE America boss Shawn Layden has a message for those who disagree with Ghost of Yotei's female protagonist.
27th Sep 2024 12:50
Images via Sucker Punch Productions
Ex-Sony boss tells Ghost of Yotei critics, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t buy it'
Former SIE America boss Shawn Layden has a message for those who disagree with Ghost of Yotei's female protagonist.
27th Sep 2024 12:50
Images via Sucker Punch Productions
With 2020's Ghost of Tsushima rightly earning its place as one of the best first-party PlayStation games of all time, you'd imagine the announcement of a sequel would be a pretty big deal. The surprise reveal that Ghost of Yotei was coming was definitely a talking point of the September State of Play, but not for the reasons you might expect.
Although we'd heard a lot about a Ghost of Tsushima sequel with Jin Sakai, it seems that 2021's Iki Island expansion will be the end of his story...for now. Instead, Ghost of Yotei jumps 300 years into the future and picks up with Atsu as a new 'Ghost'. Unfortunately, the idea of a female samurai hasn't gone down well.
Former Sony boss tells Yotei haters not to buy the game
If the considerable backlash to playing as a woman wasn't enough to contend with, Ghost of Yotei is also being dragged for the use of genderfluid voice actor Erika Ishii as Atsu. All the usual suspects have been sharing their dismay on X, with some seemingly surprised that Ishii has already blocked them.
Ishii has been vocal about their work in the LGBTQ+ community, and while most are praising their inclusion as improving diversity in the male-dominated gaming world, a vocal minority are venting online. If a genderfluid actor taking the lead wasn't enough, others simply don't want to play as a woman.
Responding to the slew of abuse Ishii, Sucker Punch Productions, and Sony are facing, former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden had a simple message for those who already slamming Ghost of Yotei. One critic complained, "They can't help themselves until every franchise that was built on masculinity is replaced by women."
This spurred Layden to respond to the screenshot, adding, "1 It's a game. An entertainment. A story a team of creators believes in. They want to make this. 2 It's a game. If you don't like it, don't buy it. In fact, why not make the game you want yourself?" While Layden has made his feelings clear, that has only rattled the game's decriers even more.
Given Layden's position as the former Chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, some questioned his openness about his feelings. Still, others applauded his candid attitude and appealed to those already waving their fists in rage to 'touch grass'.
Others called Layden a "flag boy" for having a Pride flag in his bio and pointed to the recent Concord situation and the game's axe just weeks after release. While Concord had some major flaws, a small few claim its failure is due to its use of pronouns and apparent Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion character designs.
Despite the current outrage aimed at Ghost of Yotei, the legacy of Tsushima means we can't imagine the game tanking. Remember, The Last of Us Part II faced similar critiques for its use of LGBTQ+ characters and went on to become one of the PS4's best-selling games of all time.
Assuming Ghost of Yotei is a similar success, we should see plenty more Atsu. In the aftermath of the game's announcement, Sucker Punch Creative Directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell told The New York Times how there are plans to expand the Ghost IP even more. If you aren't a fan, now might be a time to trade in your PlayStation.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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