[UPDATE: YouTube has since reactivated the videos and restored any deleted channels]
Red Dead Redemption 2is undoubtedly one of the hottest games right now, as it’s already managed tooutperform the lifetime sales of its predecessor. There are many reasons for its popularity, but arguably the biggest draw is its vast open world to explore, giving players the independence to interact with the elements in the sandbox however they see fit.
Of course, withRed Dead Redemption 2having been created by Rockstar Games, the developer behind other smash successes likeGTA5, there are myriad situations in the game where players can choose to make some rather unsavory choices. For instance, one can decide to commit random acts of violence against NPCs whenever and wherever they want. Even so, it looks as if YouTube has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to having certain content fromRDR2on its site, as the company deleted several videos depicting violence against Suffragette women in the game.
For those unaware,Red Dead Redemption 2takes place in the American Frontier in 1899, which is two decades before women got the vote. Giventhe time period in which the game is set, Rockstar has put women who are fighting for their right to take part in the electoral process in the game. Not long after the title’s release, some players posted videos online where their character is seen walking up to a Suffragette woman and violently beating her to death. One of these videos was titled, “Red Dead Redemption 2- Beating up annoying feminist,” which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.
Multiple viewers chimed in and joked about what was portrayed in the aforementionedRed Dead Redemption 2video saying, “Rockstar, making dreams a reality,” and “Why can’t we do this in real life?” On the flip side, other viewers expressed their distaste and condemned the uploader. Eventually, it looks as if these reactions caught the attention of YouTube itself, which led to the streaming giant deleting the videos and shutting down the channels hosting them.
YouTube took down eight of the flagged videos. A spokesperson from the company explained why it took such actions, saying, “YouTube’s Community Guidelines prohibit among other things, gratuitous violence, nudity, dangerous and illegal activities, and hate speech.”
Not long too long after this controversy erupted and the videos were deleted, it now looks as ifYouTubehas somewhat reversed its decision, with several of these clips showing a women’s rights campaigner being killed in multiple ways having been restored. According to a statement from the company, it made a “mistake” and has restricted theRed Dead Redemption 2videos so they cannot be seen by those under the age of 18.
GivenRed Dead Redemption 2’s open world design, these kinds of violent activities by some players are inevitable. However, some critics ofRockstar Gameshave lodged complaints as to why the studio allowed Suffragettes to be vulnerable to attacks at all. So, all things considered, it will be interesting to see whether or not this particular situation will impact Rockstar’s game development choices in any way the future, if at all.
Red Dead Redemption 2is now available on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Source: BBC – [1] [2]
