Poppy Playtime Controversy: Poppy Playtime Controversies & Backlash – A Complete Timeline
Since its publication, Poppy Playtime has been mired in debates about allegations of bullying, plagiarism, and even fearmongering.
Even as its popularity has grown, Poppy Playtime has been the target of criticism and controversy. Executives at MOB Games have responded to allegations of bullying and plagiarism and offered apologies to any developers whose reputations were damaged as a result. Poppy Playtime has been available for a little over a year, but it has been plagued by the consequences of some previous mistakes made by MOB Games, and many of the debates it has sparked are directly related to the game’s content.
Independent horror game Poppy Playtime is set in the abandoned Playtime Co. factory. The player assumes the character of an ex-employee on a mission to track down his or her fellow employees who mysteriously disappeared ten years ago. During this investigation, the players uncover Playtime Co.’s sinister past and the startling revelation that it turned real people into monster toys. Poppy Playtime, like Five Nights at Freddy’s, exploits the uneasy sentiments engendered by transforming fond memories of one’s youth into terrifying nightmares.
Poppy Playtime was embroiled in a scandal almost immediately after its publication. A police warning was issued against the character Huggy Wuggy because of fears that the game might be harmful to youngsters. Some of the disputes concern in-game or otherwise game-related material, while others concern the acts of MOB Games’ management.
Poppy Playtime Has Been Accused Of Plagiarism And Bullying
Two further scandals involving EnchantedMOB, an animation studio affiliated with MOB Games, are linked to the plagiarism claims leveled against Poppy Playtime’s producers. The other two issues also involve an animator named Ethan (or Ekrcoaster), but the assertions within are intertwined.
To begin, Ethan alleges that EnchantedMOB tormented him via its Animated Sins channel, which constantly criticized the flaws in his own YouTube cartoons. Second, Ethan says that EnchantedMOB gave him sexualized screenshots of his Minecraft avatar when he was a young boy. In addition to these problems, some have claimed that the creator of Poppy Playtime sexualized FNAF’s Circus Baby, whose spirit is that of a kid and who is housed inside the animatronic.
Although Ethan’s allegations of bullying date back to 2017, they are relevant to the plagiarism charges made after the release of Poppy Playtime in October 2021, since MOB Games is accused by Ethan of copying elements of his game Venge.
As a result of this, MOB Games’ CEO Zach Belanger stated that the accusations were a result of old turmoil and that the Poppy Playtime creative team shouldn’t be penalized. The problem with these accusations of copying, however, is that both Poppy Playtime and Venge share the prevalent indie pattern of turning themes of childhood into horror.
Poppy Playtime has been labeled as the “new FNAF” by several players, indicating that the games’ underlying concepts are similar.
After being accused of bullying, Belanger responded by apologizing on behalf of the Animated Sins team. Seth Belanger also replied, but his explanations came out as defensive rather than contrite. MobGamesStudios tweeted a comment from Belanger, who said that everyone involved was underage at the time and that they were just a group of buddies joking about.
However, there are many gaps in the explanation, particularly with concerns of purpose. Even if something was intended as a joke, that doesn’t imply the other person won’t take offense to it or consider it harassment. Since this isn’t addressed or acknowledged, the remark comes out as a justification for possibly harmful conduct.
Also Read: Chris Pratt Controversy: Chris Pratt Has Responded To His Biggest Controversy
Poppy Playtime Introduces NFTs Causing Controversy With Players
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are a hot issue in the gaming industry as well. Companies like Ubisoft have used NFTs in its Tom Clancy games, adding fuel to the fire.
Employees cautioned MOB Games against implementing NFTs as a barrier for more backstory in Poppy Playtime, but the company went ahead and did it anyway in a partnership with Sweet.io. Fans immediately began demanding refunds, spreading the word to persuade others to do the same, and ultimately abandoning Poppy Playtime altogether.
MOB Games pledged to contribute the money it made from the NFTs to the Clean Air Task Force, issued an apology, and decided not to incorporate NFTs in the game in reaction to the scandal.
Also Read: Brendon Urie Controversy: The Following Is A Statement In Response To The Allegation.
Fearmongering Over Children’s Exposure To Poppy Playtime
Despite its disturbing content, Poppy Playtime has gained a large following among youngsters. This has parents and authorities worried, as the game is a horror title that was never meant for a young audience.
Games that feature nostalgic references to the past, such as FNAF’s animatronics and restaurant or Poppy Playtime’s toy monsters, are sometimes the target of such accusations and anger. Both games are horror titles, so they aren’t aimed towards kids, but parents should be worried that their kids may find gameplay videos for them on YouTube.
This controversy is more challenging to resolve than the others since it raises the question of how much responsibility game makers like MOB Games have vs the responsibility of the adults in these kids’ life. Every time a child uses the internet, there is a chance that they may come across something they shouldn’t, and no single organization can fully eliminate this danger.
Developers lose control over the game’s audience when it goes live, so it’s ultimately up to parents to decide if they feel comfortable letting their children play Poppy Playtime.
Poppy Playtime has been met with mixed reviews because of allegations of bullying, plagiarism, and sexualization, as well as scaremongering regarding content. MOB Games hasn’t made the finest moves in response to the Ethan controversy. Despite their claims that they were only playing around, Ethan did not see Animated Sins’ actions as humorous in any way.
MOB Games, on the other hand, provided a more satisfactory answer to the criticism leveled against NFTs by issuing a sincere apology for the choice to develop them.
Concerned about the potential for children to view improper material, parents may want to work with independent game creators to institute a content rating system. As a result, consumers would have a better idea of who to target with games like Poppy Playtime because of the context in which they are being played.
Comments are closed.