WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina aired a story this Tuesday about some concerns raised over Valve’s Portal 2. Apparently Neal Stapel, a local adoptive father, called in a complaint to the news studio about the game, stating that portions of the experience lobbed offensive remarks at adopted children. Citing a latter portion of the game, in which Wheatley yells “Alright, fatty. Adopted fatty. Fatty, fatty no parents.” at protagonist Chell in attempt to get her to solve test chambers quicker, as offensive to himself and his 10-year old daughter, whom he was playing the title with.
“If you’re not an adoptive parent it’s probably not that big a deal to you,” complained Stapel. “It’s a fantastic game. It’s a great game. It’s just that one little blurb in there .”
“It throws the question, the most ultimate question that child is ever gonna have for you and it just throws it right in your living room,” continued Stapel, “But that one question is the one that did not need to come from a video game,” he said. “It needed to come from her or from us.”
The news station originally put in calls to Sony, thinking it was the game’s distributor as the Stapel’s copy was on the PS3, before being told to contact Valve directly. The publisher has not returned the calls for comment. The news station later released a follow up story, which can be found at the station’s website.
What’s the E-G take on the story? Let us know below, and we will send your comments to WBTV ourselves!
I saw this a couple days ago… seriously, people get offended over the slightest of things that are meant to be humorous. And the reactions of the news correspondents are ridiculous.
I think the follow-up piece was better. Knowing gamers, they probably “educated” the hell out of the lady that did the piece.
Fatty, fatty adopted parents.
I wonder how many local news stations use the slogan, “On Your Side.”
Sensitivity in general has gotten out of hand over the last two decades.
Also, this guy has clearly played the first game, so he should be used to the humor of GLaDOS putting down Chell. I remembered there was a slight (and I use slight in the smallest way) adoption jab at the end of that game so I looked it up and…
“There was even going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend, the Companion Cube. Of course, he couldn’t come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn’t come, either, because you don’t have any other friends because of how unlikable you are. It says so right here in your personnel file: “Unlikable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikable loner, whose passing shall not be mourned. Shall NOT be mourned.” That’s exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says you were adopted, so that’s funny, too. “