Spitfire Interactive Grapples With Sweet Baby Inc. Fallout as 'Capes' Lands on DEI Detected Site
Spitfire Interactive is suddenly facing severe scrutiny over their latest release, Capes, which has recently been caught by KabrutusRambo's DEI Detected website. This has raised eyebrows everywhere, given the company's prior 'consultation' with the controversial Sweet Baby Inc - But they tried to hide their connection, and here's where it gets absolutely WILD...
A Tumultuous Partnership
Kabrutus made big waves on X by announcing that Capes had been added to DEI Detected, the site he runs that's known for identifying games influenced by Sweet Baby Inc. The update highlighted the involvement of Sweet Baby Inc.’s co-founder David Bedard and prominent figure Chris Kindred in the game’s credits, as noted by the YouTuber ChristopherOdd. Chris Kindred, you might recall, kicked off Gamergate 2, as well as attempted to contact my old job attempting to get me fired, calling me a racist.
So, in essence, in an effort to mitigate backlash, Spitfire Interactive took steps to hide their collaboration with Sweet Baby Inc. by omitting any mention of the them on both its official website and Sweet Baby Inc.’s own site.
The involvement of Sweet Baby Inc. wasn't publicized in any promotional materials or game announcements, and their role remained concealed until players discovered it in the end credits of Capes. This strategy of withholding partnership details until after the game's release has reinforced how bad Sweet Baby Inc's involvement really is, and how it contributes to the overall negative reception of the game.
Spitfire Interactive, in response, has sought to try to clarify its position - because lets be honest - no dev wants to be caught publicly working with Sweety Baby Inc these days... Developer Penta took to the game’s Steam forums to address concerns. He stressed that Capes had undergone extensive feedback sessions, including 14 pages of forum discussions on the topic of "DEI" (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Penta ensured that the involvement of Sweet Baby Inc. was minimal, primarily assisting the indie development team in connecting with voice actors. What Penta forgot is, no matter how big or small your interaction with Sweet Baby Inc was, simply contracting them at ALL is enough to boycott the product.
The Game’s Reception and Backlash
Despite these reassurances, the reception of Capes has been less than stellar - especially as this information has come to light. They charged $39.99 for a trash experience. Players have been blasting the game, with many expressing frustration over its gameplay and, more importantly, thematic elements.
The "Most Helpful Reviews" on Steam reveal a constant trend of dissatisfaction. They've described the tactics as uninspired and criticized the game’s diverse cast as a mere checklist rather than a collection of well-developed characters. Sound familiar?
Concerns have also been raised about monetization tactics, with accusations of deceptive DLC practices that resemble mobile game strategies. What a mess...
Player Engagement and Market Impact
The fallout has had tangible effects on player engagement. Capes saw a peak concurrent player count of 664 upon release, but interest dwindled rapidly. The game has struggled to maintain a player base, with now about 20 concurrent players as of a few days later. YIKES.
The broader implications of Sweet Baby Inc.’s influence has now become increasingly obvious... The company’s reputation for negatively impacting games it collaborates with has led a ton of studios to now begin avoiding or distancing themselves from potential partnerships. Spitfire Interactive’s experience with creating Capes is a case in point, highlighting the risks associated with working with Sweet Baby Inc.
The case of Capes is exhibit A for other developers and publishers to NOT do this. The fallout from this partnership proves the need for companies to carefully consider any ramifications of their collaborators, particularly when faced with a reputation for undermining the success of their projects. The DEI nonesense has run its course, and everyone is sick and tired of it.
~ Smash
Good. Gamers need to stay vigilant. Whenever one of these DEI disasters surfaces, we gotta be quick to expose/share and then vote with our wallets. Let's keep the momentum going. 👍