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Ubisoft Apologizes for The Division 2 Email Promising a 'Real Government Shutdown' (pcgamer.com)

Ubisoft, the game studio behind upcoming title "Tom Clancy's The Division 2", has apologized for an email that made light of the U.S. government shutdown that ended a week ago. From a report: Ubisoft sent out a marketing email for The Division 2 earlier Thursday which prompted a quick retraction. The email was an invitation to the game's private beta, with the subject line: "Come see what a real government shutdown looks like in the Private Beta".

Not long after the email was issued, the publisher sent a retraction. "A marketing email promoting Tom Clancy's The Division 2 was sent in error today. This was a grave breakdown in process and we apologize for this error and the offensive subject line of the email. We recognize the very real impact of the United States government shut down on thousands of people and did not intend to make light of the situation."

150 comments

  1. OUTRAGE by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Too late... OUTRAGE

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    1. Re:OUTRAGE by penandpaper · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't know what is going on. But I can assure you that whatever it is I AM OUTRAGED!!!

      Let me inform my Twitter followers about how outraged I am. Surely we can get someone fired if we try!

    2. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I am outraged that the government shutdown ended before I could launch a food drive for the poor deprived government workers. I have three jars of peanut butter of a brand it turns out I don't like that I planned to donate to the hungry out of work government workers .

    3. Re:OUTRAGE by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Well I think it is a lot like 9/11 jokes made in the early 2000's. Not necessarily extremely offensive, but poorly timed, as a lot of federal employees, are still feeling the pain from the current shutdown. If this was released in a few months (assuming no more shutdowns) I would guess the humor in the statement would be better received. We make jokes about death and dying all the time, but we don't do it in front of someone who just lost a loved one.

      But I expect the retraction was less to prevent outrage, but the accidental political slant that could be implied in the message. The majority of the US population has blamed the President and the Republican party more for the shutdown then with the Democrats. So the GOP tried to keep the spin about it only being a partial shutdown, and it isn't as bad as we think (The democrats would do the same if they were to be blamed for it). However the way it was worded, it almost thinks that Ubisoft was endorsing the Republican position, which for marketing that would mean you might turn off half of the population in this era of tribal partisanship.

      I think this is less outrage, but possible customers going yea ill skip this, because it is isn't for me.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re: OUTRAGE by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Geez....

      WTF is everyone so damned wimpy and scared of offending anyone?

      I mean, wow...so much for jokes, or even free speech if taken to the far extreme (and people do seem to be trying for this).

      I mean, get a sense of humor.

      Quit looking to be offended. If you don't like something that was said...just fscking ignore it.

      Surly you have something better to be doing?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    5. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Translation: We actually don't give a shit, but our marketing team determined that this may affect sales. Therefore, we apologize profusely.

    6. Re:OUTRAGE by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well I think it is a lot like 9/11 jokes made in the early 2000's.

      What does NASA stand for??

      Need Another Seven Astronauts....

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    7. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously not apology necessary, fuck the offended. It's a fictional game on a truly end of time government shutdown, the statement in the email only eludes to that.

      Some businessman had his asshole all tight and forced the apology.

    8. Re:OUTRAGE by supremebob · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The cynic in me thinks that Ubisoft's "outraged retraction" was just part of the marketing plan.

      Hey... it worked, right? You now have Slashdot and other media outlets talking about The Division 2, a game I've never heard of until now.

    9. Re:OUTRAGE by supremebob · · Score: 1

      More like the marketing team realized that they would get even more publicity for the game by issuing an apology and getting the mainstream tech press interested in the product.

    10. Re:OUTRAGE by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't think there actually was any outrage... It seems that they sent the retraction email a few hours later, and when you look on Twitter and Facebook there is basically nothing.

      Seems like they manufactured a fake outrage for marketing purposes. Should provide fodder for meta-outrage industry I guess.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    11. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Well I think it is a lot like 9/11 jokes made in the early 2000's.

      Nope. People died in 9/11, no laughing matter. A shutdown is no worse than other massive layoffs. At worst, you get some powerty. But people survive.

    12. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right? "In the Early 2000's", wow ... Challenger disaster jokes started circulating within a day or two.

    13. Re:OUTRAGE by penandpaper · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Here I thought the standard operating procedure for modern journalism is to find 1 tweet that proves the point being made. If you find one tweet that's all you need. "Basically nothing" means it isn't nothing which means "Outrage across social media".

      Same thing happened with the whole "Republicans hate dancing AOC video!!!" because of one tweet.

    14. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      mmm Yes. You can judge someone because of your mind reading ability. Calling someone out for not behaving like a decent human being while behaving like a shitty person yourself.

      "Stop using homophobic slurs you faggot!!!". That's you.

    15. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Show us your hog.

    16. Re: OUTRAGE by Dirk+Becher · · Score: 1

      Thats the premise of the internet. Everyone with a Twitter account can send other people to hell and make them feel guitly for it.

    17. Re:OUTRAGE by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      Well, I mean, I was mocking the whole OUTRAGE thing.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    18. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Should change the company name to Webesoft.

    19. Re:OUTRAGE by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      It worked. I wouldn't have heard of it otherwise.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    20. Re:OUTRAGE by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      I am outraged you are mocking such a serious issue.

    21. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is absolutely nothing wrong with defending white homosexuals.

    22. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What does NASA stand for??

      Need Another Seven Astronauts....

      I actually got offended by this

    23. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Talking about a worthless game instead of better software products. Slashdot should have a "developer of the week" showcase item where they find someone on GitHub that pretty much nobody has heard of but is doing awesome stuff and showcases it. That's more productive than the trash /. churns out now that's little more than intentional headline grabs by companies that can afford the advertising dollars. Everyone knows EA and Ubisoft pull these stunts because it drives reporters to write articles about it. /. could have fun with it too: "Instead of writing about another bad marketing stunt that Ubisoft sent out about an upcoming video game, we decided to write an article about unsuspecting GitHub user XYZ who has built products ABC, DEF, and GHI. Go check them out /.ers!"

    24. Re: OUTRAGE by Translation+Error · · Score: 4, Informative

      Enh. Ubisoft realized that people who literally couldn't afford food and had to go to shelters as a result of the shutdown might just get pissed off at receiving an email saying, "Please, you want to see what real problems are like? Buy our game!" And they further realized that pissed off customers who just had money problems are very likely to respond by not buying your expensive new game(s).

      --
      When someone says, "Any fool can see ..." they're usually exactly right.
    25. Re:OUTRAGE by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 3, Informative

      I don't know what is going on. But I can assure you that whatever it is I AM OUTRAGED!!!

      Let me inform my Twitter followers about how outraged I am. Surely we can get someone fired if we try!

      Damn. This sounds like a Trump rant but, with the username "penandpaper", you're obviously not him. :-)

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    26. Re:OUTRAGE by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      You spelled it wrong. It's OUTRAGED.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    27. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am serious. You are outraging such a mocking story.

    28. Re:OUTRAGE by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 0

      Outage outrage?

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    29. Re:OUTRAGE by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      Too soon.

    30. Re: OUTRAGE by cayenne8 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Enh. Ubisoft realized that people who literally couldn't afford food and had to go to shelters as a result of the shutdown might just get pissed off at receiving an email saying, "Please, you want to see what real problems are like? Buy our game!" And they further realized that pissed off customers who just had money problems are very likely to respond by not buying your expensive new game(s).

      Anyone that can't afford the video games, has more important things they should be doing rather than bitching. And if they can't afford the games in the first place, why would the company care, they weren't going to be customers anyway.

      And these people....losing a week/months pay and they are out on the streets?

      I think this need to be a wake up call that they need to start saving money....living below the level they are now and spending less, so that they have a saved reserve to fall back on.

      These govt jobs are not poverty wages...they should be able to live on those salaries and save. If they can't, then they seriously need to evaluate their lifestyles, live within their means and quit trying to keep up with the Joneses.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    31. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seems like they manufactured a fake outrage for marketing purposes. Should provide fodder for meta-outrage industry I guess.

      Nonsense. That implies the video game industry and the media that reports on this stuff are a bunch of corrupt unethical goons. That would imply GamerGate was right all along and wasn't about harassing women, and that Trump is right about fake news in the MSM!

      And we cannot admit that.

    32. Re:OUTRAGE by penandpaper · · Score: 1

      Haha! Charade you are! I am Trump.

      I use /. for more intellectual conversations particularly about unicode and emacs. I would dabble in systemd but I refrain from such childish discussions because my genius is better suited for character dissuasions.

    33. Re:OUTRAGE by penandpaper · · Score: 1

      But people survive.

      I died a little on the inside which is just like 100 911's.

    34. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Noone cares about the pictures of the greasy shit I eat, nor my constant stream of narcissistic selfies. The only path I have to social affirmation by getting likes and retweets, is to find something my NPC herd would find offensive so I can virtue signal. Parroting my conditioning and getting 100k other humorless puritans to endorse it is the best dopamine rush I can legally get, and you don't think that's important? I'm literally shaking right now!

    35. Re:OUTRAGE by elrous0 · · Score: 0, Redundant

      I'm outraged because some other people are outraged and I'm afraid that if I'm not outraged too then they'll get outraged at me! ANGER!

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    36. Re: OUTRAGE by butchersong · · Score: 0

      Government workers were guaranteed back pay. I would have assumed most of them owned a credit card to float a month or two...

    37. Re:OUTRAGE by SuperKendall · · Score: 0

      I came here to post that I was outraged at the outrage but find you have beat me to it!!! EXTREME FROWN at your STEALING MY IDEA even though you would have no way to know I WOULD THINK OF IT LATER!

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    38. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually everything under GS-10 is pretty bad wages (but still OK benefits) and I can totally understand anyone in a single income household in one of those positions not having any savings. I lost all my savings last year due to a 3 month period of unemployment and even with what I'm making now (which is pretty decent) I haven't made any back. Part of that is due to my 30 year old heater failing though, I had to divert a lot of what I could have otherwise saved to it.

    39. Re:OUTRAGE by penandpaper · · Score: 1

      Not soon enough.

    40. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some businessman had his asshole all tight and forced the apology.

      The apology is just the second stage of the marketing campaign that results in more people talking about the game outside of game-related media.

    41. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They said in-a-nutshell "Stop being a piece of shit, you piece of shit." They correctly called you what you are acting like. Your "example" is not metaphor for thier statement because you misrepresented what they said. Totally something a piece of shit would do.

    42. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Every patriotic American knows that Trump describes himself as a *Stable* genius.

      Nice try, Ivan :).

    43. Re:OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's outrage all the way down.

    44. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who gives a shit.

      If they have no money to buy games as a results of being made redundant by the "Government Extortion^WShutdown", then why should WeBeSoft care that they are offended. They could not afford to by the game anyway.

      Who gives a flying fuck anyway?

    45. Re: OUTRAGE by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      I suspect Ubisoft doesn't care much about people who "literally can't afford food."

      They are concerned that they can't quite pull off Rockstar-esque fuck the twitter outrage.

    46. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Imagine calling people npcs while simultaneously using "literally shaking right now" in 2019

    47. Re: OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its such an easy trick as well like how are people still not seeing this shit?

    48. Re: OUTRAGE by inking · · Score: 1

      That’s such utter bullshit. What, they can’t get a short-term loan during an economic boom? Give me a break.

    49. Re:OUTRAGE by inking · · Score: 1

      A salary payment being delayed vs. dying in a collapsing skyscraper. Totally comparable.

  2. Happy Friday From The Golden Girls! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thank you for being a friend
    Traveled down the road and back again
    Your heart is true, you're a pal and a cosmonaut.

    And if you threw a party
    Invited everyone you ever knew
    You would see the biggest gift would be from me
    And the card attached would say, thank you for being a friend.

    1. Re:Happy Friday From The Golden Girls! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're rather confident that the word is cosmonaut.

    2. Re: Happy Friday From The Golden Girls! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rusky spy alert!

    3. Re:Happy Friday From The Golden Girls! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the plus side, reading his/her non-sequitur made me laugh, so it was a "Happy Friday From The Golden Girls"?

    4. Re:Happy Friday From The Golden Girls! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      we've missed you

  3. Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    > that made light of the U.S. government shutdown that ended a week ago.

    Did someone misread Trump's tweets? The shutdown has not ended, it is only "suspended". His tantrum resumes on February 15 if he "doesn't get his wall".

    1. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      How dare he think that he is the country's chief law enforcement officer, took an oath to uphold the law and that immigration law should actually be enforced.

    2. Re:Ended? by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      How dare anyone make fun of that! Grrrrrrr!

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    3. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Show us where it's not being enforced...

    4. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trump and "upholding the law". I LOLed.

    5. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The vast majority of the U.S. Mexico border where most illegals get across unhindered, but also the entire state of California, the entire state of New Mexico, New York City, Washington D.C... I can go on, but here is a picture to help get you started in your education: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Map_of_Sanctuary_Cities_and_Counties_in_the_United_States.svg/1920px-Map_of_Sanctuary_Cities_and_Counties_in_the_United_States.svg.png

    6. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As the United States burns Trump tweets is Lies

    7. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeap, well i think extorting government for personal fetish is not upholding the law, quite the contrary. Besides, a president is not a chier law enforcement officers, even if your weird US fixation of thinking that a president is some kind of king of the land.

    8. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you thought building a $20 billion dollar wall would do something? People already have ways over the existing wall, they don't need to go to one of the points where there is currently no wall. A $10 ladder works if you're desperate.

      I'd feel better about the whole thing if they used the $20 billion for tons and tons of quadcopters to swarm the area and have better visibility, that's how silly spending so much money on a wall is!

    9. Re:Ended? by cayenne8 · · Score: 1, Interesting

      So you thought building a $20 billion dollar wall would do something? People already have ways over the existing wall, they don't need to go to one of the points where there is currently no wall. A $10 ladder works if you're desperate.

      Well, all sorts of barriers work.

      Walls work...just ask China.

      On a lighter note....if no wall, why not just get our best military snipers and let them practice at the border.

      Hey, sounds like a good place for land mines...make them WELL MARKED and mapped out, but put those along the border and let's see if that drops illegal crossings.

      That would be a lot cheaper and easier to manage and monitor than a ton of fragile electronic drones flying around 24/7.

      Make a nice, wide no man's land, well marked with land mines....?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    10. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I have my Civ remembered correctly, walls work until someone researches Gunpowder - then they all fall down. That was a very bad turn for my archers - gunpowder developed and then several knights moved into my (now, unwalled) city.

    11. Re:Ended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, all sorts of barriers work.

      Walls work...just ask China.

      There's the NPC drone regurgitating the words Trump programmed into him.

      Kinda ironic, seeing as the NPC meme was one invented to mock lefties.

  4. Real impact... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    None. Absolutely none. If you took offense to such an email you probably shouldn't be playing it anyway. Come to think of it, staying inside might be better for everyone.

      It's good to see more people finally getting just as annoyed with PC bullshit.

    1. Re:Real impact... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      None. Absolutely none. If you took offense to such an email you probably shouldn't be playing it anyway. Come to think of it, staying inside might be better for everyone.

        It's good to see more people finally getting just as annoyed with PC bullshit.

      I think most people are annoyed with PC bullshit and have been for a long time. It's just that with most other PC issues, saying so would quickly get you branded a racist/bigot/sexist/misogynist/homophobe/whatever. It's really hard to do that here so now the annoyance is unveiled.

      It's sort of like the way the "gender confused" had to invent the term "cis". Of course they had to come up with a term like that. They can't bring themselves to call it what it really is: normal. If they did, it would raise some uncomfortable questions about themselves.

      In both cases (hyperoffended sensitivity, and this "cis" bullshit) the drive is to present it as legitimate and redefine "normal". If this were any standard identity-politics issue and not videogames vs. gov't workers, you'd be told how terrible and insensitive you are for not joining the outrage. That's the sheep-dog keeping the herd together.

  5. I thought it was funny by Kargan · · Score: 1

    Both in the context in which it was meant and also the fact that this actually happened, which was obviously going to require an apology.

    --
    Palaces, barricades, threats, meet promises
    1. Re: I thought it was funny by phantomfive · · Score: 2

      From a marketing perspective, it may have been worth it. Certainly more people heard about this game than otherwise would have.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re: I thought it was funny by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      I'm not a gamer, so I'm not the target demographic - but I thought this was very clever and funny.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    3. Re: I thought it was funny by kenai_alpenglow · · Score: 1

      What's the name of the game?

    4. Re: I thought it was funny by slipped_bit · · Score: 1

      Yep. There's no such thing as bad publicity.

    5. Re: I thought it was funny by Kargan · · Score: 1

      Tom Clancy's The Division 2

      --
      Palaces, barricades, threats, meet promises
  6. I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See?

    Your OUTRAGE is triggering!

    Ergo, you are no longer allowed to be outraged.

    Learn to code!

    1. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by cayenne8 · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Actually, I think one of the main things we all might need to observer from this record long govt. shutdown.

      Being that I think they said about 1/3 of the Federal Govt. was shut down for that long and the majority US citizens didn't even notice, and didn't have it really come close to having an effect on their daily, normal lives....says something.

      I think it says, we could do just fine with a WHOLE lot LESS Federal govt., and less govt. workers.

      I think that's something we should look at as we look back upon this record setting shutdown.

      If only the "essential" folks stayed on, and the US didn't really have any major type of failure (I don't consider a little trash in parks as a major catastrophe)...then I think we need to seriously ask if all those folks that were not on the job, are actually really needed on those jobs?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    2. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is by design, next shutdown will be longer and Trump will communicate to the population what you just said.

    3. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Being ignorant of the wide-ranging and long-lasting effects of the shutdown is not proof that small government works. They turned half a million people into indentured servants just so you wouldn't be severely impacted in the short-term by a true government shutdown.

    4. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by lgw · · Score: 1

      Yup, there's a huge gap between where we are no an anarchy. We could do with 1/3rd fewer government employees. Woudn't have much effect on taxes, as most of the budget is checks mailed to the old and the poor, not the salaries of current government workers, but hey every little bit helps.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    5. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed 100%, this goes for State government as well.

    6. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think "indentured servants" is a little much. They kept showing up, it's almost as though they knew they were going to get back pay.

    7. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      of course some of the people who were "laid off" were people who inspected aircraft or food. I would think that would be important.

    8. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being ignorant of the wide-ranging and long-lasting effects of the shutdown...

      Would you kindly defend that supposition with some peer-reviewed sources?

      What, precisely, are the wide-ranging and long-lasting effects and why should people in general, not just particular, care?

    9. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by omnichad · · Score: 1

      The promise of back pay is what they were indentured under. It's not even technically wrong.

    10. Re: I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, tell me about it.

      A few years ago, the pilots on a transpacific flight died just after take off. Autopilot was fine for the next ten hours, then everyone bitches just because the landing at the end wasn't the type of blast they wanted.

      No one has successfully boarded a US naval vessel in the last thirty years. Let's get rid if the Marines since they are unneeded too. We can just hire some mercs the day before there would be am attack.

      I'm certainly not buying health insurance when I'm not sick, safety belts are for people who intend to crash and the extent of gun safety is pointing it away from you, no need to look down the barrel before firing.

    11. Re:I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed 100%, this goes for State government as well.

      At least with state governments you can move relatively easily if you find it unbearable. You won't need a passport, you won't need to learn a new language and you won't need to pass a citizenship requirement. Actually in a federalist system most of the power is supposed to come from the state and local governments. They're much easier for the average citizen to participate in and change, oh and it was the states that created the federal government in the first place.

    12. Re: I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The day you turn down all government services someone will show up and light your house on fire, out of spite, while doing a Nelson laugh. This I know from carefully observing peopleâ(TM)s behavior on the Internet.

    13. Re: I'm OUTRAGED at the OUTRAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You would _never_ know if your water had lead in it, so why waste money on tests?

      Iâ(TM)m game if you want to start the trial at your place.

  7. Oh come on! Have a little humor! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why do they even give a fuck about the #OUTRAGE morons?
    Don't they realize that the ONLY reason they are relevant in ANY way, is BECAUSE people listen to them?
    Just let them #OUTRAGE. Nobody cares. We all laugh, they keep screaming like the four year old toddlers that they are, until they shut op and learn that nobody listens to them. Done.
    I hope they don't have children, cause they'll fuckin' walk all over them!

    I for one, welcome anyone to make "offensive" jokes about every single thing related to me.
    You know why I'm OK with that? BECAUSE I'M A GROWN UP! Because they're just jokes!
    Yeah I'm fat. And not large. And brown. Yeah I can literally only grow a neckbeard. (That’s why I shave.) Yeah, I stick huge dildos up my ass when I'm drunk. Yeah I get irrational and angry on certain topics. Yeah, I think I'm better than everyone else. ... Guess what: I'm a real actual human. Not a plastic mask from TV or certain parts of US society. I have flaws. ... AND?

    Damn, now they got me to #OUTRAGE. ...
    It's like a cancer. It feeds on you. Give it NOTING, to take from it EVERYTHING. :)

    1. Re:Oh come on! Have a little humor! by bob4u2c · · Score: 1

      I wasn't outraged before. But after reading that you weren't outraged either, I'm now outraged that you weren't outraged! But I see that you did become outraged, so I'm all better now.

      p.s. the dildo thing was TMI, please seek help.

  8. Re:WTH by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    Wait until apps that track you and pop up a harassment icon over your head in augmented reality appear, so people with opposing opinions can harass you.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  9. Brilliant Marketing. by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 1

    ..Considering the way politically charged topics make it to news sites everywhere, regardless of that sites primary subject. They hit a home run.

    1. Re:Brilliant Marketing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..Considering the way politically charged topics make it to news sites everywhere, regardless of that sites primary subject. They hit a home run.

      the ball hit you in the head, loser

    2. Re:Brilliant Marketing. by inking · · Score: 1

      I like Ubisoft a lot more now than I did an hour ago.

  10. United States Of Butthurt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's amazing how this nation has gone from a group of self starters to a limp wristed mass of whiners.

  11. I also thought of simulating the real thing by evanchik · · Score: 1

    in a game of course. but then thought, nothing could simulate this debt we are in, it would cause wide spread panic when they FF to 2024 or higher

  12. Cave in by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    To correct the situation, tell them you will not be buying their product because they caved on a silly joke.

    If it matters.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  13. no such thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...as bad publicity.

    They knew what they were doing, and of course this will help drive up sales.

  14. The Brits used to get it right. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    With their black humor and all.
    *Everything* was up for being the butt of a joke. No exceptions.

    There is no such thing as an inappropriate joke.
    *That's why it's a joke!*

  15. Considering the source... by sunking2 · · Score: 1

    PCgamer. No surprise they would put this up.

  16. Oh fuck! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Political correctness strikes again! We're doomed, DOOMED!

    1. Re:Oh fuck! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny thing is that the only ones offended were probably politicians as Ubisoft made fun of their pointless struggles of power and influence under the power of nature and destructiveness of man.

  17. Re:Oversensitive by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Informative

    Say that to the people who have for the first time needed to go to food pantries so they can eat for the week.
    It is a funny statement, just not timed correctly. In a month or so, it would be much more funny. Right now the joke is under "too soon".

    I really don't see angry people rioting in the streets from this, just some nasty emails saying they were insensitive to the pain they just had.
    In a few weeks the paid would be gone, as they get there checks.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  18. Re: WTH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Wait until people can hack your brain and literally manufacture your perception of reality.....oh wait...We are pretty much there

  19. I've decided to not care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've decided I don't care about the perpetually offended. I'm not going to go out of my way to intentionally offend people, but this ever increasing minefield of groups and sub-groups of real and imaginary 'disadvantaged' classes is stupid.

    1. Re:I've decided to not care by kenai_alpenglow · · Score: 1

      HR is calling--they want you to report at once.

    2. Re:I've decided to not care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      HR is calling--they want you to report at once.

      Yes, clearly that person is in need of re-education^H sensitivity training.

  20. serious question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why on earth would you put people who keep telling you "government can't do anything right" in charge of the government?

    That's like electing a "billionaire" president because you think he'll look out for the little guy.

    1. Re:serious question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why on earth would you put people who keep telling you "government can't do anything right" in charge of the government?

      That's like electing a "billionaire" president because you think he'll look out for the little guy.

      It fits the general established pattern though. Obama received the vast majority of the black vote, because a Harvard law professor and Senator *definitely* understands what life in the ghetto is like. Oh, and Obama is 50% black, 50% white so he's as white as he is black. But that doesn't matter either. Because Melanin!

  21. Still waiting for them to apologize for Uplay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    what a effing trainwreck that thing is.

  22. It was the same in the 80s by greythax · · Score: 1

    I remember this joke on the playground the very next day.

    Were Christa McAuliffe's eyes blue? Yes, one blew this way, and the other blew that way.

    1. Re:It was the same in the 80s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Hundreds of them.

      Why did Christa McAuliffe win teacher of the year?
      She only exploded in front of her class once.

      What's the last thing she said to her husband?
      You feed the kids, I'll feed the fish.

      How do we know what brand of shampoo she used?
      Her head and shoulders washed upon the beach.

      I've always felt that jokes are how we immortalize something and yet take the sting out of it at the same time. Were there any good Columbine jokes?

    2. Re:It was the same in the 80s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Her eyes were brown though.

    3. Re:It was the same in the 80s by ncc74656 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it didn't take long at all for those jokes to start flying around back in the day.

      Why do NASA engineers drink Coke?
      Because they couldn't get 7-Up.

      Stalin on dark humor.

      --
      20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
  23. Holy crap how is "government shutdown" offensive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The mind boggles

  24. Re: Oversensitive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Except they missed a whole month of pay. 2 paychecks.

    Sorry, for me two paychecks a month is $10,000. If I lost my job I do not have $10,000 in the bank to cover a month of no income, which I'm sure most people can relate to.

  25. Re: Oversensitive by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

    Sorry, for me two paychecks a month is $10,000. If I lost my job I do not have $10,000 in the bank to cover a month of no income,

    I believe the commonly stated goal is that you should have three months backup.

    Perhaps a short-term goal should be for you to figure out how not to spend $10,000/month, even if you keep doing it. If you have to spend that much just to survive, then you have overextended yourself somewhere. Maybe too big a mortgage, too big a car payment, or you're a wage slave to the credit card company finance charges.

    Of course, if you lost your job you become eligible for unemployment.

  26. I'd probably be more empathetic about this if anybody cared about political jokes that offend in other directions, e.g. "don't like abortion, don't have one, har har."

    1. Re:hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd probably be more empathetic about this if anybody cared about political jokes that offend in other directions, e.g. "don't like abortion, don't have one, har har."

      If things like that offended me, it would be a drastic wake-up call to take a hard look at how I've lived my life and why I ever allowed myself to become such an insecure person so addicted to the agreement and approval of others.

      BTW, I'm of an ethnicity considered a "minority" in this country (USA). I happen to think jokes about my ethnicity are funny. Why? Because I reject the whole group-identity notion (notice it's never openly questioned and debated?). I'm an individual. The idea that I should get all upset and viciously retaliate at a mere joke just because (if you go back far enough) I have a common ancestor with some other people is just fucking insane. That's no reason to sacrifice your joy and well-being. It's no reason to demonize another person who hasn't actually harmed you. If we'd learn to laugh at this shit perhaps we could stop fighting over it.

    2. Re: hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are about 3.5 billion women. 99.9999998% of them should not be allowed to have an abortion. I may have gotten the others pregnant so for the ones that know my real name, they shouldn't be allowed to not have an abortion.

  27. Ubisoft is full of a bunch of sniveling gutless co by dimmthewitted · · Score: 1

    Ubisoft is full of a bunch of sniveling gutless corporate clowns.

    They should have held their ground.

    The email marketing strategy was hilariously appropriate for "The Division" franchise and on point.

  28. Re:Oversensitive by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

    Say that to the people who have for the first time needed to go to food pantries so they can eat for the week. It is a funny statement, just not timed correctly. In a month or so, it would be much more funny. Right now the joke is under "too soon".

    "Don't like abortion? Don't have one, har har"

    Sadly, an abortion won't go away in a month or so.

    Some political jokes are more equal than others, I guess.

  29. Re: WTH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually people are getting smart.
    There was 0 need for a three week shutdown. The TSA could have ended it in Dec.

    TSA could just not allow flights to load. They are there during the shutdown to prevent terror oust acts on planes. No passengers no terror threat. Then air traffic can shutdown.

    So airline, hotels, restaurants closed. Xmas shutdown. Congress could not get home or if timed right stuck at home. Wealthy complaining to trump.

    It would be DONE.

    Instead WE paying people (back pay) to not work. If they are getting paid pay them and leave government open

    Also convert TSA to semi-public like postboffice. There is that surcharge on very ticket to pay them. The government shutdown is then meaningless.

  30. Re: Oversensitive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sounds like a failing on your part. How much money are you wasting every month to not be able to save anything?

  31. Re:Oversensitive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sadly, an abortion won't go away in a month or so.

    It won't. It goes away in about 20 minutes.

    BAH DUM TISH
    Thanks! I'll be here all week! Choke on the veal, ya twat.

  32. Re:Oversensitive by fatwilbur · · Score: 1

    Give me a break, the context and timing just reinforce that people are overly sensitive. If you are working a federal government job, then you have stability and stable income. If you needed to leverage a food bank after one month of no paycheck, that's piss poor planning on their part. What happened if a TRUE disaster happened, even so much as god forbid an actual layoff from a government job?

    That and the fact anyone with a heartbeat and especially a government job can get credit nowadays, credit history be damned.

  33. Re:Oversensitive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Had they actually lost their job they would have gotten unemployment and been able to look for a new one. When you're in limbo, you can't really get another job because you don't know if you'll be going back to work tomorrow.

    Though I agree with you that people should have more savings and available credit.

    Most people aren't going to care, but I know some landlords who had a horrible time. Most of the people they rented to were government workers and when suddenly a major % of their tenants couldn't pay rent, they also had a difficult time finding funds to pay the mortgagees. Nearly zero mid-large landlords can afford their bills if all their tenants stop paying at the same time. The better small time landlords can hold out for a few months, the bad ones can't.

  34. Re:Oversensitive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Right now the joke is under "too soon".

    Who gets to decide when "too soon" is over?

  35. Re: Oversensitive by fat_mike · · Score: 1

    Where the hell do you live that $10,000 a month isn't enough to cover your costs of living and save some money?

  36. Re: Ubisoft is full of a bunch of sniveling gutles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm just glad I found out the free Division 2 code I get is an ubisoft malware vector so I know to trade it to a sucker.

  37. Re: WTH by bob4u2c · · Score: 1

    Giant flaws in your logic.
    1. The "wealthy" already have personal jets and don't need to go through TSA.
    2. Hotels still have people traveling by car, and train. So they would stay open.
    3. Restaurants still have regulars. Families do like going out to eat once in a while.
    4. The wealthy already complain to Trump, he just doesn't care.

    Also the TSA really isn't needed, airports ran just fine before them, and would run fine without them. Apparently we just needed to be entertained while we waited so the "TSA Players" play company was funded to fill that need. Personally I'd just rather have some military personal with assault rifles on the flight sitting in the back. Clear sign that if you want to start some trouble on a flight, they will finish it.

    There was a simple solution to congress though. Tell Trump he needs to cut 2x as much from the budget as he's requesting, or he needs to approve the same amount to the support of the arts. That is what congress is suppose to do, negotiate so that both sides win.

    Of course negotiating won't fly either. Why? The issue is not about the money, or keeping people out, or any one of the many reasons cited by either side. The reason is they don't want him delivering on a campaign promise, even if its a token act. The current action out of congress is just to simply Resist. Resist everything! Don't think about it, just Resist. Why are we Resiting again? Never mind, RESIST!

    I'm just hoping this goes on long enough that everybody see's the candidates for what they are and votes everybody out. But I guess that might go a long way to draining the swamp I keep hearing about. So just keep resisting and get kicked out allowing the other side to win, or negotiate and be seen as traitors and get kicked out.

    P.S. don't forget to Resist!

  38. Spineless ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What a bunch of spineless shmoes! Hopefully they go bankrupt soon, the spineless twatters.

    I am oh so offended by their spinelessness

  39. As Pierre Desprges said by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    As Pierre Desprges said:

    One can laugh about anything, but not with anyone.

  40. Offended by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Offended and all their family capable of breeding should be taken out into the parking lot and shot. Or at least sterilized. Thus removing that defect from the gene pool.

  41. Re:it didn't impact me by dohzer · · Score: 1

    If the shutdown didn't, then what did make impact with your head?

  42. Re: WTH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. goes by by once the Air Traffic shuts down.
    2. happens will have 1/2 or less occ. So, they are over staffed.
    3. who can go out and eat, once the secondary money goes away. Laid off workers in from Hotels? Resturant? Oh, yeah they like to go out too, but with less work, less likely too. circling into the ground.
    4. Yes, he is dumb. But the rest of washington is not. So Congress pasts what they need to get to work again with 66%+. Trump is just watching the clouds go by. Veto- Congress with just vote twice.

    But with all grounded XMAS holdifay gone for most all, Highways over laoded for those that try to drive. Basically the stand stil for country. Also no plans entering to leave US airspace. Except AIR FORCE and you can book that flight for Disney?

  43. Re:WTH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > people with opposing opinions

    All opinions are valid! The rallying cry of the impotent cuck.

  44. sole person? by sad_ · · Score: 1

    who decides to send these things out?
    i imagine many meeting were held were people brainstormed about what to do, somebody picked one of the proposols, then another group probably got to work on the actual execution, resulting in several drafts, somebody picked one that would be used and it got send out.
    none of the people involved thought it was going to an issue?

    --
    On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
  45. SOCK PUPPET ALERT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    udachny is a sock puppet of roman_mir. the latter uses the former to try to convince more people that the foundational principles of his cult are righteous and sane. they both often post at -1 (and have their postings limited here on slashdot) because they have poor karma scores here as a result of repeated abusive behavior and their consistent religious proselytizing that is seldom on topic with the discussion thread.

  46. Re: WTH by bob4u2c · · Score: 1

    1. goes by by once the Air Traffic shuts down.

    Please explain this? How does stopping the screening of passengers shut down all air traffic? You really think the person looking at you, your id, and your ticket for 30 seconds prevents anything? Or that the x-ray machine which shows metal objects as a black mass on a black background catches anything? Its theater, all a show for the amusements of. . . well I'm not sure who this amuses. You want safety, hire people trained to profile crowds and a few armed guards at the doors. It costs less and is way more effective than any TSA agent would be.

    2. Hotels are usually under 1/2 filled. Also its not hard to staff appropriately. Third, not everyone staying at a hotel takes a plane, people do drive, take a bus, or train across country.

    3. Secondary money, oh I see, you think that people who can barely afford to make it month to month are propping up the restaurant business. I'm not saying there won't be a decline, but its not the crash your thinking.

    4. 66%, are your freaking serious? It takes tons of work just to get more than 50% to vote for something! Top that off with all it takes is one person to say "Hey, I'm adding a wall rider to that bill" and its dead. Back to square one. No you want legislation through, you need to compromise. I give you some of what you want, you give some of what I want. Now I've seen one side do this; the other side has dug in their heals and won't compromise on their principals (ie: its my candy, you can't have any; sorry thinking congress makes me think about my kids fighting over some gummy candy for some reason. Candy that was given to them for free mind you).

    Book that flight for Disney? Really, I hate Disney (lets start there). Second, I can drive; anywhere in the country at any time. Third, how is it that your so sure people will stop going to hotels and out to eat, but the Disney vacation, nope can't cut back on that.

    Plane travel is not the only means of going from one place to another. There are also trains (which suck because they have to stop at every place in between) and buses (again suck because of the stops and transfers). Planes suck as well (the theater, mandatory safety lectures, waiting to take off/land, waiting for luggage, ie), but at least the flight is faster so you spend less time in misery. I would advocated for a pain free experience; ie I show up, get my ticket, luggage checked, and a pill. I take that pill and about 5 minutes later I'm out. Next thing I know I'm at the destination airport and my luggage is there and I can go. I arrive at my destination with no hassle and well rested.