Dead Island developer Techland "disturbed" by Feminist Whore skill

By Robert Purchese Published 8 September, 2011

"Violates professional, ethical standards."

Dead Island developer Techland has apologised for a line of code that referred to a skill called "Feminist Whore".

The controversially named ability - "FeministWhorePurna" - was found within the Data0.pak\Data\default_player_setup.scr file by Steam forum goers.

Feminist Whore is thought to have become Gender Wars, a skill that allows Purna - in the final game - an extra 15 per cent damage against men.

"It obviously violates professional and ethical standards at Techland and should never have happened," Blazej Krakowiak, international brand manager, told Eurogamer. "We're investigating this right now and we'll issue a statement later.

"For now, I can only express my sincerest apologies for this incident and assure you that whoever acted so irresponsibly did not represent the views and opinions of Techland.

"I'm equally sure that aside from the author of that unfortunate line of code, everyone at the office is as disturbed by this as you are."

The other skills mentioned in the Dead Island .scr file also had their names changed for the final game.

An incorrect version of Dead Island made its way on to Steam this week. That has now been replaced and Deep Silver has promised a hefty patch for Europe's Friday launch.

However, some saved games created while playing the incorrect version of Dead Island may be in danger, due to the incompatibility between the two builds. The danger, in this case, being a wiped Dead Island saved game.

Eurogamer's Dead Island review dug up a 6/10.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (75) Latest comment 6 months ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • StolenGlory #1 6 months ago

    Wowsers. You really couldn't get a better definition of a trainwreck than this game could you?

    I mean, really.

    EDIT: Four negs? I didn't realise so many people liked the game.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 16:29

  • Eraser #2 6 months ago

    I don't see the problem. They came up with the name for the skill, decided against it at some point for whatever reason, removed it from the game and overlooked a file where it has no influence on the game.
    The fact that they decided against using the name should speak in their favor, shouldn't it?

    edit:
    to clarify, I don't say that the name "Feminist Whore" is ethical and ok. I'm saying that these guys probably realized this themselves and decided to remove it. It's not uncommon for source code or other files in games to still have references to features that never made it into the final game.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 14:37

  • BabyJesus #3 6 months ago

    Feminist whore? A contradiction in terms,no?

  • JohnnyWashnGo #4 6 months ago

    Its just goes from bad to worse...

  • Wendelius #5 6 months ago

    The game itself is a lot of fun and an involving experience. It's a pity it's currently making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Because those who pass on it because of this might actually be missing out on a good time on Banoi island.

  • CaptainQuint #6 6 months ago

    Germaine Greer will be spinning in her grave.

    In twenty years or so.

  • chrisjm #7 6 months ago

    switch it round and it wouldnt be an issue.
    so this isnt an issue.

  • The-Builder #8 6 months ago

    Same perk can be found in Fallout , but with a different name... http://fall out.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Widow

  • Vistrix #9 6 months ago

    What's the big deal here? Is it really that bad? It must be just me...

    And regarding the data save - saves weren't completely "wiped", I logged in and could go to chapter select and carry on pretty much where I left off...

  • HL706 #10 6 months ago

    It was probably an 'in-house' term for a skill that didn't have a proper name.

    "I'm equally sure that aside from the scapegoat of that unfortunate line of code, everyone at the office couldn't care less"

    Fixed that for you chief, I'm willing to bet that particular skill name was referenced all over the place, from early design documents to general office banter.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 14:44

  • cobaltfram #11 6 months ago

    It really is weird to see a game cause such a stir for a very good reason six months ago (a superb short film that did nothing to illuminate anything about it as a game, but was still intensely beautiful) and now go through such a mercurial shift at launch. It's like some weird sort of developer's dream turning into a nightmare.

  • Gearskin #12 6 months ago

    oh god. Here we go. This isn't news. Its anti-news!

  • Retro_ #13 6 months ago

    Oh no, mustn't upset the Feminist Prostitutes out there!! ffs, who honestly gives a fuck?

  • the_inchworm #14 6 months ago

    A game about killing zombies on a resort island, but still we can take faux offence at a buried sexist reference in a game's code. Jesus...

  • Murton #15 6 months ago

    The real news here is that the developer had something in the game that served no purpose other than to give shock value and then grew up a little bit and changed it to something a little more mature and acceptable, I agree with Eraser, it should be seen as a positive thing and not used as yet another stick to beat the developer with.

  • fabiosooner #16 6 months ago

    #3
    No it isn't. But it is a redundancy, for sure.

  • Silvergun-Blue #17 6 months ago

    @ Retro

    Didn't you know? Computer games are responsible for all of societies ills. From the Libyan crisis to the London riots!

    (edit)
    Whoever negged me clearly needs their sarcasm gland checked out!
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 14:57

  • XdarXideX #18 6 months ago

    Who actually gives a fuck? Not even the person/people who discovered this want anything more than to make a scene.

  • The-Jack-Burton #19 6 months ago

    How ironic that I am deeply disturbed by feminist whores

  • amfamaster #20 6 months ago

    Stolen glory - trolling clown

  • username84 #21 6 months ago

    In other news, it's possible to see a supernova tonight with a pair of binoculars.
    It happened 26 million years ago and the light is just reaching us. That's better than this story.
    Just saying is all.

  • ZuluHero #22 6 months ago

    Before there was more standardisation and professional convention applied to code comments et al, loads of expletives and let's say unPC comments used to slip into game code.

    Nowadays might be different with all game devs trying to maintain a more corporate image, but it's not totally in the realms of the impossible that a smaller company with a less ardent QA department might still let certain things slip through.

  • Inmediasress #23 6 months ago

    I always find it funny how people get offended at shit like this and then go home and beat up their kids and wife.
    Not that women tend to do much for their reputation either.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 15:03

  • psychokitten #24 6 months ago

    There's so much ridiculousness in Inmediasress' comment that I don't know where to start.

    As for the story? Meh.

  • spiritsnake #25 6 months ago

    dont these people play the games, instead of going through every single line of code???

  • carlitoswagon #26 6 months ago

    Great name, should have been left as is.

  • Zapatero #27 6 months ago

    I remember being given a press disk from Eidos full of Tomb Raider III desert/arab images, all named raghead1, raghead2, etc. I considered making a stink about it, but I needed a cup of tea and a smoke.

  • menage #28 6 months ago

    Really. Some code hidden inside a pack that nobody is supposed to see. You can make news of anything and take offense whatever you want. It's Hot Coffee BS all over.

    People are hypocrites. It's okay to have bikini babes zombies with massive juggs with their heads smashed in, and now people take offense.

  • cowell #29 6 months ago

    Do people intentionally pull games apart looking for this? :/

    Not ideal but its buried in the code to offend noone. Unless you're looking to discredit Techland as some sort of women-hating game development sweat shop.

  • MikkyX #30 6 months ago

    IT'S ALL LAUNCHED HORRIBLY WRONG

  • chrisjm #31 6 months ago

    when you read about someone complaining (and winning) to whsmiths about being offended by 'womens section' of books all having pastal coloured covers and fluffy names (evening standard, yesterday), this is basically restoring the balance.

  • -cerberus- #32 6 months ago

    "...whoever acted so irresponsibly did not represent the views and opinions of Techland."

    There we are. Put it in a disclaimer when the game loads. Now everyone relax, take a deep breath and let's get on with our petty lives.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 15:19

  • fiery_jackass #33 6 months ago

    Whilst doubtless it was a throwaway joke, it's pretty damnable. Equating feminism, i.e. a move for equal rights, with being a "whore" and with doing extra damage to men is pretty fucking lamentable. Who learns to code *without* learning not to do this sort of thing?

    @ Inmediasress "Not that women tend to do much for their reputation either."
    jesus.

  • ZuluHero #34 6 months ago

    "There's so much ridiculousness in Inmediasress' comment that I don't know where to start."

    What about Ignore Poster? ;)

  • DolphC #35 6 months ago

    Double yawn. It's so sad that we live in a world now where ANYTHING that might be considered offensive to some is a cardinal sin. Get over it, quit your bitching, and the tosser writing this "article" for EG should let his doctor know that his penis fell off and mutated into a vagina!

    Lame.

  • Gearskin #36 6 months ago

    Robert Purchese once used the term "Gaylord" to insult a kid in school. This revelation shocked the gay community. Robert Purchese should now issue a statement saying sorry.

  • Bullet_Tunnel #37 6 months ago

    im a masculine slut

  • TheBlueMagician #38 6 months ago

    I'm preeeettty sure this is actually the FIRST misogynist joke in recorded history.

    Seriously, is it "Anything that moves is news" day, or something? Why is this getting reported?

    "This just in: in a beta version of the game that was accidentally released to the public, some tech savvy PC user rooted around in files embedded within the game's directories and sub-folders and found an off-color joke in the code by opening a .scr file in Notepad. THE HORRORS. THE SHAME."

    edit: lol, I got negged for this? AGREE WITH GENERAL SENTIMENT; GET NEGATIVE REPUTATION. That, or sarcasm is apparently forbidden. Sorry for the humor.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 15:38

  • kinky_mong #39 6 months ago

    Looks like I found a new pet name for the missus!

    I am of course joking, for I am forever alone.

  • AlekseiVasiliev #40 6 months ago

    #26
    I was looking for a way to modify the effect skills had, so as to maybe make some mods. I tried to start with Gender Wars, but couldn't find any references to it. Eventually found it referenced as "Feminist". Thought that was a bit dumb. Did a findstr for feminist and ran into the "FeministWhore" reference, which I thought was ridiculous. This took me a total of less than twenty minutes.

  • lockload #41 6 months ago

    Lets not overreact its in an ini file and not shown in the game

  • Weezer #42 6 months ago

    Jeez, you should hear the shit we come out with at work... And both 'feminist' and 'whore' are genuine words. Get a fucking life...

  • Kami #43 6 months ago

    So, cheats looking to mod the game code for their own ends find stupid sexist punchline buried deep inside the game code and are horrified at the injustice of it?

    In other news, OJ didn't do it, Bobby Kotick is a really nice man and this is not a post pointing out how ridiculous this is.

  • fiery_jackass #44 6 months ago

    >Weezer "And both 'feminist' and 'whore' are genuine words"

    you're talking about Scrabble, right? That is the only context in which your comment is not the dribbling of a fool.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 15:45

  • epiazk #45 6 months ago

    AHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHH

  • BSMR #46 6 months ago

    Man whore right here. Can't help but feel with the recent slut walk phenomena there's a sexy zombie game in there somewhere...

  • Gearskin #47 6 months ago

    @TheBlueMagician

    Welcome to Liberal Land, where everyone is a pussy!

  • DiamondIce #48 6 months ago

    Jeez, you should hear the shit we come out with at work...

    And then the moment of silence as his hand slipped down onto your thigh. You both looked into each others eyes, each minute passing so slowly, as you realised your true feelings for one another.

  • Jolly_Armadillo #49 6 months ago

    Get over it, they are words :|

  • Jasugun #50 6 months ago

    Guess what, i fumbled through the game folders and files and just found a tiny unintersting file that noone ever even think about opening and I found this useless comment nobody cares about between two chunks of code that reads "What's black and stinky? A turd!" Oh my god they got humor all wrong at Techland, let's not play the game, its code is so full of shit! Oh wait...
    Edited by 2 at 08/09/11 @ 16:02

  • TopKatt #51 6 months ago

    @Gearskin

    Actually Robert never called anyone a gaylord. He was going to, but then thought better of it.

    But he should still apologise anyway dammit!!!

  • Jolly_Armadillo #52 6 months ago

    Sticks and stones may break your bones but words should NEVER disturb you

  • lolercopter #53 6 months ago

    They should've named the file "kurwa" instead.

    And that is as far as my Polish goes.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/11 @ 16:23

  • Snake_2011 #54 6 months ago

    it is a game move on to something else really impressed with DI good job Techland after COJ

  • Lunatic4ever #55 6 months ago

    I'm sure a lot of feminist whores play this game and will feel seriously offended by a line of code that they would have never seen if it it wasn't for eurogamer...which they probably never visit anyway...

  • TheRealBadabing #56 6 months ago

    In other news, Feminist Whore disturbed by shambolic game release.

  • YoungPayters #57 6 months ago

    i was actually playing FF7 there and one of the lines was "Stop actin like a retard"
    just saying there is much things that are actually published on the game rather than a filename.
    also its fun changing someone's code with a dirty word here and there to see if they spot it or not.
    good times

  • Plewt #58 6 months ago

    Judging by these comments, I can only conclude that we're in a sore need of more feminism.

  • Collymilad #59 6 months ago

    @immedias

    What country do you live in? "Everyone goes home and beats up their kids and wife" fucking ridiculous.

  • Lukus #60 6 months ago

    Who gives a fuck? It's not like it was meant for public consumption.

  • RM2KMaster #61 6 months ago

    Wow, sensationalist bullshit EG.

    GG, GG. It's like women didn't go out on a walk and call themselves sluts not so long ago.

  • FogHeart #62 6 months ago

    An old beardy Unix guru once told me the hardest thing in programming is coming up with names for variables. I bet he didn't imagine that in future they'd need to be screened for inappropriateness too, but it'd make him chuckle while he stirs his tea with a pencil.

  • cowell #63 6 months ago



    As things stand, it seems a bit of a fuss about nothing, but I guess it depends on where your moral compass points. Personally I didnt find the Hot Coffee content remotely concering especially as the age rating still suited it. 'Whore' doesn't especially offend me either. It sounds like some slack office banter phrase between blokes. I'm not offended but that doesnt make me some sexist idiot. (I hope).

    Would this be more of a story if it was a racial slur? For whatever reason, I'd probably be a bit more squeemish if it was the N word. Circumstances the same, it would be careless and not for public viewing, but I might be slightly more upset. Mild sexism is fine, but racism is a massive no no. Hypocritical? Perhaps...

  • vaser3 #64 6 months ago

    username84

    In other news, it's possible to see a supernova tonight with a pair of binoculars.

    Wait, really?
    More info please.

  • el_pollo_diablo #65 6 months ago

    Game programmer has issues with women - this is unsurprising.

  • giapel #66 6 months ago

    Really? I think it's Tongue in cheek funny. People will get upset over everything these days.

  • FarbrorBaku #67 6 months ago

    Hahaha this game could not have had a worse launch, bit of a shame since it's actually a good and innovative game that is well worth playing, eurogamer should re-review it since the big patch just released fixed alot of the issues they mentioned, and maybe focus a bit more on the excellent co-op feature wich they strangely just dismissed as "works in a rudimentary sort of way"

  • IronCladChicken #68 6 months ago

    @FogHeart
    Variable names are pretty easy - You just give them a name that describes what the data they hold is for e.g int score; would hold the games score.

    Giving variables odd names just makes the code harder for other people to read (or for you to read if you come back to the code after a month or two)

  • Demiath #69 6 months ago

    Well, "Gender Wars" is just as bad as "Feminist Whore" since both terms (quite intentionally I'm sure) misinterpret what feminism and the struggle for gender equality is all about.

    That said, Dead Island is an awesome game. If you're not playing it you're missing out on one of the year's coolest, most immersive and ambitious action RPGs.

  • Laminator #70 6 months ago

    Feels like half the gaming media is out to get this game for whatever reason. I was worried after seeing a load of negative reviews but having played it the game is really great. I admit it needs a patch or two (I had to edit a couple text files to get it running right on PC) but it will be a awesome. It really deserves at least an 8/10.

  • nanogasm #71 6 months ago

    This is a game of gore and zombie bashing. I'm betting the lads at Techland are secretly smiling at the advertising this issue has created. Games like Duke Nukem are built on the premise. Other games like God of War and GTA 'hide' it within. This sorta stuff, albeit not in tandem with ethical standards prescribed by the big code of conduct in the sky, is the kind of stuff that gets little boys primal curiousities going hmmm.

  • Mossycoat #72 6 months ago

    Things like this are a problem because they demonstrate a deep seated misogynism on the part of the company responsible. While I wish I could laugh it off and say their issues are their own problem and the game should be judged only as a final product the bitter taste it leaves won't just go away.
    The games industry has struggled with issues of representation for many years, and a disturbing attitude towards women still remains. I hate having to define myself by my gender, I feel like I am still fighting battles that should have been dismissed in the 70s. But every time I visit a 'gaming' site filled with half naked women and 'hot-t lesbians' I am reminded that in this small subset of society those battles still need to be fought.
    Then, whenever I feel progress is being made, something like this surfaces and I am reminded that it is not the attitude only of a few trolls but something systemic throughout the genre.

  • DoucheVader #73 6 months ago

    This is really a non-issue. So what someone named a data file Feminist Whore.

    Who gives a rats ass. Seriously the fact that this is news is fucking retarded. People are fucking too sensitive. All you sensitive asshats can suck my cock. I fucking HATE political correctness.

  • DoucheVader #74 6 months ago

    You know what -- they should put the name in and tell everyone to fuck off. I would love to see that in Press Release form....

  • danidrums #75 6 months ago

    The only good laugh on a terrible game.