Korea and especially China (though typically gacha) have been producing some mega popular games and I expect the frequency to grow. But just out of curiosity, have they made anything yet that breaks the low 80's score barrier?

Because they are charged by political activism. They believe that the whole of society has to be "forced/terrified" (SBI's words in particular talk about terrifying those they try to work with) into submission, so that they can break down each culture and rebuild them in their own "perfect" image.

The problem is that image isn't objective, and is counter productive, as well as acting as counter-culture. See what the far left seem to forget, is that the world needs it's balance, which is why for the longest time we have had the left, the center and the right. Only in recent years have we seen a shift from what was originally a public that was largely in the center politically, to one where both the left and the right trying to encompass the middle for their own causes.

This is the result you are seeing in media when it comes to the left (the right is largely involved within politics at this point as well as social media, but the left has invaded nearly all forms of media at this point, which is why you're seeing the mention of "wokeness" often). 

The problem with this counter culture, and segregated movement, is that not everyone adopts their flawed ideologies, which is why you're seeing active pushback against said ideologies (poor sales, lack of interest, hostilities being voiced within social media, etc). In time the left will lose ground, and we shall return to a point where the middle takes ground once again (where things will reach what was once considered "normalcy", even though there is no such definition, but everyone feels a version of it in their own way). 

Personally speaking, I am someone who resides in the center. I believe both sides have their flaws and their highlights, but I will never side with the left nor the right, since I seek a balance. At this moment in time though I do wish for the left to lose ground, so that the media they are currently tainting and destroying, can be recovered and return to a state of normalcy, and for the state of it to improve in general (currently it is regressive, due to the actions of political activism). 

They're just trying to make money. I'm sure the developers weren't offended some consultation firm reached out to them. There are dozens of them in the market for all sorts of purposes working with game studios all the time. Even if you hire any consultation firm they'll just produce a report that you can throw in the trash if you want. You aren't forced to change or implement anything.

Some people act like SBI is some insidious force that can tell the entirety of the media to slander someone, Illuminati-style, and sink their careers if they aren't hired.

That's giving them too much credit and comparing them to the bogeyman/illuminati, which they are neither of. 

But trying to pass off as if anyone is crazy or evil or any sort to back off from SBI isn't really a good faith point to have, not with how they have been acting towards anyone that does not agree or side with their ideals. You may see them as perfectly harmless, but not everyone is going to agree with your pov.

I run on what's been going on thus far, and so far it's been shown that they become aggressive when challenged or simply not desired. To tell me that isn't real isn't good faith, it's you telling me something else, and I'll be blunt, I do not appreciate being told how to think. I don't see them as some elite force or "illuminati", but I do see them causing damage and acting as an activist driven hindrance.

So far you are just begging the question, so yes, forgive me if it's coming off as unfounded paranoia. When you had conspiracists floating around that SBI and IGN tried to scam the Black Myth Wukong devs for $7 million or some nonsense just a few months back it can be a bit hard to believe anyone is still mentioning this minor consulting firm in good faith.

 I'm open to actual proof that they're causing damage or being a hindrance. Even peddling their services unprompted to studios would do. Developer harassment is a serious claim, so I'm sure you must have plenty of it, right?

Except we have footage on one of the co-founders of one these companies bragging about how she has been using scare tactics for years to force executives.

Time-stamp 25:20

"If you are a creator working on AAA, which I did for many many years.. cook this stuff up to your higher ups, and if they don't see the value on what you're asking for, when you ask for consultance.. go have a coffee with your marketing team and just terrify them with the posibility of what's gonna happen if they don't give you what you want"

Hopefully with the latest events, executives will finally realize that they cannot only kick this people out the door, but they will be much better off by doing so.

R.I.P ZeldaRing

Good riddance to the transphobe.

Sorry for the DP. If I were making a game I could not go with any consulting firm. I want my creative vision to be mine and the teams. You don't tell a painter what they're allowed to paint.

I won't exactly miss his posts but the bias in the ban reasoning isn't ideal and a permaban seems a bit much when he hadn't been banned many times before and there's typically more leniency before going that far for example giving a final warning with a long ban. Just seems unusually strict when stuff worse than his antics has happened in the past on here including earlier this year that didn't get punished anywhere near that strongly.