That was in 2021 when he invested the 3 billion. He just made a loss with the EU and the UK now pulling the plug on M$ buying out acti-blizz. His money might already be gone.
I find it interesting that people still are looking for real life references in a fantasy video game
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You don’t need to look. With the Wastewanders and the pandarens it’s 100% clear who they are based on. If the names don’t give it away, surely the architecture and culture will.
And if represented badly, it can affect the respective communities in a negative way. You think I went looking for the Wastewanders cultural inspiration? No it was clear because of their names. And I have mentioned this a 1000 times but it seems people don’t read in this forum
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The amount of sheer stupidity followed by a simple post is staggering.
For your information, there is NO such thing as pure fantasy. All fantasy and all art is based in reality.
When you say you want pure fantasy what you’re saying is that you want European medieval settings, kings, castles and knights.
There’s something called sub-text and structural and post-structural analysis of art which reveals not only what the author wanted but also what he didn’t want to say based off his historical and socio economic background.
When people say stop pushing agendas and ideologies what they mean is stop pushing agendas and ideologies that aren’t those I’m used to. You’re always swallowing ideology i some form, it’s just that you’re so used to your own that you call it “pure” and “normal”
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Mmmmnnnnyeh, no. A lot of people, like me, would remain clueless until someone brought it up. Far as I knew they were just formerly antagonistic camel-riding bandits, “redeemed” through a we-have-to-band-together-cause-monsters greater good scenario.
The names might be mid-eastern, true, but hasn’t really coloured my perception of them any more than the Nightborne’s tendency to have french-like names or the humans having English names. The title of “caliph” just makes me think of Iznougood for half a second. Whatever culture they’re supposedly based on isn’t automatically obvious unless you have awareness of said culture is my point.
So if they’re “badly represented Arabs” it’s now only (to me) because you made them that. And I don’t think that’s sticking, I’ll probably eventually go back to “I remember when these guys dropped those waterskins you could turn in for Gadgetzan reputation.”
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Tanned skinned humans, riding camels, have Arab/ Persian names, living in the deserts. Living in a place called Obelisk of the moon.
It’s even more clear than Aladdin who these people are based on. Not sure how you didn’t get it. And even if you didn’t get it, many others will.
That’s why I’m giving my ideas on how to improve the Wastewanders in future stories or expansions. It’s a very basic suggestion that is being twisted and turned into something it’s not by many of the same commenters here. A simple suggestion like this shouldn’t be this problematic, but it really shows how close minded some forumers are.
And some of the people who supported this thread are middle eastern themselves. A Saudi guy and a Persian girl. Shows I’m not the only one with this thought.
I’m really tired of the forums. Really.
And to make matters worse I have a clone named Anizah made by a troll. who is going around liking political posts to impersonate me.
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I don’t see any problem with making a zone or a portion of the “azeroth human race” middle eastern like. Adding asians like, black like, nordic like, Latino like portions to the Azeroth human race.
Better than those Gender stuff nonsense that blizzard is doing these days
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What are the odds of a human caliphet on the other side of Azeroth? Time will tell since Avaloren seems to be sort of confirmed and hinted that we would be looking further east of Azeroth, this may be a possibility that we would discover another human civilization that has no relation to the Grand Alliance.
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Yeah the word “Arab(ic)” does indeed have me thinking of Aladdin (because of the song Arabian Nights), but there’s nothing that makes the Wastewanders connect with either name. They don’t dress like the characters in Aladdin i.e. baggy pants, vests and turbans, they don’t break into a musical number every 5 minutes and living in deserts or riding camels isn’t something exclusive to Arabs. And you know, it’s actually a real shame they don’t have me making that connection because Aladdin, as in the Disney adaptation from a couple decades ago, is one of the finest pieces of entertainment ever made.
So indeed to me the idea that the Wastewanders are Arabs is there because you insist it is. Sure a lot of people will make that connection, but a lot people also won’t, and you’re insisting that they should. Because then the Wastewanders can be an offensive representation… Why would you want that?
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I mean…. They could go the easy road and just improve on the already created Wastewanders.
The Wastewanders at first were presented very horribly. As hostile pirate descent bandits from vanilla to cataclysm.
In BFA This changed as they were shown to be neutral now and you can even gain reputation with them (Uldum accord). They have their own unique mount (the wastewander skyterror)
That being said, they do just need to be a little polished.
-
add a few children NPC’s, at least 2.
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add a merchant that sells unique items, such as robes/ cosmetic dresses.
These ideas would make them more “human”, and would have people re-visit the Uldum zones again to buy the items.
And that’s it really. A little Polish and little update.
And it could happen anytime in the future, I’m not someone who is demanding anything. It’s just a suggestion. If blizzard wanna takes my suggestion that’s fine. If they don’t, that’s also fine.
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Do you genuinely find that interesting? Because that is exactly the reason that a tonnes of people customize their character a certain way. To resemble or reference something from real life. I don’t typically play female characters, since I am male, and I relate more to my character this way. Same reason I usually go for white skin color, I am white. I want my character, as much as I can atleast, to resemble me. I think a lot of players feel this way. In a similar fashion, this is why they want other NPC’s to also reflect familiarity.
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Not wishing to see your culture portraying in negative ways dates back quite some time. Black-face Minstrel shows may have been popular in certain circles a hundred years ago but black voices spoke out against them in whatever media they could.
Strange that a thread praises Blizzard for a positive portrayal gets such negative responses. All this guy asked for is that this positive portrayal should continue if they do any more Kalimdor revamping.
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Your comment gives me faith…. In the forums, and even in the world.
You are amazing my brother. Have a good one 
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If any consolation.
I didn’t see it either.
I still don’t see it tbh.
I really just thought they’re raider/pirates in a desert
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It says more about those responders themselves, really.
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Representation of real life cultures that currently exist is not a thing in WoW. As a guy from the UK myself, I don’t look at Worgen culture and go ‘hey look its me!!!111’ - we aren’t running around in Victorian age clothes, streets, buildings, horse drawn carriages and so on over here. That is in the past and even to us, it is fantastical and used as a fun time period in our books, film and TV.
The wastewanders are the same way. Arabs don’t ride around on camels raiding and pillaging anymore. There was a period in which they did that, now they do not. It is a snap shot in history and an easy thing to place into desert zones within games.
Another example would be the Vrykul. You met a guy from Scandinavia recently? They’re scrawny nerds. But in games, they’re vikings that perma raid and pillage and fight. Why? because thats an interesting time period from that part of the world, so its fun to put into games.
No one from the UK wants current UK culture put into WoW. If any part of the UK culture should be lifted, it should be from hundreds of years ago, like the Victorian era.
Another one would be the Castle Nathria/Venthyr and French high society. This doesn’t exist now, it did once, it is viewed in a negative light. No French person is making a thread wanting Castle Nathria to stop being a stereotype of evil French high society.
Real life =/= game.
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post edited.
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But inspiration my dude. The inspirations comes from there at least. That makes our fictional fantasy they are based off of.
Think all OP wants is some more Arab inspired stuff. I see no harm in drawing inspiration at least into making our fantasy world.
Regardless off where all of them are at in the real world currently.
As long as its just fantasy inspired by our cultures.
I at least take this as a request to see more inspiration based of Arab culture. Rather than read it as Representation off it.
Gilneas and vrykul concepts… Where British and Scandinavian ‘‘Inspired’’ For example…
Zandalari are Aztec inspired. Tauren are native American inspired. And so on and so on. They are not there to represent us. But the art and the concept of them are based of and inspired by us.
I think OP just wants more inspired Arab concepts and art and story. that sort of thing.
And In the end its a fantasy world. It can take inspiration. But it shouldn’t represent us in the real world.
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He didn’t. In any case you yourself missed my message completely and called me a narcissist.
So…… 
yeah honestly I have nothing to say at this point. People are twisting my words and making the suggestion into something it’s not.
I’m glad there are some decent people here who are seeing what I’m seeing. Hypocrisy in the comment section. This is exactly why we need better representation.
As long as the suggestion reached Blizzard that’s all that matters. Haters can hate if they want. I don’t care anymore.
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Was I wrong? Did I miss the mark? 
More Arab inspired concept and characters wouldn’t work for our fantasy world? Vrykul and gilneans. Tauren And Zandalari aren’t representations intended.
They are fantasy races and character. Their fantasy is inspired by these cultures… There is a difference between what inspiration is and representation.
Nothing in wow is meant or intended to ‘‘represent’’ anything… Its a fantasy world. That takes inspiration from us.
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