Global LADS community is taking our voices directly to the source
To address the ongoing rumors and provide a global perspective on the cultural value of Love and Deepspace and the Valko character, we have drafted an open letter to the Chinese media.
To be clear: We are NOT defending Infold.
The boycott continues. But because decisions are driven by the CN market and regulatory environment, we need to ensure our international perspective is firmly heard.
Subject: More Than a Game: International Players on Valko and Cultural Connection
TO:
LETTER (copy and paste):
We are writing to you as an international collective of players and cultural consumers who have deeply invested our time, passion, and resources into Chinese digital media, specifically the globally acclaimed title Love and Deepspace (developed by Papergames/Infold).
We’d love to share the global community’s perspective regarding the recent decision to permanently cancel the character Valko (Ao Yin). While we recognize this choice was a reaction to localized online controversies, we believe this outcome highlights a critical disconnect that inadvertently impacts the international reception of Chinese cultural media and sends a discouraging message to a deeply invested global market.
1. Recognizing the Success of Chinese "Culture Going Global" (文化出海)
For the global audience, Love and Deepspace has served as an incredibly effective, high-quality window into Chinese heritage. Rather than presenting culture as static text, the game has actively educated millions of Western players on Chinese traditions, aesthetics, and culinary heritage through interactive, immersive events:
The sudden and total removal of Valko represents a deeply felt loss of an important character who held immense potential for genuine connection.
In the Global community, Valko instantly gained a passionate and affectionate following - an enthusiasm that was warmly shared by many Chinese players who looked forward to his unique design and lore. Unfortunately, a wave of radical online attacks overshadowed this shared excitement, resulting in a hasty cancellation that dismantled the positive opportunities he brought.
From the perspective of media psychology, an authentic emotional connection to a character is the most natural tool for cultural appreciation. Audiences do not learn from dry text; they learn from figures they deeply care about. When players form a genuine bond with a character, they naturally become enthusiastic to explore their background, cultural roots, and underlying mythology.
Valko was the perfect ambassador to introduce the beauty of Chinese storytelling to a massive Global audience that was entirely ready to listen, learn, and engage with open hearts.
3. The Dangerous Message of Stigmatization and Closed-Mindedness
Enforcing or permitting the absolute erasure of a globally beloved character due to localized internet outrage signals to the international community that the regulatory environment is closed-minded and inherently hostile to Global audiences.
By allowing a small part of radical vocal segment of domestic internet users to dictate the global availability of art and media, it creates an impression that Western society is being actively stigmatized for its creative preferences. It implies that the emotional and financial investments of international consumers are disposable, and that global tastes are viewed with suspicion rather than welcomed.
This outcome does not protect culture; it isolates it. It damages the global reputation of Chinese game developers as reliable international partners and validates the criticism that contemporary Chinese media is too fragile to withstand the complexities of a global marketplace.
Conclusion
True cultural confidence lies not in retreating from the global stage when friction arises, but in standing firmly behind creative works that have successfully captured the hearts of people worldwide. We respectfully urge the regulatory authorities to encourage a more inclusive, open-minded approach to global media management, and to recognize characters like Valko not as controversies, but as invaluable bridges between CN and Global communities.
Sincerely,
The Global Love and Deepspace Player Community
- The Beijing News Op-Ed Editors: shepingbj@vip.sina.com or shepingbj@vip.163.com
- The Beijing News General Newsroom: 82708677@bjnews.com.cn
- China Culture org: chinaculture2015@126.com
- China Daily: rx@chinadaily.com.cn
- Sixth Tone: newsroom@sixthtone.com
LETTER (copy and paste):
We are writing to you as an international collective of players and cultural consumers who have deeply invested our time, passion, and resources into Chinese digital media, specifically the globally acclaimed title Love and Deepspace (developed by Papergames/Infold).
We’d love to share the global community’s perspective regarding the recent decision to permanently cancel the character Valko (Ao Yin). While we recognize this choice was a reaction to localized online controversies, we believe this outcome highlights a critical disconnect that inadvertently impacts the international reception of Chinese cultural media and sends a discouraging message to a deeply invested global market.
1. Recognizing the Success of Chinese "Culture Going Global" (文化出海)
For the global audience, Love and Deepspace has served as an incredibly effective, high-quality window into Chinese heritage. Rather than presenting culture as static text, the game has actively educated millions of Western players on Chinese traditions, aesthetics, and culinary heritage through interactive, immersive events:
- Festivals and Traditions: International players have enthusiastically celebrated the Lunar New Year (learning traditional paper-cutting and lion dancing), the Mid-Autumn Festival (learning the cultural significance of Mooncakes), and the Qixi Festival (exploring the romantic lore of the Weaver Girl and Cowherd).
- Cultural Aesthetics and History: The global community deeply appreciated the integration of traditional Hanfu-style garments (such as those in the Wander in Wonder events), traditional silk kites, and jade artifacts, fostering a genuine respect and curiosity for Chinese craftsmanship.
The sudden and total removal of Valko represents a deeply felt loss of an important character who held immense potential for genuine connection.
In the Global community, Valko instantly gained a passionate and affectionate following - an enthusiasm that was warmly shared by many Chinese players who looked forward to his unique design and lore. Unfortunately, a wave of radical online attacks overshadowed this shared excitement, resulting in a hasty cancellation that dismantled the positive opportunities he brought.
From the perspective of media psychology, an authentic emotional connection to a character is the most natural tool for cultural appreciation. Audiences do not learn from dry text; they learn from figures they deeply care about. When players form a genuine bond with a character, they naturally become enthusiastic to explore their background, cultural roots, and underlying mythology.
Valko was the perfect ambassador to introduce the beauty of Chinese storytelling to a massive Global audience that was entirely ready to listen, learn, and engage with open hearts.
3. The Dangerous Message of Stigmatization and Closed-Mindedness
Enforcing or permitting the absolute erasure of a globally beloved character due to localized internet outrage signals to the international community that the regulatory environment is closed-minded and inherently hostile to Global audiences.
By allowing a small part of radical vocal segment of domestic internet users to dictate the global availability of art and media, it creates an impression that Western society is being actively stigmatized for its creative preferences. It implies that the emotional and financial investments of international consumers are disposable, and that global tastes are viewed with suspicion rather than welcomed.
This outcome does not protect culture; it isolates it. It damages the global reputation of Chinese game developers as reliable international partners and validates the criticism that contemporary Chinese media is too fragile to withstand the complexities of a global marketplace.
Conclusion
True cultural confidence lies not in retreating from the global stage when friction arises, but in standing firmly behind creative works that have successfully captured the hearts of people worldwide. We respectfully urge the regulatory authorities to encourage a more inclusive, open-minded approach to global media management, and to recognize characters like Valko not as controversies, but as invaluable bridges between CN and Global communities.
Sincerely,
The Global Love and Deepspace Player Community
