Boycotts of video games rarely, if ever, work. This isn't to say that games or the companies behind them should be exempt from criticism or that players shouldn't be allowed to vote with their wallets if they're so inclined. After all, nothing improves without critique, and genuine concerns over a game's quality or conditions that developers work under are worth shedding a light on.

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However, the outcry raised for the following titles is considerably less pressing. Whether they were formed from some bored moral guardians, entitled fans, or an online hate group, these boycotts tried and failed to hinder the success of the following titles.

10 Night Trap Was Banned From Stores And Prompted Congressional Hearings

A pair of armed men attacking a woman in Night Trap

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (better known as the ESRB) is a US organization that reviews games for any obscene content and designates them an age-based rating. Their existence is partially owed to titles such as Mortal Kombat and Night Trap. While MK's controversy was somewhat justified considering its depictions of violence, the kerfuffle around Night Trap was almost completely unwarranted. The amount of onscreen blood was next to none, and while detractors decried the game as an effort to trap and kill women, the objective was actually to save them.

9 Bully Was More Akin To Dennis The Menace Than GTA

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Rockstar's Bully faced controversy from activists, such as the disbarred attorney Jack Thompson, primarily because of the name alone. Shortly after its announcement, outlets erroneously accused the game of allowing players to take on the role of a bully. When the ESRB reviewed the content of the game, they designated it a "T for Teen" rating; much to the chagrin of Thompson. He called the game a "Columbine simulator" and attempted to get the game banned from retail outlets. Publisher Take-Two Interactive agreed to present the game to a judge, who ruled in favor of shipping the game.

8 Gamers Were Unimpressed By Pokemon Sword & Shield's Roster And Visuals

Sobble from Pokémon Sword and Shield crying.

Sword and Shield marked the first two marquee Pokemon titles for the Nintendo Switch. As development progressed and more info about the game was unveiled, fans discovered that this title marked the first in the series that wouldn't allow players to bring Pokemon from previous generations. Not only that but it was discovered that much of the character and creature animations would be recycled from the prior 3DS entries. In spite of the fan backlash, both Sword and Shield were released to strong reviews and the best sales the series had seen since Gold and Silver.

7 Steam Groups Thought Left 4 Dead 2 Was Released Too Soon

Left 4 Dead 2 survivors ready for battle.

Shortly after Left 4 Dead 2's announcement at E3 2009, Valve received backlash from fans who accused them of abandoning support for the original Left 4 Dead. In addition, the new characters, setting, and tone of the sequel were considered ill-fitting for the franchise. It wasn't too long before a Steam community group was formed called the "L4D2 Boycott (NO-L4D2)." Valve went so far as to fly out two of the most vocal members of the boycott to try out the sequel. The game received rave reviews and more than double the sales of the original.

6 Bayonetta 2's Nintendo Exclusivity Earned The Ire Of Fans

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The original Bayonetta was acclaimed by critics for its cathartic combat and its slick presentation. However, it sold well below Sega's expectations and prompted them to drop the sequel from their lineup. Fortunately, Nintendo stepped in and gave PlatinumGames the funds needed to finish development, resulting in Bayonetta 2 becoming a Wii U exclusive. This was met with outrage by fans, most of who experienced the original on other consoles such as the Xbox 360 and hoped to do the same with the sequel. The reality of the situation is that the game wouldn't have been made if Nintendo hadn't agreed to publish it.

5 Wind Waker Was Disparaged By Gamers For Its Cel Shaded Art Style

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When Nintendo unveiled the GameCube in Spaceworld 2000, a trailer showcased a more realistic Link and Ganon fighting each other. While many believed it was footage from an upcoming Legend of Zelda title, this was merely a proof of concept video used to test the hardware of the GameCube. It was never intended to be the next installment.

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When Wind Waker was revealed for the system shortly after, fans were furious over its cartoony cel-shaded look. Given the disparaging nickname "CELda," Wind Waker was eventually released to critical acclaim for its visuals and exploration.

4 Psychonauts 2 Was Accused Of Being A Scam

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While Tim Schafer's Broken Age far exceeded its funding goal and was released to rave reviews, fans were upset by its protracted two-part launch. Accusations of mismanaged funds circulated, and many claimed that Schafer couldn't be trusted with any further crowd-funded projects. Following Broken Age Act Two, Schafer announced the Fig campaign for a sequel to Psychonauts. The same people who lambasted Broken Age accused the Psychonauts 2 campaign of being a scam. After meeting its goal during its six-year development, the game was released to critical acclaim.

3 Gamers Criticized Battlefield 1 For "Forced Diversity"

The enemies staring each other down in Battlefield 1

Battlefield 1 attempted to mix up the tried and true Military Shooter genre by shifting the setting to the First World War. When it was revealed that players could take on the roles of a woman and a soldier of color, the game was criticized for being historically inaccurate and promoting "forced diversity" – a phrase used to stop representation in media. Putting aside the fact the earlier Battlefield entries never aimed for historical accuracy, the objections of controlling a woman or person of color in a first-person shooter is nothing short of absurd.

2 The Last of Us 2 Prompted Death Threats

Last of Us 2 Ellie and Dina Cropped

In yet another example of a game being criticized for "forced diversity," Last of Us Part 2 drew outrage for shifting the focus from Joel to Ellie and giving her a lesbian girlfriend. Not only that but the character of Abby was criticized and her voice actress, Laura Bailey, received death threats.

RELATED: 5 Games for Fans of The Last of Us

Studies have shown that when people see depictions of other races, creeds, or sexual orientations in forms of fiction such as films or TV shows, they become more empathetic and less afraid of these groups. That kind of acceptance is seen as a danger to those who seek to divide through fear and suspicion.

1 Wolfenstein The New Order Angered The Alt-Right

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It seems hard to believe that in 2017, a new installment in a long-running franchise based around killing Nazis would be the first entry to provoke online outrage. Despite hailing from a series that's been around since 1981, Wolfenstein the New Colossus drew ire from members of the alt-right. Detractors deemed the game a "hysterical leftist power fantasy" and criticized Bethesda for making the series "political." How Wolfenstein 3D, a game that features a robotic Adolph Hitler as the final boss, could be regarded as non-political in comparison is a mystery that's not worth solving.

NEXT: 10 First-Person Shooters That Came Before Wolfenstein 3D