On Tuesday, Amazon Games finally released its MMO New World. There’s a lot of interest in this game, because if it’s successful, it will mark a major step forward for Amazon Games as a developer in the industry. This is a game that they delayed just a month ago to make sure it was perfect before launch, that’s how important it is to them.
Early signs? It’s good! While there have been some expected server issues, the people who can actually get into the game are saying it’s fun. They’ve also noticed something else, though. While MMO’s usually try to let players be anything they want, this game is making sure players don’t attempt to be one particular person: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Anyone that tries to name themselves after Bezos is receiving a message that they can’t do that. They also can’t name themselves “Amazon.” So, if you were looking to have some fun at the expense of Amazon in this Amazon-developed MMO, then you are unfortunately out of luck. Via PC Gamer.
New World doesn’t allow the use of “Bezos” or “Amazon” in your player name.
After confirming that variants of Bezos like “JeffB,” “Bez0s,” and “Be Zos” were also locked out, I tried just going by “Amazon.” That word’s not allowed either. These names are clearly not locked because other players have already claimed them. When a name is already taken, it says, “This name is in use.” Names which include the words Amazon and Bezos, however, “cannot be used,” which is also what New World says when you type in swear words.
While most companies do have filters to make sure players can’t use certain words in their name, they are usually reserved for profanity and other unsavory things, not the name of actual people or the name of the company itself. Perhaps they were worried that a player would go around pretending to represent the company and trick players. Hopefully, there aren’t too many other people with the name Bezos out there, because they’re going to have to find a new name if they want to play New World.